Does DR apply to subdual?

[evilbob]

I appologize if this is an obvious question, but I am specifically talking about DR with no second half, for example: 2/- (The barbarian class gets something like this, if I'm not mistaken.) Does this count toward subdual damage as well as normal damage? At first I thought, obviously not, but then I realized that the Monk would be a GOD if subdual damage did not count in reference to DR.

Also, would you make a distinction as to whether or not the subdual damage was caused by physical attacks or mental attacks?

And lastly, after reading the new 3.5 rules, (and having no rulebooks handy,) I'm all confused as to what the regular 3e rules say about that same type of DR: if there is no indicator after the damage, (again: like 2/-) does that mean that ALL attacks are reduced, no matter what type of weapon/attack?

Thanks.

 

[AuraSeer]

DR works against physical damage, both normal and subdual. The number after the slash indicates what kind of weapon penetrates DR; if there is no number (as with 2/-), no weapon penetrates it.

DR does not protect against magic, fatigue, environmental effects (like desert heat), elemental damage (like fire), or purely mental attacks.

 

[Voadam]

Imagine two scenes,

1 Jimbo the schmoe stabs Conan with a knife, (Real Damage).

2 Jimbo the schmoe punches Conan (subdual damage).

Your question is "due to Conan's barbarian DR, is he tougher against punches as well as knives, swords, claws and clubs?"

Yes from a visualization sense.

From a rules perspective DR with a slash in 3.0 applies to all weapons and unarmed attack damage, regardless of magical plus, material, or real vs. subdual damage.

As AuraSeer points out it does not apply to elemental damage, spell damage, stat damage, etc.

 

[kreynolds]

DR does not protect against magic, fatigue, environmental effects (like desert heat), elemental damage (like fire), or purely mental attacks.

But in the case of barbarian-type DR, which functions identically to hardness, it does indeed protect against magical damage and elemental energy damage, such as fire or a flaming weapon.

 

[evilbob]

Thanks for helping, this is all useful stuff. So, the way I understand it, if someone were to attack the Barb in the above example with a mental attack that did subdual damage, or he took fatigue damage from, say, running all day long, this is not affected by DR. But, punching him in the face -would.-

This has lead me to another question, however: if someone attacked him with a magical 1d8 sword of +1d6 flame, am I correct in assuming he would take -2 damage from the sword AND -2 damage from the flame as well, or does he just take -2 damage from the entire attack?

 

[kreynolds]

This has lead me to another question, however: if someone attacked him with a magical 1d8 sword of +1d6 flame, am I correct in assuming he would take -2 damage from the sword AND -2 damage from the flame as well, or does he just take -2 damage from the entire attack?

AFAIK, just -2 damage from the entire attack.

 

[LokiDR]

But in the case of barbarian-type DR, which functions identically to hardness, it does indeed protect against magical damage and elemental energy damage, such as fire or a flaming weapon.

Do you have a reference on that? The SRD states the barbarian shrugs off damage. I assume this is normal DR. Objects take half damage from fire, electricity, and acid. One quarter from cold and normal from sonic. Divide the damage before you apply hardness.

 

[Mahali]

He's making that up. Well not entirely, it's a common misconception.

Barbarian's have DR not a Hardness rating.

DR is defined in the DMG.

DR does not protect against magic, elemental, ect... only physical blows.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Do you have a reference on that?

It's a hotly debated point.

The "Barbarians are objects!" crowd base their argument on the line in the PHB glossary under Damage Reduction : "But theirs is a special type that negates a set amount of damage from any source."

The "Barbarians are people too!" crowd refer to the DMG p74, where it states that "the damage reduction is effective against any attack that does not ignore damage reduction", and then point out the line three bullet points down that says "Magical attacks and energy attacks ignore damage reduction."

If we start this up, it will go on for four pages, there will be shouting, and nothing will be resolved.

In other words : Uh-oh...

-Hyp.

 

[Kraedin]

Check the PHB glossary.

Also, the literal wording of the ability is "subtract 1 from the damage the barbarian takes each time he is dealt damage," which sounds quite a lot like hardness.