How does Damage Reduction work? (3.5)

[D4rkh0rus]

The books aren't really specific....

Given Damage reduction 15/epic (tarrasque in this example)

How would damage be handled Given a weapon that does, for example 2d6+20 Dmg, 6d6 sneak attack, 6d6 Iaijutsu focus damage? (averaging 3.5 per d6)

would it be (2d6+20)-15 + (6d6SA)-15 + (6d6IF)-15 ending in 12+6+6 (24 dmg)

or would it be (2d6+20+6d6SA + 6d6IF)-15 ending in 44 damage?


also, I Heard that Force damage bypasses Dr, is this true?

[FidgetySquirrel]

Add up the total damage from the attack, then account for DR.

Also, IIRC, force damage overcomes DR in all cases.

[Forrestfire]

Force damage, like all energy damage, bypasses damage reduction:


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.

There is also a Force enchantment for projectile weapons that makes arrows and bolts fired into pure force. These do not do force damage, but they still ignore DR (in this case because the weapon enchantment specifically says so).