Adamantite Bypassing DR?

[FANGO]

Thus the wink, and the word "probably'

And regardless, the part about the publishing still stands, and I think that most people on this board will agree that the sage contradicts himself often, and so at best is just another fairly well-informed opinion, though not completely well informed and not able to spend as much time on it as he probably should, due to the fact that he couldn't possibly hear all of both sides of the argument because he really doesn't have a lot of time and so he has to make snap judgements on a lot of things at the expense of accuracy.

As it is, the rules are completely clear on this issue, and so regardless of what the sage says I'm most likely sticking to what I've got, since I'm right ;-) (if he comes up with a very good explanation that none of us saw, then of course I will recant, but the rules are so incredibly clear on this that I have a hard time seeing that happening).

 

[Xarlen]

As it is, the rules are completely clear on this issue, and so regardless of what the sage says I'm most likely sticking to what I've got, since I'm right ;-) (if he comes up with a very good explanation that none of us saw, then of course I will recant, but the rules are so incredibly clear on this that I have a hard time seeing that happening).

The rules are clear to you Your way. They're clear to me My way.

I think it's come to a point of agree to disagree, since neither of us is going to move from our camp.

 

[AGGEMAM]

One day you too shall see the light.

From the D&D FAQ

Does a +1 short sword with the shock enhancement (total enhancement of +2 for pricing purposes) overcome a creature's damage reduction of 15/+2?

No, only the weapon's actual magical enhancement bonus for attack and damage counts. The weapon in this example is considered a +1 weapon for overcoming damage reduction.

 

[FANGO]

Yes, it is true that that weapon's magical enhancement bonus is all that counts. I would find it hard to believe that it's natural enhancement bonus would count in overcoming damage reduction, considering it doesn't have one. That question also has nothing at all to do with adamantine, so it does not apply here (and even if it did, it still wouldn't prove anything, as I pointed out above).

 

[AGGEMAM]

The FAQ is very specific in saying magical enhancement bonus in each and every case it is mentioned in relation to a weapons, if natural enhancement bonuses counted the FAQ would only say enhancement bonuses.

From the D&D FAQ

A creature with damage reduction (such as a gargoyle, damage reduction 15/+1) can use its own natural weapons as if they were enhanced enough to defeat its own damage reduction. If I purchased armor with the invulnerability enhancement (5/+1) and then encountered a gargoyle, could the monster bypass my damage reduction? Could I bypass its damage reduction without a magical weapon?

The gargoyle's natural weapons are treated as +1 weapons for purposes of defeating damage reduction, regardless of the damage reduction's source. Damage reduction from an item or a spell, however, never gives the recipient the ability to overcome another creature's damage reduction. In the example encounter, the gargoyle's natural weapon attacks would bypass the character's damage reduction of 5/+1, but the character would need a weapon with a magical enhancement bonus of at least +1 to bypass the gargoyle's damage reduction of 15/+1.

 

[The Iron Mark]

Let's look wt what Adamantine really is.

Adamantine: Found only in meteorites and the rarest of veins in magical areas, this ultrahard metal adds to the quality of a weapon or suit of armor based on how much of the material is used. Weapons fashioned from adamantine have a natural enhancement bonus to attack and damage. Armor fashioned from adamantine has a natural enhancement bonus to AC. These bonuses do not stack with any other enhancement bonuses. Weapons and armor fashioned from adamantine are treated as masterwork items with regard to creation times, but the masterwork quality does not affect the enhancement bonus of weapons or the armor check penalty of armor.

So it is only found in the rarest veins on magical areas and meteorites. The enhancment bonus from Adamantine must be because it is completed saturated in magic. Since it is part of the material, it is natural. And the bit about being found in meteorites, they're probably exceptionally rare meteorites. Just my opinion.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

SKR weighs in!

FWIW, I asked a similar question over at Sean K. Reynolds' board and here is his answer.

DR is bypassed by weapons with an enhancement bonus; it doesn't matter if that enhancement bonus comes from a spell, the CMAAA feat, or adamantine. So yes, the adamantine longsword cuts right through DR X/+2.

 

[JLXC]

I don't understand why the English language confuses people so.

Adamantine provides a Natural Enhancement Bonus.

The WORD Natural in the sentance provides the reader with the knowledge that the Enhancement bonus is part of the metal itself. It's not some quasi-descriptor in the sentance. It just tells you about the Enhancement bonus.

Adamantine provides an Enhancement bonus that works all the time, even in magic dead areas, anti-magic, etc. It's an ENHANCEMENT bonus, natural has Nothing to do with that.

It penetrates DR because it is an Enhancement bonus. This is simple. You may try to confuse the issue by adding words in front of Enhancement, but it's just silly to do so.

There is no Natural Enhancement bonus. For those arguing this is something in the game... find it in the DMG or PHB, or their indexes? No you wont. Trying to add stuff that is not there is an easy way to confuse yourself.

 

[kreynolds]

Actually, here's another big ol' fat clue that inforces the idea that adamantine indeed possess a true enhancement bonus that would allow it to bypass DR. Ever examined the prices? Here. I'll show you.

+2 longsword = 8,000gp
adamantine longsword (+2 natural enhancement bonus) = 9,000gp

+1 shortsword = 2,000gp
adamantine shortsword (+1 enhancement bonus) = 3,000gp

Pretty similar, no?

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

Actually, here's another big ol' fat clue that inforces the idea that adamantine indeed possess a true enhancement bonus that would allow it to bypass DR. Ever examined the prices? Here. I'll show you.

+2 longsword = 8,000gp
adamantine longsword (+2 natural enhancement bonus) = 9,000gp

+1 shortsword = 2,000gp
adamantine shortsword (+1 enhancement bonus) = 3,000gp

Pretty similar, no?

Sorry, kreynolds, by this rationale, a Ring of Natural Armor (2,000gp) should give a competence bonus to AC because a Ring of Climbing (2,000gp) is also a competence bonus.

FANGO---
And concretebuddha, does nonmagical fire get by damage reduction? does poison?

Look at Xarlen's posts...

FANGO---
DR is bypassed by an enhancement bonus, and adamantine gives an enhancement bonus, so therefore it bypasses DR.

Really? And yet under DR in the MM, the text clearly says that nonmagical weapons do not bypass DR. Adamantine weapons are nonmagical. Therefore, adamantine does not bypass DR.

Get past this one, buddy, without resorting to, "It's just flavor text, therefore has no meaning."

Maybe it's not flavor text, but an example of how DR works.