I have an NPC who, for various reasons, has two templates: Fey Touched and Lycanthrope (werewolf). The Fey Touched template gives her DR/cold iron. The Lycanthrope template gives her DR/silver (when in hybrid or animal form).
How does that work? Does she get:
A) Both, with an AND: for full damage, the weapon has to be both silver AND cold iron, or else have a +3 bonus or higher.
B) Both, with an OR: the weapon can be either silver OR cold iron.
C) The first applied (DR/cold iron).
D) The last applied (DR/silver).
E) Whichever is higher.
F) Something else?
It depends. Generally DR's don't stack unless they are equal value and of a separate type. In your example, if the Fey-Touched currently has DR 5 and the Lycanthrope has DR 5, it would stack to DR 5/Cold Iron and Silver.
However, in the event that the Fey-Touched DR oversteps the Lycanthrope DR, you're left with DR 6+/Cold Iron.
It's a silly system, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to rule that if the weapon is not cold iron or silver, it reduces damage by the highest listed amount, and if the weapon is either one of those properties (but not both), the DR of the other type would apply.
Darksol the Painbringer wrote: It's a silly system, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to rule that if the weapon is not cold iron or silver, it reduces damage by the highest listed amount, and if the weapon is either one of those properties (but not both), the DR of the other type would apply. That's basically what I figured it would be. I don't know what the books say, but I would apply both DR separately. It has to be both to bypass both DR and deal full damage. If it only bypasses one, the other would still reduce the damage partially.
sk8r_dan_man wrote: Darksol the Painbringer wrote: It's a silly system, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to rule that if the weapon is not cold iron or silver, it reduces damage by the highest listed amount, and if the weapon is either one of those properties (but not both), the DR of the other type would apply. That's basically what I figured it would be. I don't know what the books say, but I would apply both DR separately. It has to be both to bypass both DR and deal full damage. If it only bypasses one, the other would still reduce the damage partially. RAI, I'd agree, though I'd feel sorry for the end-game, where their attacks are only dealing 20 damage due to ridiculous DR application (and LOLFASTHEAL).
RAW, that's not how it works. If we have a character with DR 10/Silver and DR 10/Cold Iron, a character using a standard weapon doesn't have their damage reduced by 20 total going based off of DR mechanics.
The DR itself doesn't stack above what it can grant. Having multiple sources of DR is helpful to cover all the bases of weapons, meaning if a guy has a Cold Iron Weapon, you have Silver DR to compensate for it.
However, a creature having DR 10/Cold Iron and Silver doesn't get a net 20 DR. The weapon has to be both Cold Iron and Silver to bypass the DR, and even if the character fulfills one of the two requirements, the DR still isn't bypassed. Even in the event of having DR 10/Cold Iron and DR 5/Silver, a character using a Silver Weapon doesn't do anything against the DR, but a character using a Cold Iron weapon in essence bypasses the 5 DR the Cold Iron grants (yet is still held back due to the DR/Silver).
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That's pretty much exactly how it works. Multiple sources of DR don't stack in magnitude, you just take the highest DR. But if you've got different types, they each get an attempt to reduce damage, just so long as you use only one of them.
So if you've got DR 3/Cold Iron and DR 5/Bludgeoning, you use your DR 5 for anything that it applies to and your DR 3 for anything else. If you end up getting hit by a cold iron rod, you take the whole thing.
In this particular case I would put an OR and keep the higher of the two numbers. It makes more sense thematically. While the NPC can withstand some damage due to his robust nature his lycanthropy makes him susceptible to silver weapons while his fey side makes him susceptible to cold iron. I would only impart the DR to two different materials (which cannot really be bypassed by anything but +3 or higher) if you want the NPC to be particularly resistant to damage.
In most cases I would not allow several material-based DRs to stack (with "and") likewise i would not have slashing/piercing/bludgeoning stack that way.
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The replies thus far have been incorrect. OP, the section you're wanting is "Special Abilities" in the PRD.
Damage Reduction wrote: If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation. They don't stack. You pick the best one for a given situation, and that's what you have. (Note: the "best" is not necessarily the highest number.)
Oladon wrote: The replies thus far have been incorrect. OP, the section you're wanting is "Special Abilities" in the PRD.
