DR Items

[Xeoble]

Would it be unbalancing to incorporate the following items from Neverwinter Nights:

Brawler's Belt = 5/- DR vs. bludgeoning 1228 GP
Archer's Belt = 5/- DR vs. piercing 1228 GP
Swordsman's Belt = 5/- DR vs. slashing 1228 GP

Greater Brawler's Belt = 20/- DR vs. bludgeoning 11072 GP
Greater Archer's Belt = 20/- DR vs. piercing 11072 GP
Greater Swordsman's Belt = 20/- DR vs. slashing 11072 GP

 

[Spatzimaus]

Yes.

Okay, it deserves a longer explanation. Those items were some of the most poorly-balanced things in NWN, IMO. Get the Bludgeoning one and you became immune to the physical attacks of half the monsters in the game. It's not that they shouldn't be added at all, but I'd add at least another zero to the prices. Remember, DR 1/- is a high-level ability of Barbarians (and the Dwarven Defender goes up to 6/-). Limiting the damage type shouldn't do more than double the bonus given, so a Bludgeoning 5/- belt shouldn't be cheap. I'm not even going to mention the 20/- ones.

The game also handled DR poorly in general. For one thing, it ignored the "monsters with DR bypass comparable DR" rule; I had a 30/+1 cloak on, and an ancient dragon couldn't hurt me at all. Get a guy with a 30/+1 cloak, some fast healing, and elemental resists, and you could solo practically any monster in the game.

 

[Xarlen]

Yes.

The game also handled DR poorly in general. For one thing, it ignored the "monsters with DR bypass comparable DR" rule; I had a 30/+1 cloak on, and an ancient dragon couldn't hurt me at all. Get a guy with a 30/+1 cloak, some fast healing, and elemental resists, and you could solo practically any monster in the game.

I thought that the comparible DR was regarded by plusses. Example: Werewolf has 15/silver. Elemental has 15/+1. Werewolf cannot hurt the Elemental because it's nat attacks aren't +1 equivs. However, the Elemental's is.

This was also asked about Sundering. Since Elementals have Sunder, and also Dam reduction +s, they could destroy +1 (Or +2 or +3) magical weapons. Imagine a Pit Fiend with Eagle Claw snapping magical weapons because it has the Dam reduction. The sage confirmed the latter example.

 

[Maximillian]

You're right about The DR vs DR thing, Xarlen. If I have 5/silver, I can do damage as if I were a silver weapon. If I have 30/+1, I can ignore X/+1 damage reduction, but I can't hold a candle to 10/+2.

What I don't know is if it holds over to the barbarian's 1/- DR. Do two barbarians have the ability to ignore the other's DR?


As for those items, consider this:

Amulet of Natural Armor +1: 2000gp
Amulet of Natural Armor +2: 8000gp
Amulet of Natural Armor +3: 18,000gp
Amulet of Natural Armor +4: 32,000gp
Amulet of Natural Armor +5: 50,000gp
(Rings of protection are identical)

Now, I'd rather have +5 to my AC than a 5/- DR against one damage type, but it's arguable whether I'd rather have the +3 or the +4 versus that, especially if it were slashing or piercing. Bludgeoning, I think, is inherently less useful.

So, that's my two cents. I'd price it at maybe 20,000. That sets it equal to an Ioun Stone which provides regeneration. Sounds good to me.

 

[Xeoble]

Ok, so the prices are way off, any suggestions on new prices for the items?

So far we have a vote for 20,000 for the 5/- belts

 

[incognito]

for the 5/- belts I recommend somewhere btwn 20K and 50 K, leaning twds 40, personally.

 

[Mordane76]

The thing I don't like about these items is this --

They add a new level of detail to the game and slow down combat. Every time a DM swings at a PC, or a PC swings at an NPC, they have to check and make sure the weapon is or isn't doing a certain type of damage. It adds extra calculations into the mix, which are fine in a computer game (it has a processor to do that kinda stuff for me).


Other than that, I agree -- the prices on these items are low. What are the costs of vestments of faith (think that's what they're called)? The DMG item that gives 5/+5? I think that might be slightly more comparable when you figure the differences involved in the above belts versus that DMG item: they figure against one type of damage, they take 5 off it, and always work against that type of damage, regardless of the plusses of the weapon dealing it. Does anyone have a DMG handy that could tell us the price of that item?

 

[Xeoble]

But if a creature takes double damage from bludgeoning, you have to take it into account anyway, so it really wouldn't slow anything down that much

 

[Mordane76]

But special vulnerabilities to damage types are usually less pervalent than magical items.

 

[Xeoble]

Vulnerabilities less prevalent.....Increase price of magic items, less demand, less supply, higher cash value