Adamantine Armor & Barbarian Damage Reduction

[Brekki]

As a barbarian, you can just take feats to improve your DR

 

[Pax]

Well, IMO, the reason barbarians get DR in the first place is so they don't have to wear significant armor, if any at all. To let the DR stack would mean all barbarians will want to run around in admantite armor. Is that really what you want?

Again ... if the Barbarian wants to spend the money on it, I don'thave a problem with it. 1 to 3 points of nonbypassable DR is basically a drop in the bucket.

Let's put it differently: do you really want the Barbarian's DR to be so easily mimicked by a sort of armor everyone ELSE will (almost) universally want ANYway ... ?

I'd rather maintian the light/no armor style of the barbarian as a Conan-type who runs around in little or nothing, cleaving through masses of evil beasties. Not as an armored tank like most fighters.

I'd rather the barbarian could choose his own path. And even Conan, when he had the money, preferred to wear armor -- as much as he could manage to wear, and stay mobile. If Conan could've worn a (for example_ adamantine chain shirt, he WOULD have.

Also ... Conan is NOt an archetypal example of the "Barbarian" class (which would have been more accurately named "Berzerker"); he's an archetypal FIGHTER. He didn't fly into unthinking berzerk rages ... he fought smart, and well, and with GREAT strength.

Besides, what armor are you imagining them getting in adamantite? Breastplate? Chain shirt?

Sure -- see above. An adamantine chain shirt, for anothr 1/- DR, would be nice, perhaps.

 

[Creeperman]

I'm not sure how much clearer it could get - from the SRD:

"If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation."

-Hyp.

I believe that's supposed to be in reference to the (SU) abilities like DR 5/evil or DR 10/magic, as opposed to the (EX) DR in question. In this case, they would not stack, only the best would apply, as stated. I believe DR x/- is a special case, as it is an ability attainable by several classes, some feats, and even mundane items. If you wanted a game explanation for this, I would say that DR x/- is simply "shrugging off" the hit, instead of the "instant regeneration" facet presented by the supernatural DR description in the DMG.

Edited out not-nice things regarding a certain troll poster. Decided to ignore said troll instead.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I believe DR x/- is a special case, as it is an ability attainable by several classes, some feats, and even mundane items. If you wanted a game explanation for this, I would say that DR x/- is simply "shrugging off" the hit, instead of the "instant regeneration" facet presented by the supernatural DR description in the DMG.

Well, let's look at a little more of that passage...

DAMAGE REDUCTION

... The numerical part of a creature’s damage reduction is the amount of hit points the creature ignores from normal attacks. Usually, a certain type of weapon can overcome this reduction. This information is separated from the damage reduction number by a slash. Damage reduction may be overcome by special materials, by magic weapons (any weapon with a +1 or higher enhancement bonus, not counting the enhancement from masterwork quality), certain types of weapons (such as slashing or bludgeoning), and weapons imbued with an alignment. If a dash follows the slash then the damage reduction is effective against any attack that does not ignore damage reduction.

...Sometimes damage reduction is instant healing. Sometimes damage reduction represents the creature’s tough hide or body. In either case, characters can see that conventional attacks don’t work.
If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation.

------

DR x/-- is included in the same block that describes DR as not stacking. It covers both instant healing and "shrugging off".

-Hyp.

 

[Creeperman]

If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation.

Perhaps I'm reading too far into this, but the key word for me is "forms" of damage reduction. DR 10/magic is one form. DR 5/silver is another form. DR 2/- is yet a third form. DR 1/- from light adamatine armor is another example of the third form, and thus is open to interpretation on stacking.

Alternatively, you might make the key word "sources," and make a fairly ironclad argument the other way. To each his own, both interpretations are valid.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Perhaps I'm reading too far into this, but the key word for me is "forms" of damage reduction. DR 10/magic is one form. DR 5/silver is another form. DR 2/- is yet a third form. DR 1/- from light adamatine armor is another example of the third form, and thus is open to interpretation on stacking.

So, for example, a Planetar (DR 10/evil) casting Righteous Might (DR 15/evil) and wearing a Mantle of Faith (DR 5/evil) would, you feel, ignore the first 30 points of damage from any non-evil attack?

-Hyp.

 

[Creeperman]

So, for example, a Planetar (DR 10/evil) casting Righteous Might (DR 15/evil) and wearing a Mantle of Faith (DR 5/evil) would, you feel, ignore the first 30 points of damage from any non-evil attack?

-Hyp.

No, because it's all supernatural or spell(-like), as stated in my second post. That stuff is a class unto itself, and you're right, stacking anything there quickly degenerates into a golf-bag-of-weapons syndrome.

The small-time (EX) DR x/- from feats, class abilities, and equipment, though, I read as "stackable," and not exactly game-breaking, either.

 

[Hypersmurf]

No, because it's all supernatural or spell(-like), as stated in my second post. That stuff is a class unto itself...

But isn't it the same "form", from different "sources"?

The description of DR doesn't treat "DR --" as any different to "DR Magic" - it's just bypassed (or not) by a different mechanic.

Ex DR doesn't go away in an AM Field; Su and Sp does. That's the only difference.

You suggested there were two interpretations of the stacking text - that two sources don't stack, or two forms don't stack. But I don't see how it can be interpreted to say "Two sources don't stack, unless the two sources are of the same form, unless that form isn't --".

-Hyp.

 

[Creeperman]

But isn't it the same "form", from different "sources"?

The description of DR doesn't treat "DR --" as any different to "DR Magic" - it's just bypassed (or not) by a different mechanic.

Ex DR doesn't go away in an AM Field; Su and Sp does. That's the only difference.

You suggested there were two interpretations of the stacking text - that two sources don't stack, or two forms don't stack. But I don't see how it can be interpreted to say "Two sources don't stack, unless the two sources are of the same form, unless that form isn't --".

-Hyp.

Bad example on my part. Consider the EX ability, which I think is universally of the type x/-, to be one form. In game terms, this could be the "shrugging off punishment" type. The other abilities, however, are all of different forms. The planetar's natural DR 10/evil is a different form the that granted by the Righteous Might spell, which is also a different form then that granted by the Mantle of Faith.

There's nothing explicitly in the text that either supports or refutes that view, since DR isn't a typed bonus, but I believe that to be the intention of the rules.

 

[Lareit]

They don't stack unless they each item/feat/ability/etc... stats otherwise.
It's mostly to keep power gaming a step down.