D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 DR Question

[satori01]

That is a great idea jgsugden, which I will be apporiating for my own uses.

 

[delericho]

One thing I've considered at various times, but never actually used, would be to assign unique, legendary monsters DR that can only be bypassed by uniquely constructed weapons. The notion here is that the demon-lord can only be harmed by the sword of the paladin who gave his life to banish the demon in the wars millennia ago.

Of course, the PCs would then have to quest for this particular, named magic item. (Which is otherwise a 'standard' +2 holy longsword, or whatever.)

That idea works best if the monster in question is one of the focusses of the campaign, though.

 

[DarrenGMiller]

Thanks for some great suggestions here. I have been doing this a long time, but am not as familiar with 3.5 and always like to see how others would do it. I like the DR x/strong magic from jdsugden. I also think I may try DR x/artifact (ie. delericho's suggestion). The other alternative is to keep DR x/+y, as IndyPendant said or use DR x/- as suggested by several others.Thanks again everyone!

BTW, the party is currently APL 8 (the first PC hit 9th at the end of last session) and I will not have to work about the creatures I am prepping for until maybe 11th or 12th level.

DM

 

[helium3]

Thanks for some great suggestions here. I have been doing this a long time, but am not as familiar with 3.5 and always like to see how others would do it. I like the DR x/strong magic from jdsugden. I also think I may try DR x/artifact (ie. delericho's suggestion). The other alternative is to keep DR x/+y, as IndyPendant said or use DR x/- as suggested by several others.Thanks again everyone!

BTW, the party is currently APL 8 (the first PC hit 9th at the end of last session) and I will not have to work about the creatures I am prepping for until maybe 11th or 12th level.

DM

Errrr . . . DR/Strong Magic would be reasonable for a 11th or 12th level party. DR/Artifact would be pretty cheesy, as you'd actually have to give them an artifact and it's not like you'd be giving one to every member of the party, right?

There are a number of exotic materials in the various books besides adamantine, cold iron, mithral and silver. They are typically far less common than the four I've already listed. You might consider requiring that the material be made of those materials.

 

[FireLance]

Well, I added a new type of DR to my game that seems to work nicely: Strong Magic.

I've heard others use a similar system, where DR/Minor Magic is bypassed with a +1 or better weapon, DR/Medium Magic is bypassed with a +3 or better weapon, and DR/Major Magic is bypassed by a +5 or better weapon. DR/Epic, which is bypassed with a +6 or better weapon, is already codified in the rules.

 

[apesamongus]

In 3.5, there is no DR like x/+y, it seems to mostly be x/magic. How do I beef up a special creature to make its DR something to be reckoned with?

DR X/-
Also, anything that layers incompatable DRs is good. Foe example, when my Warlock gets a staff that casts iron body, she'll have one DR vs cold irom and another vs adamantium.
Then there's DR X/epic.

 

[delericho]

Errrr . . . DR/Artifact would be pretty cheesy, as you'd actually have to give them an artifact and it's not like you'd be giving one to every member of the party, right?

Allow me to clarify: my intention was not to require an atrefact to overcome the damage reduction (which would, as you say, be pretty cheesy). Rather, the DR could be overcome by a specific but otherwise normal (magic) weapon. So, to reiterate my example, the demon-lord could only be harmed by the sword of the paladin who gave his life to banish said demon millennia ago. However, against any other creatures, this weapon is 'just' a +2 holy longsword, or whatever.

The idea was swiped whole-cloth from Buffy, where to fight the demon Akathla (no idea how you spell this) at the end of the 2nd season, she is given a specific (but otherwise normal) sword that has been blessed by the knight who previously defeated said demon.

My thinking (although I never implemented this) was that the campaign would feature tales of the fall of this demon-lord in the past, and rumours of his return. At some point, the PCs would learn the legend that he could only be harmed by that specific weapon, and decide to quest to find it, thus to defeat the demon-lord.

 

[dedicated]

Make it DR X/star metal (if you have the green star in your campaign)

 

[DarrenGMiller]

Allow me to clarify: my intention was not to require an atrefact to overcome the damage reduction (which would, as you say, be pretty cheesy). Rather, the DR could be overcome by a specific but otherwise normal (magic) weapon. So, to reiterate my example, the demon-lord could only be harmed by the sword of the paladin who gave his life to banish said demon millennia ago. However, against any other creatures, this weapon is 'just' a +2 holy longsword, or whatever.

The idea was swiped whole-cloth from Buffy, where to fight the demon Akathla (no idea how you spell this) at the end of the 2nd season, she is given a specific (but otherwise normal) sword that has been blessed by the knight who previously defeated said demon.

My thinking (although I never implemented this) was that the campaign would feature tales of the fall of this demon-lord in the past, and rumours of his return. At some point, the PCs would learn the legend that he could only be harmed by that specific weapon, and decide to quest to find it, thus to defeat the demon-lord.

That is the way I intended DR x/Artifact to be. By Artifact, I mean a specific unique weapon. Those PC's not in possession of a unique item that the creature is vulnerable to would just have to overcome x.

 

[Cheiromancer]

By Artifact, I mean a specific unique weapon. Those PC's not in possession of a unique item that the creature is vulnerable to would just have to overcome x.

I don't know if I would want to introduce a new kind of damage reduction. Instead of DR 10/Artifact, I would be tempted to give it DR 5/- and make it a property of the artifact to do an extra 2d6 damage vs that creature. Or (for higher level parties) DR 10/- and give the demon vulnerability to that weapon (+50% damage). I would also give the demon some other kind of DR appropriate to the gear of a party of a particular level; 10/magic for around 5th level, 10/good for 8th, and 15/cold iron and good for higher level parties.

I think in the Buffyverse magic swords don't necessarily glow or appear magical. The sword that killed Akathla might have been magical.