Weather Domain vs Nonlethal Immunity

[Baelin]

Hi everyone,

I would like to clarify whether a creature that is immune or otherwise completely resistant (all damage reduced to zero) to a source of damage still suffers from the secondary effects of an ability?

For example, the Storm Burst ability of the Weather Domain has a secondary effect that causes the target to suffer a -2 penalty on attacks for 1 round. If the target is not subject/immune to nonlethal damage, does it still take the -2 penalty?

I can't really find anything in the Magic or Combat sections of the Core Rules about it but the main support (and source of confusion) comes from the following text about damage reduction:

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DAMAGE REDUCTION
Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury poison, a monk's stunning, and injury-based disease. Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

Excerpt from
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/glossary.html
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Would appreciate it if anyone can confirm the definite rules on this issue. Thanks.

[Ravingdork]

It looks like a case by case basis, as subject to the GM, based on the guidelines presented in the rules.

For Storm Burst, specifically, I'd say they still suffer the penalties.

[Alitan]

The real question is whether the immunity you're referring to results from DR or not; if not, there's no reason the attack penalties wouldn't apply.

[Baelin]

Not DR so much as creatures who are immune to nonlethal damage (eg Constructs) or creatures with some ability to reduce damage to 0.

This issue has come up on occasion and we're trying to get a definite ruling before the next session.

[Majuba]

I'm a bit biased, but I would agree that the buffeting would still give the -2 penalty to attacks. The penalty isn't coming from the damage, it's coming from the wind knocking him around. Immunity to the damage (say a zombie as undead) isn't preventing the knocking around, it just doesn't hurt.

[Baelin]

Thanks for the feedback. We've settled on the ruling that the -2 penalty to attack still applies.

[Mergy]

The non-lethal damage isn't causing the -2 penalty; they are independent of each other.