If a Paladin uses Smite Evil does it bypass even DR/Epic?
NOTE: The Mythic rules are the latter rules.
DR/Epic
A type of damage reduction, DR/epic can be overcome only by a weapon with an enhancement bonus of +6 or greater. Weapons with special abilities also count as epic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction if the total bonus value of all of their abilities (including the enhancement bonus) is +6 or greater.
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 Cha 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.
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"Bypasses any DR" is pretty unambiguous I think. Mythic DR is still DR.
Paladin Smite still works.
The language of DR/Epic
DR/epic can be overcome only by a weapon with an enhancement bonus of +6 or greater
isn't more emphatic than Combo DR language
A few other creatures require combinations of different types of attacks to overcome their damage reduction, and a weapon must be both types to overcome this type of damage reduction.
But I don't think anyone is arguing that Paladin Smite goes through a Balor's DR/Good and Cold Iron, or a Pit Fiend's DR/Good and Silver.
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RAW I would say the Smite Evil ignores even DR/Epic. Personally I would houserule that it would require a Mythic Paladin, but that's just me.
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Doesn't matter what I say, because the big man himself has commented on this.
TL;DR: Yes, it bypasses.
Given the brevity of the source, I'm not sure a TL;DR was really necessary. Still, that's good to know.
I'll be honest, I'm mostly just amused by TL;DRs on things that don't need them.
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That just makes it more of a CBBTR (couldn't be bothered to read)
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DR/Epic is kinda a joke, really.
I like DR/Epic, better than DR/Mythic, but I understand why DR/Mythic is around. It does not force players to go for a +6 bonus. It allows them to use special abilities to count also. By the time you are fighting mythic or epic creatures you will most likely be able to bypass the DR by either method anyway.
DR/Epic is kinda a joke, really.
Very true .. And weapon enhancement bonus + special abilities can add up to mythic to bypass it as well where it doesn't for other drs
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Problem I have is Mythic Smite.
It says:
"Mythic Smite (Su): As a free action, you can expend one
use of mythic power to regain one use of your smite evil
ability. For the rest of your turn, your successful attacks
against evil creatures bypass all damage reduction. You
must have the smite evil class feature to select this ability".
Silly question, I know, but........
1) Does the Paladin gain his usual attack/damage bonuses?
2) Does this overcome DR/Epic?
Thanks
Paul H
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Problem I have is Mythic Smite.
It says:
"Mythic Smite (Su): As a free action, you can expend one
use of mythic power to regain one use of your smite evil
ability. For the rest of your turn, your successful attacks
against evil creatures bypass all damage reduction. You
must have the smite evil class feature to select this ability".Silly question, I know, but........
1) Does the Paladin gain his usual attack/damage bonuses?
2) Does this overcome DR/Epic?Thanks
Paul H
1) Not unless he chooses to use smite with his swift action.
2) Yes, if the creature is evil it does bypass.
A paladin's smite can get through DR/-, so DR/Epic shouldn't be a problem.
If I'm reading the Aura of Faith paladin class feature correctly, then that should mean that a paladin and his allies can bypass most DR of evil creatures, limited to DR/Epic. The Aura of Faith feature says that a paladin's (and his allies within 10 feet) weapon attacks are treated as good-aligned for bypassing DR, which at the point of DR in magic equivalence it counts as a +5 magic weapon, which also bypasses magic, cold iron, silver, adamantine, and evil DR.
Would you argue that every creature with an [alignment] subtype has the same ability for the same reason?
No. Equivalence only attaches to actual enhancement bonuses (including those granted by bane.) And even then, it's arguable as to whether this should break down in the face of epic (as many creatures with DR/epic have it as DR/epic and {material and/or alignment}.)
It doesn't back-translate from having a property; an 11th level paladin's Aura of Faith doesn't allow some chump with a dagger to bypass DR/chaotic, DR/adamantine, or anything else apart from DR/good.
Just because a +5 weapon can overcome DR/Alignment does not mean the opposite is true. Holy is a +2 enchantment, not a +5. Aura of faith does what it says it does. It weapons are considered to be good aligned that is it. If the creatures DR requires something else besides good they still need to have that element. For example a Pit Fiend requires good and silver. Aura of faith does not even make the weapon magical so unless the weapon is already magical DR/Magic is not overcome by Aura of faith.