DR and weapons with elemental damage

[gariig]

If you have a +1 flaming longsword going against something that has DR of 30/+3. If your sword attack only does lets say 7 points of damage and 3 fire damage...the sword damage won't get through the DR but does the fire damage? We keep running into this in our campaign and want a definitive answer from the ENWorld Rules Lawyers.

Gariig

 

[Wolf72]

I'm pretty sure your elemental damage still works (unless the beastie has fire resistance as well)

 

[Mr Fidgit]

Wolf72 is correct.

DMG p74 DR "does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack (such as fire damage from a fire elemental), or energy drains"



[edit - i bolded for clarity ]

 

[Burne]

Thanks wolf, we have run into this issue in our campaigns as well, but had been using the "If an attack does no damage then, it has no effect rule" based on rulings made on stunning attack, poisoning and similar. I will mention this to our/my gaming group. Flaming weapons are now even cooler than before.

 

[gariig]

Well, then what is the big deal of getting pluses to get through DR instead of getting elemental attacks. You could possibly do more damage with a +1 weapon with an extra 4 elemental damages then the guy wielding a +5 weapon!

Gariig

This is more your interpretation of the rules. I agree that DR doesn't work against elemental resistance.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well, then what is the big deal of getting pluses to get through DR instead of getting elemental attacks. You could possibly do more damage with a +1 weapon with an extra 4 elemental damages then the guy wielding a +5 weapon!

... especially in a world with GMW.

I agree that DR doesn't work against elemental resistance.

... what? Are you sure you said what you meant to say?

-Hyp.

 

[Xarlen]

Well, you're better off getting a +1 magical bow with energy damage, then get magical arrows for Damage Reduction.

Or, get a Sure Striking energy weapon.

 

[gariig]

I don't know what I was saying, but yeah DR doesn't fly with elemental damage..that's what I meant to say.

 

[Staffan]

Then again, it's not exactly uncommon for a monster to have both DR and various forms of elemental resistance. In those cases, the two resistances work separately against the damage - the flaming sword +1 that does 7 slashing plus 3 fire against a critter with DR 20/+2 and Fire Resistance 10 won't do much good.

Also, the elemental damage is pretty small when compared to most monster hp. Remember that bonuses from Strength, specialization, and other stuff only applies to the base damage, not the energy damage. When you have Str 22, weapon specialization and wield a greatsword, you might want another +1 enhancement bonus more than +1d6 cold damage.

 

[Destil]

Also, the elemental damage is pretty small when compared to most monster hp. Remember that bonuses from Strength, specialization, and other stuff only applies to the base damage, not the energy damage. When you have Str 22, weapon specialization and wield a greatsword, you might want another +1 enhancement bonus more than +1d6 cold damage.

Particuarly when you consider the benifit of hitting about 5% more often.