Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lamorake 03-08-07, 06:37 PM	Okay, I hate to beat a dead dog to death, as I know this exact issue has been brought up earlier, but I didn't find it in the past 11 pgs of posts and I forgot the outcome: How do you treat the Crystal Shard's descriptor of "Piercing damage"? Since it was specifically mentioned, does that mean DR would be used by a NPC if they have it (ie. DR/evil, DR/slashing, DR/lawful, DR/- - etc) I was under the impression that powers/spells automatically bypassed non-energy DR, but that power is throwing me for a loop right now.
WinterPsionic 03-08-07, 06:54 PM	I was under the impression that powers/spells automatically bypassed non-energy DR, but that power is throwing me for a loop right now. Your impression's right, by RAW spells/power/etc bypass DR, a good example is...Ice Storm(specifically states Cold and Bludgeoning damage).
JulesCARV 03-08-07, 06:56 PM	I think I'm in the minority position on this, but my view is that crystal shard is, indeed, subject to DR. It's an instantaneous metacreativity (creation) effect. The crystal shard is real and not psionic by the time it reaches the enemy. Basically, if you're a shaper, and you manifest True Creation to create a shortspear, then you throw the shortspear at someone, the shortspear does piercing damage, and will be subject to ordinary damage reduction. After all, it's just an ordinary shortspear: no more, no less. Crystal shard is the same thing, except, of course, it's a much more efficient and effective use of power points that manifesting True Creation to create a shortspear.
Jaid 03-08-07, 07:22 PM	officially, spells similar to crystal shard are not affected by DR. (see the official FAQ for details) frustratingly, officially psionic powers (including crystal shard and it's relatives) *are* subject to DR if they deal physical typed damage... which has caused a lot of people to comment that CPsi (the book where said ruling can be found) is terribly written, edited, balanced... and generally has relatively little of value to be found inside it (most people feel that a few small parts are good, though). this ruling (among other errata in the book) has also caused a number of people to complain about the fact that we didn't get our errata free, unlike every other book out there... in any event, my advice to you is to choose one of those two rulings, and apply it across the board. because applying it to psionics but not to magic is dumb. it should have either been a nerf applied across the board, or not at all.
WinterPsionic 03-08-07, 08:08 PM	Just so I'm understood I DO NOT agree with the ruling, if they're going to specify the type of damage all normal rules should apply. Why wouldn't Speablock effect an Ice Lance?
Mindolin 03-09-07, 01:45 PM	Do what I do, House Rule that Damage Reduction applies to anything that deals physical damage of either Piercing, Bludgeoning, or Slashing. It is through House Rules such as these that the rules change, as evidenced by Unearthed Arcana/