Damage reduction and touch attacks.

[likuidice]

From the SRD:
Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury type poison, a monk’s stunning, and injury type disease. Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

Odd question, but does this apply to touch attacks made by unusual abilities, such as the psionic feats that turn a normal melee/unarmed/ranged attack into a touch attack, or the special abilty of a master thrower to exchange his strength bonus for turning his attacks into touch attacks.
I'm considering a master thrower, but am being put off by the low damage output, and overcoming damage reduction.

Any thoughts?

 

[Vurt]

I think you're confusing the issue, somewhat.

DR doesn't say anything about AC. A touch attack (usually) is easier to hit with. If and when the touch attack deals some actual damage, that's when DR comes into play. If it doesn't deal damage, DR simply doesn't apply.

For example, if someone using a non-magical longsword were to use the psionic feat Deep Impact to make a touch attack on a creature with DR 10/magic, if he hits with the touch attack he still subtracts 10 off the damage roll.

Make sense?

Cheers,
Vurt

 

[the Jester]

Interesting... I'm inclined to say, by the RAW, that these will bypass DR. I'll have to look at the actual wording of the descriptiong of DR more closely, but.... wow. Who knew.

 

[dedicated]

I get from that that it only applies to the special effects of touch attacks

so, if you used psionic weapon too, it wouldn't influence that damage

 

[MatthewJHanson]

I agree with the Jester. RAW touch attacks ignore damage reduction, Deep Impact resolves as a touch attack, therefore Deep Impact ignores damage reduction.

Considering that the feat already bypasses manufactured and natural armor, I don't think that another form of defense breaking is okay both thematically, and mechanically.

 

[mvincent]

I agree with the Jester. RAW touch attacks ignore damage reduction

I believe that the line: "Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains." doesn't necessarily mean "Damage reduction does not negate regular damage done by touch attacks", so it could still be subject to interpretation.