What does DR look like?

[Duncan Haldane]

So,

I've been wondering - what does it look like if you hit a creature with DR against your weapon.

A few ideas include
- weapon passes through harmlessly
- weapon bounces off
- weapon appears to wound creature, but wounds immediately heal

I would like to be able to describe these sort of different results to my players, but I'd like to have a plan for it - eg, maybe if it's have DR versus silver it passes through, while DR versus Holy may just heal immediately.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Duncan

 

[Sammael]

Frankly, I've always visualised all forms of DR as "weapon bounces off." I can see perhaps alignment-based DR as "weapon passes through harmlessly."

 

[hong]

It's not specified in the rules, except that it should be obvious to the characters. So you could have any of the above. I usually just say that the monster "isn't slowed down as much as it should be".

 

[FireLance]

For me, the weapon either bounces off (DR absorbs all damage) or doesn't appear to hurt it as much as it should (DR reduces the damage).

Wounds immediately healing looks too much like fast healing/regeneration and weapons passing through looks too much like incorporeality.

Some DMs may want to confuse their players in this manner, but I don't.

 

[Aristotle]

Wounds immediately healing looks too much like fast healing/regeneration and weapons passing through looks too much like incorporeality.

Since the only guideline is that it's visible to the characters, either of those explanations technically work. DR very well could work like a form of instant regeneration for some creatures (like for wares), and it could work like a limited form of incorporeality for others. (I like the idea of using this for alignment DR. Consider that yoinked.)

The real problem with DR is that it steps on the toes of other things (like regeneration). I think lots of things that have DR should have regeneration instead. If that were the case I could see the remaining critters with DR getting the "bounced off" description for their special protection.

The only answer I have for the original poster is that DR looks like whatever is appropriate for the creature and the situation. Work with it...

 

[Gez]

Depends whether the DR is (Ex) or (Su)... If it's extraordinary, then it's a very tough skin that slows and softens the blow. If it's Su, then it can be anything -- the blade may move through the body, leaving gaping wounds that doesn't seem to affect the creature at all. Or it can heal so fast it looks like the monster is incorporeal -- yet its flesh is felt and heard as the weapon tear into it.

 

[FireLance]

And consider this: how would you describe DR/magic and good and silver and piercing?

"Your weapon passes through the creature slightly before bouncing off a little, and the wound you make kind of heals a bit immediately."

 

[arscott]

yeah. I'd make it depend on the creature. Here are my ideas:

Lycanthropes and Elementals are wounded but instantly heal or reform.
Undead and those who recieve DR through nonmagical means are visibly wounded but act as though they felt nothing.
Weapons simply bounce of Constructs and others whose DR comes from tough skin.
Fey aren't even touched. Their presence makes the weilder unable to follow through with the blow.
For humanoids, outsiders, and others not mentioned hereforeto, simply pick whichever is thematically most apropriate. So the angel may be untouchable like a fey, the demon might instantly heal, etc.

Something to consider: DR that's negated by adamantine is like hardness for creatures. If something has DR XX/adamantine, then hits bouncing off is always the way to go.

 

[WayneLigon]

yeah. I'd make it depend on the creature. Here are my ideas:

For humanoids, outsiders, and others not mentioned hereforeto, simply pick whichever is thematically most apropriate. So the angel may be untouchable like a fey, the demon might instantly heal, etc.

That's how I do it. I'll also add some description for creatures that have an immunity/vulnerability to an energy type or metal.

"Your blow seems to do nothing. A blow like that should have at least broken it's arm but your strike didn't seem to hurt it. You, your sword slides into it's belly and out again, but the wolf-thing just grins at you. Now Airun... Airun's sword drives into the beast side; the fur burns, the flesh sizzles and the wolf-thing howls in pain. And turns all it's attention on Airun."

[Players] Holy ^%&6, what's Airun's sword made from again... silver! Hey, silver hurts it! Um, where do we get more silver?

[Halfling ranger digs out the fork she stole off the Duke's table and attacks werewolf...]

 

[Davelozzi]

It's not specified in the rules...

Well there are certainly some guidelines, at least in the revised DMG.

Page 291: The arrow sticks into the vampire, but she just pills it out and laughs as the wound instantly heals. "You'll need to do better than that," she hisses.

Page 292: Sometime damage reduction is instant healing. A sword slash against a demon's hide slashes it open, but the wound seals as fast as it's made. Sometimes damage reduction represents the creatures's tough hide or body, such as with a gargoyle or iron golem.