I'm falling! I'M FALLING! ...So what?

[irdeggman]

Yes. (Of course all you have to do is fall a certain distance that overcomes DR anyway. Even easier to do in 3.5 since they generally reduced the numbers.)

Here's the response I got from the Sage on this issue a while back:

The response from Skip was obviously a 3.0 based on (first printing date of the 3.5 PHB was July 2003).

In 3.5 DR is pretty specifically defined as only applying to natural attacks and weapons.

 

[dcollins]

The response from Skip was obviously a 3.0 based on (first printing date of the 3.5 PHB was July 2003). In 3.5 DR is pretty specifically defined as only applying to natural attacks and weapons.

No, the language as to what Damage Reduction applies to has been unchanged between 3.0 and 3.5 rules. Skip's response is identically applicable now.

From the 3.0 SRD:

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

From the 3.5 SRD:

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

 

[irdeggman]

Use quotes from the actual rule books and not the SRD, which frequently paraphrases and leaves off information when trying to make a specific rules judgement.

3.0 DMG pg 73 “The number in a creature’s damage reduction is the amount of hit points the creature ignores from normal attacks.

3.5 MM pg 307 “A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks.”

While in 3.0 "normal attacks" could be more subjective than the 3.5 terminology "most weapons and natural attacks" pretty much excludes traps and the the like since they are not natural attacks.

DR was one of the major things changed when 3.5 came out and this has to be taken into account when making comaparisons between the two. In 3.5 the pecking order of the source books ahs been laid out and the MM takes precedent over the other books when it comes to issues such as DR and special qualities.

 

[Stormrunner]

So, if I shoot my crossbow at the werewolf, that's a weapon attack and DR applies.
But if I then take the same crossbow, and set it up to fire on a tripwire, now it's a trap and DR doesn't apply?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Yeah, that's a pretty ridiculous ruling.

 

[Anabstercorian]

Very ridiculous.

 

[irdeggman]

So, if I shoot my crossbow at the werewolf, that's a weapon attack and DR applies.
But if I then take the same crossbow, and set it up to fire on a tripwire, now it's a trap and DR doesn't apply?

If you insist on trying to find ways to work around the RAW then I guess so. I wouldn't let it happen since it is a weapon. Traps (as mentioned and I haven't seen any more detail on this - published by WotC yet that is) are not weapons. Little darts flying out of a lock are not weapons, poison (oh wait that is something that doesn't count as a weapon either since it affect ability scores and does not apply hit point damage (DR reduces hit point damage).

What would be the attack modifiers for a crossbow in this type of trap? The attack must still hit and all weapons have a chance of missing.

Sorry this is pretty far stretch of the game mechanics.

Just reduce the rules to what they say and make them simple and things work out. When you try to rules-lawyer them to this detail you break the entire mechanic and system.

There is a reason that the RAW says DR applies to weapons and natural attacks and if that logic is kept in mind then things work out well. The logic being to keep DR from becoming too powerful and bypassing everything. 3.5 redid DR for this very reason and to simplify its application.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

"Pretty far stretch of the game mechanics"?

The old crossbow in the wall trick is, quite possibly, the most famous trap in existance (barring, possibly, the door scythe).

Ruling that such physical attacks are not subject to DR, but if my character were to rip the same blade off the wall and hack at something, his attacks would be is patently silly.

 

[MerakSpielman]

As far as I'm concerned, DR applies to physical damage, but not to magical (edit: or elemental/energy) damage. I don't really care what the official ruling is - I'll rule things so it makes sense.

 

[BSF]

I believe the distinction with the wording of DR is to differentiate from ER. DR can reduce the physical damage of the +1 Flaming sword, but the energy damage will still apply. Force Effects, such as Magic Missile, are not affected by DR or ER.

In this case, the distinction is important so people do not misapply DR to normal spell effects. However, I do not think the intent was to preclude falling damage, scything blades, rigged crossbows, etc. DR applies to those things as well.

To be strictly pendatic, how much more natural can you get for an attack then a 50' face plant into good old mother earth?