Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 DooHickey Nov 24, 2014 22:38:42	Hi All,   Sorry if this has been asked and answered.  I was unable to find this question.   Is it correct that the effect is a single round only?  At least that's the way it reads to me.  All the other smites have the potential to last the full minute.  Also, this 4th level spell is less powerful, as I read it, than the 3rd level blinding smite.   Let me know if I've got it all wrong.   Thanks!
#2 Novacat Nov 24, 2014 23:11:45	All the smite spells have a duration of 1 minute (concentration), are expended on the first hit during that time, and do extra damage plus some effect. The 3d8 damage from Blinding Smite averages *slightly* less than the 4d6 of Staggering Smite, but the main difference is that Blinding Smite allows a saving throw every round to end the blindness, while Staggering Smite's effect, which is stronger than blindness to begin with, does not.   You could also make the argument that calling for a Wisdom save is stronger than calling for a Constitution save, because more creatures have a high CON than a high WIS.
#3 guachi Nov 25, 2014 18:50:11	Despite the text varying between "next" and "first" attack the result is the same. One use, your next use, within the spell duration of 1 minute or until concentration is broken expends the single use of a smite.