Mind Blade and Damage Reduction [Archive] - Wizards Community

Mind Blade and Damage Reduction [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
StrongHead
09-16-07, 01:54 AM Hello, everyone! ^_^

I've been playing (for a while now) an Elan Soulknife, and only today I realized something: I think I've been playing wrong! :eek:

The description of the Mind Blade says it's a supernatural ability (XPH, pg 27). That's pretty obvious, right? Now, let's talk about Damage Reduction. The glossary (PHB, pg 307) says:

damage reduction (DR): A special defense that allows a creature to ignore a set amount of damage from most weapons, unarmed attacks, or natural weapons, but not from energy attacks, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities.

That, too, should be obvious, right? So, am I the only one who completely missed that part of DR's description? Am I the only one who doesn't treat each and every attack made with a mind blade as bypassing DR? :allalone:

Am I dumb or what? :banghead: :doh: :)
Tempest Stormwind
09-16-07, 02:17 AM Creating the mind blade is a supernatural ability. The mind blade itself is a relatively mundane substance.

It's very much like the stuff brought into play with Major Creation. If I Major Creation a stick of TNT and throw it at a golem (immune to magic), the golem eats an explosion all the same.

The effect is supernatural. The product is not. In fact, the ability itself says that the mind blade is treated in all ways like a normal short sword -- which'd trump this even further (as normal swords are subject to DR; the mind blade at least bypasses DR/magic, though).
calronmoonflower
09-16-07, 02:19 AM The ability itself creates a weapon instead of directly dealing damage.

The weapon created by the ability doesn't bypass damage reduction. The same would work for spells and powers that create/summon weapons.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
StrongHead 09-16-07, 01:54 AM	Hello, everyone! ^_^ I've been playing (for a while now) an Elan Soulknife, and only today I realized something: I think I've been playing wrong! :eek: The description of the Mind Blade says it's a supernatural ability (XPH, pg 27). That's pretty obvious, right? Now, let's talk about Damage Reduction. The glossary (PHB, pg 307) says: damage reduction (DR): A special defense that allows a creature to ignore a set amount of damage from most weapons, unarmed attacks, or natural weapons, but not from energy attacks, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. That, too, should be obvious, right? So, am I the only one who completely missed that part of DR's description? Am I the only one who doesn't treat each and every attack made with a mind blade as bypassing DR? :allalone: Am I dumb or what? :banghead: :doh: :)
Tempest Stormwind 09-16-07, 02:17 AM	Creating the mind blade is a supernatural ability. The mind blade itself is a relatively mundane substance. It's very much like the stuff brought into play with Major Creation. If I Major Creation a stick of TNT and throw it at a golem (immune to magic), the golem eats an explosion all the same. The effect is supernatural. The product is not. In fact, the ability itself says that the mind blade is treated in all ways like a normal short sword -- which'd trump this even further (as normal swords are subject to DR; the mind blade at least bypasses DR/magic, though).
calronmoonflower 09-16-07, 02:19 AM	The ability itself creates a weapon instead of directly dealing damage. The weapon created by the ability doesn't bypass damage reduction. The same would work for spells and powers that create/summon weapons.