Damage Reduction

[ZhanStrider]

Okay, so I'm a bit lost about DR now.

the rules say "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."

So, if I attack with a +2 Flaming Longsword, and the target has DR 20/Adamantine, the FIRE damage gets through? Why would there be "DR 10/Fire" and the like if this was the case? Am I missing something?

In addition does a paladin's Smite Evil ability overcome an alignment DR? Like DR 10/Good?

[Sir Chuckles]

Yes, DR 20/Whatever, fire damage gets through. Fire is an energy type, and Energy Resistance, not Damage Reduction, is what negates energy damage.

I'm not certain on Smite, but the text reads a a very simple "She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per paladin level."

[Kuulvheysoon]

Okay, so I'm a bit lost about DR now.

the rules say "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."

So, if I attack with a +2 Flaming Longsword, and the target has DR 20/Adamantine, the FIRE damage gets through? Why would there be "DR 10/Fire" and the like if this was the case? Am I missing something?

In addition does a paladin's Smite Evil ability overcome an alignment DR? Like DR 10/Good?

If the target had DR 20/Adamantine and Fire Resistance 20, then your +2 Flaming Longsword would be basically useless, yes. Energy Damage (from a source like acid, fire, sonic, negative energy (the inflict series of spells) is never covered under DR - that's for purely physical damage.

Unfortunately, in D&D 3.5e, it's assumed that something never does something unless it explicitly says so. So no matter how much sense it would make for a Paladin's smite to overcome DR X/Good, it does not.

[gooddragon1]

On another note, if you want an enhancement that will not be affected by DR or energy resistance: psychokinetic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/weapons.htm#psychokinetic) will deal an extra 1d4.

[Yogibear41]

There is a feat that makes a paladins smite attacks considered good aligned.

[Necroticplague]

Okay, so I'm a bit lost about DR now.

the rules say "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."

So, if I attack with a +2 Flaming Longsword, and the target has DR 20/Adamantine, the FIRE damage gets through? Why would there be "DR 10/Fire" and the like if this was the case? Am I missing something?

In addition does a paladin's Smite Evil ability overcome an alignment DR? Like DR 10/Good?

The "+2 sword" part would be reduced by 20, but the 1d6 fire damage would go through (assuming no fire resistance or immunity, which is ridiculously common).

There wouldn't be a DR/fire, because fire always go through DR anyway. It'd be kinda like having regeneration/nonlethal. Where'd you see that existing?

Nope, it doesn't. Unless it says it lets it do so, it doesn't.