Types of Magical Damage

[ekarney]

Referring to things that can overcome DR.
Not for any real reason I'm just interested.

So far I have:
Fire
Frost
Shock
Acid
Magic
Force
Sonic
Lawful
Chaotic
Good
Evil

Am I missing anything?
Maybe Positive/Negative energy?

[Jowgen]

Damage Reduction, to my knowledge, applies only to damage that is physical... technically, I think it might even be limited to damage that is piercing, slashing, and/or bludgeoning specifically. ALL magical damage overcomes damage reduction, although in rule-language, to "overcome" damage reduction means to ignore it by virtue of meeting its specified qualifier; which is different from dealing damage that just isn't subject to damage reduction in the first place (because it's magical or whatever).

Either way, I'll throw Holy and Vile damage (BoED and BoVD respectively) into the mix, because they're cool. Also, positive and negative fall into the "types of non-physical damage" category

[ekarney]

Damage Reduction, to my knowledge, applies only to damage that is physical... technically, I think it might even be limited to damage that is piercing, slashing, and/or bludgeoning specifically. ALL magical damage overcomes damage reduction, although in rule-language, to "overcome" damage reduction means to ignore it by virtue of meeting its specified qualifier; which is different from dealing damage that just isn't subject to damage reduction in the first place (because it's magical or whatever).

Yeah I phrased that badly.
I was referring to things like DR5/Lawful and just general "magical" damage types.
Honestly, I'm not even sure what I meant here. But I'll in Holy and Vile!

[BowStreetRunner]

Looking at types of Damage Reduction out there you will also find:


Cold Iron
Silver
Admanatine
Piercing
Slashing
Bludgeoning
Epic

[Necroticplague]

Damage Reduction, to my knowledge, applies only to damage that is physical... technically, I think it might even be limited to damage that is piercing, slashing, and/or bludgeoning specifically. A

Actually, it's even more specific than that.


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. A certain kind of weapon can sometimes damage the creature normally, as noted below. So even if you're using bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage, if its not from a weapon or natural attack, then it can ignore DR.

[noob]

So dr does not works on rocks falling on you?
Divine damage is yet another kind of non weapon damage(there is no way to get resistance or immunity to divine damage and it is done by very few spells like one fire cleric spell(something like column of fire dealing half divine and half fire) and the spells with the meta-magic making half of the damage be divine)

[Crake]

So dr does not works on rocks falling on you?
Divine damage is yet another kind of non weapon damage(there is no way to get resistance or immunity to divine damage and it is done by very few spells like one fire cleric spell(something like column of fire dealing half divine and half fire) and the spells with the meta-magic making half of the damage be divine)

One could say that a rock is a type of weapon, like a siege weapon. I think he was more referring to the variety of spells that deal physical damage. Personally, as a house rule, any spell that does physical damage has damage reduction applied to it, though it overcomes DR/magic (since it is a magical attack).

It's worth noting that many of those damage types are energy damage, not necessarily "magic". For example, you can use a torch to deal fire damage, which, while not magical, is still energy damage, and still overcomes DR.

[BowStreetRunner]

A creature that has damage reduction (DR) ignores some of the hit point damage from weapons, natural weapons, and unarmed attacks that don’t meet certain criteria...Damage reduction doesn’t reduce the damage from energy attacks, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.
The entry further goes on to classify the methods of overcoming DR with weapons, natural weapons and unarmed attacks as Aligned (Chaotic, Evil, Good, Lawful), Damage Type (Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing), Epic, Magic (+1 or higher magical enhancement bonus), or Special Material (Adamantine, Alchemical Silver, Cold Iron).

(Note that in Pathfinder weapons with a +3 bonus and above can ignore DR/cold iron and DR/silver, +4 and above can ignore DR/adamantine, and +5 and above can ignore alignment-based DR regardless of whether the weapon actually possesses the specific property.)

[Vaz]

City damage from Cityscape

[Inevitability]

City damage from Cityscape

I actually had to look this one up to believe it existed.

[ekarney]

City damage from Cityscape

I-

What?

Why is that a thing?

[BowStreetRunner]

I-

What?

Why is that a thing?

It's from the 'City Magic' metamagic feat and it changes half your spell damage to the type 'city damage' which is made up of various types of detritus you might find in an urban environment. Yes, it is a type of energy damage. So technically there could also be City Resistance X if someone picked up energy resistance to this particular damage type.

[ThinkMinty]

Haaa, I didn't know other people had ever read Cityscape.

Anyways...hmm. Desiccation damage? It's from that desert book with the weird Mummy Lich PrC and all those cool desert spells. Sandstorm, I think.

[Brova]

I'm pretty sure you're missing the various forms of Ultima damage from things like flamestrike.

[ekarney]

It's from the 'City Magic' metamagic feat and it changes half your spell damage to the type 'city damage' which is made up of various types of detritus you might find in an urban environment. Yes, it is a type of energy damage. So technically there could also be City Resistance X if someone picked up energy resistance to this particular damage type.

So what happens is someone takes that feat and that one feat that does the same thing but with negative energy?
Does it become half negative/half city? Or a quarter NegEn/City and half whatever it usually is?



Ultima damage?

