D&D 5E Heavy Armour Master and Resistance

[Daniel Russell]

I have a player who has Blade Ward and Heavy Armour Master and I can't figure out how they interact. Is it (Damage -3)/2 or (Damage/2)-3? As the character is level 2 being immune to all damage below 8 seems powerful (although it costs their action so not THAT powerful).

Each gives different results as shown below.

[TABLE="width: 192"][TR][TD]Dam[/TD][TD](D/2)-3[/TD][TD](D-3)/2[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]1[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]2[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]3[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]4[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]5[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][TD="align: right"]1[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]6[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][TD="align: right"]1[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]7[/TD][TD="align: right"]0[/TD][TD="align: right"]2[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]8[/TD][TD="align: right"]1[/TD][TD="align: right"]2[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]9[/TD][TD="align: right"]1[/TD][TD="align: right"]3[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]10[/TD][TD="align: right"]2[/TD][TD="align: right"]3[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]15[/TD][TD="align: right"]4[/TD][TD="align: right"]6[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]20[/TD][TD="align: right"]7[/TD][TD="align: right"]8[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]25[/TD][TD="align: right"]9[/TD][TD="align: right"]11[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]50[/TD][TD="align: right"]22[/TD][TD="align: right"]23[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]75[/TD][TD="align: right"]34[/TD][TD="align: right"]36[/TD][/TR][TR][TD="align: right"]100[/TD][TD="align: right"]47[/TD][TD="align: right"]48[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]
Any idea which is correct?

 

[Zardnaar]

I believe damage reduction comes off 1st followed by the resistance. At least that is how it was explained on the WoTC boards to me.

 

[jadrax]

TBH, given the lack of any guidance on how/if this is supposed to stack, I would probably let the player choose to either half the Damage or take the -3.

Edit: Ignore this, despite looking up the relevant rules I somehow utterly failed to read the middle paragraph. See below.

 

[Eejit]

Reduce then halve. PHB pg 197.

Resistance and then vulnerability are applied after all other modifiers to damage. For example, a creature has resistance to bludgeoning damage and is hit by an attack that deals 25 bludgeoning damage. The creature is also within a magical aura that reduces all damage by 5. The 25 damage is first reduced by 5 and then halved, so the creature takes 10 damage.

 

[Daniel Russell]

Thanks Eejit!

 

[brehobit]

As far as I know, the only part left unresolved is how resistance and temp. hit points work. Are temp. hit points like the "magical aura" in the example? Or are they just treated as hit points?

I think the general consensus is that they are just hit points. But it makes certain spells very powerful indeed if you can have them going and resistance. Armor of Agathys gets sick. As a 4th level slot, someone with multi-attack with 3 attacks doing 2d8+4 damage would take 60 points of cold damage and probably knock down the spell. Someone doing d8+4 would probably take 100 or 120 points of damage before the spell dropped. Of course they can use range attacks or choose to attack someone else, but the resistance really moves it from a good spell to a great one.

 

[Stalker0]

As far as I know, the only part left unresolved is how resistance and temp. hit points work. Are temp. hit points like the "magical aura" in the example? Or are they just treated as hit points?

I know that the concentration rules spell out as damage taken to temp hp is still damage for a concentration check....so in that way they are like hitpoints.

 

[Pickles JG]

As far as I know, the only part left unresolved is how resistance and temp. hit points work. Are temp. hit points like the "magical aura" in the example? Or are they just treated as hit points?

I think the general consensus is that they are just hit points.

Why would you think they are anything other than just more HP that go away with a long rest?

I am curious not being antagonistic.

 

[brehobit]

Why would you think they are anything other than just more HP that go away with a long rest?

I am curious not being antagonistic.

Actually, I think they are more hit points and should be treated that way (both RAI, RAW, and as a generally good idea).

It just seems a bit overpowered in at least one case (the Warlock 1st level armor spell). And given how freely the they seem to be given out, I think with resistance THP can have a huge impact. And I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to call THP analogous to the "magic aura" (especially when they are in some cases coming from a magical effect).

So given that it's not explicitly stated, and that the most obvious reading may lead to some over powered cases, I think it's worth asking.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

Actually, I think they are more hit points and should be treated that way (both RAI, RAW, and as a generally good idea).

It just seems a bit overpowered in at least one case (the Warlock 1st level armor spell). And given how freely the they seem to be given out, I think with resistance THP can have a huge impact. And I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to call THP analogous to the "magic aura" (especially when they are in some cases coming from a magical effect).

So given that it's not explicitly stated, and that the most obvious reading may lead to some over powered cases, I think it's worth asking.

That warlock is investing at least one class level AND a feat to get Heavy Armor Master... let him have his "overpowered" fun.