Damage Reduction and Damage per Round as well as Other Situations

[Roman]

First of all I must state that much prefer the current system of damage reduction (whether a 3E or 3.5E incarnation) over the 2E system of absolute immunity to weapons. I do, however, have several questions:

1) Damage reduction reduces damage per hit. How about attacks that deal damage per round? For example, let's say a werewolf is being conscricted - each round he takes per round damage. Would it be correct for me to assume that in this case damage reduction reduces the conscricting damage on a per round basis?

2) How does damage reduction work with swarms? Technically, swarms are treated as a single attack (or sometimes even per round damage), but this is just an aggregate number derived from mini-attacks - does damage reduction therefore completely eliminate swarm damage (since each individual mini-attack is too small to cause damage), or does it not work against swarms at all, or does it treat them just like a single creature/attack? How about traps consisting of multiple spikes causing damage listed as a single entry?

3) What are the effects of damage reduction on mini-damage? For example, if our werewolf goes to a mosquito infested ares, does he still suffer from mosquito bites, or are they (and other forms of mini-damage) ignored completely (both mechanically and in terms of RP)?

 

[Egres]

1)I didn't understand your question.

2)Like a single creature attack

3)Mechanically, if they don't inflict any damage you don't need DR.

However, from the SRD:

Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack’s damage to 0, being incorporeal, and other special abilities usually give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm

RP part is DM's work.

 

[Roman]

1)I didn't understand your question.

Some physical attacks deal damage over time rather than damage 'per attack'. How does damage reduction work with these attacks?

2)Like a single creature attack

Thank you!

3)Mechanically, if they don't inflict any damage you don't need DR.

However, from the SRD:

Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack’s damage to 0, being incorporeal, and other special abilities usually give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm

RP part is DM's work.

Thanks again! RP is indeed DM's job, but I am trying to determine whether it would be appropriate to tell our werewolf how sore from mosquito bites and leeches his body is when he has damage reduction... perhaps it is not sore at all.

 

[Egres]

Some physical attacks deal damage over time rather than damage 'per attack'. How does damage reduction work with these attacks?

Don't be surprised if i don't understand your questions: it's due to my bad english, not to you.

However, the answer is (IMHO) DR works as normal, reducing the damage of the constrict attack just like any other damaging attack.

RP is indeed DM's job, but I am trying to determine whether it would be appropriate to tell our werewolf how sore from mosquito bites and leeches his body is when he has damage reduction... perhaps it is not sore at all.

I would rule that the Werewolf wouldn't even realize that there are mosquitos trying to bite him.

 

[Shin Okada]

1) Damage reduction reduces damage per hit. How about attacks that deal damage per round? For example, let's say a werewolf is being conscricted - each round he takes per round damage. Would it be correct for me to assume that in this case damage reduction reduces the conscricting damage on a per round basis?

Actually, constrict ability deal damage when a creature makking a successful grapple check. This is a equivalent of an attack.

I don't know any physicall attack which actually deal damage "per round".

 

[RigaMortus]

Actually, constrict ability deal damage when a creature makking a successful grapple check. This is a equivalent of an attack.

I don't know any physicall attack which actually deal damage "per round".

What about Melf's Acid arrow? Although that is magic, so perhaps it would penetrate DR anyway... How about Alchemist Fire? That does continuous damage. Would DR apply against that every round?

 

[Kylearan]

What about Melf's Acid arrow? Although that is magic, so perhaps it would penetrate DR anyway... How about Alchemist Fire? That does continuous damage. Would DR apply against that every round?

From the SRD:

The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities.

Kylearan

 

[Abisashi]

Let's say a creature has acid resistance 5 and is hit by 3 Melf's Acid Arrows. On the next round, the caster rolls 6 damage for each of these arrows' continuous damage. Does the creature take 3 damage (1 from each?) that round?

 

[Shin Okada]

Let's say a creature has acid resistance 5 and is hit by 3 Melf's Acid Arrows. On the next round, the caster rolls 6 damage for each of these arrows' continuous damage. Does the creature take 3 damage (1 from each?) that round?

Hmm. Resistance to Energy is another story. This ability is somewhat poorly worded in 3.5e.

In DMG P.298 it says

"A creature with resistance to energy has the ability (usually extraordinary) to ignore some damage of a certain type (such as cold, electricity, or fire) each round."

But the very same entry also says "A janni can ignore the first 10 points of fire damage it takes each attack."

And yet MM P.314 says

"A creature with this special quality ignores some damage of the indicated type each time it takes damage of that kind"

If that is "each round", now you take 6x3-5=13 damages.
If that is "each attack", now you take 6x3=18 damages as you already reduced 5 damages per attack in previouse round.
If that is "each time", now you take (6-5) x3=3 damages.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

First of all I must state that much prefer the current system of damage reduction (whether a 3E or 3.5E incarnation) over the 2E system of absolute immunity to weapons. I do, however, have several questions:

1) Damage reduction reduces damage per hit. How about attacks that deal damage per round? For example, let's say a werewolf is being conscricted - each round he takes per round damage. Would it be correct for me to assume that in this case damage reduction reduces the conscricting damage on a per round basis?

It reduced damage per hit - I would treat constriction as one hit.

2) How does damage reduction work with swarms? Technically, swarms are treated as a single attack (or sometimes even per round damage), but this is just an aggregate number derived from mini-attacks - does damage reduction therefore completely eliminate swarm damage (since each individual mini-attack is too small to cause damage), or does it not work against swarms at all, or does it treat them just like a single creature/attack?

Treat as a single attack, and don't try to analyze the logic

How about traps consisting of multiple spikes causing damage listed as a single entry?

Each spike is a separate attack (each gets a separate attack roll).

3) What are the effects of damage reduction on mini-damage? For example, if our werewolf goes to a mosquito infested ares, does he still suffer from mosquito bites, or are they (and other forms of mini-damage) ignored completely (both mechanically and in terms of RP)?

Mosquitoes are treated as swarms in D20 Modern. I presume you would treat them the same way in DnD.

In DMG P.298 it says

"A creature with resistance to energy has the ability (usually extraordinary) to ignore some damage of a certain type (such as cold, electricity, or fire) each round."

But the very same entry also says "A janni can ignore the first 10 points of fire damage it takes each attack."

And yet MM P.314 says

"A creature with this special quality ignores some damage of the indicated type each time it takes damage of that kind"

Editing errors. Treat it like DR against that energy type (so ignore the second paragraph, that was just carried over from 3.0 by accident).