(3.5) How do you overcome DR/epic?

[Vegan Zombie]

Does the character need to be epic level, or does the weapon require a specific property?

[Snowbluff]

Either a weapon that's +6 (+11 in total, including the Enhancements before becoming epic), or having Epic DR and using your Natural Attacks.

Or Eternal Blade. They can ignore DR.

[mattie_p]

The weapon requires at least a +6 enhancement bonus. To quote damage reduction (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#damageReduction):


A few very powerful monsters are vulnerable only to epic weapons; that is, magic weapons with at least a +6 enhancement bonus. Such creatures’ natural weapons are also treated as epic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

EDIT: Regardless of the total weapon special abilities, a +6 weapon automatically becomes an epic weapon, and requires the epic weapon enhancement rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/magicItems/weapons.htm).

[Vegan Zombie]

Thanks guys!

[Snowbluff]

Thanks guys!

No problem Vegan... Zombie?

[Chilingsworth]

Ways to overcome epic DR:

Use a ranged weapon with the force enchantment (MIC)
(overcomes all DR)

Use a weapon with the transmuting enchantment (MIC)
(overcomes all DR after the first hit on a creature)

Use any of the "mountain hammer" line of manuvers (ToB)
(Overcomes all DR)

Use a +4 or better weapon with an appropriate bane property
(+4 base enhancement +2 from the bane = +6 effective enhancement, overcoming epic DR)

Use spells (which ignore DR)

Use an actual epic (+6 or higher) weapon. This is the costliest option, though.

Have epic DR of your own and use natural attacks. (good luck finding that.)

EDIT: one more option:

Be an epic monk with the improved ki strike epic feat (unarmed strike overcomes epic DR) (yeah, an epic monk... lol)

EDIT2: Any form of energy damage (magic or otherwise) ignores DR, so in addition to spells, things like alchemist's fire and acid will work to overcome it.

[eggs]

Quite a few psionic powers and incarnum soulmelds can hit a +6 bonus fairly cost-effectively at reasonable levels.

This was also one of the tricks that made Arcane Duelist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a) 3 a useful dip for a melee build, despite tough prereqs and a very melee-unfriendly chassis.