Adamantine sword overcomes DR? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Adamantine sword overcomes DR? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Mattux
11-07-04, 02:26 PM One of my players wants to have an adamantine sword make for him. In the 3.0 rules (the only rules I will use) it states that Adamantine will provide a +2 natural enchantment bonus to attack and damage. The other players are mocking him thinking that its a waste of money because the +2 enchancement will not overcome a DR of +2/*. I couldn't make a ruling at the time because I didn't know how to handle a non-magical enchancement. Good thing his sword won't be done for awhile. I was thinking that it would still overcome DR because DR is basically how hard something is to damage and Adamantine is a really hard metal. But the other players think that DR from Demons and Devils and such needs magic. They will agree with my ruling either way but I told them I will do research and get back to them. What do you guys think?
TrustTymora
11-07-04, 02:54 PM Answer is in the DMG. If you can't find it let me know. Basically ignores hardness of 20 or less.

TT
ClementWillowbreaker
11-07-04, 02:56 PM Stuff like that is why they changed Adamantine in 3.5

But due to your insistence at only using 3.0, the RAW leave you stuck right there. Adamantine will not overcome damage reduction that is bypassed by magic. Adamantine is really hard, but it won't help you hit a ghost- its perfectly mundane, not magical. For things that have hardness, its the perfect tool. But things with DR/magic, its not that they are hard. Its that they shrug off mundane attacks.
Inigo Carmine
11-07-04, 03:04 PM Adamantine does not bypass any form of DR in 3.0 (there is specific adamantine DR is 3.5).

DR is not just how hard something is to damage. It's a supernatural property. Silver actually makes a much worse weapon than iron, but you still need silver (or magical) type weapons to damage lycanthropes; plain steel won't do it.

You're right that the adamantine is a really hard metal. That +2 to attack/damage will help overcome (ie doing enough damage to have whats left after DR still hurt the enemy) but not bypass DR.

Remember the +2 to attack and damage doesn't stack with a magical enhancement bonus either. Adamantine is a bit of a waste unles you are wanting to make a weapon that is only +1 enhancement with lots of goodies like flaming/holy/bane, etc...but it still doesn't overcome DR.
TrustTymora
11-07-04, 03:11 PM Yep sorry. I'm playing 3.5 and didn't pay attention to your reference to 3.0.

TT

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Mattux 11-07-04, 02:26 PM	One of my players wants to have an adamantine sword make for him. In the 3.0 rules (the only rules I will use) it states that Adamantine will provide a +2 natural enchantment bonus to attack and damage. The other players are mocking him thinking that its a waste of money because the +2 enchancement will not overcome a DR of +2/*. I couldn't make a ruling at the time because I didn't know how to handle a non-magical enchancement. Good thing his sword won't be done for awhile. I was thinking that it would still overcome DR because DR is basically how hard something is to damage and Adamantine is a really hard metal. But the other players think that DR from Demons and Devils and such needs magic. They will agree with my ruling either way but I told them I will do research and get back to them. What do you guys think?
TrustTymora 11-07-04, 02:54 PM	Answer is in the DMG. If you can't find it let me know. Basically ignores hardness of 20 or less. TT
ClementWillowbreaker 11-07-04, 02:56 PM	Stuff like that is why they changed Adamantine in 3.5 But due to your insistence at only using 3.0, the RAW leave you stuck right there. Adamantine will not overcome damage reduction that is bypassed by magic. Adamantine is really hard, but it won't help you hit a ghost- its perfectly mundane, not magical. For things that have hardness, its the perfect tool. But things with DR/magic, its not that they are hard. Its that they shrug off mundane attacks.
Inigo Carmine 11-07-04, 03:04 PM	Adamantine does not bypass any form of DR in 3.0 (there is specific adamantine DR is 3.5). DR is not just how hard something is to damage. It's a supernatural property. Silver actually makes a much worse weapon than iron, but you still need silver (or magical) type weapons to damage lycanthropes; plain steel won't do it. You're right that the adamantine is a really hard metal. That +2 to attack/damage will help overcome (ie doing enough damage to have whats left after DR still hurt the enemy) but not bypass DR. Remember the +2 to attack and damage doesn't stack with a magical enhancement bonus either. Adamantine is a bit of a waste unles you are wanting to make a weapon that is only +1 enhancement with lots of goodies like flaming/holy/bane, etc...but it still doesn't overcome DR.
TrustTymora 11-07-04, 03:11 PM	Yep sorry. I'm playing 3.5 and didn't pay attention to your reference to 3.0. TT