RAI Question about Searing Smite

[Sullivan]

The Rules say "The next time you hit.." so this would mean that after the initial attack the spell on the weapon ends and subsequent melee attacks do normal damage? I would assume so, because if you look at a weapon buff like element weapon it specifically says "For the duration the weapon has.."

[Grand Warchief]

It doesn't end, but the extra damage that is specified by "the next time you hit" does. The spell then continues to burn the target for the duration of the spell or until they save if memory serves. keep in mind that by using any of the smite spells you cant have any other self cast buffs up on you, such as bless, because all the spell smites need concentration.

[Sullivan]

cool I thought the spell transfers or something. seemed to good if you could just catch every one on fire.

[Grand Warchief]

cool I thought the spell transfers or something. seemed to good if you could just catch every one on fire.

Yeah, I'm playing a Paladin in my current campaign and personally hate the fact that all the smites require concentration. I try to keep bless up as much as possible since it's so good and am never able to use the smites. But yeah, it would be silly.

[calebrus]

Yeah, I'm playing a Paladin in my current campaign and personally hate the fact that all the smites require concentration. I try to keep bless up as much as possible since it's so good and am never able to use the smites. But yeah, it would be silly.

Divine Smite is for damage.
The smite spells are strictly inferior to just smiting by blowing a slot on extra damage. The spells themselves have rider effects. If you don't want the rider effect, just blow a slot on your 2nd level ability and you'll get more damage from that slot. The entire purpose of the smite spells is their rider effects, and those are the parts that make the spell require concentration.

The spells don't even scale by slot used (well, one of them does, but I believe this to be an editing oversight since none of the others do).
They exist for the rider effect. If you don't want that effect to concentrate on, don't cast the spell.... simply Divine Smite instead.

[Chronos]

Actually, both Branding and Searing Smites scale with level. But yeah, it's odd that two do but the rest don't.

The duration of the spell continues for a full minute (or until your concentration is broken), but in most cases that doesn't matter, because all of them only affect one hit, and most of them have instantaneous effects on that hit. Thunderous Smite, for instance, knocks them back, but it doesn't keep on knocking them back for a full minute. But I guess that if someone cast Detect Magic on you after you smote someone, they'd still see a spell active on you.

And the damage from the spells can be significant if you really want to go nova, and so use both your second-level class feature and a spell on the same attack. If burning a spell slot for damage is good, then burning more slots for more damage is often better.

[calebrus]

Actually, both Branding and Searing Smites scale with level. But yeah, it's odd that two do but the rest don't.

The duration of the spell continues for a full minute (or until your concentration is broken), but in most cases that doesn't matter, because all of them only affect one hit, and most of them have instantaneous effects on that hit. Thunderous Smite, for instance, knocks them back, but it doesn't keep on knocking them back for a full minute. But I guess that if someone cast Detect Magic on you after you smote someone, they'd still see a spell active on you.

And the damage from the spells can be significant if you really want to go nova, and so use both your second-level class feature and a spell on the same attack. If burning a spell slot for damage is good, then burning more slots for more damage is often better.

I guess I never noticed Branding because the description is on a different page.
But regardless, using your bonus action to cast a spell for xd6 spell, or using a bonus action for TWF to do xd8 smite +1dy weapon.
And you'd have to use a slot one level higher to get the same number dice for the spell, and those dice are one step lower in may cases (and in both of the ones that scale per slot).
Divine Smite is simply superior in every single respect unless you are specifically doing it for the rider.

[Malifice]

Divine Smite is for damage.
The smite spells are strictly inferior to just smiting by blowing a slot on extra damage. The spells themselves have rider effects. If you don't want the rider effect, just blow a slot on your 2nd level ability and you'll get more damage from that slot. The entire purpose of the smite spells is their rider effects, and those are the parts that make the spell require concentration.

The spells don't even scale by slot used (well, one of them does, but I believe this to be an editing oversight since none of the others do).
They exist for the rider effect. If you don't want that effect to concentrate on, don't cast the spell.... simply Divine Smite instead.

Or blow the smite spell AND blow a slot for divine smite for the same attack for Nova damage.

I've removed the need to blow a spell slot for divine smite in my campaigns (Paladins can now just do it 1-4 times per short rest scaling with level, with damage also scaling per level from 2-6d8).

[NorthernElf]

I guess I never noticed Branding because the description is on a different page.
But regardless, using your bonus action to cast a spell for xd6 spell, or using a bonus action for TWF to do xd8 smite +1dy weapon.
And you'd have to use a slot one level higher to get the same number dice for the spell, and those dice are one step lower in may cases (and in both of the ones that scale per slot).
Divine Smite is simply superior in every single respect unless you are specifically doing it for the rider.

One thing that is not immediately obvious about Branding Smite is that it can also be applied to ranged attacks. All the other state 'melee weapon', this one just says 'weapon attack'. I keep this one prepared for my DEX Paladin to use with his shortbow.

[Foxhound438]

remember, the best smite spell is ensnaring strike smite. Unique to ancients paladins and rangers, this spell can tie up an enemy and hold them away from the action for up to an entire combat, damaging them all the while. Very useful on dex-based enemies, such as drow and assassins.

[NorthernElf]

remember, the best smite spell is ensnaring strike smite. Unique to ancients paladins and rangers, this spell can tie up an enemy and hold them away from the action for up to an entire combat, damaging them all the while. Very useful on dex-based enemies, such as drow and assassins.

My Paladin has taken the Oath of the Ancients, so he does have that spell ready to go