DR question

[Keinnicht]

I ran a bunch of vampires against my player yesterday, and encountered an issue. When does DR apply? In this case, DR 5/Silver.

So, for example, do magic missiles (force damage) get reduced? What about elemental damage? If you lightning bolt a vampire, does the damage get reduced by its electricity resistance, then further reduced by its DR? What about physical damage dealt by spells like Evard's Black Tentacles? For that matter, is a magic effect like Evard's Black Tentacles considered magical for overcoming damage reduction?

In other news, I'm thinking of changing Vampire Spawn DR to 5/magic or silver, and keeping the Vampire magic and silver.

[Ernir]

From
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#damageReduction

Damage Reduction
A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly (in either case, the opponent knows the attack was ineffective). The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities.

Does that answer the question?

[awa]

black tentacle deal physical damage so reduction would applies to that.
i don't think they count as magic either

[Siosilvar]

black tentacle deal physical damage so reduction would applies to that.
i don't think they count as magic either

Black Tentacles is a spell and ignores DR.

[Irreverent Fool]

Black Tentacles is a spell and ignores DR.

This is correct. DR specifically only applies to weapon attacks (of which natural weapons are a subset.) Spells that utilize attack rolls or even deal specific damage types are not, per RAW, subject to reduction by DR. The exceptions to this are those spells that utilize weapon attacks.

It's perfectly justifiable to deviate from this with houserules.

obnoxious
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[Keinnicht]

Thank you.

[randomhero00]

This is correct. DR specifically only applies to weapon attacks (of which natural weapons are a subset.) Spells that utilize attack rolls or even deal specific damage types are not, per RAW, subject to reduction by DR. The exceptions to this are those spells that utilize weapon attacks.

It's perfectly justifiable to deviate from this with houserules.

obnoxious
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Yeah I always felt DR should apply to spells too (but not stack with energy resistance, would use whichever is greater.)

[KillianHawkeye]

I generally houserule that a spell that deals physical damage (such as the bludgeoning damage dealt by the ice storm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/iceStorm.htm) spell) is subject to damage reduction.

[Irreverent Fool]

Yeah I always felt DR should apply to spells too (but not stack with energy resistance, would use whichever is greater.)

Some might argue that allowing DR apply to spells nerfs blasting even further. The general opinion is that damaging spells are not very good at damaging things anyway. This approach to applying DR to spells would probably cause the least headaches all-around.


I generally houserule that a spell that deals physical damage (such as the bludgeoning damage dealt by the ice storm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/iceStorm.htm) spell) is subject to damage reduction.

If you're going for "making sense," I think this is the best course. I believe the intent is there for DR to apply to physical-damage spells, as they tend to call out bludgeoning/piercing/slashing, etc. It seems reasonable.