Do you know what type of DR he uses in comparison to the weapon type he is using, as that would greatly help narrow the answer down.
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Well, I believe that the "AP" with a Barbarian and a Vicious Weapon is really a PFS scenario. PFS isn't remarkably well known for being 100% accurate on the rules, and several times as a GM I have noted the rules being wrong and run with them assuming it was a specific "houserule" for PFS.
I'd say that from the description of the weapon, its untyped energy damage. That said, it isn't the only RAW interpretation, so FAQ'd.
I'll FAQ too, though if it's a published AP, even if it's used for PFS, it still has value outside of their PFS houseruling in terms of getting a definitive answer.
If it's Barbarian DR and his DR works against the damage he takes from the Vicious property, then the answer is that the damage type is the same as the type being dealt by the weapon that's enchanted.
I've seen this asked before, I believe it is the case that the damage from Vicious is untyped damage (I'm even a little wary of calling it untyped energy damage) and therefore it is not subject to any sort of DR whatsoever.
The scenario is either in error (it does occasionally happen) or the author wished for that particular enemy to be a specific exception to the rules for one reason or another.
It's not an AP, it's a scenario from Season 2.
I don't want to keep referencing it, because it's a big spoiler.
But its very existence is still more weight than not.
That's a much bigger clarification. If it were in a published AP, it would practically be indisputable evidence. The factor that it's PFS-Only subtracts from the RAW situation on the matter, given PFS and its extensive amounts of houseruling and other little gimmicks. Anyway...
Re-reading the RAW, it specifies the energy disruption itself dealing the damage, meaning it wouldn't make sense to have it follow the same damage as the weapon being wielded. As others have stated though, it doesn't specify a type. I doubt it would be Negative Energy, because it would've included a clause regarding Undead or Constructs or what have you if that were the case.
To be honest, it would make the most sense to label it as Force Damagel it's a type of energy, and there's practically nothing that has resistance towards it. It's not the most fitting, but it makes sense mechanics-wise.
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Re-reading the RAW, it specifies the energy disruption itself dealing the damage, meaning it wouldn't make sense to have it follow the same damage as the weapon being wielded.
When a vicious strikes an opponent, creates a flash of disruptive energy that resonates between the opponent and the wielder.
It specifies the weapon dealing the damage.
The same as Merciful.
This was mentioned in the OP.
Kazaan did expose something from the RAW though.
The Merciful property says this:
The weapon deals an extra 1d6 points of damage, and all damage it deals is nonlethal damage. On command, the weapon suppresses this ability until told to resume it (allowing it to deal lethal damage, but without any bonus damage from this ability).
It calls out the weapon dealing the damage, and it says all the damage the weapon deals is nonlethal.
The vicious property says the weapon creates a flash of energy, and the energy deals the damage.
RAW, the energy disruption is different from the weapon, and therefore the Vicious property would not be affected by the Merciful property, should both be tacked onto the same weapon.
Just a fun fact in Rules Lawyering...
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Are you sure you're reading the right passage?
We each quoted the same text, and bolded different sections of it, so it's obviously a matter of interpretation.
You're pointing out that the energy is creating the damage.
I get that.
I'm pointing out that the weapon is creating the damage.
Which is the heart of why we're here asking for an FAQ.
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When a vicious weapon strikes, it creates a flash of energy. That energy causes the damage, as shown in the text. So it is not Option #1.
There is no mention of Negative energy or the effects on Undead or Constructs as Darksol has pointed out. So it is not Option #3.
This leaves Option #2.
As a guess, I'd say the energy is untyped so you can't set up a situation where you can ignore the 1d6 coming back at you; in essence getting the +2d6 for free.
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As it is untyped "Energy" that is causing the damage, I'd probably go with it being "Untyped Energy Damage" and the PFS Scenario being unique/wrong. Just my thoughts though.
It's basically like flaming et al.; the weapon deals the extra damage in both cases, but the extra damage is energy-based (fire for flaming, untyped for vicious). In both cases, DR does not apply, though some weird sort of unruled energy resistance would if it existed.
The PFS scenario is basically "monsters cheat"; pay it little mind.
Obviously it's not a ruling and isn't from the dev team but for what it's worth there's a thread from a few years back where JJ weighs in and says it's probably best to consider it untyped I believe.
Here we go, found it.
