Divine Smite - Wording

[Miy2Cents]

Anybody else notice that Level 9 Divine Smite -

That LG only affects "evil targets", but that NG and CG affects "A foe" and " the triggering enemy" respectively.

I wonder if that is mistake or intentional?

[Ruzza]

Since it deals alignment damage, each only affects evil creatures anyway.

[HumbleGamer]

Yeah, it works as blade of justice.

Consider that a liberator only deal damage to those using restraining stuff... so it will trigger 1 time per adventure, more or less.

[HumbleGamer]

I happened to check on blade of justice feat

Quote:

PFS Legal Blade of Justice Two ActionsFeat 12
Champion
Source Core Rulebook pg. 113
Prerequisites paladin cause
You call upon divine power and make a weapon or unarmed Strike against a foe you have witnessed harming an ally or innocent. The Strike deals two extra weapon damage dice if the target of your Strike is evil. Whether or not the target is evil, the Strike applies all effects that normally apply on a Retributive Strike (such as divine smite), and you can convert all the physical damage from the attack into good damage.

So, smite evil seem to work on any enemy ( or the statement of blade of justice wouldn't have any reason to exist ), regardless his alignment.

Way better.

[shroudb]

HumbleGamer wrote:

I happened to check on blade of justice feat

Quote:

PFS Legal Blade of Justice Two ActionsFeat 12
Champion
Source Core Rulebook pg. 113
Prerequisites paladin cause
You call upon divine power and make a weapon or unarmed Strike against a foe you have witnessed harming an ally or innocent. The Strike deals two extra weapon damage dice if the target of your Strike is evil. Whether or not the target is evil, the Strike applies all effects that normally apply on a Retributive Strike (such as divine smite), and you can convert all the physical damage from the attack into good damage.

So, smite evil seem to work on any enemy ( or the statement of blade of justice wouldn't have any reason to exist ), regardless his alignment.

Way better.

It's the opposite actually:

*normally* smite would only affect evil targets (since only Evil takes Good damage)

Retribution blade make it so that EVERYONE is affected.

That's a property of the Retribution blade, not a base property of Smite.

[oholoko]

shroudb wrote:

HumbleGamer wrote:

I happened to check on blade of justice feat

Quote:

PFS Legal Blade of Justice Two ActionsFeat 12
Champion
Source Core Rulebook pg. 113
Prerequisites paladin cause
You call upon divine power and make a weapon or unarmed Strike against a foe you have witnessed harming an ally or innocent. The Strike deals two extra weapon damage dice if the target of your Strike is evil. Whether or not the target is evil, the Strike applies all effects that normally apply on a Retributive Strike (such as divine smite), and you can convert all the physical damage from the attack into good damage.

So, smite evil seem to work on any enemy ( or the statement of blade of justice wouldn't have any reason to exist ), regardless his alignment.

Way better.

It's the opposite actually:

*normally* smite would only affect evil targets (since only Evil takes Good damage)

Retribution blade make it so that EVERYONE is affected.

That's a property of the Retribution blade, not a base property of Smite.

Yeah they are affected but they dont take the damage unless they are evil...

[HumbleGamer]

shroudb wrote:

HumbleGamer wrote:

I happened to check on blade of justice feat

Quote:

PFS Legal Blade of Justice Two ActionsFeat 12
Champion
Source Core Rulebook pg. 113
Prerequisites paladin cause
You call upon divine power and make a weapon or unarmed Strike against a foe you have witnessed harming an ally or innocent. The Strike deals two extra weapon damage dice if the target of your Strike is evil. Whether or not the target is evil, the Strike applies all effects that normally apply on a Retributive Strike (such as divine smite), and you can convert all the physical damage from the attack into good damage.

So, smite evil seem to work on any enemy ( or the statement of blade of justice wouldn't have any reason to exist ), regardless his alignment.

Way better.

It's the opposite actually:

*normally* smite would only affect evil targets (since only Evil takes Good damage)

Retribution blade make it so that EVERYONE is affected.

That's a property of the Retribution blade, not a base property of Smite.

Feels strange that it is the only one skill that say in an explicit way

Quote:

If the target of your Strike is evil

While divine smite is only saying stuff in a narrative way.

We also have smite evil, which talks about evildoers.

Which means any character who committs evil acts. Aka not necessarily evil targets.

You could be neutral or even a chaotic good ending up killing the guards to protect the poor.

And its name is smite evil.
Just to say it is a name. Nothing meant to work with rules.

Like anything else, for example the diplomacy feat glad hand.

You dont have to shake hands or offer your hand for a handshake to make it work.

If something is stated in an explicit way, it is meant to work that way. Unless, it is just flavor ( a paladin is meant to fight the evil, which could not necessarily be evil alignment ).

[Miy2Cents]

(since only Evil takes Good damage) ?

Could you point me to that page number, please.

[Ruzza]

Miy2Cents wrote:

(since only Evil takes Good damage) ?

Could you point me to that page number, please.

Core Rulebook page 452 "Alignment Damage"

[Miy2Cents]

Firstly thank you :)

After reading that I wonder how players will use it to - "Detect Evil" - LOL

Cheers

[Ruzza]

Let me save you some ethical debate: You weren't the only one to think that.

[Miy2Cents]

LMAO :)