Creature DR -- Su or Ex?

[Aluvial]

I am really curious to figure out whether Damage Reduction is Supernatural or Extraordinary?

The book says it's either; I wonder if you just get to choose for your campaign.

Does anyone have some insight here?

Aluvial

 

[the Jester]

I pretty much rule it this way:

If DR is based on alignment or special materials due to some 'mystic' property of the material (silver or cold iron or other similar- i.e. jade from OA), then it's Supernatural.

If DR is based on 'penetrating power'/innate toughness, then it's exceptional. This usually covers DR/-, DR/adamantine, and some of the DR/magics.

 

[Rath the Brown]

IMC, we use the following:

If a DR would give you the ability to bypass the same DR (magic, epic, alignment), then it is Su. Also, for DR with multiple components (bludgeoning and magic for example), if any portion grants the ability to bypass DR, it is SU. If the DR does not grant any ability to bypass DR (material, damage type, -), then the DR is Ex.

This is somewhat supported by the few DR that are listed as either Ex or Su; Barbarian's DR X/- (Ex), Lich's DR 15/budgeoning and magic (Su), Lycanthrope's DR 5 or 10/silver (Ex).

 

[Scharlata]

Good call

Kind regards

 

[thorian]

IMC, we use the following:

If a DR would give you the ability to bypass the same DR (magic, epic, alignment), then it is Su. Also, for DR with multiple components (bludgeoning and magic for example), if any portion grants the ability to bypass DR, it is SU. If the DR does not grant any ability to bypass DR (material, damage type, -), then the DR is Ex.

This is somewhat supported by the few DR that are listed as either Ex or Su; Barbarian's DR X/- (Ex), Lich's DR 15/budgeoning and magic (Su), Lycanthrope's DR 5 or 10/silver (Ex).

That is almost exactly what we do IMC, except creatures with multiple types of DR have each type assigned Ex or Su. So the lich in your example in an antimagic shell would still retain his DR 15/bludgeoning but lose the magic component of the DR.

 

[Rath the Brown]

That is almost exactly what we do IMC, except creatures with multiple types of DR have each type assigned Ex or Su. So the lich in your example in an antimagic shell would still retain his DR 15/bludgeoning but lose the magic component of the DR.

That situation hasn't come up in game yet, but that is probably how we would play it too.

 

[Trainz]

That is almost exactly what we do IMC, except creatures with multiple types of DR have each type assigned Ex or Su. So the lich in your example in an antimagic shell would still retain his DR 15/bludgeoning but lose the magic component of the DR.

I don't beleive that innate DR is affected in any way by anti-magic effects. Unless a spell gives you the DR (Stoneskin).

Where do you guys get the idea that DR can be supressed from ?

 

[Pax]

For me, DR that is based on material or damage type is (Ex).

Mixed DR's are (Su) if any ONE sub-part is (Su), otherwise they are (Ex).

All else is (Su).

"or" means the creature has two parallel DR's.

So:

• "DR 5/silver is (Ex);
• "DR 5/good" is (Su)
• "DR 5/silver or good" is actually "DR 5/silver" (Ex) and "DR 5/good" (Su);
• "DR 5/silver and good" is (Su), because one of the two required factors is (Su).

What it boils down to is this: if an Antimagic Field would remove the ability to penetrate that DR from a PC's weapon(s), the DR is (or should be) (Su). Otherwise, it's (Ex).

Even in an Antimagic Field, a silver weapon is still sivler, and still defeats the DR of a lycanthrope. Thus, the lycanthrope's DR is safe to call (Ex).

A DR of 5/magic, however, couldnot be defeated in an antimagic field, because there's no such thing as a (non-artifact) magic weapon in such a field. Thus, the DR should be considered (Su).

But, that's just MY personal rule. YMMV.

 

[The Souljourner]

I don't beleive that innate DR is affected in any way by anti-magic effects. Unless a spell gives you the DR (Stoneskin).

Where do you guys get the idea that DR can be supressed from ?

If it's supernatural, then it is suppressed in an anti-magic field. Some damage reductions are labelled as (su) and thus would be suppressed in an antimagic field.

I'm with Pax on this one, if an antimagic field would make it impossible to overcome the DR, then it should be Su (so, magic and the alignments), if you could still overcome it in an antimagic field, then it's Ex (materials and damage types).

-The Souljourner

 

[Tarril Wolfeye]

"or" means the creature has two parallel DR's.

So:

• "DR 5/silver is (Ex);
• "DR 5/good" is (Su)
• "DR 5/silver or good" is actually "DR 5/silver" (Ex) and "DR 5/good" (Su);
• "DR 5/silver and good" is (Su), because one of the two required factors is (Su).

Someone having "DR 5/silver" and "DR 5/good" actually works as if he had "DR 5/silver and good", because you have to get through both DRs to negate his DR. Having "DR 5/silver or good" is worse than that. If you break it up like that it's not parallel any more.

Speaking generally:
Negating one part of a DR using OR makes it harder to get through the DR, negating part of a DR using AND makes it easier, even without negating the whole DR. This means any creature with DR using OR would BENEFIT from an Antimagic Field. Keep this in mind when splitting DR.