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RAGE KING!
2007-08-19, 10:53 AM
Im not entirely sure of the damage reduction rules. I believe that damage reduction (like a barbarians), affects all damage. Damage reduction/magic affects damage from magic. Dr/bludgeoning affects damage from bludgeoning weapons. Dr/slashing affects damage from slashing weapons. Dr/piercing affects damage from piercing weapons. Damage reduction adamantine i don't even know.

are there actually any monsters with damage reduction/piercing?

I would like to know because i always try to make my characters have a piercing weapon, a bludgeoning weapon, and a slashing weapon, just in case we run into some opponents with damage reduction.

Please clarify.

Green Bean
2007-08-19, 10:59 AM
You're almost right, you just have things a little mixed up.

DR 10/magic means that you need a magic weapon to overcome the damage reduction.

For instance, if Monster A has DR 10/slashing, and Fighter A does 20 damage to it with a club, the monster would only take 10 damage. Fighter B, who wields a greatsword and rolls 20 damage does the full amount.

Daracaex
2007-08-19, 11:00 AM
You've got it backwards. Damage Reduction/magic means your DR affects everything BUT magic. So you can bypass the reduction if you're casting magic or if you're using a magic weapon.

Morty
2007-08-19, 11:00 AM
The word after "/" means damage type that pierces DR, not what it affects. So 10/magic would be pierced by any magic weapon and 10/bludgeoning by any bludgeoning damage.
EDIT: Darn. I need to type faster.

Attilargh
2007-08-19, 11:01 AM
Damage reduction/magic affects damage from magic. Dr/bludgeoning affects damage from bludgeoning weapons. Dr/slashing affects damage from slashing weapons. Dr/piercing affects damage from piercing weapons. Damage reduction adamantine i don't even know.
You've got it backwards. Damage reduction/magic is bypassed by magic, and thus affects everything else. For clarification, see here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#damageReduction).

Ędit: Ninjas! Ninjas everywhere! Must set self on fire!

TheOOB
2007-08-19, 11:02 AM
You have it backwards. Damage reduction goes amount prevented/bypass method. Thus someone with a DR of 10/magic subtracts 10 points of damage from all attacks except those made with a magic weapon, and a DR of 10/silver won't work against a silver weapon. If you see something like DR 5/-, that means no means bypasses the reduction.

Also remember that DR only applies to physical damage, such as from weapon attacks. Magic attacks, such as magic missile, scorching ray, ect, ignore all DR (even /- DR) unless they specifically mention doing physical damage (such as by saying they do piercing, slashing or bludgeoning damage, like ice storm).

AtomicKitKat
2007-08-19, 11:06 AM
Im not entirely sure of the damage reduction rules. I believe that damage reduction (like a barbarians), affects all damage.

All damage reduction affects weapon damage only. And maybe some spells that conjure up weapons.


Damage reduction/magic affects damage from magic. Dr/bludgeoning affects damage from bludgeoning weapons. Dr/slashing affects damage from slashing weapons. Dr/piercing affects damage from piercing weapons. Damage reduction adamantine i don't even know.

The thing after the slash for DR X/Y, means that Y is required to bypass this DR. Eg. DR 10/Silver means it MUST be Silver to bypass. If it says DR X/Y and Z, you need to fulfill all requirements. Eg. DR 10/Silver and Magic means it must be a Silver weapon enchanted with at least a +1.


are there actually any monsters with damage reduction/piercing?

Woodling template has DR X/Slashing. Not sure about DR X/Piercing.


I would like to know because i always try to make my characters have a piercing weapon, a bludgeoning weapon, and a slashing weapon, just in case we run into some opponents with damage reduction.

If you have DR X/Slashing and Piercing and Bludgeoning, you're effectively immune to all weapons except Bites and other things that do all 3 types at the same time. The only way you can achieve that, that I know of, is to acquire multiple DR X/Y. They won't "stack" per se, but you will have to fulfill all the conditions in order to do full damage. Eg. If you get DR 5/silver and DR 10/magic, you "effectively" have DR 5/Silver and Magic, and if they wield a Magic Weapon, you still have DR 5/Silver to block 5 of their damage.

Damage reduction doesn't stack, in the sense that the above example would never reduce damage by 15. Whichever has the highest X value should always be checked first, then you go down the list based on how much X the DR grants.

DR X/-(as from a Barbarian) should always come last. It's never bypassed. Not even by Adamantine(which is generally reserved for bypassing object hardness up to 20, and DR that is derived from being "hard", like with the Mineral Warrior or most Golems.)

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-08-19, 11:10 AM
Magic attacks, such as magic missile, scorching ray, ect, ignore all DR (even /- DR) unless they specifically mention doing physical damage (such as by saying they do piercing, slashing or bludgeoning damage, like ice storm).

How do spells like Evard’s black tentacles and ice storm affect a creature with damage reduction overcome by magic and bludgeoning? Do the tentacles and hailstones deal magical bludgeoning damage?

Any damage dealt by a spell or other magical effect is unaffected by damage reduction.
Apparently, specifying a spell does slashing/bludgeoning/piercing damage, even if through a conjured effect (so the actual source of damage isn't even technically magical itself) is pretty much meaningless.

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2007-08-19, 12:00 PM
I don't think this part of your question was answered. (If it was I apologize)



are there actually any monsters with damage reduction/piercing?

The Raksasha has DR 15/good and piercing.

Citizen Joe
2007-08-19, 12:18 PM
The Raksasha has DR 15/good and piercing.

That represents their legendary weakness to the blessed crossbow bolt.

Check out the Nighthag's DR 10/Cold Iron AND magic. Nasty since it costs extra to enchant cold iron.

RAGE KING!
2007-08-19, 01:37 PM
...you all said exactly the same thing, but thanks.

Collin152
2007-08-19, 03:01 PM
...you all said exactly the same thing, but thanks.

'Tis what we call "Simu-Ninja!". See, each responded at the same time, therby saying the same thing.

Person_Man
2007-08-19, 03:48 PM
It's worth noting that one of the few advantages of being an archer build is that you rarely have trouble overcoming damage reduction. It's easy to have a wide variety of ammunition (Silver, Adamantine, blunt arrows, etc) and to have a friend enchant them with Greater Magic Weapon. And with an appropriate Knowledge check, you'll know which one to use.

The only thing you'll have any trouble overcoming is DR/slashing, and in that case you'll be fine anyway, since everyone else in your party probably uses slashing weapons or magic.

Zeful
2007-08-19, 03:58 PM
The Alchimedial golem from a Dragon (or Dungeon) Magazine had DR/Slashing or Piercing.

The_Werebear
2007-08-19, 04:01 PM
Here is how I equip to punch through any DR. It is expensive, but if you have a DR monkey for a DM, then it is worth it.

Primary Weapon: Adamantine Slashing Weapon. (Magic)
Secondary Weapon: Silver Morningstar (Piercing and Blunt) (Magic)
Ranged Weapon: Light Crossbow(Magic), 10 Silver Bolts, 10 Adamantine Bolts, 20 Cold Iron Bolts, 60 Standard Bolts

If you can afford it, a couple of potions of Align Weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/alignWeapon.htm) are fairly cheap, especially if you are at the level where there is alignment based damaged reduction commonly showing up.