Adamantite Bypassing DR?

[Xarlen]

This thread is to support something that I don't know how to prove immediately.

Can Adamantite bypass DR because of it's natural enhancement bonus? If not, why?

I don't believe it can, but, I want support here for other people.

 

[IanB]

I have to say yes, they can. DR requires an enhancement bonus to deal full damage; adamantine weapons have an enhancement bonus. The rules are a little vague on the difference between an 'enhancement bonus' and a 'natural enhancement bonus', other than to say that they don't stack.

Anyway, it certainly won't unbalance the game at all to allow it, and it makes sense.

 

[Xarlen]

If that's true, then you can take the natural enhancement bonus from Adamantite and enchant the weapon, since it's allready a +1 or +2 weapon.

 

[Wolf72]

el nope!

sorry, but SKR/Sage or some other person ruled other wise.

Adamantine is a natural enhancement and does not count v DR or enhancment ... it can never be dispelled though.

so even if a creature has a DR of 30/silver ... adamantine will not bypass it

*unless you house rule it*

for enhancement, an adamantine longsword (for example) still has to be given a +1 enhancement to be able to accpet other things (like flaming burst). If only +1 it will still have it's +2 (for 1d8+ on dmg), and will be able to bypass DR/+1 or less (since it has a normal +1 enhancement).

 

[Xarlen]

Thank you, Wolf.

 

[IanB]

Well, I can see your point. Logically, it would seem to me that the adamantite would go through the DR, but not serve as a prerequisite for enchantment, but it is true that the rules just say 'enhancement bonus' in both places. Complicating this is the description of the adamantite weapons in the 'specific weapons' section:

Adamantine Battleaxe:

This nonmagical axe is made out of adamantine, giving it a natural +2 enhancement bonus.

(This is from the SRD - I don't have a DMG handy right now, so if the wording is different there, it could make a difference.)

Note that all of the sudden, it isn't a 'natural enhancement bonus', it is just an 'enhancement bonus'. So the question becomes: when they say 'natural enhancement bonus', is the word 'natural' part of the rules text, or a clarifying adjective. I tend to come down on the side of 'clarifying', since it does not stack with other enhancement bonuses and the rules are generally pretty consistent about allowing differently named bonuses to stack.

 

[IanB]

Hmm, couple posts while I was composing.

I guess the Sage's opinion would settle it, although I would definitely house-rule it, as it makes the combination of high DR + antimagic field way too unbeatable for normal characters.

 

[Xarlen]

Well, anything with a +3 DR and an antimagic field isn't going to be touchable for that matter anyway. Since Adamantite doesn't go past +2, unless you're using something BIG.

I'll also note that Masterwork Weapons get a +1 because of their quality, which seems like an bonus to me; does that mean they get to bypass DR? Since both adamantites and masterworks get plusses for their craftmanship and material.

 

[IanB]

Well, I checked, and it seems that DR is at least sometimes supernatural instead of extraordinary (I only looked at vampires and lycanthropes) so I guess this loophole was already thought of. I'm 0 for 2 today...

On masterwork weapons, the difference would be that the bonus isn't an enhancement bonus (of either sort).

 

[hong]

Well, anything with a +3 DR and an antimagic field isn't going to be touchable for that matter anyway. Since Adamantite doesn't go past +2, unless you're using something BIG.

DR is a supernatural ability, and so also goes away in an antimagic field. The barbarian's DR is an exception to the rule.