Overcoming DR

[CRGreathouse]

I have a question about damage reduction. If a 20th-level monk attacks a creature with DR 10/+1 with his unarmed strike, he ignores it, both because of his own DR and his ki strike. What if a high-level barbarian hits a creature with his unarmed strike? Does that ignore all DR, none, or some? Note that it does not occur on Table 3-13.

This question is very important when dealing with the Forsaker prestige class...

References
Monk: PH page 40
Barbarian: PH page 25, DMG page 74
DR: DMG pages 73-74, MM pages 9-10
Forsaker: MotW (don't have book yet), http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3938

 

[kreynolds]

As far as I know, Damage Reduction ?/-- does not bypass any other damage reduction. I say this because a high level barbarian, the only class that gets DR ?/- by the way, does not bypass any DR with his natural attacks, whether they are considered leathal unarmed attacks or not. That is the drawback to universal damage reduction.

 

[Crothian]

That is one of the best questions I've seen on this board in a while. And thanks for plugging my thread.

According to the rules: I have absolutely no idea.

However, I'm thinking that DR x/- will not help you get through any DR. I see it as all or none, and frankly, all is just to powerful IMO.

 

[Striderman]

Well, I don't know anything about that PrC except what was in that post you referenced, but personally, I don't think that Barbarian's unarmed strike makes it through any damage reduction, unless, of course, the barbarian gets DR from some other source like being of a race that has DR or something. I don't have any specific rules to back me up here other than my own sense, but given that the barbarian's DR is a very special kind, I think that it doesn't have that effect of letting you get through other DR.
Looking at the way DR works on monsters, though, it is treated in a lot of ways like the monster has the ki strike ability similar to the monk's, but I think that if you break down the monsters' attack bonuses, you may find that they actually do have a bonus to their attacks and damage as if they had a built in enhancement bonus like weapons do. I would have to go back and check on that point to be certain, and I may be full of crap about it, but I seem to remember noticing that somewhere along the line.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I say this because a high level barbarian, the only class that gets DR ?/- by the way, does not bypass any DR with his natural attacks

Where does this information come from?

 

[Orco42]

I was thinking the same thing when reading that thread.

I do not think that a barbarian can bypass any DR due to his own DR.

I haven't seen it one way or the other, but I'll take Sean's word.

DMG pg 74

"A creature's natural weapons count as wepons of the type that can ignore it's own DR"

Since now weapons ignore a barbarians DR he can not use natural attacks to ignore DR.

 

[CRGreathouse]

It's not Sean.

 

[Orco42]

It's not Sean.

It's not. What a deceitfull user name.

Oh well. I still think that a barbarian can not hurt things with DR because of the quote from the DMG.

 

[kreynolds]

Where does this information come from?

It's simple logic. It's not on the chart so it doesn't bypass anything. It blocks everything but doesn't penetrate anything. Have a better idea.

And once again, no, I'm not Sean.

 

[Striderman]

I was thinking the same thing when reading that thread.

I do not think that a barbarian can bypass any DR due to his own DR.

I haven't seen it one way or the other, but I'll take Sean's word.

DMG pg 74

"A creature's natural weapons count as wepons of the type that can ignore it's own DR"

Since now weapons ignore a barbarians DR he can not use natural attacks to ignore DR.

The only problem with that is that if you apply that to barbarians, then they could still beat each other's DR with their own fists. (depending on one's interpretation of the line)