Damage Reduction X/- [Archive] - Wizards Community

Damage Reduction X/- [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
zae
05-15-06, 02:19 AM Ok, I know that magic energy types (fire, cold, force etc.) bypass damage reduction. I also know that things like starvation ignore it. I also know that DR /- (as opposed to /magic or /adamantine or /Good) cannot be bypassed by any of those special means.

What I want to know, however, is whether or not magical energy types still bypass it. One DM of mine convinced the entire extended group that it does not, and he's usually right with the mechanics, so I assumed it was so. However I'm curious whether this is the case or not. I don't see it as broken either way, but it's worth asking so that I know how the rule normally works.
meatrace
05-15-06, 03:36 AM What I want to know, however, is whether or not magical energy types still bypass it.
Ok, I know that magic energy types (fire, cold, force etc.) bypass damage reduction.

just answered your own question bud.
Bulletproof_Condom
05-15-06, 03:39 AM What I want to know, however, is whether or not magical energy types still bypass it.

DAMAGE REDUCTION
Some magic creatures have the supernatural ability to instantly heal damage from weapons or to ignore blows altogether as though they were invulnerable.
The numerical part of a creature’s damage reduction is the amount of hit points the creature ignores from normal attacks. Usually, a certain type of weapon can overcome this reduction. This information is separated from the damage reduction number by a slash. Damage reduction may be overcome by special materials, by magic weapons (any weapon with a +1 or higher enhancement bonus, not counting the enhancement from masterwork quality), certain types of weapons (such as slashing or bludgeoning), and weapons imbued with an alignment. If a dash follows the slash then the damage reduction is effective against any attack that does not ignore damage reduction. [see below]
Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an alignment gains the alignment of that projectile weapon (in addition to any alignment it may already have).
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.
Attacks that deal no damage because of the target’s damage reduction do not disrupt spells.
Spells, spell-like abilities, and energy attacks (even nonmagical fire) ignore damage reduction.
Sometimes damage reduction is instant healing. Sometimes damage reduction represents the creature’s tough hide or body. In either case, characters can see that conventional attacks don’t work.
If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation.

That text can be found on DMG p. 292, upper left.
zae
05-15-06, 04:56 AM Ah, thank you both very much. I just wasn't quite sure, seeing as he's been wrong on a couple of things that rarely crop up before (sneak attack applying to every attack in a full attack action if the target remains flanked/flat-footed, Level Adjustment counting for wealth but not for ability increases and feats-by-HD).

It's good to know how the rules work normally, so that house rules don't confuse me.
draconic_swine
05-15-06, 08:38 AM Sneak Attack
The rogue’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target.

Looks like your DM's record is better than you thought. As long as the conditions still apply, you get sneak attack damage even if you have one hundred attacks a round.
Witch
05-15-06, 08:40 AM Level Adjustment counting for wealth but not for ability increases and feats-by-HD
This is correct too, as far as I'm aware.
Novacat
05-15-06, 09:30 AM Ah, thank you both very much. I just wasn't quite sure, seeing as he's been wrong on a couple of things that rarely crop up before (sneak attack applying to every attack in a full attack action if the target remains flanked/flat-footed, Level Adjustment counting for wealth but not for ability increases and feats-by-HD).

It's good to know how the rules work normally, so that house rules don't confuse me.
1. He was correct about Sneak Attack. In fact, if your group house-ruled that you can only get Sneak Attack once per round, I find it hard to imagine that I would ever play such a gimped rogue.

2. I don't believe there is any official stance on whether or not Level Adjustment (or racial HD for that matter) counts toward starting wealth, because the tables listing suggested wealth totals are just that: a suggestion.

3. Level Adjustment does not count toward your normal progression of feats and ability score increases. Level Adjustment only counts toward experience-related things, such as how much you gain for a particular encounter, or how much you need for the next level.
Zathyr
05-15-06, 12:37 PM In 3.0, the barbarian's dr/- also worked against magical damage, but as far as I know that was the only exception.
Merestil Haye
05-15-06, 01:59 PM In 3.0, the barbarian's dr/- also worked against magical damage, but as far as I know that was the only exception.Not even that one I'm afraid.

