Barbarian & Admantine Armor [Archive] - Wizards Community

Barbarian & Admantine Armor [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
rironin
08-08-07, 04:47 PM I know this breaks the stacking rule, but I could've sworn I saw something somewhere that said the DR barbarians get and the DR granted by adamantine armor stacked.

Am I crazy? Thanks!
tarkin
08-08-07, 05:37 PM That is a variant rule propegated by (correction - it was WoTC see Wharin for the book name)) a WoTC book

I.E. Illegal in core, without house rules.
Wharin
08-08-07, 05:44 PM Illegal is a bit of a strong word, but yes. BUT I believe in Unearthed Arcana (which is just full of variant rules) there are rules in it that allow stacking of like DR's.

Personally (meaning this no longer applies to the OP's question, but i am going to say it anyway), I think there needs to be some rules for stacking DR's, like or not. While mechanically I see the reason for it, it seems silly that a Werewolf in adamantine would take as much damage from an average bastard sword then a werewolf without it. But thats neither here nor there.
Pentagram
08-08-07, 05:47 PM Damage reduction from different sources overlap, they don't stack. A 13th-level barbarian (DR 3/-) wearing an adamantine breastplate (DR 2/-) has a total damage reduction of 3/-, not 5/-.

... BUT I believe in Unearthed Arcana (which is just full of variant rules) there are rules in it that allow stacking of like DR's.

The variant rule states that Armor gives half its normal AC as Armor Bonus and the other half as DR/-. and this damage reduction stacks with other such damage reductions.
rironin
08-08-07, 05:55 PM That is a variant rule propegated in a NON-WOTC published book.

I.E. Illegal in core.Thanks! Perhaps I saw it there, although I don't read much non-WotC material.

:raincloud I spelled adamantine wrong in the title of my own post. <headsmack>
WhiteHarness
08-08-07, 06:04 PM I dream of the day when this game will permit DRs with the same suffix to stack. I see nothing at all wrong with having, say, DR 8/- from a combination of Barbarian levels, Adamantine armour, Armour Specialization, and "Armour as DR" rules from UA. I don't think it would be at all game-breaking. I mean, it's not as if low-level characters are going to be running around with DRs that high. By the time you can achieve all of that, DR 8/- won't really help you that much...

Failing that, I dream of the day when this game totally abandons the notion that armour makes you "harder to hit," and drops it in favor of "armour soaks up damage. And I don't mean for it to adopt rules in which full plate soaks up a measly 4 points like in the UA optional rules--I'd like to see full plate grant its wearer its full armour bonus in DR; DR 8/- at 3rd level would be nice.
StevenO
08-08-07, 08:04 PM By RAW DR does not stack unless explicitly noted otherwise.

Even as a house rule I wouldn't let the Barbarian's DR stack with Adamantine Armor. I see both forms of DR as protecting the same vital areas and because of the protection to that area something not so well protected gets hit.

On the other hand I would allow DR/- from racial and class sources to stack. For example Dwarf ex-Barbarian/Dwarven Defender would be allowed to combine the DR from both classes. I would also allow feat based DR to stack with some other forms on a case by case basis.
JulesCARV
08-08-07, 08:09 PM I think that adamantine full plate should stack with dwarven defender's DR.

Otherwise, you have the dwarfiest dwarves of all, the dwarven defenders, eschewing adamantine full plate (a.k.a. Dwarven Plate) in favor of mithral or somesuch, which is just wrong, regardless of what the rules say.
rironin
08-09-07, 12:44 AM I think that adamantine full plate should stack with dwarven defender's DR.

Otherwise, you have the dwarfiest dwarves of all, the dwarven defenders, eschewing adamantine full plate (a.k.a. Dwarven Plate) in favor of mithral or somesuch, which is just wrong, regardless of what the rules say.I actually asked because I'm making a dwarven defender, but I thought I'd seen the precedent set somewhere with barbarians, so I asked about them instead.

It is odd, but it seems that my dwarf will be eschewing the adamantine armor after all!
Rolof
08-09-07, 04:40 AM Iron Ward Diamond, page 26 MIC:

Check out the new armor crystals in MIC, they give DR 1/-, DR 3/-, or DR 5/-
and specifically state that they stack with any other DR x/- type. Somewhat
limited in damage per day they can soak up though, don't wanna state all the
specifics to avoid violating terms.
Kouk
08-09-07, 08:58 AM Iron Ward Diamond, page 26 MIC:

Check out the new armor crystals in MIC, they give DR 1/-, DR 3/-, or DR 5/-
and specifically state that they stack with any other DR x/- type. Somewhat
limited in damage per day they can soak up though, don't wanna state all the
specifics to avoid violating terms.

