D&D 5E [5E] The few mechanical implications of... non-magical weapon immunity and CR.

[Illithidbix]

I posted this a while back on the WoTC forums and RPG.net, occurred to me that some people on Enworld might be interested as well.

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...nical-implications-of-Alignment#ixzz44cRQwG6r

Following my prior thread:
The few mechanical implications of Alignment: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?474120-5E-The-few-mechanical-implications-of-Alignment


Here's an overdetailed look at monsters that are immune to non-magical weapons.

5E is very chilled about when you give out magical items.
But one key thing to consider is how many magical weapons the party has when dealing with non-magical weapon resistant/immune creatures.

I think the biggest difference a magical weapon makes to a fightery type isn't the small bonus to hit/damage but rather whether they are full effective against all monsters or if they have to turn to the spellcasters for some of them.

On the flip side, a fight where the fighters are trying to pin down a werewolf with shoves and grapples rather than attacks, so that the spellcasters can cantrip spam it to death could be pretty cool. Simiarly if a stonking great weapon fighter is forced to resort to the silvered dagger they have looted to fight the werewolf.
And if magic weapons are available too early then it simply never enters the game

Challenge rating serves a useful rough guideline as to “You must be this big to fight this monster” and at what level you first expect to encounter them.

When putting together an encounter or adventure, especially at lower levels, exercise caution when using monsters whose challenge rating is higher than the party’s average level.

As a very rough guideline at 6th level Monks get Ki-Empowered Strikes and Moon Druids get Primal Strikes which means their unarmed or beast form attacks count as magical for purposes of overcoming nonmagical resistance and immunities.

So there are tons of monsters with resistance to non-magical weapons; but nineteen are immune.

So here is a list of monsters with "Damage Immunity: bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage from non-magical weapons." and their CR. A fair number take full damage from silvered or adamantine weapons, and this is also noted.

Jacklewere CR 1/2 (!), Silvered
Wererat, CR 2, Silvered
Werewolf, CR 3, Silvered
Coatl, CR 4
Wereboar, CR 4, Silvered
Weretiger, CR 4, Silvered
Werebear, CR 5, Silvered
Flesh Golem, CR 5, Adamantine
Clay Golem, CR 9 Adamantine
Stone Golem, CR 10, Adamantine
Rakshasa, CR 13 (also has Damage Vulnerabilities: Piercing from magic weapons wielded by good creatures.)
Mummy Lord, CR 15
Iron Golem, CR 16, Adamantine
Androsphink, CR 17
Demilich, CR 18, (And also has Damage Resistance: bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage from magic weapons!)
Lich, CR 21
Empyrean, CR 23
Kraken, CR 23
Tarrasque, CR 30

The Demilich is I believe the only creature which is resistant to damage from magic weapons as well. It does however have a tiny number of Hitpoints for a CR 18 monster.

It surprises me how many low level The CR is actually a lot lower than I'd expect. The CR 21+ monsters aren't a surprise at all, but I do wonder about Jackleweres accidentally thrown against a level 1 party!

In a similar note looking at damage resistance or immunity; overcome by Adamantine or Silvered weapons.

Adamantine
“Resistant or Immune to bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage from non-magical weapons that aren't Adamantine”

Gargoyle, CR 2, Resistant
Helmed Horror, CR 4, Resistant
Xorn CR 5, "Resistant to piercing and slashing from non-magical weapons that aren't adamantine" – So takes full damage from non-magical bludgeoning weapons.
Flesh Golem, CR 5, Immune
Clay Golem, CR 9, Immune
Stone Golem, CR 10, Immune
Iron Golem, CR 16, Immune

Now awkwardly Adamantine weapons aren't actually detailed in either the PHB or DMG.

Silvered
“Resistant or Immune to bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage from non-magical weapons that aren't silvered”
Mostly lycanthropes and devils, but two undead as well.

Jacklewere CR 1/2, Immune
Imp, CR 1, Resistant (Devil)
Spined Devil, CR 2, Resistant (Devil)
Wererat, CR 2, Immune (Lycanthrope)
Bearded Devil, CR 3, Resistant (Devil)
Werewolf, CR 3, Immune (Lycanthrope)
Wight, CR 3, Resistant (Undead)
Wereboar, CR 4, Immune (Lycanthrope)
Weretiger, CR 4, Immune (Lycanthrope)
Barbed Devil, CR 5, Resistant (Devil)
Werebear, CR 5, Immune (Lycanthrope)
Wraith, CR 5, Resistant (Undead)
Chain Devil, CR 8, Resistant (Devil)
Bone Devil, CR 9, Resistant (Devil)
Horned Devil, CR 11, Resistant (Devil)
Erinyes, CR 12, Resistant (Devil)
Ice Devil, CR 14, Resistant (Devil)
Pit Fiend, CR 20, Resistant (Devil)

Unlike adamantine, silvered weapons are specified in the PHB and basic rules.

Some monsters that have immunity or resistance to nonmagical weapons are susceptible to silver weapons, so cautious adventurers invest extra coin to plate their weapons with silver. You can silver a single weapon or ten pieces of ammunition for 100 gp. This cost represents not only the price of the silver, but the time and expertise needed to add silver to the weapon without making it less effective.

Not bad for something that costs +100gp to a weapon, but far fewer undead than I initially thought.

 

[pukunui]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Of course, you'll have to revise it to take into account the errata (eg. It's now "nonmagical attacks" rather than "nonmagical weapons").

 

[Ogre1/2]

Good evening all... I have a question. Stone Golem: "Damage Immunities: ... bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made from adamantine weapons" Does this mean you need a magical weapon that is also made of Adamantine to do damage? Or does it mean the weapon can be either magical, or Adamantine? Thank you for your input.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Good evening all... I have a question. Stone Golem: "Damage Immunities: ... bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made from adamantine weapons" Does this mean you need a magical weapon that is also made of Adamantine to do damage? Or does it mean the weapon can be either magical, or Adamantine? Thank you for your input.

It means magical or adamantine.

The phrasing is stating a broad group of attacks that it is immune to (nonmagical attacks), then stating the exception to the previous statement (not adamantine weapons).

 

[Ogre1/2]

Thank you so much... Have a fantastic night..

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Thank you so much... Have a fantastic night..

You too! And you are welcome.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

You can kill Jackalweres without magical weapons. Flaming oil, for example.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

You can kill Jackalweres without magical weapons. Flaming oil, for example.

Which is good, because it encourages creative problem-solving by players.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Which is good, because it encourages creative problem-solving by players.

Yes. However 5E makes it a little bit too easy because alternative, non-creative methods (especially cantrips) are so readily-available. Most parties will probably never need to use flaming oil or poisonous snakes or drowning to kill a jackalwere, which is a pity.

(Hmmm, magic-immune or magic-resistant jackalweres might be fun for a low-level adventure.)

 

[Celtavian]

Yes. However 5E makes it a little bit too easy because alternative, non-creative methods (especially cantrips) are so readily-available. Most parties will probably never need to use flaming oil or poisonous snakes or drowning to kill a jackalwere, which is a pity.

(Hmmm, magic-immune or magic-resistant jackalweres might be fun for a low-level adventure.)

Cantrips definitely make killing creatures resistant to non-magical weapons easy. Not to mention paladins. Resistant creatures haven't been interesting in D&D for a long, long time.