DR stacking

[Spoof]

Hey I have a question regarding DR

With the Dwarven defenders Dr of 3/- would that stack with the Dwarven plate located in the DMG that gives a DR of 3/- for a total of 6/- or would it just be 3/-

 

[Henrix]

No, DR does not stack. You only use the highest applicable DR.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

No, DR does not stack. You only use the highest applicable DR.

This is extremely lame in the case of DR X/- from two unrelated sources (say, a barbarian's class ability and adamantine armor), but it is the official rule.

 

[Hannibal Barca]

There's always Roll With It (SS)

 

[Magesmiley]

Actually, I have some debate in my mind on that issue still. The specific rule on stacking damage reduction from the SRD reads:

"If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation. "

The reference isn't 100% clear whether "source" refers to where you got the damage reduction (armor, class abilty, etc.) from or what penetrates the damage reduction (silver, magic, cold iron, etc.). You could interpret this two ways:

A. Damage reduction from different forms of damage don't stack. You can't stack 5/silver and 10/magic together - you only get the best one which applies. However with this interpretation, 5/magic and 10/magic could stack together to end up with 15/magic.

B. Damage reduction doesn't stack. Period.

I don't recall having seen a reference yet which rules out A. as a valid interpretation, which is how I, and several others I know of, play it. Other people use interpretation B. The rule could be written a bit mroe clearly.

 

[Saeviomagy]

I think that by far the best solution is to:
1) Allow it to stack
2) Change some of the monsters that have dual-category DR (ie - magic and cold iron) so that half their DR is from one, and half is from the other (so DR 10/magic and cold iron becomes DR 5/magic and DR 5/cold iron). At least players can TRY to work out what the thing has a DR against.

 

[irdeggman]

I think that by far the best solution is to:
1) Allow it to stack
2) Change some of the monsters that have dual-category DR (ie - magic and cold iron) so that half their DR is from one, and half is from the other (so DR 10/magic and cold iron becomes DR 5/magic and DR 5/cold iron). At least players can TRY to work out what the thing has a DR against.

But this is a house -rule the RAW says it does not stack.

SRD:

DAMAGE REDUCTION
Some magic creatures have the supernatural ability to instantly heal damage from weapons or to ignore blows altogether as though they were invulnerable.

The numerical part of a creature’s damage reduction is the amount of hit points the creature ignores from normal attacks. Usually, a certain type of weapon can overcome this reduction. This information is separated from the damage reduction number by a slash. Damage reduction may be overcome by special materials, by magic weapons (any weapon with a +1 or higher enhancement bonus, not counting the enhancement from masterwork quality), certain types of weapons (such as slashing or bludgeoning), and weapons imbued with an alignment. If a dash follows the slash then the damage reduction is effective against any attack that does not ignore damage reduction.

Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an alignment gains the alignment of that projectile weapon (in addition to any alignment it may already have).

Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury type poison, a monk’s stunning, and injury type disease. 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.

Attacks that deal no damage because of the target’s damage reduction do not disrupt spells.

Spells, spell-like abilities, and energy attacks (even nonmagical fire) ignore damage reduction.

Sometimes damage reduction is instant healing. Sometimes damage reduction represents the creature’s tough hide or body,. In either case, characters can see that conventional attacks don’t work.

If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

So a barbarian character who has DR3/- from class ability and DR10/magic from a racial ability gets DR 10 when attacked with a non-magical weapon, DR 3 when attacked with a magical weapon, and DR does not apply when subjected to spells or to wierd stuff like, say falling damage.

Is that right?

 

[irdeggman]

So a barbarian character who has DR3/- from class ability and DR10/magic from a racial ability gets DR 10 when attacked with a non-magical weapon, DR 3 when attacked with a magical weapon, and DR does not apply when subjected to spells or to wierd stuff like, say falling damage.

Is that right?

Pretty much.

DR never applies to spells - that is what SR is for.

 

[Saeviomagy]

But this is a house -rule the RAW says it does not stack.

SRD:

I know. I figured that the post above mine that says "per SRD, DR never stacks" would make that obvious.