Sure they are limited per day, but the odds of it coming to that limit are pretty low. And anyway, you can just buy 2.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
rironin 08-08-07, 04:47 PM	I know this breaks the stacking rule, but I could've sworn I saw something somewhere that said the DR barbarians get and the DR granted by adamantine armor stacked. Am I crazy? Thanks!
tarkin 08-08-07, 05:37 PM	That is a variant rule propegated by (correction - it was WoTC see Wharin for the book name)) a WoTC book I.E. Illegal in core, without house rules.
Wharin 08-08-07, 05:44 PM	Illegal is a bit of a strong word, but yes. BUT I believe in Unearthed Arcana (which is just full of variant rules) there are rules in it that allow stacking of like DR's. Personally (meaning this no longer applies to the OP's question, but i am going to say it anyway), I think there needs to be some rules for stacking DR's, like or not. While mechanically I see the reason for it, it seems silly that a Werewolf in adamantine would take as much damage from an average bastard sword then a werewolf without it. But thats neither here nor there.
Pentagram 08-08-07, 05:47 PM	Damage reduction from different sources overlap, they don't stack. A 13th-level barbarian (DR 3/-) wearing an adamantine breastplate (DR 2/-) has a total damage reduction of 3/-, not 5/-. ... BUT I believe in Unearthed Arcana (which is just full of variant rules) there are rules in it that allow stacking of like DR's. The variant rule states that Armor gives half its normal AC as Armor Bonus and the other half as DR/-. and this damage reduction stacks with other such damage reductions.
rironin 08-08-07, 05:55 PM	That is a variant rule propegated in a NON-WOTC published book. I.E. Illegal in core.Thanks! Perhaps I saw it there, although I don't read much non-WotC material. :raincloud I spelled adamantine wrong in the title of my own post. <headsmack>
WhiteHarness 08-08-07, 06:04 PM	I dream of the day when this game will permit DRs with the same suffix to stack. I see nothing at all wrong with having, say, DR 8/- from a combination of Barbarian levels, Adamantine armour, Armour Specialization, and "Armour as DR" rules from UA. I don't think it would be at all game-breaking. I mean, it's not as if low-level characters are going to be running around with DRs that high. By the time you can achieve all of that, DR 8/- won't really help you that much... Failing that, I dream of the day when this game totally abandons the notion that armour makes you "harder to hit," and drops it in favor of "armour soaks up damage. And I don't mean for it to adopt rules in which full plate soaks up a measly 4 points like in the UA optional rules--I'd like to see full plate grant its wearer its full armour bonus in DR; DR 8/- at 3rd level would be nice.
StevenO 08-08-07, 08:04 PM	By RAW DR does not stack unless explicitly noted otherwise. Even as a house rule I wouldn't let the Barbarian's DR stack with Adamantine Armor. I see both forms of DR as protecting the same vital areas and because of the protection to that area something not so well protected gets hit. On the other hand I would allow DR/- from racial and class sources to stack. For example Dwarf ex-Barbarian/Dwarven Defender would be allowed to combine the DR from both classes. I would also allow feat based DR to stack with some other forms on a case by case basis.
JulesCARV 08-08-07, 08:09 PM	I think that adamantine full plate should stack with dwarven defender's DR. Otherwise, you have the dwarfiest dwarves of all, the dwarven defenders, eschewing adamantine full plate (a.k.a. Dwarven Plate) in favor of mithral or somesuch, which is just wrong, regardless of what the rules say.
rironin 08-09-07, 12:44 AM	I think that adamantine full plate should stack with dwarven defender's DR. Otherwise, you have the dwarfiest dwarves of all, the dwarven defenders, eschewing adamantine full plate (a.k.a. Dwarven Plate) in favor of mithral or somesuch, which is just wrong, regardless of what the rules say.I actually asked because I'm making a dwarven defender, but I thought I'd seen the precedent set somewhere with barbarians, so I asked about them instead. It is odd, but it seems that my dwarf will be eschewing the adamantine armor after all!
Rolof 08-09-07, 04:40 AM	Iron Ward Diamond, page 26 MIC: Check out the new armor crystals in MIC, they give DR 1/-, DR 3/-, or DR 5/- and specifically state that they stack with any other DR x/- type. Somewhat limited in damage per day they can soak up though, don't wanna state all the specifics to avoid violating terms.
Kouk 08-09-07, 08:58 AM	Iron Ward Diamond, page 26 MIC: Check out the new armor crystals in MIC, they give DR 1/-, DR 3/-, or DR 5/- and specifically state that they stack with any other DR x/- type. Somewhat limited in damage per day they can soak up though, don't wanna state all the specifics to avoid violating terms. Sure they are limited per day, but the odds of it coming to that limit are pretty low. And anyway, you can just buy 2.