Rule philosophy question

[Gez]

It's for a protection from arrows-like deal that will maybe find its place in the House Rules forum; but the question I'm asking is purely a "Behind the Curtain" rule philosophy here.

Do you think it would be acceptable and easily understood, to use "DR X/melee" or should I stick to something to something like "DR X/- against ranged attacks" ?

I think the DR X/melee is better, but it wasn't used in PFA (it would have been "DR 10/magic or melee"). An explanation for this is mere oversight, though, but there may be another.

 

[Li Shenron]

At first thought, I cannot think of any specific reason why it should make problems... AFAIK an attack is either melee or ranged so the two things should be equivalent. Perhaps you could clarify twice that "melee" refers to attacks rather than weapons, so that if you throw a melee weapon you face DR because it's a ranged attack.

 

[dvvega]

I think the concept of DR/piercing, DR/slashing, DR/bludgeoning was supposed to cover the melee/ranged issue.

Since most ranged weapons are piercing you can isolate them that way. However there are some other weapons that creep in, however most of them are thrown as well. The only ones off the top of my head are rapiers and short swords falling into the piercing group.

 

[hong]

I think the concept of DR/piercing, DR/slashing, DR/bludgeoning was supposed to cover the melee/ranged issue.

Since most ranged weapons are piercing you can isolate them that way. However there are some other weapons that creep in, however most of them are thrown as well. The only ones off the top of my head are rapiers and short swords falling into the piercing group.

Throwing axes and hand axes are slashing, while slings are bludgeoning. Conversely, lots and lots of melee weapons are piercing.

 

[noeuphoria]

Not to mention things like whips that are resolved as ranged attacks.

 

[DanMcS]

DR x/melee is pretty self-explanatory. Whips, as mentioned, are the single edge case where it's not immediately clear whether they would qualify or not, so you could say "DR x/melee (including whips)" if you're that worried about it, but if it's just for your home game it doesn't have to be that well-specified since you can clarify it in play.

 

[The Souljourner]

I think it's clearer to say "DR X/- against ranged attacks". There's no need for further clarification. Plus, that's the way protections from arrows words it (except it says ranged "weapons").

-The Souljourner

 

[angry monkey]

it should read damage reduction #/- against ranged attacks. Otherwise it can apply to spells, abilites, etc.