Does DR stop Ability damage?

[nyee]

A party member that I DM brought up that DR should affect ability damage. His reasoning is in the DMG on page 292-293, it has a list of things that bypass DR, and ability damage wasn't one of them.

I disagree, seeing ability damage as very similar to energy drain (which is on that list). Also, I think that with DR being pretty easy to get it would eliminate the power and sting of ability damage (which usually comes pretty small outside of poisons).

I reference DnD wiki, where it states

A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly (in either case, the opponent knows the attack was ineffective). The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell like abilities or supernatural abilities.

Since ability damage is a supernatural ability, I thought that solved it. However, the player brought to my attention that the DMG doesn't mention supernatural abilities.

What am I missing? Is he right/wrong, and why?

Mod Note: I removed the color formatting that was making this illegible on the black forum skin. I hope you don't mind to much. ~Umbran

 

[Storminator]

Please switch to the default font color. With my settings your text is black on black.

Without looking anything up, I go with DR only saves you from ability damage/drain if it prevents all the damage from an attack that has ability damage as a rider.

PS

 

[Halivar]

In this context, "damage" means hit-point loss only.

The proper terminology is "ability drain", not "ability damage", which may add further clarity.

 

[Ahnehnois]

The proper terminology is "ability drain", not "ability damage", which may add further clarity.

This is actually false. There is such a thing as ability damage (ability damage is temporary, ability drain is permanent, both of which are types of ability score loss), but it is not considered "damage", which is confusing.

However, the bottom line is that damage reduction does not stop any form of ability damage, regardless of the source.

A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks.
...
The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities.
...
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.

This text is pretty clear on most cases. Only in very rare circumstances would the RAW be unclear (wherein nonmagical ability damage is dealt with a normal attack roll, as in crippling strike), however, even in this case, this is because of confusion between ability damage and damage. However, ability damage is a type of ability score loss and is not damage in the relevant sense. Thus, it is only prevented under the circumstance that [MENTION=305]Storminator[/MENTION] describes; the DR does not block the ability damage in and of itself.

 

[Nagol]

In this context, "damage" means hit-point loss only.

The proper terminology is "ability drain", not "ability damage", which may add further clarity.

Ability drain and ability damage are not synonymous. Ability damage recovers over time; ability drain does not.

That said, I agre with Storminator.

 

[the Jester]

The passage that actually spells out the answer is in the 3.5 DMG, pg. 291, under "Damage Reduction," third paragraph:

The numerical part of a creature's damage reduction is the amount of hit points the creature ignores from normal attacks. Thus, a creature with a damage reduction number of 5 struck for 8 points of damage ignores 5 points and takes only 3.

Emphasis added.

 

[Halivar]

I stand corrected vis-à-vis ability damage. It's been a while.

My first point stands, and Jester has the right of it.

 

[nyee]

Cool. Thanks!

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

There are one or two sources of ability damage reduction that I know of. One is a psionic feat, and the other is a monster that you could maybe Shapechange into. These are specifically called out and are not part of the general rules.

If someone stabbed your barbarian with a dagger that had horrendous ability score-dealing poison, but the dagger failed to do a single point of damage because of your barbarian's DR, then I'm pretty sure the poison wouldn't affect you.

If the barbarian had DR 3/-, took 4 damage and then 10 Con damage after failing a save, they would take 1 damage and 10 Con damage (since DR does not apply to ability damage).

 

[delericho]

If someone stabbed your barbarian with a dagger that had horrendous ability score-dealing poison, but the dagger failed to do a single point of damage because of your barbarian's DR, then I'm pretty sure the poison wouldn't affect you.

Correct. If DR reduces the hit point damage down to 0, this negates any and all secondary effects of the attack.

If the barbarian had DR 3/-, took 4 damage and then 10 Con damage after failing a save, they would take 1 damage and 10 Con damage (since DR does not apply to ability damage).

Also correct. Even a single hit point of damage is enough for those secondary effects to have their full effect.