Does Brutal Critical Work with Smite? A Deep Dive into 5e Damage Mechanics
Yes, Brutal Critical and Divine Smite can both increase your damage, but they do not directly interact. Think of them as separate damage enhancers that work within the existing framework of a critical hit. A Barbarian’s Brutal Critical adds extra weapon damage dice to the attack, while a Paladin’s Divine Smite adds radiant damage. Understanding how these features function individually and together is key to maximizing your character’s damage output in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition.
Understanding Brutal Critical
Brutal Critical is a Barbarian class feature gained at 9th level. It enhances critical hits made with melee weapon attacks.
How Brutal Critical Works
The core mechanic is simple: When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you roll one additional weapon damage die. This bonus increases as you level up as a Barbarian:
- 9th Level: One additional weapon damage die.
- 13th Level: Two additional weapon damage dice.
- 17th Level: Three additional weapon damage dice.
For example, if you’re using a greatsword (2d6 damage) and score a critical hit at level 9, you would normally roll 4d6 (double the weapon dice). With Brutal Critical, you’d roll 5d6. Brutal Critical only affects the weapon damage dice, nothing else.
Diving into Divine Smite
Divine Smite is a Paladin class feature that allows them to expend spell slots to deal extra radiant damage with their melee weapon attacks.
Scaling of Divine Smite
The amount of radiant damage inflicted by Divine Smite depends on the spell slot level used.
- 1st-Level Spell Slot: 2d8 radiant damage.
- 2nd-Level and Higher Spell Slots: 2d8 radiant damage + 1d8 for each spell level above 1st, up to a maximum of 5d8 radiant damage.
- Undead or Fiend Target: An additional 1d8 radiant damage is added to the total.
Critically, all damage dice, including those from Divine Smite, are doubled on a critical hit. If a Paladin uses a 2nd-level spell slot for Divine Smite and crits, they’d roll (2d8 + 1d8) * 2 = 6d8 radiant damage.
Brutal Critical + Divine Smite: Working Together
When a Barbarian/Paladin multiclass character scores a critical hit with a melee weapon attack and uses Divine Smite, both features are applied.
- Weapon Damage: The weapon damage dice are doubled. Brutal Critical adds one or more extra weapon damage dice, which are also rolled normally and added to the total damage.
- Divine Smite Damage: The radiant damage dice from Divine Smite are doubled.
- Other Modifiers: Any other relevant modifiers, such as Strength modifier, fighting style bonuses, or magic weapon bonuses, are added to the total damage.
Example: A 9th-level Barbarian/2nd-level Paladin hits a fiend with a critical hit using a greatsword and uses a 1st-level Divine Smite.
- Greatsword damage: (2d6 * 2) + 1d6 (Brutal Critical) + Strength Modifier
- Divine Smite damage: (2d8 * 2) + 1d8 (fiend)
FAQs: Brutal Critical and Smite
1. Does Brutal Critical double its die on a critical hit?
No. The extra die granted by Brutal Critical is not doubled. You only roll one additional die, even on a critical hit. Only the weapon’s original damage dice are doubled.
2. Is Divine Smite damage doubled on a crit?
Yes. Any damage dice that are part of an attack that hits critically are doubled, per the rules. This includes the radiant damage dice from Divine Smite.
3. What is the maximum damage of Divine Smite?
The maximum base damage of Divine Smite is 5d8 radiant damage, achieved by using a 4th-level spell slot or higher. Against undead or fiends, this increases to 6d8. On a critical hit, these maxima become 10d8 and 12d8, respectively.
4. Can you use a smite spell and Divine Smite at the same time?
Yes, you can use both a smite spell (like Thunderous Smite or Wrathful Smite) and Divine Smite on the same attack. Smite spells are cast as a bonus action and their effects are triggered when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack. Then, you can use Divine Smite.
5. Is Divine Smite unlimited?
No, Divine Smite is not unlimited. You are limited by the number of spell slots you have available. However, there is no limit to how many times you can use Divine Smite per turn, as long as you have the spell slots to expend and you hit with each attack.
6. Can you Divine Smite after casting a spell?
Yes, you can Divine Smite after casting a spell. Divine Smite is triggered when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, and the expenditure of the spell slot is a separate action from casting other spells (especially if the smite spell was cast on the previous turn).
7. Can you smite twice in a turn?
Yes, you can smite twice in a turn, or even more times if you have multiple attacks (such as from the Extra Attack feature or Action Surge). You must expend a spell slot for each instance of Divine Smite.
8. Does Eldritch Smite double on a crit?
Yes, Eldritch Smite damage dice are also doubled on a critical hit, just like Divine Smite. If you expend a 5th-level warlock spell slot using Eldritch Smite, the force damage is 6d8 total, which doubles to 12d8 on a critical hit.
9. Can you stack Eldritch and Divine Smite?
Yes, you can use both a Divine Smite and Eldritch Smite on the same attack. However, Eldritch Smite requires a Warlock spell slot, while Divine Smite can use any spell slot from any class.
10. Can you use Divine Smite and Eldritch Smite together?
Yes. You specifically need a Warlock spell slot to Eldritch Smite but can use any spell slot from any class to Divine Smite.
11. Can you use mystic Arcanum for Eldritch smite?
No, you cannot use Mystic Arcanum spell slots for Eldritch Smite. Mystic Arcanum spells don’t provide a spell slot for other features, it only allows you to cast the chosen spell once between rests. Eldritch Smite specifically requires a Warlock spell slot.
12. Can you smite on a thrown weapon?
This is where the wording gets crucial. You can only Divine Smite with a melee weapon attack. Throwing a dagger is a ranged weapon attack, even though the dagger itself is a melee weapon. Therefore, you cannot use Divine Smite when throwing a weapon, even if it’s a melee weapon.
13. Is Eldritch Smite better than Divine Smite?
“Better” depends on the situation. Divine Smite does radiant damage, which is effective against undead. Eldritch Smite does force damage, which is less commonly resisted. Eldritch Smite also has the added effect of potentially knocking the target prone.
14. Can Eldritch Smite be counterspelled?
No, Eldritch Smite cannot be countered. Counterspell specifically targets the casting of a spell, and Eldritch Smite is a class feature that utilizes a spell slot, not the casting of a spell itself. The same applies to Divine Smite.
15. Does crit apply to smite?
Yes, crit applies to smite. When you score a critical hit, all damage dice associated with the attack, including those from Divine Smite, Eldritch Smite, or smite spells, are doubled. This can significantly boost your damage output, making critical hits particularly devastating.
Maximizing Your Damage Potential
Understanding the nuances of Brutal Critical and Divine Smite is crucial for optimizing your character’s damage output. By combining these features strategically, you can deliver devastating blows, especially on critical hits. Experiment with different character builds and tactics to find the best combination that suits your play style.
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