DR / Good and Piercing

[illy-d]

Hey all,

So my PC's are up against some Rahshasa's and I want to make sure I fully understand the DR these creatures posess.

Obviously Align Weapon is a very useful spell, as the PC's can simply cast it on their piercing weapons, and they're good to go.

I'm wondering if it (the spell) is required for good aligned characters- mainly because of the following line from the Rules;

Universal Monster Rules wrote:

A creature with an alignment subtype (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) can overcome this type of damage reduction with its natural weapons and weapons it wields as if the weapons or natural weapons had an alignment (or alignments) that matched the subtype(s) of the creature.

Does this apply to PC's as well? Are good aligned characters inherently able to bypass DR/Good?

[Ashram]

The alignment subtype is usually listed next to a creature type, and is typically reserved for only outsiders. 99% of PCs will never have an alignment subtype. It basically means that they are made up of the pure essence of that alignment, such as angels being Outsider [Good] or devils being Outsider [Lawful, Evil].

[illy-d]

Ok, so a PC can be of an alignment; but that's not the same as being of an alignment subtype. I can follow that... Brings Align Weapon back into play...

[Ascalaphus]

Note that PCs might also summon monsters with alignment subtypes, using Summon Monster spells. Here's a detail not everyone notices: the Celestial template doesn't confer an alignment subtype. So a Celestial Bison may happen to be good-aligned and have Smite Evil; it's not [good] subtype.

Also, its Smite Evil ability doesn't work the same as the paladin's Smite Evil (because it doesn't say so anywyere; it just has the same name but a different rule description). Paladin SE cuts through DR; Celestial template SE doesn't.