Damage Reduction Question

[dvvega]

I'm pretty new to 3.5 (been running 3.0 since 200).

The Damage Reduction confuses me a little.

I understand there is no longer an order of DR. For example magic does not overcome Silver.

What I don't understand is that having DR does not necessarily mean you can overcome DR.

Magic overcomes magic. So DR/+1 overcomes DR/+1, and so on, however DR/Silver doesn't overcome DR/Silver.

So two werewolves could attempt to rip each other apart but fail since their DR is, on average, higher than their natural weaponry.

Am I correct in this understanding or completely off-base?

 

[Hypersmurf]

So two werewolves could attempt to rip each other apart but fail since their DR is, on average, higher than their natural weaponry.

Am I correct in this understanding or completely off-base?

That's right.

A lupicidal werewolf would be well-advised to invest in a silver dagger.

-Hyp.

 

[Chasmodai]

A lycanthrope doesn't get the 'all natural weapons are treated as [type of weapon] for purposes of overcoming damage reduction'?

Some weird man.

 

[diaglo]

A lycanthrope doesn't get the 'all natural weapons are treated as [type of weapon] for purposes of overcoming damage reduction'?

Some weird man.

it is for mating purposes.

 

[Staffan]

IIRC, creatures with DR X/magic have their natural weapons treated as magic for overcoming DR. Creatures with DR X/epic have them treated as magic and epic. Also, outsiders with alignment subtypes have both their natural weapons and weapons they wield considered to have those alignments (so a pit fiend's weapon is considered lawful and evil, which is a problem when going up against a balor with DR something/good and cold iron).

 

[Murrdox]

Not necessarily.

The creature description will specifically say whether or not the creature's natural weapons bypass any kind of DR. For alignment-based DR, what you say is true.

If a creature type is: Medium Magical Beast (Extraplanar, Lawful) then its natural weapons count as lawful. However, this will be explicitly stated in the creature description as well.

However, Dragons, for example, as they get more powerful and receive DR, do not penetrate DR. A Dragon with DR 5/Magic does not have attacks that count as Magic for DR purposes. Same with material DR. A Flesh Golem has DR 5/Adamantine, but its attacks do not count as Adamantine.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Not necessarily.



However, Dragons, for example, as they get more powerful and receive DR, do not penetrate DR. A Dragon with DR 5/Magic does not have attacks that count as Magic for DR purposes. Same with material DR. A Flesh Golem has DR 5/Adamantine, but its attacks do not count as Adamantine.

With regards to dragons the info listed above, Per the MM:
" Damage Reduction: Young adult and older dragons have damage reduction. Their natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction."

In any event be sure to read the monster type and descriptions for each monster to make sure of what their weapons penetrate. It does entail a little more notekeeping as it is not a blanket rule for all creatures with DR but I think it makes sense.

 

[Hypersmurf]

However, Dragons, for example, as they get more powerful and receive DR, do not penetrate DR. A Dragon with DR 5/Magic does not have attacks that count as Magic for DR purposes.

Not so.

From the SRD:
Some monsters are vulnerable to magic weapons. Any weapon with at least a +1 magical enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls overcomes the damage reduction of these monsters. Such creatures’ natural weapons (but not their attacks with weapons) are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A few very powerful monsters are vulnerable only to epic weapons; that is, magic weapons with at least a +6 enhancement bonus. Such creatures’ natural weapons are also treated as epic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Some monsters are vulnerable to chaotic-, evil-, good-, or lawful-aligned weapons. When a cleric casts align weapon, affected weapons might gain one or more of these properties, and certain magic weapons have these properties as well. A creature with an alignment subtype (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) can overcome this type of damage reduction with its natural weapons and weapons it wields as if the weapons or natural weapons had an alignment (or alignments) that match the subtype(s) of the creature.

-----------------

You're right about material DR, but not about Dragons and DR/Magic.

-Hyp.