Does a magic weapon (Solar weapon and/or a weapon with a fusion added, which as I understand it, makes a weapon magical) bypass all DR or are there times it doesn't?
A weapon being magical only bypasses DR/Magic.
If you were to see something like DR/cold iron, then only a weapon being made of cold iron would bypass the DR, and being magical is not relevant.
DR/- has no built in means of bypassing.
Thank you :)
Note that DR is irrelevant for things that do elemental damage. Fire/electric/sonic/acid/cold bypass DR and deal with resistance instead.
Energy damage doesn't interact with DR, it must instead contend with energy resistance.
As for kinetic damage (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) it does have to deal with DR. Unless it is of a damage type that bypasses the DR. DR/slashing would be bypassed by slashing. And DR/magic would be bypassed by a magic weapon. I'm not sure how common these are on creatures in Starfinder vs Pathfinder. But a magical weapon wont do anything except bypass DR/magic. So if it's a material based or damage type DR you're hosed.
Energy damage doesn't interact with DR, it must instead contend with energy resistance.
As for kinetic damage (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) it does have to deal with DR. Unless it is of a damage type that bypasses the DR. DR/slashing would be bypassed by slashing. And DR/magic would be bypassed by a magic weapon. I'm not sure how common these are on creatures in Starfinder vs Pathfinder. But a magical weapon wont do anything except bypass DR/magic. So if it's a material based or damage type DR you're hosed.
The Alien Archives have published only two options that have DR/slashing/bludgeoning/piercing - Mi-Go(slashing), Moonflower (slashing). AA1 DR/magic aliens include: Deh-Nolo,Dragon, Skeleton Undead, Occult Zombie, Void Hag, Witchwyrd. AA2 DR/magic creatures are Corpsefolk, Dragons, Emotivore, Haeshi-Shaa.
So DR/magic pretty much only matters for a big chunk of undead templates (but by no means all), dragons, some dark tapestry stuff, and a few oddballs. It's by no means pervasive. DR/- is more common, DR/material or alignment is scattered.
Yeah, I figured DR/- (can't be bypassed*) is probably the most common. Though monster usually have less HP to compensate for that defense ability though.
*There are some special abilities that can get around it, like the soldiers Heavy Onslaught gear boost.
Appreciate everyone's input.
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I guessed since there's a feat giving you DR/- equal to your BAB that DR/- would be the most prevalent.
And, Heavy Onslaught is awful. Even if it was the only way to bypass DR in the game, I'd still never take it.
Depending on how your GM runs it, yeah it can be truly terrible.
If you take the most beneficial interpretation, that it effectively reduces DR by the listed amount....it's ok. Still not great. If you go with the interpretation that it only activates when your damage would be completely negated due to DR, and then gives you 5 or 10 damage then yes its abysmal.
The elemental resistance reduction version suffers the same problem.
I guessed since there's a feat giving you DR/- equal to your BAB that DR/- would be the most prevalent.
And, Heavy Onslaught is awful. Even if it was the only way to bypass DR in the game, I'd still never take it.
Depending on how your GM runs it, yeah it can be truly terrible.
If you take the most beneficial interpretation, that it effectively reduces DR by the listed amount....it's ok. Still not great. If you go with the interpretation that it only activates when your damage would be completely negated due to DR, and then gives you 5 or 10 damage then yes its abysmal.
The elemental resistance reduction version suffers the same problem.
I can't imagine that the latter interpretation is what the developers had in mind when they wrote Heavy Onslaught. Yes, I read the thread on it. To me, it was clearly written to take into account other methods of reducing resistance/DR and stack with them, not be a pittance of consolation prize if an extremely unlikely event happens.