D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5e] Damage Reduction

[Kraedin]

Revision 3.5 Update by Ed Stark. The new damage reduction rules explained. The list of indicator types that can be used are: Magic (magic weapons), Epic (weapons with a +6 or greater indicator), Alignment, Special material (silver, adamantine, cold iron -- each will have creation rules and costs), Nothing (affects all weapons). The article also describes how the monk's unarmed attacks reflect the new rules (Magic at level 4, Lawful at level 10, Adamantine at level 16), and mentions a new spell, align weapon. There won't be any spells to imbue weapons with a special material aura.

This is from the enworld.org main page. This is interesting; I had not realized that they were eliminating 15/+1 style damage reduction totally. It's nice to see that adamantine unambigiously defeats some damage reduction now. Perhaps someone will finally use a adamantine weapons.

Is anyone else suprised that mithral doesn't have it's own damage reduction? I was rather expecting that.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Ha! No "Adamantine Weapon" cantrips. The golf bag lives!

What happened to Holysilver?

-Hyp.

 

[Hawkeye]

Maybe these are just the standard types that one may see and Holysilver is a unique one?

Hawkeye

 

[magnas_veritas]

Maybe these are just the standard types that one may see and Holysilver is a unique one?

Perhaps it was a typo, and they really meant "Holy Silver".

So far, there's been nothing mentioned about requiring multiple types of DR-piercing qualities, but that would make sense.

Brad

 

[Dr. Zoom]

I am sure this is not an exhaustive list or explanation. It might not even be the final version in the books, but it looks good for what it is.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

DR x/magic weapon remains - check the most recent Dragon Mag.

In addition, IMO it's silly that a non-magical, non-psionic weapon can injure an air elemental.

 

[shilsen]

Is anyone else suprised that mithral doesn't have it's own damage reduction? I was rather expecting that.

Not me. Mithral seems to be generally treated by WotC products as more an armor material than for weapons, so I wasn't expecting it to be on the list. I'm not surprised about "holysilver" not showing up either. I think that showed up in the revised Pit Fiend description, and there have been comments from the folks at WotC that it was an unfinished or draft version of the Pit Fiend, so nothing in it will necessarily show up in the final revisions.

Based on what little we know, I still like the DR changes a lot , just as I did when the information first emerged.

 

[Knight Otu]

I don't think the posted list is exhaustive. For example, I don't see any indication of DR overcome by weapon type, as the skeleton is supposed to gain.

Holysilver might be a two-type DR that needs two conditions to overcome - Alignment and Material.

 

[John Smallberries]

Holysilver might be a two-type DR that needs two conditions to overcome - Alignment and Material.

Could it be Alignment -or- Material?

 

[Gez]

Is anyone else suprised that mithral doesn't have it's own damage reduction? I was rather expecting that.

The way I understand the sentence "...silver, adamantine, cold iron -- each will have creation rules and costs...", it's a non-exhaustive enumeration. I would be surprised these three are the only one type possible (plus magic, epic, and alignment).

Me, I know I would not feel restrained too much and coul design races like hardy troll with DR 5/flaming (only flaming weapon bypass its DR) or DR 20/ghost touch, etc.

The rakshasa's vulnerability to blessed crossbow bolt may be implemented this way.

As for holysilver, it may be a typo for holy silver, but I would prefer to have a special material called holysilver.