DR vs. environmental effects

[Skaros]

You still have a good chance of topping 50 damage, calling for Death from Massive Damage.

Isn't the massive damage check an optional rule?

Doesn't make much sense to me, honestly.

HP is too much of an abstract for that....high lvl Barbarian with 300 hit points has to make a save or die because he loses 1/6 of them?

-Skaros

 

[IceBear]

HP is too much of an abstract for that....high lvl Barbarian with 300 hit points has to make a save or die because he loses 1/6 of them?

-Skaros

Well, if those 1/6th were from his head I guess it makes sense

IceBear

 

[dcollins]

As usual, the Sage has proven accomodating with his time and a response:

Something has just occured to me that seems rather ambiguous in the core rules. I'm wondering if damage reduction is supposed to serve as protection from non-magical, non-energy effects that have no attack roll, such as: falling, landslides, tornados, crushing wall traps, or creature constrict and swallow whole abilities (DMG ch. 3, MM Introduction).

Should DR help against these kinds of physical effects?

In a word, yes. (That's a departure form previous additions of the game, but once reason DR replaces the old immunity to non-magical weapons special defense is so that a long list of exceptions were no longer needed.)

 

[melkoriii]

Isn't the massive damage check an optional rule?

Doesn't make much sense to me, honestly.

HP is too much of an abstract for that....high lvl Barbarian with 300 hit points has to make a save or die because he loses 1/6 of them?

-Skaros

Its not optional. Its core. Most ppl dont know this. The optional rule is to adjust the amount of damage needed by size. ie small creatures only need 30 damage Large need like 70(not sure) damage before a save is needed.