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If a weapon has a damage type of X or Y, you have to choose which kind of damage you're dealing before it is applied to the target. If it has a damage type of X and Y, then it does both kinds simultaneously.
In other words, your GM was wrong. A bite is bludgeoning, so the skeleton's damage reduction is bypassed. It doesn't matter that it is also slashing and piercing.
mplindustries, the Bestiary has different rules from the CRB manufactured weapons on this topic.
The Damage Type column refers to the sort of damage that the natural attack typically deals: bludgeoning (B), slashing (S), or piercing (P). Some attacks deal damage of more than one type, depending on the creature. In such cases all the damage is considered to be of all listed types for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Rerednaw, The GM he was wrong because the damage type is all three simultaneously.
- Gauss
mplindustries, the Bestiary has different rules from the CRB manufactured weapons on this topic.
What are you suggesting here? It looks like it's pretty much identical to what I said.
mplindustries, my bad, I misread your statement. I apologize. :)
In any case, with natural weapons the "slash" is not an "or" statement like many people might expect (myself included). It is an "and" statement.
- Gauss
Now, if the rules said that it had DR against bludgeoning, rather than bludgeoning getting through the DR, then there might be more of a case (still wrong, but it is a more thought provoking question). Of course, I cannot think of many monsters that are specifically resistant to damage types off the top of my head.
No such rule exists as far as i know. There are creatures with DR/slashing or piercing, like the giant slug, but that means their DR is bypassed by bites as well, since they are slashing and piercing too. Only an only bludgeoning weapon would be affected by the DR.
The only time I've ever seen a problem with multiple damage types at once is when a creature with the "Split" property (such as a Black Pudding) suffers both Bludgeoning and Slashing/Piercing damage in the same attack.
I have never seen an official way to adjudicate this. My method for dealing with it is that the damage goes through and then the split also occurs.
- Gauss
The way the split rule reads, a bite would not deal any damage since it is slashing and piercing and weapons with those damage types are specifically ruled out. I don't necessarily think that's the design intention though.
Threeshades, a bite is also Bludgeoning. Not just Slashing and Piercing. There is nothing in the rule that states to ignore the Bludgeoning damage. This really is a case where the creature suffers all 3 damage types in on bite so what happens? My group figured both effects took place. Damage from the bludgeoning and split from the Slashing and Piercing.
Perhaps we should create a FAQ thread for it except that it is a corner case. :)
- Gauss