Does Damage Reduction Stack?

[NullAshton]

Quick question. I'm making a level 15 warmind character, and the class gives 3/- damage reduction. My question is, does that damage reduction stack with other types? I seem to recall somewhere that x/- damage reduction does in fact stack with itself. I'm wondering if it would be worth it to have adamantine heavy armor, because if it does stack, that would give me 6/- damage reduction.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Unless otherwise specified DR does not stack.

If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation.

[NullAshton]

Wow, that was fast. Thanks!

[Indoril]

If a creature has multiple sources of damage reduction, I believe the strongest one applies first and the weakest one applies last. So for instance if you have an afflicted werewolf (DR 5/silver) who somehow also got DR 10/epic, it would work like this: non-silver non-epic weapons take DR 10/epic, reducing their damage by 10. Silver nonepic weapons take the same. Epic weapons not made of silver are still affected by DR 5/silver, reducing their damage by 5. Silver epic weapons beat both.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Yup, that is exactly how it works. (Unless otherwise specified)

[Caelestion]

DR x/- stacks with itself (barbarian and survivor for instance). It presumably does not stack with equipment DR such as adamantine armour.

Other DR applies when necessary. A vampire barbarian has DR 3/- to defend him against magical, silver weapons for instance.

[ken-do-nim]

Note that a particularly nasty thing to do is have damage reduction protect against 2 materials. Let's say Count Strahd the wizard vampire, who already has dr 10/silver & magic innately, casts stoneskin on himself. Now he has dr 10/adamantine on top of that. Well, no weapon can be both silver and adamantine, so he is guaranteed his 10.

PS: I emailed wizards about that, and the Customer Service Rep said that if you silversheen an adamantine weapon then you would indeed bypass silver + adamantine dr. However, I'm not sure I buy that. The silversheen is covering up the adamantine, after all.

[Rockphed]

But the adamantine is the structure of the weapon...

[MrNexx]

Silversheen: This substance can be applied to a weapon as a standard action. It will give the weapon the properties of alchemical silver for 1 hour, replacing the properties of any other special material it might have. One vial will coat a single melee weapon or 20 units of ammunition.

WRONG. .......

[OzymandiasVolt]

Looks like customer service is asleep at the wheel.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

It certainly looks like it.

ken-do-nim: have you provided them with the SRD quote?

[AtomicKitKat]

Cheap(ish) way to gain double DR. Mineral Warrior template(+1 ECL, Adamantine), Half-Fey(+3 ECL, Cold Iron). Or you could be a Mineral Warrior Werecat Warlock, thereby getting all 3(albeit at fairly insignificant values).

In some degree of order from worst to best:

DR X/Weapon Damage type(B/P/S) Somewhat useful, if your enemies all insist on using only one type of damage(how does this work with weapons that do 2 or more kinds of damage at once, like a Bite?)
DR X/Magic Mostly worthless unless your idea of fun is having commoners hit you with farming implements. DR bypassed by weapon damage type might actually be more useful, and usually isn't supressed by AMF.

DR X/material (Silver/Adamantine/Cold Iron) Very useful, since not everyone can afford to make one of each material into their favourite weapon. Adamantine is generally the only one not supressed by AMF.

DR X/alignment. The more you have, the better. If you can get it against 3 or more alignments, nothing short of a demon wielding an Axiomatic Holy Avenger will break through. Just as good as DR X/material, but also more easily supressed by AMF.

DR X/Epic Meh. By the time you get this, wizards will be killing you from 500 miles away when they're just breathing. Still, if you're fighting non-epic monsters or mobs without Bane(this is fuzzy) or epic weapons, you're like unto a God.

DR X/- The holy grail of Damage Reduction. Nothing breaks through this.

That should cover all of them I think.

Edit: The only way I could see a weapon having more than one material "type" would be an Adamantine blade inlaid with Silver(maybe in runes). No way to fit Cold Iron in. The very definition of it means you automatically render it into "Pig" iron once you start forging. Maybe if you wrapped the Adamantine around it or something.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Nice overview.

DR X/Weapon Damage type(B/P/S) Somewhat useful, if your enemies all insist on using only one type of damage(how does this work with weapons that do 2 or more kinds of damage at once, like a Bite?)

A Bite (B,P,S) would bypass DR X/ B, DR X/ P and DR X/ S. (Or any other combination of B,P,S)

[AtomicKitKat]

Nice overview.

A Bite (B,P,S) would bypass DR X/ B, DR X/ P and DR X/ S. (Or any other combination of B,P,S)

Except DR X/B+P+S of course!

Thanks anyway.

[Lord Iames Osari]

The only way I could see a weapon having more than one material "type" would be an Adamantine blade inlaid with Silver(maybe in runes). No way to fit Cold Iron in. The very definition of it means you automatically render it into "Pig" iron once you start forging. Maybe if you wrapped the Adamantine around it or something.

Actually, there is a way to do it. It requires that you be playing Eberron or have access to a non-Eberron-specific version of the Exorcist of the Silver Flame PrC.

Monk 16/Cleric 1/Exorcist of the Silver Flame 2, wielding a ki focus cold iron weapon. Between ki strike (adamantine), the weapon of the exorcist 2nd level ability (overcome DR as if your weapon was silver), and the actual cold iron your weapon is made out of, you're covered.

Of course, if you're in Eberron you're also dealing with byeshk and all that stuff, too.

[AtomicKitKat]

Actually, there is a way to do it. It requires that you be playing Eberron or have access to a non-Eberron-specific version of the Exorcist of the Silver Flame PrC.

Monk 16/Cleric 1/Exorcist of the Silver Flame 2, wielding a ki focus cold iron weapon. Between ki strike (adamantine), the weapon of the exorcist 2nd level ability (overcome DR as if your weapon was silver), and the actual cold iron your weapon is made out of, you're covered.