[Milo v3]

Isn't there some obscure outsider who's damage reduction is bypassed by wood?

[ThinkMinty]

Isn't there some obscure outsider who's damage reduction is bypassed by wood?

Aren't there [wood] and [metal] spells from the...it's Wu Jen stuff I think, but I might be wildly mis-remembering it.

[ekarney]

Aren't there [wood] and [metal] spells from the...it's Wu Jen stuff I think, but I might be wildly mis-remembering it.

Yeah, afaik that's a descriptor pretty much for that one class feature they get though, that gives them a +2 Caster level on those spells.

[ThinkMinty]

Honestly, some metal spells would be awesome, or even some kind of homebrewed Energy Substitution: Metal Metamagic feat.

[Glimbur]

Vile damage is also a thing. Just to add it to the list.

[Eldan]

I see no reason why metal wouldn't deal slashing/piercing/bludgeoning damage. After all, most weapons are metal.

[BowStreetRunner]

I see no reason why metal wouldn't deal slashing/piercing/bludgeoning damage. After all, most weapons are metal.

Weapon damage is different from energy damage. Energy substitution: metal would allow someone to cast fireball as a metalball instead. DR would not apply. Resistance would.

[sovin_ndore]

I see no reason why metal wouldn't deal slashing/piercing/bludgeoning damage. After all, most weapons are metal.
Its a class feature, but a daggerspell mage can convert half his spell damage to magical slashing damage... so this may not be as far fetched as it sounds. :smallcool:

That said, the [metal] type does not deal physical weapon descriptor damage types any more than the [fire] evocation spells can light a torch.

[Milo v3]

I was actually meaning wood the material, not [Wood] spells.

[Rijan_Sai]

Its a class feature, but a daggerspell mage can convert half his spell damage to magical slashing damage... so this may not be as far fetched as it sounds. :smallcool:

That said, the [metal] type does not deal physical weapon descriptor damage types any more than the [fire] evocation spells can light a torch.

Wait...are you saying that Evocation [Fire] spells can not light torches? I'm just going to leave these (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireball.htm) here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/flameBlade.htm)*:


Fireball
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

A fireball spell is an explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.

You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. (An early impact results in an early detonation.) If you attempt to send the bead through a narrow passage, such as through an arrow slit, you must “hit” the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely.

The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.
Material Component

A tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur.


Flame Blade
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Drd 2
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: Sword-like beam
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A 3-foot-long, blazing beam of red-hot fire springs forth from your hand. You wield this bladelike beam as if it were a scimitar. Attacks with the flame blade are melee touch attacks. The blade deals 1d8 points of fire damage +1 point per two caster levels (maximum +10). Since the blade is immaterial, your Strength modifier does not apply to the damage. A flame blade can ignite combustible materials such as parchment, straw, dry sticks, and cloth.

The spell does not function underwater.

If that's not what you are saying, then I apologize for the misunderstanding. :smallsmile:

*It's late here, and I got tired of looking after finding these two examples. I'm sure there are more.

[zergling.exe]

Wait...are you saying that Evocation [Fire] spells can not light torches? I'm just going to leave these (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireball.htm) here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/flameBlade.htm)*:





If that's not what you are saying, then I apologize for the misunderstanding. :smallsmile:

*It's late here, and I got tired of looking after finding these two examples. I'm sure there are more.

Just because a spell has the [fire] descriptor does not mean it lights things on fire. Fire Storm does not mention lighting flammables on fire, and indeed leaves natural vegetation alone. The next spell in the Player's Handbook Fire Trap doesn't mention lighting flammables on fire at all, not even excluding things it cannot set ablaze. This, to me, says that the [fire] descriptor does not equate to fire damage and lighting things on fire.

[Threadnaught]

Referring to things that can overcome DR.
Not for any real reason I'm just interested.

So far I have:
Fire
Frost
Shock
Acid
Magic
Force
Sonic
Lawful
Chaotic
Good
Evil

Am I missing anything?
Maybe Positive/Negative energy?

Do you know precisely what it is you're referring to? Oh what am saying, even I don't.
Never forget Strider.

To overcome Damage Reduction Mr Meathammer, you're going to have to use Slashing, Bludgeioning, Piercing, Magic, Adamantine, Bludgeoning and Magic, Cold Steel, Alchemical Silver, Vile, Chaos, Law, Good, Evil, Vile, Kaorti Resin, or Epic weapons.
To completely ignore Damage Reduction through Spells, there are more helpful responses for that endeavor.

[sovin_ndore]

Just because a spell has the [fire] descriptor does not mean it lights things on fire. Fire Storm does not mention lighting flammables on fire, and indeed leaves natural vegetation alone. The next spell in the Player's Handbook Fire Trap doesn't mention lighting flammables on fire at all, not even excluding things it cannot set ablaze. This, to me, says that the [fire] descriptor does not equate to fire damage and lighting things on fire.
That was the point I was trying to make. I apologize for not being more clear.

Also, for clarification, I believe this thread has roughly evolved into a discussion of damage dealing spell descriptors (for which resistances or DR of various varieties might theoretically apply), and is no longer really discussing specific ways to overcome damage mitigation (thus no 12th level Factotums in this thread).