don't epic weapons overcome non-epic untyped DR?
DR/- is best, but when present is generally much lower than any other types of DR. It is only negated by a chain of fighter feats, and even then only reduces it by 5.
You are correct SwiftyKun. Though not magical attacks that deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (e.g. ice storm).
No, energy reductions is different type. DR only effects bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing (if I remember correctly).
Untyped DR is also passed by energy/elemental types and pure magical damage such as magic missles, correct? Or any effect that's tagged onto the attack that says "This attack bypasses any/all DR."
Spells, spell-like abilities, and energy attacks (even nonmagical fire) ignore damage reduction.
I was talking about amongst attacks that are subject to damage reduction. Energy damage and damage caused by spells is usually not subject to DR. This is generally a question of direct versus indirect damage. For instance Telekinesis allows you to throw items with your mind. Since the spell just allows you to move the items which can then hurt people (and the spell doesn't actually cause damage itself) then DR would apply against the weapons used to cause damage.
Ice Storm, another spell mentioned earleir, causes both bludgeoning and cold damage. The bludgeoning damage comes from conjured hail though, and should be subject to DR. The cold damage is energy though and isn't.
Magic Missile just deals magical damage (of the force type) and isn't subject to DR either.
Ice storm deals cold *and* bludgeoning damage. The bludgeoning is subject to Damage Reduction.
It's a semi-recent FAQ Claxon - maybe six months ago...
Here you are.
Ice storm deals cold *and* bludgeoning damage. The bludgeoning is subject to Damage Reduction.
It's a semi-recent FAQ Claxon - maybe six months ago...
Here you are.
Sorry, I was ninja editing because I saw your post after my initial post. I knew this was true but, didn't think to mention it until after I saw your post.
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Untyped DR is very powerful, yes, but I would not say it's immediately superior. "Just" having an epic weapon is easier said than done. And untyped DR can still be overcome by elemental damage, so a first-level wizard throwing around acid splash and magic missile can beat it. You could stop a rampaging earth elemental with enough alchemist's fire and the few elemental weapons one can find around town; a person with just DR 5/Epic could literally walk into a village, slaughter everyone, and come out almost unscathed.
In strict adventure/high level play terms, yeah, /- steals a bit of Epic's thunder, but the practical implications are still very dire.
I also observe that it takes some of the power held by casters (who are better on average at dealing with /- because elemental/untyped damage) and gives it to the characters running around with +5 Keen Dancing Scimitars (+6 beats epic regardless of source).
But is DR epic also bypassed by elemental and energy damage
And untyped DR can still be overcome by elemental damage,
That applies to all DR, including Epic/Mythic. DR/ really is the best you can have.
Actually Ulmaxes, you can take the guy with DR 5/epic and kill him with that same alchemist's fire. See, energy damage like fire (e.g. your alchemist's fire) isn't subject to DR. DR is for the aforementioned bludgeoning, slashing, piercing stuff. AKA weapons and a select few spells. DR is more or less meant to annoy people who rely on weapons of the simple/martial/exotic/unarmed/natural persuasion. Energy damage, force damage, untyped damage, etc. bypasses it regardless. That's what energy resistance is for, to deal with the alchemist's fire (fire res 5 handles most of that, fire res 10 negates it, and in case of an alchemist with a screw loose double that :) ).
Whoo! I got second place!