Falling Damage and Damage Reduction

[Endarire]

Greetings, all!

I've checked the SRD and Rules Compendium but haven't found anything definitive as to whether DR (even DR/-) blocks falling damage.

What is the RAW-based verdict on this?

Thankee!

[Mr Adventurer]

My understanding is that DR doesn't apply, but I don't know the cite, sorry. I guess Hardness would apply.

[Darrin]

From the PHB Glossary:

"damage reduction (DR): A special defense that allows a creature to ignore a set amount of damage from most weapons, unarmed attacks, or natural weapons, but not from energy attacks, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities."

So... falling damage is not a weapon, unarmed attack, or natural weapon. So DR doesn't apply.

[Thurbane]

From the PHB Glossary:

"damage reduction (DR): A special defense that allows a creature to ignore a set amount of damage from most weapons, unarmed attacks, or natural weapons, but not from energy attacks, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities."

So... falling damage is not a weapon, unarmed attack, or natural weapon. So DR doesn't apply.

This is the correct answer.

Falling damage is not weapon damage, and not subject to DR.

Some items, class features, skill checks and such can reduce or negate falling damage, however - just not DR.

[Âmesang]

…but what if you're flying and someone throws the planet at you?

[Zaq]

…but what if you're flying and someone throws the planet at you?

Just how much DR do you have? That might be a “welcome to the difference between resistance and immunity” moment...

[Aniikinis]

…but what if you're flying and someone throws the planet at you?

Just how much DR do you have? That might be a “welcome to the difference between resistance and immunity” moment...

Can I sig this?

[Eladrinblade]

I remember talking to a friend about 2e style DR. He favored it, I didn't. What convinced him I was right was "You could throw a planet at demogorgon and it wouldn't hurt him unless it was a +2 planet". This was back in like 2004 or so.

[Biggus]

What convinced him I was right was "You could throw a planet at demogorgon and it wouldn't hurt him unless it was a +2 planet".

Nice...I remove almost all immunities when I play epic and replace them with very high resistances, I'm gonna remember this next time someone asks me why :)

[Particle_Man]

My house rule is to treat the planet as a bludgeoning improvised weapon and apply dr to falling damage.

[Crake]

Nice...I remove almost all immunities when I play epic and replace them with very high resistances, I'm gonna remember this next time someone asks me why :)

To be fair there are lots of ways to overcome and/or strip away immunities in 3.5

[Jowgen]

According to the Anit-Impact Armor special ability (CW p. 133), falling damage is bludgeoning damage. Based on it being typed, I personally think it qualifies as DR-able, but understand those that think the source is more important.

[Thurbane]

According to the Anit-Impact Armor special ability (CW p. 133), falling damage is bludgeoning damage. Based on it being typed, I personally think it qualifies as DR-able, but understand those that think the source is more important.

That's an interesting find, but I feel more like it belongs more in the Dysfunctional Rules thread than as a RAW citation. I would wager the author of the item didn't understand how falling damage worked. Also worth noting that the item is not DR related, as such. The reference to "bludgeoning" seems to be flavor text as much as anything.

Still, worth considering, I guess...