Of course, if you're in Eberron you're also dealing with byeshk and all that stuff, too.

I presume "ki focus" provides the ability to transfer the "ki strike(adamantine)" property into the weapon then?

[Lord Iames Osari]

It's a weapon enhancement from the 3.5 DMG. Edit: And yes, it does.

*checking SRD*

Here. Ki Focus

Ki Focus

The magic weapon serves as a channel for the wielder’s ki, allowing her to use her special ki attacks through the weapon as if they were unarmed attacks. These attacks include the monk’s stunning attack, ki strike, and quivering palm, as well as the Stunning Fist feat. Only melee weapons can have the ki focus ability.
Moderate transmutation; CL 8th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, creator must be a monk; Price +1 bonus.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Except DR X/B+P+S of course!

Thanks anyway.

Including DR X /B AND P AND S.

All damage from the weapon is considered all types at once.

[JaronK]

DR x/- stacks with itself (barbarian and survivor for instance). It presumably does not stack with equipment DR such as adamantine armour.

Other DR applies when necessary. A vampire barbarian has DR 3/- to defend him against magical, silver weapons for instance.

Nope. DR X/- does not stack with any other DR, including other DR X/-, unless it explicitly says it does.

JaronK

[Replacement]

Nope. DR X/- does not stack with any other DR, including other DR X/-, unless it explicitly says it does.

JaronK

True, but the example givin does work. Survivor x/- stacks with other sources of x/-. Also Roll With It, a feat from Savage Species, also stacks.

Barbarian doesn't say it though.

[JaronK]

"unless it explicitly says it does."

And one of the examples didn't say it.

JaronK

[Stephen_E]

"unless it explicitly says it does."

And one of the examples didn't say it.

JaronK

Both "Survivor" and "Roll with it" say "stacks with" and "in addition".
Thus both would be added to a Barbarians DR/-.
There is no requirement for the Barbarians DR to say it stacks. (if this is what you meant).

Stephen

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

True, but the general rule is still that DR does not stack unless otherwise noted. (As was already posted in the second post on this thread)

[ken-do-nim]

It certainly looks like it.

ken-do-nim: have you provided them with the SRD quote?

It was such an obvious thing I didn't bother. By the way, this was several years ago, and I think Cus Serv has gotten better.

[AtomicKitKat]

Including DR X /B AND P AND S.

All damage from the weapon is considered all types at once.

*bangs head* Yeah. What you said. I'm trying to remember that thing people said once about bites being unable to bypass DR X/One type. I think it was an older thread about hydras and sundering.

Actually, if memory serves, the whole "DR does not stack" thing mostly referred to having DR X/Y and DR X/Z, in that you did not have DR 2X/Y+Z. You had DR X unless someone could bypass both Y and Z in the same attack.

Example: DR 5/Magic and DR 5/Bludgeoning does not stack to become DR 10/Magic and Bludgeoning. It is however, equivalent to having DR 5/Magic and Bludgeoning, unless you're in an AMF, in which case only the Bludgeoning part applies. Thus, even if you have DR 5/Bludgeoning and DR 10/Magic, you're still not equivalent to a Lich. You essentially have DR 5/Magic and Bludgeoning, with an additional DR 5 against all non-magical weapons.

[JaronK]

Erm, no. DR 5/Magic and Bludgeoning means both of those types penetrate...

JaronK

[Ashes]

Erm, no. DR 5/Magic and Bludgeoning means both of those types penetrate...

JaronK

Erm, no. That would be DR 5/Magic or Bludgeoning. And means it has to be both types.

[the_tick_rules]

yeah, that's what makes rakashka's a bitch. how many people have good and piercing weapons available?

[Ramza00]

This thread inspired a Gestalt Idea, figured I would share.

Crusader 20//
Barbarian 1/X 4/Survivor 5/Champion of Gwynharwyf 10


At level 10 you have DR 5/-
At level 20 you have DR 10/-


Note if you really want to you can take the feats Roll with It and get another 2 DR/- each time you take “Roll with It.” This DR that stacks with the previous Barbarian and Survivor Dr, Must have 20 Con (Dwarf Race and an ability modifer of 18 gives you 20 at 1st level) and take the horrible feat Toughness. Usually isn’t worth it for feats are precious, but with flaws it may be useful for early levels.

Due to Champion of Gwyn you need to take 2 specific exalted feats (both of which can be taken at level 1) You are only 1 exalted feat away from the Saint Template (LA of 2, buy it back or get it put to one side of your Gestalt depends on how your DM does that) which grants so much protections, boosted stats, fast healing, etc.

Has Fast Healing (Saint), Massive DR that can’t be bypass, Delayed Damage Pool, Cha to Saves, Mettle, Improved Evasion, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Wis to AC (in any armor), Full Initiator with Devoted Spirit, Spellcasting similar to Paladin, Smite from Champion and Crusader, Immunity to Charm/Compulsion, Resistance to Energy 10, Immunity to Acid, Cold, Electricity, & Petrification, Lesser Globe of Invulnerbility always on when you want it, Full BAB, always d10 or d12 hps…

Normally Survivor stinks due to it getting BAB 0 during all 5 levels, and not advancing any class levels. In gestalt that all changes. Survivor Pre-reqs are ones that can be qualified as soon as second level for it can be done entire with one class.

Now I would hate to play such a character. Instead imagining him as a NPC as part of a “Church Party” with a full caster or two, that has some beef with the party. Perhaps you want to make it like the Miko bringing back the party to answer the authorities, just equip merciful weapons on everybody (+1d6 damage but all damage done is nonlethal, its a command weapon so you can turn it on and off) and feel free to TPK your players but not literally. I can see this guy being nigh unstoppable.