Touch Attacks and DR

[Darth Malakh]

some wise-crack player of mine tried to tell me that touch attacks ignore DR. He said it's RAW and i don't think he's dishonest so i ruled in his favor for the evening. but to me it feels like he's plain wrong... and i'm just too lazy to look it up myself.
so, whaddaya say?

Malakh

 

[Jack Simth]

Most touch attacks ignore DR - e.g., Inflict Light Wounds - as they are spell or energy damage (and thus not subject to DR, but are usually subject to saves or SR), not physical damage. Any particular example under question? That might help. If you had, say, a "touch attack needle" that did 2 points of piercing damage on a successful touch attack, that should be subject to DR.

 

[Crothian]

touch attacks don't ingore DR, but the effects of touch attacks (like spells) very well could.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm afraid it's pretty unambiguous.

From the DMG, under Damage Reduction:

Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

Attacks that deal no damage because of the target’s damage reduction do not disrupt spells.

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

DR does not negate touch attacks.

-Hyp.

 

[Darth Malakh]

okay...the action in question is this: that guy is playing a master thrower and regularly uses his 5th level "weak spot" ability which allows him to make a ranged touch attack instead of a regular ranged attack while using light thrown weapons although he no longer applies his STR to damage. he was hurling his seven daggers/round at a marilith (DR 10/good & cold iron). after that, he nailed some barbarians (DR 2/-). and later still he used them to battle some elementals (DR 10/-). maybe this is RAW, but i think it's silly since it would also allow you to bypass epic DR

also, i think this makes wraith strike from CompArc a far out affair.

Malakh

 

[Hypersmurf]

maybe this is RAW, but i think it's silly since it would also allow you to bypass epic DR

Yup - as written, touch attacks are not negated by DR.

You could always house-rule it for silliness if it bothers you.

-Hyp.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

The master thrower isn't exactly SRD material, and the ability to use a touch attack with a weapon to cause weapon damage isn't contemplated by the SRD. Weapon damage is subject to DR.

So, house rule it to make sense. Don't go with a rule which, when applied to a situation it was not intended to apply to, doesn't make sense. No player in my game would get away with this argument.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Jhulae]

Well, while the touch attack isn't negated by DR, the damage would still be affected by it, I would think.

At least, that's the way I'd rule it.

 

[Caliban]

Well, while the touch attack isn't negated by DR, the damage would still be affected by it, I would think.

At least, that's the way I'd rule it.

:\

Well, no attack is actually negated by DR. It's not called "Attack Reduction" after all.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well, while the touch attack isn't negated by DR, the damage would still be affected by it, I would think.

So if I make a touch attack to deal 3 damage against someone with DR 5/-, how much damage do I do?

If the answer is 0, has the touch attack not been negated by the DR?

-Hyp.