Damage Reduction ? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Damage Reduction ? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Black Ice
12-02-03, 01:00 PM I maybe asking in the wrong place, but;

WHY is there no chart regarding Damage Reduction?

Like so:
Silver
Cold Iron
Adamantine
Magic

in other words, if a fighter uses an adamantine sword, can he injure a creature that can only be harmed by 10/silver
mercurial67
12-02-03, 01:03 PM No, the only way to avoid damage reduction 10/silver is with a silvered weapon. Nothing else will avoid it.

This is the reason there is no chart. There are not specific weapons which will bypass multiple types of damage reduction unless it has multiple aspects itself (such as lawfull silvered weapon or chaotic adimantium).
Black Ice
12-02-03, 01:12 PM say the monster has damage reduction 15/good/piercing.

would a magic sword (slashing) bypass his DR? a Fireball?
quaiven
12-02-03, 01:15 PM No on the sword yes on the Fireball
Derren S.
12-02-03, 01:16 PM Is it good and piercing or good or piercing?

If and, the weapon must be a good piercing weapon. If not subtract 15 damage

If or, the weapon has either to be good or to be piercing.

Fireballs (Spells and Energy attacks generally) aren't affected by DR.

The magical sword dosen bypass the DR. Even if it is a +5 keen lawfull vorpal brilliant energy sword, you subtract 15 damage from each hit.
Tzor
12-02-03, 01:19 PM Originally posted by Black Ice
in other words, if a fighter uses an adamantine sword, can he injure a creature that can only be harmed by 10/silver
Mercurial67 answered the first question, the second question is even easier. The adamantine sword that does 11 points of damage will injure a 10/silver creature. There are two changes to DR and they most both be considered. The one change is that there is no longer a table. There is no single uger weapon type that trumps all types of DR.

The second is that DR numbers were lowered so that not having the required type is an annoying but not impossible situation.

NB that the adamantine sword has other uses than direct attack, because of the nature of afamantine. Generally speaking a wielding of an adamantine sword would go for the sunder of his opponent's non anamantine weapon, then attack him at penalty. Note also that you can power attack your way through low level DR conditions.
Black Ice
12-02-03, 01:26 PM that would be or, the weapon has either to be good or to be piercing. Thanks

where do i find the location of ;
"Fireballs (Spells and Energy attacks generally) aren't affected by DR?"

and if a character has a DR of 5/-, would that also apply to Fireballs (Spells and Energy attacks generally).

btw; thanks for the rapid replies
Vyvyan Basterd
12-02-03, 01:33 PM From the SRD:

"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. 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."

Emphasis mine.
Derren S.
12-02-03, 01:34 PM DMG (3.5) page 292

When you play 3.0 or don't have the book handy look in the SRD
Sussin
12-02-03, 08:26 PM so if something has damage reduction to silver (which means silver dagars bolts and arrows) would a +1 wepon bypass that as well? Dagers aren't that strong after all. I remembered my party got preaty mad at me when their +1 wepons where useless and no one had silver
DarkSoldier
12-02-03, 08:59 PM Originally posted by Sussin
so if something has damage reduction to silver (which means silver dagars bolts and arrows) would a +1 wepon bypass that as well? Dagers aren't that strong after all. I remembered my party got preaty mad at me when their +1 wepons where useless and no one had silver In 3.0, special materials were at the bottom of the hierarchy, followed by incremental enhancement bonuses.

In 3.5, there is no hierarchy; you need a silver weapon to bypass DR/silver. Magical weapons are not spells or spell-like abilities, so a +1 weapon will not bypass DR/silver (unless you do more damage than the DR, in which case you do damage equal to [roll] - DR rating). The "magic" DR type includes all magical weapons, so a high-CR creature with DR n/magic will (theoretically) fall to even a +1 longsword.
Willie the Duck
12-02-03, 09:08 PM It doesn't seem that hard to me. If they have DR x/y subtract x from any damage unless it is from a y source. No superceding, not heirarchy, nothing. IF they have Dr 10/evil ask "is your weapon evil?" if not, subtract 10.

yes, yes, I glossed over the exception for energy and force damage. Oh well.
Black Ice
12-03-03, 10:56 AM so the monster with damage reduction 15/good/piercing takes off the first 15 points of damage WHEN the damage is NOT good OR piercing, AND damage reduction does not negate touch attacks(aka; spells), energy damage dealt (via spell or an attack), or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

so, 15/good means a holy weapon, not strickly a spell from the Good Domain.

