While we're at it... advanced smiting

[Midnight_Angel]

Smite Evil wrote:

Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a paladin can call out to the powers of good to aid her in her struggle against evil. As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, the paladin adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

In addition, while smite evil is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.

Let's assume our Paladin encounters a ghost, who tries to ask him for help. Before she can say a thing, however, he brandishes his sword, exclaiming 'Begone, foul creature!' and declaring a Smite Evil.

Problem is, the poor ghost girl is actually chaotic good.

What will the effects of this smite be?

Nothing, as per If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.?
Full effect, with double bonus oomph on the first hit, as the target of the smite is a member of the undead?
Double bonus oomph on the first hit, as the target of the smite is a member of the undead, then... nothing?
Something else altogether?
And what (if anything) happens about the deflection bonus to AC?

[SuperUberGeek]

I would say double nothing is nothing.

[Jeremias]

I would say, that the sentence "If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect." is written at the end, not connected to any other sentence and therefore would rule: No effect.

[wraithstrike]

The smite does not work unless the creature is evil. The AC bonus also only works against evil creatures so that does not do anything either.

[Gignere]

For a paladin that smite first before detect evil, this is probably enough for at least an atonement from me.

[anon fem]

Gignere wrote:

For a paladin that smite first before detect evil, this is probably enough for at least an atonement from me.

Well I guess low level paladins fighting things with less than 5HD can just go jump off a bridge then.

[Midnight_Angel]

anon fem wrote:

Well I guess low level paladins fighting things with less than 5HD can just go jump off a bridge then.

.

*shrugs* If your idea of playing a Paladin solely consists of

while (hp>0) begin
If detect_evil(my_surroundings) then smite(sourceof(detect_evil(my_surroundings)));
speak (paladiny_stuff)
end;

then, indeed, I guess your low level paladin might start looking for a bridge to jump off.

[Gignere]

anon fem wrote:

Gignere wrote:

For a paladin that smite first before detect evil, this is probably enough for at least an atonement from me.

Well I guess low level paladins fighting things with less than 5HD can just go jump off a bridge then.

I was making the point that in this scenario smiting first, I would make the paladin fall because a ghost is an undead even at 1 hd it would ping evil, if it was evil.

It was specific to this scenario and not a blanket statement for all possible scenarios of smite first, than detect evil.