Armor specialization

[Diomeneus]

so i have a stonechild fighter, using the feats heavy armor optomization and greater armor opt... making my ACP reduced by 3 (4 including masterwork) and my armor bonus+2. It is also addy making it DR 3/adamantine

when you take armor spec. it says you gain DR 2/- when using that armor... but nothing in the entire description mentions magic... am i to assume that as long as you have your dex modifier you know how to make magic attacks hit the armor better too? Is the only way you ever don't use that DR 2/- when you lose your dex?

its in PHBII by the way.

I also assume those two DR's stack, as in an adamantine weapon would bypass the 3 but not the 2, and any other kind of weapon would have to beat both (DR 5 total)

little clarification would be nice

 

[Sithobi1]

Adamantine armor gives DR/-, which means that there's no point in also having the DR 2/-.
DR does not apply to energy damage(like fire) or magic.
DR never stacks(unless the ability specifically says so). Only the highest applies.

 

[JoelF]

DR doesn't stack. If you had DR 2/- and 3/adamantine, then you would stop 3 hp per hit from most attacks, but only 2 from adamantine.

 

[Diomeneus]

if thats the case then no armor spec for me!

thanks

 

[Vuron]

It's a commonly used houserule that many people allow DR x/- to stack with other DR x/- sources thus allowing barbarians with DR to also benefit from adamantine armors.

While this change was originally meant for games using armor as DR I've found it works fine in regular games as well.

 

[Diomeneus]

it can really make sense both ways, i mean teh DR 3/addy is because the metal is so incredibly tough, and the DR 2/- is because the fighter knows how to make a blade hit particular parts of his armor...(in this case particularly parts made out of perticularly strong metal) it seems to me that it makes perfect sense that they would stack but I guess i'll have to play it on a DM to DM basis (i'll just take combat expertise otherwise)

 

[Vuron]

I'm not sure I was clear in my post but DR/adamantine would still not stack with DR/- under that sort of a system as they would be from two types of DR bonuses.

Under that type of system only multiple DR/- sources stack multiple DR/magic or DR/adamantine or DR/epic do not stack. The reasons for this are that DR/- bonuses are generally relatively small whereas bonuses that are capable of being negated by special materials or attacks are generall much higher.

 

[Diomeneus]

i see, so the DR x/- of a barbarian would stack with teh DR 2/- of the armor spec but not any other kind of DR.