RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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An antipaladin smiting good gets to add double his level against good aligned clerics and paladins on the damage of the first hit. This ability was written before warpriests were a thing. Since warpriests are a cleric hybrid class, do you think RAI they should also be subject to extra smite damage if good aligned?
This came up in a session recently. We went with the extra damage as it seemed appropriate but I was wondering what others thought.
RAW probably not.
RAI probably.
I would have ruled the same way. The most important thing is that everyone's on the same page I guess, so as long as nobody flipped the table I think you're fine.
I would have them take the extra damage in a game I run.
since there is a LOT of variation and border-line not mentioned cases -i level both paladin and antipaladin in this case. each deal double his level against any target with at least a feint opposing aura.
but that is just me. not the rules.
As in you'd give Paladins double smite damage on the first hit against evil Clerics?
I can see why you do this - it makes things more internally consistent - but I think the reasons Antipaladins get this is because they don't have an equivalent to Undead for their smites. This is their bonus to match a Paladin's double-smite vs undead.
Having said that, it's a bonus on something that's already huge damage, so it's unlikely this will change anything (they'll die in 2 hits instead of 3).
idk. it depand on the world build but i think you might find a lot more 4th+ level\hd good creatures then undead as enemies in a game where the party is evil. it all depend on the tpo.
but it should even out two mirror groups fighting each other (and each other's minions.)
Since warpriests are a cleric hybrid class, do you think RAI they should also be subject to extra smite damage if good aligned?
I'd say yes. Antipaladins get powered by (usually) evil deities to further their agenda, and any good-aligned divine servant tends to be in the way of such an agenda. So they must be purged with unholy might, no matter whether they are paladins, good-aligned clerics or good-aligned warpriests. Or good-aligned inquisitors. Or maybe good-aligned oracles - they don't necessarily serve a deity, after all.
Looking at the table on detect evil and comparing it to what takes extra damage from a smite I cannot help but notices that other than dragons anything that takes extra damage from a smite detects evil at a lower level. Both smite evil and smite good deals extra damage to aligned dragons and outsiders. Since in pathfinder all undead are evil to balance it out they had smite good deal extra damage vs clerics and paladins, who both have the class feature aura.
Oracles and Inquisitors were introduced in the same book as the anti-paladin. Neither one of them is mentioned in smite good and so should not take extra damage. Neither one of them has the class feature Aura, or has a stronger aura. For my games any class with the class feature Aura will take extra damage from a smite good.
For what it is worth, I consider Warpriest to be clerics in this regard...
Looking at the table on detect evil and comparing it to what takes extra damage from a smite I cannot help but notices that other than dragons anything that takes extra damage from a smite detects evil at a lower level. Both smite evil and smite good deals extra damage to aligned dragons and outsiders. Since in pathfinder all undead are evil to balance it out they had smite good deal extra damage vs clerics and paladins, who both have the class feature aura.
Oracles and Inquisitors were introduced in the same book as the anti-paladin. Neither one of them is mentioned in smite good and so should not take extra damage. Neither one of them has the class feature Aura, or has a stronger aura. For my games any class with the class feature Aura will take extra damage from a smite good.
So, for the sake of a list, this is what I was able to find.
- Clerics
- Paladins
- Warpriests
- Zealot vigilantes (in V identity only)
- Pact Wizards (Familiar Folio version)
I think that's a fair interpretation. (:
Yeah making it work on anyone who has an aura of <alignment> is probably the most thematically consistent way to go. Or if you want to keep it simple just add Warpriest to the list. Or just leave it as is and Warpriests get a free pass.
Part of Warpriest's special training is in warding his divine energies from the divine attacks of more powerfully trained enemy faithful. [/s]