Unlocking Divine Power: A Comprehensive Guide to Divine Smite in Baldur’s Gate 3

Divine Smite is a core ability for Paladins in Baldur’s Gate 3, a powerful feature that allows them to channel their faith into devastating melee attacks. At its heart, Divine Smite allows a Paladin to expend a spell slot upon successfully hitting an enemy with a melee weapon attack to deal additional radiant damage on top of their weapon’s base damage. This damage is not fixed; it scales with the level of the spell slot used and can be amplified under certain conditions, making it a highly versatile and potent tool in combat. The beauty of Divine Smite lies in its flexibility and tactical applications, allowing Paladins to deliver massive burst damage at critical moments. Unlike some other combat abilities that require specific actions or bonus actions, Divine Smite is a passive addition to a successful melee attack, seamlessly integrated into the normal flow of combat. It’s important to note that the decision to use Divine Smite is made after a melee attack successfully hits, making it a very reliable damage source. This feature, combined with the Paladin’s melee prowess, makes them a formidable force on the battlefield.

Understanding the Mechanics of Divine Smite

How is the Damage Calculated?

The additional radiant damage from Divine Smite is determined by the level of the spell slot sacrificed:

• 1st-level spell slot: Deals an extra 2d8 radiant damage.
• Higher-level spell slots: Adds an extra 1d8 radiant damage for each spell level above the first. For example, a 2nd-level slot adds 3d8, a 3rd-level slot adds 4d8, and so on.
• Maximum Damage Cap: The maximum damage from a standard Divine Smite is 5d8 when using a 4th level or higher spell slot.
• Bonus vs Undead and Fiends: Against undead or fiends, the maximum damage cap is increased to 6d8.

Divine Smite and Critical Hits

One of the most powerful aspects of Divine Smite is its synergy with critical hits. If a melee attack is a critical hit, all damage dice associated with that attack are doubled. This means that the extra damage from Divine Smite is also doubled on a critical hit. For example:

• A Divine Smite using a 1st-level spell slot deals 2d8 damage normally, but on a critical hit, it deals 4d8 damage.
• A Divine Smite using a 4th-level spell slot normally deals 5d8 damage, but on a critical hit, it deals 10d8 damage.
• A critical Divine Smite using a 4th-level spell slot against an undead or fiend deals 12d8 damage.

This interaction makes critical hits incredibly powerful for Paladins, potentially dealing astronomical amounts of burst damage in a single attack. The game provides a helpful damage range display so you can anticipate the potential damage output.

Frequency of Divine Smite

There are no restrictions on the number of times a Paladin can use Divine Smite per turn, provided they have the spell slots available. This means that with multiple attacks, such as from the Extra Attack feature, a Paladin can apply Divine Smite to each successful hit, making them exceptional at taking down single powerful enemies very quickly. However, each use of Divine Smite consumes one spell slot.

Important Considerations for Using Divine Smite

• Melee Weapon Attack Requirement: Divine Smite can only be used on a successful melee weapon attack. Ranged attacks, spell attacks, and unarmed strikes cannot trigger Divine Smite, although natural weapons can.
• Post-Hit Decision: The decision to use Divine Smite is made after the attack roll is successful, which allows you to decide whether the extra damage is necessary or if you want to preserve your spell slots.
• No Action Requirement: Divine Smite does not use an action, bonus action, or reaction. It’s simply tacked on to a successful melee attack and does not interfere with a Paladin’s action economy.
• Resource Management: While potent, it’s crucial to manage spell slots wisely, as they are the fuel for Divine Smite. Over-reliance can leave Paladins vulnerable in extended fights.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Divine Smite

1. Does Charisma affect Divine Smite damage?

No, Charisma does not directly affect the damage of Divine Smite. Charisma impacts the number of spells prepared, the DC of saving throws against your spells, scaling for certain spells, skill checks, and the effectiveness of Aura of Protection at level 6. However, it doesn’t play a role in the damage dealt by Divine Smite.

2. Can Divine Smite be used on bonus action attacks?

Divine Smite can be used on any successful melee weapon attack, but only on attacks that use your main action, not bonus action attacks. Bonus action attacks are typically weaker and come with their own limitations.

3. Is Divine Smite doubled on a critical hit?

Yes, all damage dice from Divine Smite are doubled on a critical hit, making critical strikes incredibly impactful for Paladins.

4. What is the maximum damage output for Divine Smite?

The base maximum is 5d8 radiant damage, achieved by using a 4th level or higher spell slot. This becomes 10d8 on a critical hit. When striking an undead or fiend, the base max is 6d8, which becomes 12d8 on a critical hit.

5. Does Improved Divine Smite replace regular Divine Smite?

No, Improved Divine Smite does not replace regular Divine Smite. It is a passive feature that adds an additional 1d8 radiant damage to all melee attacks. You can still use Divine Smite to add bonus damage on top of this feature by using spell slots. The two can be used together, enhancing your attack power.

6. Can I use Divine Smite with a Smite Spell?

Yes, you can combine Divine Smite with a Smite spell. Divine Smite can stack with Smite spells as Divine Smite is a free action when you hit with a melee attack, but you can only have one Smite spell active at a time. The base damage from Divine Smite will still be added to the Smite spell’s damage.

7. Can I dual wield and still use Divine Smite effectively?

While dual-wielding allows for an additional attack using your bonus action, these off-hand attacks cannot be combined with Divine Smite. Divine Smite is limited to your main action attacks, which makes the use of dual wielding a debatable tactic for paladins as it takes up the bonus action, and is not as efficient as other means. It’s usually more effective to use a two-handed weapon, a versatile weapon, or one hand weapon with a shield for better damage output and better tanking potential.

8. How many times can I use Divine Smite per turn?

There are no restrictions on how many times you can use Divine Smite per turn, as long as you have sufficient spell slots, and each usage comes from hitting an attack using your action.

9. Does Divine Smite work with natural weapons?

Yes, Divine Smite does work with natural weapons (such as claws and horns) as they are considered melee weapon attacks.

10. Can you Divine Smite on a Miss?

No, Divine Smite can only be used on a successful melee attack. If your attack misses, you cannot use Divine Smite, so it doesn’t use up a spell slot unless you make contact with an attack roll.

11. How long does Divine Smite last?

Divine Smite is not a spell effect that lasts for a duration. It’s an instantaneous burst of damage applied when you hit with a melee attack and doesn’t have a duration.

12. Is Searing Smite better than Divine Smite?

Searing Smite and Divine Smite are different. Searing Smite is a spell that has a bonus action cost and will add additional fire damage over time, while Divine Smite uses spell slots to deal immediate radiant damage to a target. Which is “better” is highly circumstantial.

13. What is the most resisted damage type, according to the article?

According to the article, fire damage is the most resisted damage type and is a core feature of Searing Smite.

14. What is the strongest Paladin subclass according to the article?

According to the provided text, the Oath of Vengeance Paladin is the strongest class, subclass, and build in Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 3 due to versatility, damage, and survivability.

15. Does dual-wielding hand crossbows work with Divine Smite?

No, Divine Smite does not work with ranged attacks, such as hand crossbows, even when dual-wielding them. Divine Smite is limited to melee weapon attacks.

By understanding these mechanics and considerations, you can harness the full potential of Divine Smite and make your Paladin a force to be reckoned with in Baldur’s Gate 3.