Damage Reduction - Sage Response

[CRGreathouse]

My letter:

I have a question about damage reduction. If a 20th-level monk attacks a creature with DR 10/+1 with his unarmed strike, he ignores it, both because of his own DR and his ki strike. What if a high-level barbarian hits a creature with his unarmed strike? Does that ignore all DR, none, or some? Note that it does not occur on Table 3-13.

DMG pg 74
"A creature's natural weapons count as wepons of the type that can
ignore it's own DR."

since there aren't any weapons that can pass a barbarians DR, they don't bypass any DR.

but

If he can ignore his own, he should be able to ignore other barbarians.

Skip's reply:

Barbarians cannot bypass DR, either their own or any other creature's. For a creatures to ignore DR, the has to be a number or entry other than a — after the slash in the DR entry.

 

[kreynolds]

WOOHOO! I KNEW IT!

 

[Cloudgatherer]

This probably also explains why the dwarven defenders DR says "Damage Reduction (3)" instead of "DR 3/-". I bet there were conflicted on how to represent it.

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

You really have to wonder just how long it will be before they start filtering The Sage's responses.

How many times now has he blatantly ignored the rule-books?

Despite any of the nays that you nay-sayers may say, I will continue to allow my high level barabarians to deal their 1d3 subdual damage without subtracting DR.

 

[CRGreathouse]

"I punch the dragon."

"It takes an Attack of Opportunity, dealing you 4d6+15 for a total of 32 points of damage."

"I'm raging, so I deal it 1d3+8, for a total of 10 subdual."

"The dragon fails to notice."

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

"I punch the dragon."

What kind of fool would try to punch a dragon?

The REAL way to deal unarmed damage to a dragon is to grapple it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

What kind of fool would try to punch a dragon?

The REAL way to deal unarmed damage to a dragon is to grapple it.

Don't forget, while you're grappling the dragon, the sorcerer-tarrasque is casting Magic Missiles at you. You're better off graplling him, so you have a chance to disrupt his spells.

After all, with no ranks in Concentration, the only modifier he gets is the +12 for having a Con of 35...

-Hyp.

 

[apsuman]

back to the main point...

let me get this straight.

Your hypothosis was that since a Barbarian of the right level has DR then the statement:

DMG pg 74
"A creature's natural weapons count as wepons of the type that can ignore it's own DR."

Means: That any other creature with a DR equal to or weaker than the barbarians is 100% suseptible to the unarmed attacks of the barbarian.

I think that's a reach.

I thought that the number after the slash was the enchantment necessary to overcome DR. In the case of a DR 4/- it would mean that a dagger +1 would always do full damage, but a longsword would do 1d8 -4 (effectively).

g!

 

[IceBear]

I thought that the number after the slash was the enchantment necessary to overcome DR. In the case of a DR 4/- it would mean that a dagger +1 would always do full damage, but a longsword would do 1d8 -4 (effectively).

g!

No, that's DR 4/+1.

I believe DR 4/- means that it reduces by 4 regardless of the + of the weapon. No weapon can bypass this DR.

IceBear

 

[kreynolds]

I thought that the number after the slash was the enchantment necessary to overcome DR. In the case of a DR 4/- it would mean that a dagger +1 would always do full damage, but a longsword would do 1d8 -4 (effectively).

You're wrong about DR 4/-, it means that the Barbarian soaks up 4 points of damage from ALL cuts, stabs, and blows, no matter how magical the blade is. They are still vulnerable to energy attacks, spells, etc. C'mon. You gotta catch up with us here.