energy weapons and DR

[Voadam]

I know that for poison and energy drains the attack must get past DR, but what about the energy damage from a magic weapon?

In our game this weekend we had an archer shooting with a shocking burst bow. The arrows were not getting through the creature's DR. Should it have been doing the shocking damage when he hit but did not pierce the DR based on non-energy damage?

 

[Zhure]

The DR doesn't ignore the energy effect. Therefore the shocking burst would injure the target and the regular arrow would not, up to the limit of the DR of the critter.

Hope that helps,

Greg

 

[Legildur]

Yes. Energy damage is dealt even though arrows did not overcome DR.

From the SRD:

Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack. 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.