Intelligent Weapons Vs. DR

[the Jester]

Say I have a +2 ghost touch sword. It doesn't do squat against alignment-based DR. But what if it's intelligent? Does a LN sword count against DR x/lawful DR?

I'm inclined to say yes, but I don't think the RAW address this directly. Anyone seen anything on this?

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Nowhere does it say so in the SRD, so I'd say, "no".

AR

 

[shilsen]

Nope.

 

[Ferret]

No, no more then if the weilder was LN. The sword might be LN, but it doesn't embody the alignment. Any weapon that should do that would have the ability.

 

[Hypersmurf]

From the Magic Items section of the DMG:
"Any item with intelligence has an alignment."

From the Monster Manual:
"A creature with an alignment subtype (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) can overcome this type of damage reduction with its natural weapons and weapons it wields as if the weapons or natural weapons had an alignment (or alignments) that match the subtype(s) of the creature."

So, if a creature with the Evil subtype overcomes DR X/Evil as if his weapons had an alignment that match 'Evil'...

... and if we accept that his weapons will, in fact, overcome DR X/Evil...

... then a weapon with an alignment that matches 'Evil' will overcome DR X/Evil.

And an intelligent item has an alignment.

So if that alignment matches 'Evil', it could be argued that it will beat DR X/Evil... even if it's not, in fact, an Unholy weapon.

(I'm saying it could be. Not necessarily that I'd use that argument myself )

-Hyp.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I'd tend to interpret "an intelligent item has an alignment" as the item having an alignment the same way a PC fighter has an alignment. Which is to say it doesn't have an alignment subtype, just an alignment.

To have your natural and wielded weapons defeat DR, you need to have the alignment subtype. A Lawful Good fighter does not have the [Lawful] subtype, nor the [Good] subtype. His natural weapons do not count as [Lawful] or [Good] for the purposes of defeating DR, nor do his wielded weapons, unless the weapon has an aligned special quality, or a spell placed upon it.

Likewise,

A Lawful Good intelligent longsword does not have the [Lawful] subtype, nor the [Good] subtype. It does not count as [Lawful] or [Good] for the purposes of defeating DR, unless the weapon has an aligned special quality, or a spell placed upon it.

 

[hong]

An intelligent sword is still an object, not a creature, so the MM quote about "creatures with alignment" doesn't apply. It would not beat DR.

 

[isoChron]

Even if the sword counts as creature...
Monks with LG alignment don't pass DR x/lawful or DR x/good (at least not until they get a special Ki Strike (lawful) Ki Strike (xyz) or such).
So why should the sword without alignment subtype ?

 

[Tatsukun]

When I saw this thread's title, I started thinking about allowing an intelligent weapon's alignment count for DR. Then, allowing such an item to use "Use Magic Device" to 'fake' being another alignment.

Odd thought.

For the record, no, I wouldn't allow a weapon without an actual alignment enhancement to bypass DR.

-Tatsu

 

[the Jester]

To have your natural and wielded weapons defeat DR, you need to have the alignment subtype.

Are you sure? Where does it state this? I haven't seen this in the rules anywhere, but it's true that all creatures with an alignment subtype penetrate DR based on that subtype, but I don't think what you're suggesting is spelled out anywhere.