Righteous Might

[fett527]

Question(s):

Why does Righteous Might give you (if you are good) damage reduction of x/evil? Why give you damage reduction that can be overcome by the very types of creatures you are likely to be fighting?

If there is a link to a thread discussing this already please provide. Thanks.

 

[Jdvn1]

I think it's just the color of the spell. It's a good spell, so evil things would harm you.

 

[fett527]

I think it's just the color of the spell. It's a good spell, so evil things would harm you.

I still don't understand that thinking. My line of thinking is since it is a good spell evil things would not be allowed to harm you.

 

[kenobi65]

What it's saying is that you're invulnerable to weapons that aren't *strongly* evil. It's working in *exactly* the same way as demons and devils having damage reduction of x/good.

In other words, the ordinary goombah bad guys can't even touch you. It takes fairly powerful bad guys (or those with weapons that are evil-aligned) to overcome the sacred blessings of your deity. Not every evil creature counts as "evil" for purposes of overcoming such DR; they need to have the Evil subtype, or have an Evil / Unholy weapon.

And, even then, it's not saying that it's making you particularly vulnerable to evil weapons / creatures; it's just saying that those weapons / creatures are powerful enough to overcome the effect of the spell.

 

[fett527]

What it's saying is that you're invulnerable to weapons that aren't *strongly* evil. It's working in *exactly* the same way as demons and devils having damage reduction of x/good.

In other words, the ordinary goombah bad guys can't even touch you. It takes fairly powerful bad guys (or those with weapons that are evil-aligned) to overcome the sacred blessings of your deity. And, even then, it's not saying that it's making you particularly vulnerable to evil weapons / creatures; it's just saying that those weapons / creatures are powerful enough to overcome the effect of the spell.

Maybe I'm thinking of DR incorrectly in this case or my question should be more about DR.

Does an evil creature with natural weapons get through DR of x/evil?

 

[fett527]

By the way, kenobi65, I don't think our avatars should be able to exist in the same thread together.

 

[kenobi65]

Maybe I'm thinking of DR incorrectly in this case or my question should be more about DR.

Does an evil creature with natural weapons get through DR of x/evil?

If he's of the "evil" subtype (i.e., demons, devils, etc.), then yes. If he's just an evil critter (say, an orc), no.

Some monsters are vulnerable to chaotic-, evil-, good-, or lawful-aligned weapons. When a cleric casts align weapon, affected weapons might gain one or more of these properties, and certain magic weapons have these properties as well. 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.

 

[kenobi65]

By the way, kenobi65, I don't think our avatars should be able to exist in the same thread together.

hee hee...

 

[kenobi65]

Just to further clarify...the SRD entry on "Evil Subtype."

Evil Subtype: A subtype usually applied only to outsiders native to the evil-aligned Outer Planes. Evil outsiders are also called fiends. Most creatures that have this subtype also have evil alignments; however, if their alignments change, they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has an evil alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the evil subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were evil-aligned (see Damage Reduction, above).

 

[fett527]

If he's of the "evil" subtype (i.e., demons, devils, etc.), then yes. If he's just an evil critter (say, an orc), no.

Then my issue with the spell still stands. What are you more likely to be fighting at 9th level and beyond? My opinion is the Demons, devils and the like (certainly in our games). It just does not seem to be useful to cast a 5th level spell that has the ability (which has other useful abilities) to make you take less damage from everything but the true foes you are battling. Oh well.