Divine Smite 5e: Trigger, Damage, and 2024 Changes

I like Divine Smite because the decision comes after a successful hit: the Paladin can see that the attack connected before spending the spell slot. The revised spell preserves that satisfying timing, but its Bonus Action cost creates important limits that the 2014 class feature did not have.

This guide explains the 2024 Divine Smite spell. In the 2014 rules, Divine Smite is a Paladin class feature rather than a spell; the differences are covered below.

Divine Smite 5e — Quick Spell Reference

SRD note: Divine Smite is a spell in SRD 5.2.1 but not SRD 5.1. The reference table therefore presents the revised 2024 version.

Cast Divine Smite Immediately After a Hit

Divine Smite has a special Bonus Action trigger: cast it immediately after hitting a target with a Melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike. The triggering attack has already hit, so the spell requires no second attack roll and gives the target no saving throw.

The spell adds 2d8 Radiant damage to that attack when cast with a level 1 slot. If the target is a Fiend or Undead, add another 1d8. The creature type bonus applies once to the casting; it does not change the spell’s level or consume another resource.

Because casting uses a Bonus Action, the Paladin must have that Bonus Action available. A character who already used a Bonus Action to make the triggering attack, cast another spell, or activate another feature cannot also cast Divine Smite on that turn.

Divine Smite Damage and Higher-Level Slots

The spell adds 1d8 for every slot level above 1. A Paladin’s normal spellcasting progression reaches level 5 slots, producing the following damage:

Spell slot	Normal target	Fiend or Undead
1st	2d8	3d8
2nd	3d8	4d8
3rd	4d8	5d8
4th	5d8	6d8
5th	6d8	7d8

The revised spell text does not state a separate damage cap. A multiclass character with higher-level slots follows the spell’s ordinary 1d8-per-level scaling, subject to the rules used at that table.

Divine Smite has no concentration and no ongoing effect. After the extra damage is resolved, the spell ends.

Does Divine Smite Double on a Critical Hit?

Yes. Divine Smite’s damage dice are added to the triggering attack, so a critical hit rolls those damage dice twice along with the attack’s other damage dice. The extra die against a Fiend or Undead is also part of the smite damage and is doubled.

You decide whether to cast after learning that the attack hit, which includes knowing whether the hit is critical. This makes a critical hit an efficient moment to spend a larger slot, although conserving slots can still matter more than maximizing one attack.

Bonus Actions Limit Divine Smite to Your Turn

A Bonus Action is normally available only on your own turn. That means the revised spell cannot be cast after an opportunity attack or another hit made outside your turn. It is also effectively limited to one casting on your turn because a character has only one Bonus Action.

The trigger accepts a Melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike. It does not accept a Ranged weapon or a spell attack. A weapon with the Thrown property keeps its weapon category when thrown, so a thrown dagger or handaxe is still a Melee weapon for this trigger even though its attack is made at range.

As a spell with a verbal component, Divine Smite is subject to rules that interact with spellcasting. If the spell is prevented or countered, the original attack still hit and deals its normal damage; only the added smite damage is lost.

Divine Smite: 2014 vs. 2024 Rules

In 2014, Divine Smite is a level 2 Paladin feature. After hitting with a melee weapon attack, the Paladin can spend a spell slot with no action cost. It can be used more than once in a turn if the Paladin hits more than once, and it can be used on a qualifying reaction attack. Its damage is capped at 5d8 before the additional Fiend-or-Undead die.

In 2024, Divine Smite is a level 1 Evocation spell granted through the Paladin’s Smite feature. It uses a Bonus Action immediately after a hit, works with either a Melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike, and has no saving throw. The Bonus Action creates a practical once-per-turn limit and prevents use on most attacks made outside the Paladin’s turn.

The 2024 Paladin also receives one casting without expending a spell slot after each Long Rest. That benefit comes from the class feature rather than from the spell description itself.

Divine Smite FAQ

Do you spend the spell slot before rolling the attack?

No. Cast Divine Smite immediately after the attack hits.

Can Divine Smite be used with an Unarmed Strike?

Yes in the 2024 rules. The spell’s trigger explicitly includes an Unarmed Strike.

Can Divine Smite be used with a ranged weapon?

Not with a weapon categorized as a Ranged weapon. The revised trigger requires a Melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike; a Melee weapon with the Thrown property remains a Melee weapon when thrown.

Does Divine Smite require concentration?

No. It is instantaneous.

Rules sources: Divine Smite in SRD 5.2.1, the revised Divine Smite spell, the revised weapon and Thrown-property rules, and the 2014 Paladin’s Divine Smite feature. Tactical recommendations are original advice.