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Ablative barrier reads...
Invisible layers of solid force surround and protect the target, granting that target a +2 armor bonus to AC. Additionally, the first 5 points of lethal damage the target takes from each attack are converted into nonlethal damage. Against attacks that already deal nonlethal damage, the target gains DR 5/—. Once this spell has converted 5 points of damage to nonlethal damage per caster level (maximum 50 points), the spell is discharged.
If someone has DR, such as a barbarian, does the DR apply to both the usual damage, and the non-lethal, since the regular damage is coming from the original source, and the nonlethal is coming from the spell. That's the reasoning and the basis of the question. Dont dismiss it just because you think it's broken, it's pretty powerful I admit. I just want to know RAW.
Thanks!
To the OP: Ablative Barrier is not a new source of damage, it's simply converting the type of damage that you have received (first 5 points of lethal damage the target takes from each attack).
As for Invulnerable Rager, their no special effect. The lethal damage that you take, after your DR, is converted to non-lethal. DR has already been adjudicated by that point. Otherwise, the spell itself would annul all the non-lethal damage that it converts, since it provides DR 5/lethal.
Also, the spell DR and Invulnerable Rager non-lethal DR would not stack.
Lets see...DR would apply before the Lethal damage obviously, but the nonlethal part is interesting. I would say DR would likely apply to the nonlethal because the spell is not ACTUALLY dealing damage, it is merely converting the form of damage that the attack dealt to the player so that the attack is treated as if it were dealing 5 points of nonlethal and the rest of whatever damage it may deal is calculated normally.
And as for the Invulnerable Rager question, I believe that DR does not stack so it would not increase DR. But then again, I am not well versed on DR and there could be a rule somewhere that says if you gain DR from multiple sources that are the same, then they DO stack. It seems like I have heard or read that somewhere but I am not even remotely sure on that.
Invulnerability (Ex)
At 2nd level, the invulnerable rager gains DR/— equal to half her barbarian level. This damage reduction is doubled against nonlethal damage.
Now, I am not sure on this but with the way the Invulnerable Ragers DR is worded,how it interacts with Ablative Barrier is strange.
I'm thinking that since the first 5 points of damage of an attack are nonlethal, you double your DR and then subtract the amount from your normal DR and whatever amount of DR you have after converting those 5 points is dealt with normally.This is because both the attack and the DR are both one source.
I think it is only really useful in the 1-4 range when the Invulnerable Ragers DR is less than the DR ablative barrier grants, and thus, your DR would only apply to the lethal damage.
Good point Majuba, I missed that completely.
As written:
Invisible layers of solid force surround and protect the target, granting that target a +2 armor bonus to AC.
Components V, S, M (a piece of metal cut from a shield)
This being an "Armor Bonus" would NOT normally stack with material armor or Mage Armor. But since 99%+ of all characters use one or the other... WHAT would be the point of having it in the description if it did NOT add to AC for Armor Bonus items?
Is there any official ruling where this "force shield" surrounding the player DOES ADD to his AC?