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2k32u?Vicious-special-weapon-property-is-untype d
Actually it's quite interesting that later on in the thread, JJ seems to move away from the "untyped energy" and go with "extra damage" as it is listed under Vicious as well as under Bane or a Rogue's Sneak damage. This extra damage tends to be just more of whatever the base damage is. So by this reasoning a Vicious club is basically dishing out 3d6 bludgeoning with 1d6 bludgeoning coming back at you.
This would mean that the use of "disruptive energy" is just poorly worded flavor text. "Disruptive energy" doesn't appear anywhere else in the system that I know of. So it could be an untyped energy, although the wording does seem ambiguous. "Extra Damage", however, is an established mechanic.
Unsure at this point.
Meh, my group and I always believed that the Viscious property was dealing FORCE damage (which can't be resisted by any form of DR). I realize that there is nothing in the description to support this, but basically 'untyped' damage and 'force damage' are technically the same thing (at least in terms of resisting the damage since nothing in Pathfinder has Resistance/Immunity to Force damage).
So you can damage Incorporeal with it?
The text starts by saying the weapon create the energy.
The second part says this energy (which the weapon creates) deals blar blar.
My bracketed bit isn't included as the first sentence already told you where the damage came from and shouldn't need repeating imo.
The damage comes from the weapon and therefore DR will reduce the part damaging the person using it.
I think what is throwing people off on this is the mention of "Energy" and "Extra Damage" in the same description. We see "Energy" and think that it's some form of untyped energy damage. But when we see "Extra Damage", then we want to treat it as other forms of extra damage...which is to say more of whatever original type the source is causing...slashing in the case of a longsword.
The text starts by saying the weapon create the energy.
The second part says this energy (which the weapon creates) deals blar blar.My bracketed bit isn't included as the first sentence already told you where the damage came from and shouldn't need repeating imo.
The damage comes from the weapon and therefore DR will reduce the part damaging the person using it.
The attack is made from the weapon. When the weapon hits, it creates a flash of energy. The flash of energy deals an extra 2D6 damage to the enemy (and 1D6 to yourself).
Merciful only adjusts damage done by the weapon. Since the flash of energy does the damage, which is not technically part of the weapon, that damage does not convert to non-lethal via Merciful property.
Unless the Merciful affects the energy originating from the weapon that is Merciful.
Poison is a rider on the weapon and not something created by it. Plus I only know of one poison that deals hpt damage. The rest cause other effects which nonlethal doesn't apply to.
As for flame, Merciful does turn Flame damage into nonlethal. The word "all" in the text is inclusive. Plus you have a feat like 'Merciful Spell' that does exactly that. :)
So whether Vicious damage is an untyped energy or extra damage from the weapon type, all of it is nonlethal with Merciful in play.
But then this might be a discussion for another thread.
I personally think that failing to name a type of damage is a failing on the part of the rules (and not just for this effect). As a GM I don't really believe in "untyped damage." Every damage should have a "type." But my opinion matters in my own home games. In my home games I'd call it negative energy.
"Untyped damage" is affected by DR. In this case the damage would have the magic property, so it would bypass DR/magic, but nothing else. A barbarian's DR X/- definitely would work on untyped damage.
"Untyped energy damage" is a whole different beast, but I'm not certain there even CAN be untyped energy damage.
Peet
So you can damage Incorporeal with it?
Not sure why that's relevant. After all, if you hit an incoporal with a flaming, frost, or shocking weapon, the elmental damage will still apply. I'm not suggesting that ALL the weapon damage becomes force damage. I'm just saying that my group considers the 2d6 to the enemy and 1d6 to the wielder as the only source of force damage.
So you can damage Incorporeal with it?Not sure why that's relevant. After all, if you hit an incoporal with a flaming, frost, or shocking weapon, the elmental damage will still apply. I'm not suggesting that ALL the weapon damage becomes force damage. I'm just saying that my group considers the 2d6 to the enemy and 1d6 to the wielder as the only source of force damage.
Non-force effects only deal 50% damage. Turning Vicious into a Force effect upgrades that to 100%. That's all. No comments beyond that.
Given that Enervation is the component spell for Vicious and it is considered a moderate "necromancy" affect it could be argued that Negative Energy is the type.
However the possibly unintended side affect is being wielded by someone with Negative energy affinity.
I would treat it as thus and raise it for approval from a GM before use in tandum with an undeadish character.
Otherwise untyped damage is the only way to play it "as intended" I would not be counting it as force damage because as intended doesn't seem like its suppose to be extra effective against incorporeal enemies.