Some of the sorcerer bloodlines grant DR instead of energy resistance, and the DR is against only one type of damage. What I want to know is if they, say have DR against bludgeoning damage and are hit by a weapon that deals bludgeoning and piercing damage, will the DR apply or not?
DR is typically listed with what damage types bypass it, not what it stops. So DR that only stopped bludgeoning damage would be DR X/slashing and piercing. A weapon that does bludgeoning and piercing (say a morninstar) would bypass that as it does piercing.
Can you provide an example of the DR you are referring to?
Can you give a specific example?
offhand the only bloodline I know that has an ability like that is the undead bloodline, but it grants DR 5/- against non-lethal damage. However, obviously damage is always going to either be lethal or non-lethal. So you're not going to have the mixed issue like you're describing.
In the example you've provided. If a character had DR similar to what the undead bloodline provides but it was against bludgeoning damage instead of non-lethal. Then, they would get to apply it so long as the damage includes the bludgeoning type.
So, if an enemy did a bite attack against said character (which is bludgeoning, slashing and piercing) the character would get to apply it's DR against the attack.
If only part of it was considered bludgeoning (say a bite attack with flaming) then the DR would only apply against the bludgeoning portion of the damage.
Edit: It's worth noting this is only because the DR in question is DR 5/-. If it was something really bizarre like DR 5/silver vs bludgeoning then any bludgeoning damage that is silver or it's equivalent would be able to bypass the DR.
I believe I understand now, as I was thinking about this in the wrong way. Instead of DR against a kind of damage, I should be thinking of they have DR 5/ X or y, X and Y being the other damage types.
For what I'm referencing, it's here:
"For the purpose of the dragon resistance bloodline power, you gain DR equal to half the energy resistance you would normally gain against all attacks of that specific damage type. A character with the power of wyrms bloodline power gains immunity to her bloodline’s damage type."
This is from the sorcerer draconic bloodline.
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Cite all the text:
Expanded Bloodlines
Chromatic and metallic dragons remain the most common dragons to impart their legacy onto other species. The bloodrager and sorcerer classes each include a draconic bloodline that assumes the character’s lineage is somehow connected with the power of a chromatic or metallic dragon.
Presented below are expanded options for the existing draconic bloodlines. Each of the draconic bloodlines below alters the bloodrager’s or sorcerer’s bloodline arcana.
Energy Types: Several of these new draconic bloodline options include nonstandard damage types. For the sake of game balance, many of the damage types available to the bloodlines below somewhat differ from those produced by the parent dragon. Specifically, force energy, negative energy, and sonic energy have been altered to different types of energy.
In cases where a dragon’s energy type is listed as physical damage (such as bludgeoning or piercing), use that damage type when determining your breath weapon damage. For the purpose of the dragon resistance bloodline power, you gain DR equal to half the energy resistance you would normally gain against all attacks of that specific damage type. A character with the power of wyrms bloodline power gains immunity to her bloodline’s damage type. For all other purposes, such as archetypes, bloodline powers, and feats, treat that dragon’s energy type as fire.
I believe I understand now, as I was thinking about this in the wrong way. Instead of DR against a kind of damage, I should be thinking of they have DR 5/ X or y, X and Y being the other damage types.
For what I'm referencing, it's here:
"For the purpose of the dragon resistance bloodline power, you gain DR equal to half the energy resistance you would normally gain against all attacks of that specific damage type. A character with the power of wyrms bloodline power gains immunity to her bloodline’s damage type."
This is from the sorcerer draconic bloodline.
So, reading over it several times. It looks like the progression would be the following. A sorcerer with the Forest dragon bloodline would get the following progression.
3rd lvl: DR 2/- against piercing
9th lvl: DR 5/- against piercing
20th lvl: Immunity against piercing
As I stated earlier, these would apply against any damage that includes piercing. So, while a claw attack (bludgeoning and slashing) would be unaffected by the DR a bite attack would be.
As I stated earlier, these would apply against any damage that includes piercing. So, while a claw attack (bludgeoning and slashing) would be unaffected by the DR a bite attack would be.
Nope, you have this backwards, quoting from the CRB, weapon table definition of "type":
Type: Weapons are classified according to the type of damage they deal: B for bludgeoning, P for piercing, or S for slashing. Some monsters may be resistant or immune to attacks from certain types of weapons.
"Some weapons deal damage of multiple types. If a weapon causes two types of damage, the type it deals is not half one type and half another; all damage caused is of both types. Therefore, a creature would have to be immune to both types of damage to ignore any of the damage caused by such a weapon."
As I stated earlier, these would apply against any damage that includes piercing. So, while a claw attack (bludgeoning and slashing) would be unaffected by the DR a bite attack would be.
Nope, you have this backwards, quoting from the CRB, weapon table definition of "type":
Type: Weapons are classified according to the type of damage they deal: B for bludgeoning, P for piercing, or S for slashing. Some monsters may be resistant or immune to attacks from certain types of weapons.
"Some weapons deal damage of multiple types. If a weapon causes two types of damage, the type it deals is not half one type and half another; all damage caused is of both types. Therefore, a creature would have to be immune to both types of damage to ignore any of the damage caused by such a weapon."
yes thats how it normally works. This is not how the sorcerer bloodline ability is worded and specfic trumps general.
Seems to me that the last sentence I quoted specifically addresses this circumstance, but you and I clearly read it differently.
Seems to me that the last sentence I quoted specifically addresses this circumstance, but you and I clearly read it differently.
I read it that all damage is considered all types. So, in the case of normal DR, say DR 5/slashing. A bite attack which is (P/S/B) would bypass the dr and do full damage because it is considered slashing in addition to the other types.
do you see it differently?
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I'm with LordKailas. In the case of the Forest Dragon, the sorcerer DR specifically isn't DR/slashing and bludgeoning. You gain DR against piercing, which means that if damage you are inflicted contains a piercing compeonent, regardless of other types, then you gain DR against that damage.
This is one reason why I dislike that DR is written as "what damage you DONT reduce" whereas resistance is written as "what damage you reduce".
Inconsistency in rules formats like this always bothers me...
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The last sentence I quoted says that being immune to bludgeoning does not make you immune to an attack that is both bludgeoning and piercing. That is the one point I am disagreeing with LordKallas on.
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The single sentence Java Man is refering to is:
"Therefore, a creature would have to be immune to both types of damage to ignore any of the damage caused by such a weapon."
Granted, immunity and DR are different, but immunity could also be considered DR infinite and, as we have established the sorcerer DR is not presented as normal DR, so we have to interpret to some degree.
So we have a morning star that deals 5 points of bludgeoning and piercing.
A creature with Immunity to piercing damage would take 5 points of damage.
A creature with DR 5/slashing or bludgeoning (the standard way DR is presented for something that had protection from just piercing damage) would take 5 points.
I find it difficult to come up with a logical reason why the weirdly presented sorcerer DR 5/only piercing would not be the same and the sorcerer would take 5 points of damage.
The last sentence I quoted says that being immune to bludgeoning does not make you immune to an attack that is both bludgeoning and piercing. That is the one point I am disagreeing with LordKallas on.
I see, I should have read closer. I thought you were disagreeing with my entire statement not just the point about mixed damage types.
Certainly this would apply to the 20th level version of the ability that does grant actual immunity to the damage type (piercing in the case of the forest dragon).
The DR rules of course only address what comes right before and after the / and therefore don't really address it. I agree that my evaluation when it comes to mixed damage was inconsistent with the rule on damage immunity. DR could be considered a type of damage immunity and so its reasonable treat it as such.