:( oh well. my uber villian just lost some of his uber-ness.
YaoiGoddess
12-03-03, 11:11 AM Also, a creature with a subtype can bypass DR.
example- a celestial with lawful and good subtypes bypasses 10/good and lawful

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Black Ice 12-02-03, 01:00 PM	I maybe asking in the wrong place, but; WHY is there no chart regarding Damage Reduction? Like so: Silver Cold Iron Adamantine Magic in other words, if a fighter uses an adamantine sword, can he injure a creature that can only be harmed by 10/silver
mercurial67 12-02-03, 01:03 PM	No, the only way to avoid damage reduction 10/silver is with a silvered weapon. Nothing else will avoid it. This is the reason there is no chart. There are not specific weapons which will bypass multiple types of damage reduction unless it has multiple aspects itself (such as lawfull silvered weapon or chaotic adimantium).
Black Ice 12-02-03, 01:12 PM	say the monster has damage reduction 15/good/piercing. would a magic sword (slashing) bypass his DR? a Fireball?
quaiven 12-02-03, 01:15 PM	No on the sword yes on the Fireball
Derren S. 12-02-03, 01:16 PM	Is it good and piercing or good or piercing? If and, the weapon must be a good piercing weapon. If not subtract 15 damage If or, the weapon has either to be good or to be piercing. Fireballs (Spells and Energy attacks generally) aren't affected by DR. The magical sword dosen bypass the DR. Even if it is a +5 keen lawfull vorpal brilliant energy sword, you subtract 15 damage from each hit.
Tzor 12-02-03, 01:19 PM	Originally posted by Black Ice in other words, if a fighter uses an adamantine sword, can he injure a creature that can only be harmed by 10/silver Mercurial67 answered the first question, the second question is even easier. The adamantine sword that does 11 points of damage will injure a 10/silver creature. There are two changes to DR and they most both be considered. The one change is that there is no longer a table. There is no single uger weapon type that trumps all types of DR. The second is that DR numbers were lowered so that not having the required type is an annoying but not impossible situation. NB that the adamantine sword has other uses than direct attack, because of the nature of afamantine. Generally speaking a wielding of an adamantine sword would go for the sunder of his opponent's non anamantine weapon, then attack him at penalty. Note also that you can power attack your way through low level DR conditions.
Black Ice 12-02-03, 01:26 PM	that would be or, the weapon has either to be good or to be piercing. Thanks where do i find the location of ; "Fireballs (Spells and Energy attacks generally) aren't affected by DR?" and if a character has a DR of 5/-, would that also apply to Fireballs (Spells and Energy attacks generally). btw; thanks for the rapid replies
Vyvyan Basterd 12-02-03, 01:33 PM	From the SRD: "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. 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." Emphasis mine.
Derren S. 12-02-03, 01:34 PM	DMG (3.5) page 292 When you play 3.0 or don't have the book handy look in the SRD
Sussin 12-02-03, 08:26 PM	so if something has damage reduction to silver (which means silver dagars bolts and arrows) would a +1 wepon bypass that as well? Dagers aren't that strong after all. I remembered my party got preaty mad at me when their +1 wepons where useless and no one had silver
DarkSoldier 12-02-03, 08:59 PM	Originally posted by Sussin so if something has damage reduction to silver (which means silver dagars bolts and arrows) would a +1 wepon bypass that as well? Dagers aren't that strong after all. I remembered my party got preaty mad at me when their +1 wepons where useless and no one had silver In 3.0, special materials were at the bottom of the hierarchy, followed by incremental enhancement bonuses. In 3.5, there is no hierarchy; you need a silver weapon to bypass DR/silver. Magical weapons are not spells or spell-like abilities, so a +1 weapon will not bypass DR/silver (unless you do more damage than the DR, in which case you do damage equal to [roll] - DR rating). The "magic" DR type includes all magical weapons, so a high-CR creature with DR n/magic will (theoretically) fall to even a +1 longsword.
Willie the Duck 12-02-03, 09:08 PM	It doesn't seem that hard to me. If they have DR x/y subtract x from any damage unless it is from a y source. No superceding, not heirarchy, nothing. IF they have Dr 10/evil ask "is your weapon evil?" if not, subtract 10. yes, yes, I glossed over the exception for energy and force damage. Oh well.
Black Ice 12-03-03, 10:56 AM	so the monster with damage reduction 15/good/piercing takes off the first 15 points of damage WHEN the damage is NOT good OR piercing, AND damage reduction does not negate touch attacks(aka; spells), energy damage dealt (via spell or an attack), or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact. so, 15/good means a holy weapon, not strickly a spell from the Good Domain. :( oh well. my uber villian just lost some of his uber-ness.
YaoiGoddess 12-03-03, 11:11 AM	Also, a creature with a subtype can bypass DR. example- a celestial with lawful and good subtypes bypasses 10/good and lawful