Sub-Resistance and Sub-Immunity to damage

[SuperBidi]

Hi everyone,

This may sound like a strange question but I don't find anything in the rules.
Let's say I cast Flame Strike on a creature with Resistance to all damage like a Ghost. Flame Strike says that it reduces the creature Fire Resistance. Does Flame Strike reduces the Ghost Resistance or not?

[HumbleGamer]

Why wouldn't it?

A ghost has X resistance against all but Y and Z

That spell says that given it's divine origins it halves all resistances ( and immunities are lost but gain a degree better on the roll) for what concerns that specific spell damage.

[SuperBidi]

I copy the line as it's not what it says: "Because the flame is infused with divine energy, creatures in the area apply only half their usual fire resistance."

The Fire Resistance is halved, but is a more general resistance (like a resistance to damage) halved?

[HumbleGamer]

I always considered resistance to all damage a short way to say "everything"

-Fire resistance prevents fire damage
-All damage resistance prevents fire damage
-Fire resistance is included in All damage resistance ( also, you can't stack resistance to all damage with any other single resistance ).

In different spells, abilities, monsters, etc... we can see "gain resistance to all damage" or "gain resistance to all damage but/except xxxxxxxx"

NB: the only exception, afaik, would be lvl 7 spell Energy Aegis

Quote:

You protect the target with a powerful, long-lasting energy barrier. The target gains resistance 5 to acid, cold, electricity, fire, force, negative, positive, and sonic damage.

But I am pretty sure it's because while on the one hand we have "traits" for every single kind of damage, we don't have trait for groups of damage ( like "Energy damage" or "physical damage" )

Way more easier to say "resistant to all damage" than saying "gain resistance to piercing, bludgeoning, slashing, Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, Force, Negative, Positive, Sonic."

[SuperBidi]

Yes, it's also my point of view. But it means that Flame Strike goes over any kind of immunity, so it's quite something (even if the spell's bad outside that).

[Nefreet]

Reminds me of the discussion surrounding Ghosts and Holy Water.

Holy Water specifically damages Undead, but Ghosts resist all damage, so you get two camps trying to determine which one supercedes the other.

[Castilliano]

Does the ghost's broad resistance include the divine energy mentioned in Flame Strike?
I'd say yes, since wouldn't a spell that does pure divine energy be resisted?
Then it gets murky, though for simplicity I'd say that if the divine energy is resisted, then having divine energy wouldn't help bypass the fire resistance aspect of the ghost's resistance.