Damage Reduction wrote: If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation. They don't stack. You pick the best one for a given situation, and that's what you have. (Note: the "best" is not necessarily the highest number.)
This was never contradicted at any point in our posts. Obviously a creature getting DR/Silver from one source and DR/Silver from another source doesn't stack. It was never said or even brought up in this thread about stacking DR of the same type.
Different types of DR, on the other hand, do stack, though in any given circumstance you use only the highest DR applicable.
With the example I listed, a character having Silver OR Cold Iron needs only one or the other to bypass (since these DRs come from the same source). In the events that the DR becomes both Silver AND Cold Iron (due to different sources, in this case I think it would be OR, not AND, since both come from templates), a character can have a Cold Iron or Silver weapon to bypass one condition, but not the other. With this instance having a varied level of DR as the creature levels, having 10 Cold Iron and 5 Silver would mean that a Silver Weapon doesn't really have any effect, but a Cold Iron weapon would still be subject to 5 DR from Silver.
Of course, most (if not all) creatures don't have DRs involving two different types of material. Sure, one material and one alignment type is common, though two material type DRs are unheard of (primarily because of the rules for having items made out of special materials).
Thanks for the official rules quote! That's especially helpful.
The NPC in question currently has DR 4/cold iron and 5/silver.
Let's see If I understand "gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation" correctly. I see 4 possible situations:
1) If the NPC gets hit with a weapon that has a +3 or higher enhancement bonus, it bypasses both DR types and does full damage.
2) If the NPC gets hit with a silver weapon, the cold iron DR still applies. Damage is reduced by 4.
3) If the NPC gets hit with a cold iron weapon, the silver DR still applies. Damage is reduced by 5.
4) If the NPC gets hit with any other weapon, neither is bypassed, but only the higher one applies. Damage is reduced by 5.
That seems to make sense.
Darksol the Painbringer wrote: Oladon wrote: The replies thus far have been incorrect. OP, the section you're wanting is "Special Abilities" in the PRD.
Damage Reduction wrote: If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation. They don't stack. You pick the best one for a given situation, and that's what you have. (Note: the "best" is not necessarily the highest number.)
This was never contradicted at any point in our posts. Obviously a creature getting DR/Silver from one source and DR/Silver from another source doesn't stack. It was never said or even brought up in this thread about stacking DR of the same type.
Different types of DR, on the other hand, do stack, though in any given circumstance you use only the highest DR applicable.
With the example I listed, a character having Silver OR Cold Iron needs only one or the other to bypass (since these DRs come from the same source). In the events that the DR becomes both Silver AND Cold Iron (due to different sources, in this case I think it would be OR, not AND, since both come from templates), a character can have a Cold Iron or Silver weapon to bypass one condition, but not the other. With this instance having a varied level of DR as the creature levels, having 10 Cold Iron and 5 Silver would mean that a Silver Weapon doesn't really have any effect, but a Cold Iron weapon would still be subject to 5 DR from Silver.
Of course, most (if not all) creatures don't have DRs involving two different types of material. Sure, one material and one alignment type is common, though two material type DRs are unheard of (primarily because of the rules for having items made out of special materials). So now somehow "don't stack" (as stated in the rules) means "do stack unless they don't"? No. They don't stack. If you have DR 2/silver and DR 3/good, and someone attacks you for 5 damage with a good-aligned weapon, you take 3 damage. Not 2. Your DR 3/good didn't have any effect on the attack at all, because they don't stack.
Tinalles wrote: Thanks for the official rules quote! That's especially helpful.
The NPC in question currently has DR 4/cold iron and 5/silver.
Let's see If I understand "gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation" correctly. I see X possible situations:
1) If the NPC gets hit with a weapon that has a +3 or higher enhancement bonus, it bypasses both DR types and does full damage.
2) If the NPC gets hit with a silver weapon, the cold iron DR still applies. Damage is reduced by 4.
3) If the NPC gets hit with a cold iron weapon, the silver DR still applies. Damage is reduced by 5.
4) If the NPC gets hit with any other weapon, neither is bypassed, but only the higher one applies. Damage is reduced by 5.
That seems to make sense.
Yep, that's exactly how it works. :)
There should be a specific Feat that only has one purpose: Ensuring that two separate forms of DR do stack. That would make things crazy.
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