The 3.0 SRD states that DR x/- works against "any attack that does not ignore DR" and then goes on to say that magic and energy ignore all forms of DR.
Merestil Haye
05-15-06, 02:07 PM 2. I don't believe there is any official stance on whether or not Level Adjustment (or racial HD for that matter) counts toward starting wealth, because the tables listing suggested wealth totals are just that: a suggestion.LA does apply towards starting wealth; that means that whatever system the DM uses, be it the standard guidelines or some other system (assuming it varies by level), should take the level adjustment into account when setting a character's starting wealth.
Zathyr
05-15-06, 07:17 PM Not even that one I'm afraid.

The 3.0 SRD states that DR x/- works against "any attack that does not ignore DR" and then goes on to say that magic and energy ignore all forms of DR.

Hmm, I could've sworn that I read the barbarian's DR was an exception, but I don't remember where, and I can't find it. Maybe my mind's just playing tricks on me. :thinks:
zae
05-15-06, 07:50 PM To clarify, it was the DM who said you only get sneak attack once per round, and that LA grants you feats and abilty increases but not wealth.

The sneak attack bit had me confused but I later read the SRD description and it was quite clear. I didn't push the issue though, my ninja/ninja died before sneak attack became relevant anyway, embarassingly enough. (Note: Yes, ninja/ninja. There are two "ninja" base classes that I know of, so I thought it'd be funny. It's a rather poor combination though.)

As for the Level Adjustment thing, I already knew that, but just figured it was a house rule of his.
Dragonteuthis
05-15-06, 10:38 PM Hmm, I could've sworn that I read the barbarian's DR was an exception, but I don't remember where, and I can't find it. Maybe my mind's just playing tricks on me. :thinks:

