Smite spells: bonus action, so they need to be cast before attacking, correct?

[Klorox]

Just trying to make sure.

[MaxWilson]

As opposed to what?

Nothing in the rules (as opposed to Twitter) prevents you from casting an smite spell before you attack, between your attacks, or after your attack (to set up for next round or to enhance your opportunity attack).

[Klorox]

As opposed to what?

Nothing in the rules (as opposed to Twitter) prevents you from casting an smite spell before you attack, between your attacks, or after your attack (to set up for next round or to enhance your opportunity attack).

Well, with the smite ability, you can choose to expend spell slots *after* you’ve already hit your target.

It sounds like you need to cast the smite spell before attacking, which means it might be wasted if you do not hit.

[tyckspoon]

Well, with the smite ability, you can choose to expend spell slots *after* you’ve already hit your target.

It sounds like you need to cast the smite spell before attacking, which means it might be wasted if you do not hit.

Almost all the Smite spells are formatted as 'Bonus action, lasts 1 minute/Concentration, affects your next successful hit.' So yes, you would normally want to cast it right before you attack, and then hopefully get at least one hit in your Attack action; this minimizes the chance that something breaks your Concentration and makes you drop the spell before you get another chance to attack.

[Chronos]

But even if you cast Thunderous Smite, attack, and miss, it's probably still not wasted: If you attack again next round, and haven't yet lost your concentration, it'll still be there waiting to be applied.

The Divine Smite class feature is more flexible, in that you wait until after you hit to declare it, and it does more damage for a given spell slot. The smiting spells have rider effects, might be shareable with your mount (the rules and Sage Advice disagree on that point), and can stack with Divine Smite, so if you ever really want to lay down the smack (at the cost of burning through spell slots like crazy), you can.

[D.U.P.A.]

Technically nothing prevents you casting it after attack action, but you do not gain anything. I think you could cast them even between attacks, like you finish one creature with first attack and then you attack another creature you suspect it is vulnerable to your particular smite.

[Man_Over_Game]

This thread made me think about the possibility of spending your Bonus Action after calling for an Attack but before it resolves. For example, roll the 1d20, see the result, spend a Bonus Action to cast a Smite spell, attack resolves for a hit, you get your guaranteed Smite.

I doubt it's legit, but I made an RPG Stack Exchange question to find out anyway: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/172441/can-you-spend-a-bonus-action-in-the-middle-of-an-attack

[djreynolds]

DM dependent or RAW, I'm not 100% sure

But if you're a devotion paladin... action sacred weapon (not a technically spell) then cast smite spell as a BA.

Just something so you do not feel your 1st round of combat is entirely wasted using channel divinity for sacred weapon.

[Chronos]

And then you can move right up next to an enemy and hope that they'll move and provoke an opportunity attack (which would benefit from both of the things you did on your turn).

And if they don't, then on your next turn you make your first attack, using the first smite spell, then cast another one and make your second attack.