Damage types questions (and Dam Reduction). [Archive] - Wizards Community

Damage types questions (and Dam Reduction). [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Hapycamper
03-15-07, 06:40 PM (Not a DM but trying to find stuff out for our group...)

OK, first of all, what damage type are animal attacks? (claw or bite specifically?)

Are they "animal" type, "natural" type, or do you just have to make a judgement call on whether they're crushing, piercing, or what have you.

Specifically, we fought skeletons and I summoned a Celestial badger which attacked with claws. Does the damage get reduced since the skellys have DR 5/bludgeoning?

What if the celestial animal uses its smite evil, does that get around the damage reduction?

If there is a link to an article explaining this better, let me know and I'll just read that...
Frugal
03-15-07, 06:46 PM From the SRD:

Natural weapons have types just as other weapons do. The most common are summarized below.
Bite

The creature attacks with its mouth, dealing piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.
Claw or Talon

The creature rips with a sharp appendage, dealing piercing and slashing damage.
Gore

The creature spears the opponent with an antler, horn, or similar appendage, dealing piercing damage.
Slap or Slam

The creature batters opponents with an appendage, dealing bludgeoning damage.
Sting

The creature stabs with a stinger, dealing piercing damage. Sting attacks usually deal damage from poison in addition to hit point damage.
Tentacle

The creature flails at opponents with a powerful tentacle, dealing bludgeoning (and sometimes slashing) damage.

The weapon type is a natural weapon as you mentioned. And that shows the damage type. Smiting doesn't change the damage type so it wouldn't help against DR, it also doesn't make the attack aligned so it won't even get past things like DR 5/good.
StevenO
03-15-07, 07:15 PM Somewhere in the monster manual is a list that says what type of damage natural attacks do. You should double check but I think it looks goes something like this:

Bite: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing
Claw: Slash
Sting/Gore/horn: Pierce
Slam/bash/trample: Bludgeon

But I guess most of that is in the SRD quote above.
Hapycamper
03-18-07, 11:38 PM Thanks much, I poked around the MManual but didn't see an entry on natural attack weapon types. I'll keep looking.

So a Bite (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) will get through damage reduction of 5/bludgeoning or 5/piercing or 5/slashing then?
xaqariah
03-19-07, 11:01 AM So a Bite (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) will get through damage reduction of 5/bludgeoning or 5/piercing or 5/slashing then?

Yes, a bite gets through all three of those types of damage reduction.
SALDAR
03-19-07, 10:32 PM Thanks much, I poked around the MManual but didn't see an entry on natural attack weapon types. I'll keep looking.

Page 312, Natural Attacks.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Hapycamper 03-15-07, 06:40 PM	(Not a DM but trying to find stuff out for our group...) OK, first of all, what damage type are animal attacks? (claw or bite specifically?) Are they "animal" type, "natural" type, or do you just have to make a judgement call on whether they're crushing, piercing, or what have you. Specifically, we fought skeletons and I summoned a Celestial badger which attacked with claws. Does the damage get reduced since the skellys have DR 5/bludgeoning? What if the celestial animal uses its smite evil, does that get around the damage reduction? If there is a link to an article explaining this better, let me know and I'll just read that...
Frugal 03-15-07, 06:46 PM	From the SRD: Natural weapons have types just as other weapons do. The most common are summarized below. Bite The creature attacks with its mouth, dealing piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage. Claw or Talon The creature rips with a sharp appendage, dealing piercing and slashing damage. Gore The creature spears the opponent with an antler, horn, or similar appendage, dealing piercing damage. Slap or Slam The creature batters opponents with an appendage, dealing bludgeoning damage. Sting The creature stabs with a stinger, dealing piercing damage. Sting attacks usually deal damage from poison in addition to hit point damage. Tentacle The creature flails at opponents with a powerful tentacle, dealing bludgeoning (and sometimes slashing) damage. The weapon type is a natural weapon as you mentioned. And that shows the damage type. Smiting doesn't change the damage type so it wouldn't help against DR, it also doesn't make the attack aligned so it won't even get past things like DR 5/good.
StevenO 03-15-07, 07:15 PM	Somewhere in the monster manual is a list that says what type of damage natural attacks do. You should double check but I think it looks goes something like this: Bite: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing Claw: Slash Sting/Gore/horn: Pierce Slam/bash/trample: Bludgeon But I guess most of that is in the SRD quote above.
Hapycamper 03-18-07, 11:38 PM	Thanks much, I poked around the MManual but didn't see an entry on natural attack weapon types. I'll keep looking. So a Bite (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) will get through damage reduction of 5/bludgeoning or 5/piercing or 5/slashing then?
xaqariah 03-19-07, 11:01 AM	So a Bite (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) will get through damage reduction of 5/bludgeoning or 5/piercing or 5/slashing then? Yes, a bite gets through all three of those types of damage reduction.
SALDAR 03-19-07, 10:32 PM	Thanks much, I poked around the MManual but didn't see an entry on natural attack weapon types. I'll keep looking. Page 312, Natural Attacks.