Damage Reduction +2/20

[Cheiromancer]

Err, no Kai Lord- the "also" refers to attacks that ignore damage reduction entirely. But if you look a little ways up you'll find this:

Usually, a certain type of weapon—usually a magic weapon—can overcome this reduction. This information is separated from the damage reduction number by a slash.

In other words the type of weapon that overcomes the damage reduction is listed after the slash. So a +2 weapon can affect a creature with 20/+2 DR, and Airwolf's group has been playing it wrong.

Sorry, Airwolf.

 

[Airwolf]

Sorry, Airwolf. [/B]

That's ok, like I said we might be doing it wrong. When we started with 3E someone else was the DM and that's how he explained it. I never really looked at it until I read this thread.

I found the section in the DMG that give a better explanation than the SRD and we have been doing it wrong.

Thanks.


Regards,
Airwolf

 

[Kai Lord]

Err, no Kai Lord- the "also" refers to attacks that ignore damage reduction entirely.

Err, no.

"Usually, a certain type of weapon—usually a magic weapon—can overcome this reduction. This information is separated from the damage reduction number by a slash. Any weapon more powerful than the type given after the slash ALSO negates the ability."

The "also" refers to weapons with enchantments greater than what is required to penetrate the DR. Its kind of spelled out in the exact same sentence in which the word appears....

 

[Cheiromancer]

Any weapon more powerful than the type given after the slash ALSO negates the ability.

I see! You read this sentence as if it said

A weapon of the type given after the slash negates the ability. Any weapon more powerful than this type also negates the ability.

This is, of course, factually correct, and refutes Airwolf's position. I was reading that sentence (the fourth in Airwolf's quote) together with the previous sentence as if the two sentences read

Damage reduction is not effective against some attacks: some attacks ignore/negate this ability. A weapon with a bonus greater than the number listed after the slash also ignores/negates this ability.

According to this reading Airwolf's first interpretation isn't ruled out- you have to look at the first sentence in Airwolf's quote to get the right interpretation.

My apologies for misinterpreting your post- no offense was intended.

 

[Kai Lord]

My apologies for misinterpreting your post- no offense was intended.

Ah its cool. No problem.

 

[mkletch]

Maybe you should have used a weaker creature. Always monitor your PC party's strengths and weaknesses. That includes their equipment and offensive spells that can inflict harm on even the most impenetratable DR.

I hope none of the people in my camapaign read this and get the wrong idea. Sometimes the party has to realize that they are outmatched, and then run as best they can. Sometimes the party is supposed to lose. What a boring campaign if they are to win every combat unless they all roll 1's. Why bother to show up?

-Fletch!

 

[Kai Lord]

I hope none of the people in my camapaign read this and get the wrong idea. Sometimes the party has to realize that they are outmatched, and then run as best they can. Sometimes the party is supposed to lose. What a boring campaign if they are to win every combat unless they all roll 1's. Why bother to show up?

Agreed. It kind of takes the tension out of combat when you know the DM only preselects encounters that you have the specific tools to defeat.

 

[Grazzt]

I hope none of the people in my camapaign read this and get the wrong idea. Sometimes the party has to realize that they are outmatched, and then run as best they can. Sometimes the party is supposed to lose. What a boring campaign if they are to win every combat unless they all roll 1's. Why bother to show up?

-Fletch!

Totally in agreement here. Encounters should challenge PCs, and some should even outclass them. You didn't happen to cut your D&D teeth on 1e did ya? This smells of First Edition.

 

[Crothian]

I hope none of the people in my camapaign read this and get the wrong idea. Sometimes the party has to realize that they are outmatched, and then run as best they can. Sometimes the party is supposed to lose. What a boring campaign if they are to win every combat unless they all roll 1's. Why bother to show up?

-Fletch!

So, in a game I'm playing in we come up against one of these encounters. THe ones where we should not fight as we will lose. WE are about 6th/7th level and we are going up against a fiendish green dragon (total CR was 10 or so). The thing had a SR of 30, so none of the spellcasters had a chance of effecting it. I'm not sure how we were suppossed to get by it, but of course a fight breaks out. And due to some dumb luck we not only win, we lost no one. This is pretty amazing since most of the fighting was done by only one of our guys. Just one of theose wierd things.

 

[Kai Lord]

Crothian,

Sweet. Who took it out? A fighter type?