Damage Reduction Help.... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Damage Reduction Help.... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
sir_argenon
07-09-05, 08:24 PM a monster with dr 5/good for instance, is struck by a character with a +3 Flaming greatsword, doing 10 weapon damage, 4 strength, 3 enchantment (+3 weapon), 3 fire, and finally +2 (specialization) for a total of 22 damage.

how much damage would the monster take? do you only subtract 5? or is the whole blow negated except for the fire damage? or something else???

i really don't know how dr is supposed to work, so along with answering this question, could anyone point me to where this rule is discussed??

thanks!!!
CryoSilver
07-09-05, 11:00 PM 14 damage from the weapon (19-5) and all 3 fire damage because that passes right through DR.
From the SRD
Damage Reduction (Ex or Su): A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly (in either case, the opponent knows the attack was ineffective). The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. A certain kind of weapon can sometimes damage the creature normally, as noted below.
The entry indicates the amount of damage ignored (usually 5 to 15 points) and the type of weapon that negates the ability.
Some monsters are vulnerable to piercing, bludgeoning, or slashing damage.
Some monsters are vulnerable to certain materials, such as alchemical silver, adamantine, or cold-forged iron. Attacks from weapons that are not made of the correct material have their damage reduced, even if the weapon has an enhancement bonus.
Some monsters are vulnerable to magic weapons. Any weapon with at least a +1 magical enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls overcomes the damage reduction of these monsters. Such creatures’ natural weapons (but not their attacks with weapons) are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
A few very powerful monsters are vulnerable only to epic weapons; that is, magic weapons with at least a +6 enhancement bonus. Such creatures’ natural weapons are also treated as epic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Some monsters are vulnerable to chaotic-, evil-, good-, or lawful-aligned weapons. When a cleric casts align weapon, affected weapons might gain one or more of these properties, and certain magic weapons have these properties as well. A creature with an alignment subtype (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) can overcome this type of damage reduction with its natural weapons and weapons it wields as if the weapons or natural weapons had an alignment (or alignments) that match the subtype(s) of the creature.
When a damage reduction entry has a dash (–) after the slash, no weapon negates the damage reduction.
A few creatures are harmed by more than one kind of weapon. A weapon of either type overcomes this damage reduction.
A few other creatures require combinations of different types of attacks to overcome their damage reduction. A weapon must be both types to overcome this damage reduction. A weapon that is only one type is still subject to damage reduction.
sir_argenon
07-09-05, 11:30 PM 14 damage from the weapon (19-5) and all 3 fire damage because that passes right through DR.
From the SRD

ok, same example, but the weapon damage is only 3 points, and the dr is still 5/good. would the whole blow be negated then?

i read somewhere that if the damage of the weapon itself isnt enough to overcome the dr amount, that the attack is nullified, regardless of strength bonuses/specialization/etc...

maybe im just mistaken, but i just want to be sure!!!
CryoSilver
07-09-05, 11:35 PM No... then it's 12-5 for 7 and the three fire.

Doesn't it sound kind of stupid that if you don't stick the sword somewhere vital enough (which is what I feel that the base damage is) the massive amount of force behind the blow is totally negated?
Jaid
07-09-05, 11:42 PM the rule about secondary effects negated by a failure to penetrate DR is referring to the fact that, if the weapon does no damage (any damage that is not represented by bonus dice, iirc) then secondary effects which rely on the weapon hitting the target do not take effect.

for example, a poison or disease that is spread by injury. a weapon of wounding. etc.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
sir_argenon 07-09-05, 08:24 PM	a monster with dr 5/good for instance, is struck by a character with a +3 Flaming greatsword, doing 10 weapon damage, 4 strength, 3 enchantment (+3 weapon), 3 fire, and finally +2 (specialization) for a total of 22 damage. how much damage would the monster take? do you only subtract 5? or is the whole blow negated except for the fire damage? or something else??? i really don't know how dr is supposed to work, so along with answering this question, could anyone point me to where this rule is discussed?? thanks!!!
CryoSilver 07-09-05, 11:00 PM	14 damage from the weapon (19-5) and all 3 fire damage because that passes right through DR. From the SRD Damage Reduction (Ex or Su): A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly (in either case, the opponent knows the attack was ineffective). The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. A certain kind of weapon can sometimes damage the creature normally, as noted below. The entry indicates the amount of damage ignored (usually 5 to 15 points) and the type of weapon that negates the ability. Some monsters are vulnerable to piercing, bludgeoning, or slashing damage. Some monsters are vulnerable to certain materials, such as alchemical silver, adamantine, or cold-forged iron. Attacks from weapons that are not made of the correct material have their damage reduced, even if the weapon has an enhancement bonus. Some monsters are vulnerable to magic weapons. Any weapon with at least a +1 magical enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls overcomes the damage reduction of these monsters. Such creatures’ natural weapons (but not their attacks with weapons) are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. A few very powerful monsters are vulnerable only to epic weapons; that is, magic weapons with at least a +6 enhancement bonus. Such creatures’ natural weapons are also treated as epic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Some monsters are vulnerable to chaotic-, evil-, good-, or lawful-aligned weapons. When a cleric casts align weapon, affected weapons might gain one or more of these properties, and certain magic weapons have these properties as well. A creature with an alignment subtype (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) can overcome this type of damage reduction with its natural weapons and weapons it wields as if the weapons or natural weapons had an alignment (or alignments) that match the subtype(s) of the creature. When a damage reduction entry has a dash (–) after the slash, no weapon negates the damage reduction. A few creatures are harmed by more than one kind of weapon. A weapon of either type overcomes this damage reduction. A few other creatures require combinations of different types of attacks to overcome their damage reduction. A weapon must be both types to overcome this damage reduction. A weapon that is only one type is still subject to damage reduction.
sir_argenon 07-09-05, 11:30 PM	14 damage from the weapon (19-5) and all 3 fire damage because that passes right through DR. From the SRD ok, same example, but the weapon damage is only 3 points, and the dr is still 5/good. would the whole blow be negated then? i read somewhere that if the damage of the weapon itself isnt enough to overcome the dr amount, that the attack is nullified, regardless of strength bonuses/specialization/etc... maybe im just mistaken, but i just want to be sure!!!
CryoSilver 07-09-05, 11:35 PM	No... then it's 12-5 for 7 and the three fire. Doesn't it sound kind of stupid that if you don't stick the sword somewhere vital enough (which is what I feel that the base damage is) the massive amount of force behind the blow is totally negated?
Jaid 07-09-05, 11:42 PM	the rule about secondary effects negated by a failure to penetrate DR is referring to the fact that, if the weapon does no damage (any damage that is not represented by bonus dice, iirc) then secondary effects which rely on the weapon hitting the target do not take effect. for example, a poison or disease that is spread by injury. a weapon of wounding. etc.