Don't worry. It was "clarified" to contradict the SRD by The Sage, of course. Fortunately, we can bury 3.0. Unfortunately, we can't bury The Sage.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
zae 05-15-06, 02:19 AM	Ok, I know that magic energy types (fire, cold, force etc.) bypass damage reduction. I also know that things like starvation ignore it. I also know that DR /- (as opposed to /magic or /adamantine or /Good) cannot be bypassed by any of those special means. What I want to know, however, is whether or not magical energy types still bypass it. One DM of mine convinced the entire extended group that it does not, and he's usually right with the mechanics, so I assumed it was so. However I'm curious whether this is the case or not. I don't see it as broken either way, but it's worth asking so that I know how the rule normally works.
meatrace 05-15-06, 03:36 AM	What I want to know, however, is whether or not magical energy types still bypass it. Ok, I know that magic energy types (fire, cold, force etc.) bypass damage reduction. just answered your own question bud.
Bulletproof_Condom 05-15-06, 03:39 AM	What I want to know, however, is whether or not magical energy types still bypass it. DAMAGE REDUCTION Some magic creatures have the supernatural ability to instantly heal damage from weapons or to ignore blows altogether as though they were invulnerable. The numerical part of a creature’s damage reduction is the amount of hit points the creature ignores from normal attacks. Usually, a certain type of weapon can overcome this reduction. This information is separated from the damage reduction number by a slash. Damage reduction may be overcome by special materials, by magic weapons (any weapon with a +1 or higher enhancement bonus, not counting the enhancement from masterwork quality), certain types of weapons (such as slashing or bludgeoning), and weapons imbued with an alignment. If a dash follows the slash then the damage reduction is effective against any attack that does not ignore damage reduction. [see below] Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an alignment gains the alignment of that projectile weapon (in addition to any alignment it may already have). 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. Attacks that deal no damage because of the target’s damage reduction do not disrupt spells. Spells, spell-like abilities, and energy attacks (even nonmagical fire) ignore damage reduction. Sometimes damage reduction is instant healing. Sometimes damage reduction represents the creature’s tough hide or body. In either case, characters can see that conventional attacks don’t work. If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation. That text can be found on DMG p. 292, upper left.
zae 05-15-06, 04:56 AM	Ah, thank you both very much. I just wasn't quite sure, seeing as he's been wrong on a couple of things that rarely crop up before (sneak attack applying to every attack in a full attack action if the target remains flanked/flat-footed, Level Adjustment counting for wealth but not for ability increases and feats-by-HD). It's good to know how the rules work normally, so that house rules don't confuse me.
draconic_swine 05-15-06, 08:38 AM	Sneak Attack The rogue’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target. Looks like your DM's record is better than you thought. As long as the conditions still apply, you get sneak attack damage even if you have one hundred attacks a round.
Witch 05-15-06, 08:40 AM	Level Adjustment counting for wealth but not for ability increases and feats-by-HD This is correct too, as far as I'm aware.
Novacat 05-15-06, 09:30 AM	Ah, thank you both very much. I just wasn't quite sure, seeing as he's been wrong on a couple of things that rarely crop up before (sneak attack applying to every attack in a full attack action if the target remains flanked/flat-footed, Level Adjustment counting for wealth but not for ability increases and feats-by-HD). It's good to know how the rules work normally, so that house rules don't confuse me. 1. He was correct about Sneak Attack. In fact, if your group house-ruled that you can only get Sneak Attack once per round, I find it hard to imagine that I would ever play such a gimped rogue. 2. I don't believe there is any official stance on whether or not Level Adjustment (or racial HD for that matter) counts toward starting wealth, because the tables listing suggested wealth totals are just that: a suggestion. 3. Level Adjustment does not count toward your normal progression of feats and ability score increases. Level Adjustment only counts toward experience-related things, such as how much you gain for a particular encounter, or how much you need for the next level.
Zathyr 05-15-06, 12:37 PM	In 3.0, the barbarian's dr/- also worked against magical damage, but as far as I know that was the only exception.
Merestil Haye 05-15-06, 01:59 PM	In 3.0, the barbarian's dr/- also worked against magical damage, but as far as I know that was the only exception.Not even that one I'm afraid. The 3.0 SRD states that DR x/- works against "any attack that does not ignore DR" and then goes on to say that magic and energy ignore all forms of DR.
Merestil Haye 05-15-06, 02:07 PM	2. I don't believe there is any official stance on whether or not Level Adjustment (or racial HD for that matter) counts toward starting wealth, because the tables listing suggested wealth totals are just that: a suggestion.LA does apply towards starting wealth; that means that whatever system the DM uses, be it the standard guidelines or some other system (assuming it varies by level), should take the level adjustment into account when setting a character's starting wealth.
Zathyr 05-15-06, 07:17 PM	Not even that one I'm afraid. The 3.0 SRD states that DR x/- works against "any attack that does not ignore DR" and then goes on to say that magic and energy ignore all forms of DR. Hmm, I could've sworn that I read the barbarian's DR was an exception, but I don't remember where, and I can't find it. Maybe my mind's just playing tricks on me. :thinks:
zae 05-15-06, 07:50 PM	To clarify, it was the DM who said you only get sneak attack once per round, and that LA grants you feats and abilty increases but not wealth. The sneak attack bit had me confused but I later read the SRD description and it was quite clear. I didn't push the issue though, my ninja/ninja died before sneak attack became relevant anyway, embarassingly enough. (Note: Yes, ninja/ninja. There are two "ninja" base classes that I know of, so I thought it'd be funny. It's a rather poor combination though.) As for the Level Adjustment thing, I already knew that, but just figured it was a house rule of his.
Dragonteuthis 05-15-06, 10:38 PM	Hmm, I could've sworn that I read the barbarian's DR was an exception, but I don't remember where, and I can't find it. Maybe my mind's just playing tricks on me. :thinks: Don't worry. It was "clarified" to contradict the SRD by The Sage, of course. Fortunately, we can bury 3.0. Unfortunately, we can't bury The Sage.