Can a Paladin Divine Smite with an unarmed strike, a thrown weapon, or an improvised weapon?"

In the 2024 rules, Divine Smite has been redesigned as a Level 1 Paladin spell. Crucially, its casting time is a Bonus Action taken "immediately after hitting a target with a Melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike."

Here is how that interacts with your three examples:

• Unarmed Strikes: Yes! The 2024 update explicitly added "or an Unarmed Strike" to the trigger condition, settling the long-running 2014 debate. Unarmed Paladins can officially smite!
• Thrown Weapons: Yes, as long as it's a Melee weapon. The spell triggers off hitting with a Melee weapon. Weapons on the equipment table are strictly classified as either Melee or Ranged D&D 5e SRD 5.2 — Pla.... If you throw a Javelin, Dagger, or Handaxe, you are simply making a ranged attack with a Melee weapon D&D 5e SRD 5.2 — Pla.... Because it is still a Melee weapon, you can Smite from a distance! (Note: You cannot smite with a Dart, as it is classified as a Ranged weapon).
• Improvised Weapons: Yes, conditionally. If your improvised weapon functionally resembles a Simple or Martial Melee weapon—such as using a heavy table leg as a Club—the rules state the GM can treat it exactly as that Melee weapon, making it automatically eligible for a Smite D&D 5e SRD 5.2 — Gam.... If it doesn't resemble a listed weapon, it isn't technically categorized as a "Melee weapon" by the rules. However, many GMs would happily invoke the Rule of Cool to let you Smite with a frying pan!

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