# Expanded Smites V0.1 Every paladin has the ability to smite their foes. However, not all paladins smite the same foes. Each oath has certain foes that it abhors above all others, and sometimes the generic paladin smite does not fully encapsulate that. For example, a paladin sworn to uphold ancient balance may possess a smite deadly to evil fey and fiends who seek to despoil life. A paladin whose nihilistic oath demands they strike down all living things may deal a smite that is the bane of humanoids and angels. This variant rule provides a bit more flavorful variety to a paladin's smite. A paladin may take these variant rules at 2nd level, when they gain the divine smite feature, or at 3rd level when they swear their sacred oath. ## Primal Smite A paladin who swears an Oath of Ancients may use this smite instead of the normal Divine Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal your choice of cold, fire, or lightning damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell Level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a fey or a fiend, to a maximum of 6d8. *This smite has more versatile damage types but sacrifices the extra damage against common undead monsters. The three damage types are also commonly resisted, though. Thematically, this mimics the Nature Domain Cleric's Divine Strike, and this oath's Turn the Faithless channel divinity.* ## Overlord's Smite A paladin who swears an Oath of Conquest may use this smite instead of the normal Divine Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal psychic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell Level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is frightened of you, to a maximum of 6d8. *This synergizes mechanically and thematically with the rest of the Oath of Conquest's abilities. It does lean even more heavily on the frightened condition, making creatures with immunity to it even more of a problem for Conquest Paladins.* ## Judicial Smite A paladin who swears an Oath of the Crown may use this smite instead of the normal Divine Smite When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell Level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. A creature that takes this damage has disadvantage on attacks against creatures other than you, and deals only half damage with any attacks. *This furthers the thematics of the Oath of the Crown abilities, but may render some mechanics obsolete. I am unsatisfied with it.* ## Divine Smite Paladins who swear an Oath of Devotion use the normal Divine Smite class feature. *The oath of devotion paladin is the one which fits the normal divine smite the best, so no need to change it in my opinion.* ## Profane Smite An Oathbreaker may use this smite instead of the normal Divine Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell Level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a humanoid or celestial, to a maximum of 6d8. *The inspiration for this whole exercise, it doesn't make much sense that a paladin who's broken their oath would retain their radiant abilities, which are flavored more towards good and righteousness than evil and darkness. A simple flavor swap works nicely, paralleling the living with the unliving and the divine with the fiendish. However, an issue is that some powerful celestials are immune to necrotic damage, whereas very few fiends are even resistant to necrotic damage, rendering your one advantage significantly less advantageous.* \pagebreak ## Merciful Smite Paladins who swear an Oath of Redemption may use this smite instead of their normal Divine Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot. The next time the creature deals damage with an attack or spell, it takes 2d8 radiant damage for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage they deal is reduced by an amount equal to half the amount of radiant damage they take. *This is the most experimental smite, not dealing additional damage, but being a deterrent to damage. It is still stackable like normal divine smite, and should even out damage-wise, but works with a delay, so is compensated with a more powerful additional effect.* ## Unforgiving Smite Paladins who swear an Oath of Vengeance may use this smite instead of their normal Divine Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each Spell Level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is the target of your Vow on Enmity, to a maximum of 6d8. *This emphasizes the Oath of Vengeance paladin's single target, "eff that one guy in particular" mindset by rewarding them with their smite's bonus damage against their sworn enemy. This reduces the versatility of the paladin, but does make that one person they decided to kill die a lot faster.*