Damage Reduction Question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Damage Reduction Question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
s. baldrick
02-13-06, 12:31 PM I just have a DR question: Does DR apply to extra damage from items that poccess should qualities such as vicious and holy or does DR include only direct physical damage from the weapon?

Case in point: My party is going up against a creature with DR 20 / Good and cold iron. 2 of the party memembers can over come the DR no problem. A third one doesn't have a hope of over coming the DR. The last one one is armed with a vicious falchion that will do an addition 2D6 of damage. I know that the damage from the falchion will be effected by the DR. I wasn't exactly clear on whether or not the addtional vicious damage would be effeted the the DR.

I have been playing that damage from vicious and holy by-passed the DR but I was wondering if anyone had come across anything "official."
Zherog
02-13-06, 01:16 PM What creature has 20/Good and Cold Iron? That seems awfully high - the toughest demon (a Balor) has 15/Good and cold iron - and that's a CR 20 critter...

To answer your question, though: I think I'd rule vicious bypasses DR. Here's the description of the vicious ability:

Vicious: When a vicious weapon strikes an opponent, it creates a flash of disruptive energy that resonates between the opponent and the wielder. This energy deals an extra 2d6 points of damage to the opponent and 1d6 points of damage to the wielder. Only melee weapons can be vicious.

And here's the important part of DR:

Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury type poison, a monk’s stunning, and injury type disease. Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.
s. baldrick
02-13-06, 01:26 PM What creature has 20/Good and Cold Iron? That seems awfully high - the toughest demon (a Balor) has 15/Good and cold iron - and that's a CR 20 critter...

To answer your question, it is a demon prince with a 20 + CR.

Thanks for your feed back.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
s. baldrick 02-13-06, 12:31 PM	I just have a DR question: Does DR apply to extra damage from items that poccess should qualities such as vicious and holy or does DR include only direct physical damage from the weapon? Case in point: My party is going up against a creature with DR 20 / Good and cold iron. 2 of the party memembers can over come the DR no problem. A third one doesn't have a hope of over coming the DR. The last one one is armed with a vicious falchion that will do an addition 2D6 of damage. I know that the damage from the falchion will be effected by the DR. I wasn't exactly clear on whether or not the addtional vicious damage would be effeted the the DR. I have been playing that damage from vicious and holy by-passed the DR but I was wondering if anyone had come across anything "official."
Zherog 02-13-06, 01:16 PM	What creature has 20/Good and Cold Iron? That seems awfully high - the toughest demon (a Balor) has 15/Good and cold iron - and that's a CR 20 critter... To answer your question, though: I think I'd rule vicious bypasses DR. Here's the description of the vicious ability: Vicious: When a vicious weapon strikes an opponent, it creates a flash of disruptive energy that resonates between the opponent and the wielder. This energy deals an extra 2d6 points of damage to the opponent and 1d6 points of damage to the wielder. Only melee weapons can be vicious. And here's the important part of DR: Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury type poison, a monk’s stunning, and injury type disease. Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.
s. baldrick 02-13-06, 01:26 PM	What creature has 20/Good and Cold Iron? That seems awfully high - the toughest demon (a Balor) has 15/Good and cold iron - and that's a CR 20 critter... To answer your question, it is a demon prince with a 20 + CR. Thanks for your feed back.