Shining Wrath
2016-10-08, 11:32 AM
I think we're all familiar with the wonderous class feature Evasion, which reduces an attack that does N or N/2, depending on a Dexterity save, to doing N/2 or 0. Different classes get this at different levels. Obviously for large N (ancient red dragon breath) N/2 can be a boatload of HP.
Suppose you got a choice at level 15 (like a Ranger) of Evasion, or Damage Reduction. The Damage Reduction is "always on" - it reduces the damage of any attack that hurts you by D, on a per-attack basis. Magic, melee, ranged, magical melee, whatever - take D off.
How large does D have to be before you consider it equal to Evasion, which saves a lot of damage but only under specific circumstances? At level 15 I was thinking about 5 HP per attack.
So would you prefer
Evasion
Damage Reduction of 5 hp/attack that damages you, no exceptions.
BTW, Damage Reduction wouldn't apply to ongoing damage, e.g., Fiendish Wounds or some poisons.
Suppose you got a choice at level 15 (like a Ranger) of Evasion, or Damage Reduction. The Damage Reduction is "always on" - it reduces the damage of any attack that hurts you by D, on a per-attack basis. Magic, melee, ranged, magical melee, whatever - take D off.
How large does D have to be before you consider it equal to Evasion, which saves a lot of damage but only under specific circumstances? At level 15 I was thinking about 5 HP per attack.
So would you prefer
Evasion
Damage Reduction of 5 hp/attack that damages you, no exceptions.
BTW, Damage Reduction wouldn't apply to ongoing damage, e.g., Fiendish Wounds or some poisons.