[3.5] Damage Reduction & Andy Collins

[drnuncheon]

On the down side part 2, #4 confirms my fears about the "aligned" aspect that they will be breaking from canon in a big way.

No way!

It explains canon.

The demons got bored with pounding on each other ineffectually, and went off to look for something else to do. They found the devils and WHOA! These guys are soft and squishy! COOL!

...and so the Blood War began.

It also shows why the yugoloths would be highly prized as mercenaries for both sides, since their DR would be effective against either, and they could wield lawful or chaotic weapons as the situation required.

J

 

[BryonD]

Maybe I'm missing something, here. WHY is it not the way it should be?

Hey, no hard questions!!!!

I just want demons ripping each other to shreds!!!

 

[BryonD]

No way!

It explains canon.

The demons got bored with pounding on each other ineffectually, and went off to look for something else to do. They found the devils and WHOA! These guys are soft and squishy! COOL!

...and so the Blood War began.

It also shows why the yugoloths would be highly prized as mercenaries for both sides, since their DR would be effective against either, and they could wield lawful or chaotic weapons as the situation required.

J

Actually, I do not think this is correct. I believe that Demons and Devils both have DR#/Holy and NOT DR#/Lawful(Chaotic).

 

[Henry]

Oh and Henry that's because skeletons suck enough where it doesn't matter. Give something enough HP where the DR actually makes a difference in the fight, and people will switch weapons if they can.

As I said, these were Baneguards, against 3rd level characters, and they probably had total combined hit points equal to the party (Baneguards have 26 hp avg. and these had more than that.) add in magic missiles, and blink, and these can make a low-level party sweat.

I just want to know why I keep reading all this crap.

The nasty-tone DOES need to come down in this thread a notch, or I'll need to close it.

 

[drnuncheon]

Actually, I do not think this is correct. I believe that Demons and Devils both have DR#/Holy and NOT DR#/Lawful(Chaotic).

Ahh, once again we see that Good/Evil is more important than Law/Chaos...

Well, then, it explains why the Blood War never gets anywhere. The yugoloths have obviously been telling the demons and devils that they're more effective because of the law/chaos things, and the demons and devils bought it.

J

 

[Psion]

No way!

It explains canon.

That's a bizarre assertion.

One of the central aspects of the blood war is that where they clash, demons and devils leave fields covered with mounds of corpses. It seems me that if their combat damage is reduced to a trickle and a demon or devil can retreat at their leisure because they are losing hp so slowly (heck -- AoO are a non-issue!), then it seems to me that this simply won't happen.

 

[WizarDru]

One of the central aspects of the blood war is that where they clash, demons and devils leave fields covered with mounds of corpses. It seems me that if their combat damage is reduced to a trickle and a demon or devil can retreat at their leisure because they are losing hp so slowly (heck -- AoO are a non-issue!), then it seems to me that this simply won't happen.

To me, that just says the war is that much more brutal, really. Of course, taken the other way, it could explain why the Blood War is at a stalemate.

Mind you, this broaches another question (for me): when did the Blood War enter canon? I don't recall it from my AD&D days, and when I returned for 3E, it didn't really receive mention until the MotP, that I recall. Either way, I don't really see it as a particularly compelling argument with regards to DR, either for or against the new version.

 

[Olorin]

I could be wrong, but I believe the Blood War first appeared thanks to Planescape.

 

[Psion]

Mind you, this broaches another question (for me): when did the Blood War enter canon? I don't recall it from my AD&D days, and when I returned for 3E, it didn't really receive mention until the MotP, that I recall.

The MotP is not canon to you?

Anyways, it is just another example of not thinking hard enough about backwards compatability. Whether or not you use the blood war, if you had any notion of fiend fighting fiend in any capacity, this ruling changes the way that things would have played out. And that seems a problem to me.

 

[TiQuinn]

Anyways, it is just another example of not thinking hard enough about backwards compatability. Whether or not you use the blood war, if you had any notion of fiend fighting fiend in any capacity, this ruling changes the way that things would have played out. And that seems a problem to me.

I don't understand how backwards compatibility plays a role in this scenario. You can say the same thing about any of the changes in 3.5, for that matter. Changing the way Harm works would suddenly have an impact on how previous battles involving the spell would've played out. Same with Haste or Hold Person, etc. To me, whether the Blood War is a stalemate because demons and devils can't do tremendous amounts of damage to each other or because there are just an endless stream of new creatures coming out of the Abyss and the Nine Hells, it's result is the same.