DR 5/Silver vs. Ice Storm bludgeoning damage

[Kalendraf]

This is hopefully a simple question, but I'm at a loss to coming up with a quick answer. According to the Ice Storm spell, 2d6 is cold damag e (elemental damage) and 3d6 of the damage is bludgeoning (like weapon damage from a club or mace). What I'm trying to figure out is what happens if Ice Storm is cast at a creature with DR 5/silver. Does the damage resistance help reduce some of the bludgeoning damage?

I can see logic for either side of this argument - either it's considered a spell and thus not affected by a physical DR, or the bludgeoning damage works just like any other physical damage would and thus it is affected by a physical DR.

Please help!

 

[Veldrane]

The bludgeoning damage works just like any other physical damage would and thus it is affected by a physical DR

 

[Kalendraf]

Thanks for the ultra-quick answer! My overall rules-sense was leaning that way, but some part of my brain was still saying, "But it's a spell! Spells are different" and I just couldn't seem to reckon it out.

 

[dcollins]

I believe the second poster is incorrect. Any magical spell's effect is counted as magical damage, and hence ignores DR, unless otherwise specfically stated (like creeping doom or somesuch). I believe there's a FAQ entry that rules that blade barrier slashing damage similarly bypasses DR, like any spell.

 

[Scion]

There are people on both sides of this issue, both with different rules sites as well.

I see the problem with being that it makes sense to make DR work, but it also really cuts into some pretty lack luster spells to begin with and with other spells it might be necissary to keep them in line.

It seems like this spell actually has a physical object hit someone, just like a spell that makes a weapon. One wouldnt expect the second to bypass DR unless it says so, why the first then?

For Ice Storm, because it does so little damage anyway, I wouldnt let DR work even though it probably should. The spell just isnt strong enough to begin with to reduce its effectiveness in that way.

 

[Majere]

Spells ignore DR regardless of the type of damage they do.

Majere

 

[Scion]

If you make a club of ice with major creation does it ignore DR?

 

[Brother MacLaren]

I'd suggest that it either ignores SR or DR. If it's an effect sustained by magic, it ignores DR. If it is a physical object created by magic, it ignores SR. IIRC, Ice Storm is subject to SR and thus should ignore DR. Summoned monsters (including Creeping Doom) are subject to DR but not SR.
It's not a perfect guideline - acid-type attacks can plausibly ignore both - but for physical effects it seems to work.

 

[Scion]

acid is still effected by energy resistance, so the anology still holds in some ways.

SR, ER, and DR all effect things in slightly different ways. it would be nice for it to work a little better than it does across the board, but for the most part things work pretty well

 

[Andre]

Spells ignore DR regardless of the type of damage they do.

Majere

Yep. Here's the quote from the SRD:

"Spells, spell-like abilities, and energy attacks (even nonmagical fire) ignore damage reduction."

No ambiguity - ice storm is not affected by DR.