Damage Reduction question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Damage Reduction question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Arundl
07-05-04, 02:46 AM Let's say a creature has damage reduction 15/cold iron. Now, let's say it gets a template that gives it 15/adamantine as well. How would you treat this damage reduction? The DMG states that you should use the best damage reduction applicable to a given situation. Would this effectively be damage reduction 15/-? If someone attacked the creature with a cold iron weapon, you apply the adamantine damage reduction. If they use adamantine weapons, use the cold iron damage reduction.

Am I reading this wrong or is this effectively damage reduction that cannot be bypassed (except by things like magic that ignore all damage reduction anyway).

No templates I know of give adamantine or cold iron damage reduction (although silver is given - easily countered by silversheen), so this is a hypothetical situation, but it sparked my curiousity.
masterofmayhem
07-05-04, 02:53 AM Normally, I would say, yes, that's unbeatable DR--- unless your sword is half adamantine, half cold iron :D . Well, some demon and fey creatures have DR/cold iron, and golems have DR/adamantine. If by templates, you mean spiffy monster races that you can be in order to better thwart the plans of the DM (:devil: ), than I have no knowledge of any that give you either.
Arundl
07-05-04, 03:01 AM By templates I meant some of the additions you can put on top of monsters. For instance, the half-fiend or the vampire or a lycantrope. Most that give damage reduction give it so that it requires either magic or silver to overcome. When thinking about ways to combine templates and monsters into compeling (I'm trying not to twart the DM - I am the DM) and rational combinations, this question crossed my mind.
schalldampfer
07-05-04, 06:42 PM Actually, it is almost unbeatable--no weapons can be both adamantine and cold iron (or silver), but there are a few things that allow for this to be bypassed. The Cold Iron Warrior, which was posted on the main website a few months back gained the ability to treat all weapons that they wield as being made of cold iron for damage reduction purposes. Also, there are rare few creatures that have similar abilities (like the Adamantine Dragon's adamantine touch ability. Adamantine Dragons are in the latest Dragon).

So, yes, it is unbeatable for the most part. Remember, however, that energy damage is not reduced by damage reduction, nor are the effects of most spells. This means that magic missiles and fireballs punch right through such protections.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Arundl 07-05-04, 02:46 AM	Let's say a creature has damage reduction 15/cold iron. Now, let's say it gets a template that gives it 15/adamantine as well. How would you treat this damage reduction? The DMG states that you should use the best damage reduction applicable to a given situation. Would this effectively be damage reduction 15/-? If someone attacked the creature with a cold iron weapon, you apply the adamantine damage reduction. If they use adamantine weapons, use the cold iron damage reduction. Am I reading this wrong or is this effectively damage reduction that cannot be bypassed (except by things like magic that ignore all damage reduction anyway). No templates I know of give adamantine or cold iron damage reduction (although silver is given - easily countered by silversheen), so this is a hypothetical situation, but it sparked my curiousity.
masterofmayhem 07-05-04, 02:53 AM	Normally, I would say, yes, that's unbeatable DR--- unless your sword is half adamantine, half cold iron :D . Well, some demon and fey creatures have DR/cold iron, and golems have DR/adamantine. If by templates, you mean spiffy monster races that you can be in order to better thwart the plans of the DM (:devil: ), than I have no knowledge of any that give you either.
Arundl 07-05-04, 03:01 AM	By templates I meant some of the additions you can put on top of monsters. For instance, the half-fiend or the vampire or a lycantrope. Most that give damage reduction give it so that it requires either magic or silver to overcome. When thinking about ways to combine templates and monsters into compeling (I'm trying not to twart the DM - I am the DM) and rational combinations, this question crossed my mind.
schalldampfer 07-05-04, 06:42 PM	Actually, it is almost unbeatable--no weapons can be both adamantine and cold iron (or silver), but there are a few things that allow for this to be bypassed. The Cold Iron Warrior, which was posted on the main website a few months back gained the ability to treat all weapons that they wield as being made of cold iron for damage reduction purposes. Also, there are rare few creatures that have similar abilities (like the Adamantine Dragon's adamantine touch ability. Adamantine Dragons are in the latest Dragon). So, yes, it is unbeatable for the most part. Remember, however, that energy damage is not reduced by damage reduction, nor are the effects of most spells. This means that magic missiles and fireballs punch right through such protections.