does a +1 weapon overcome physical damage resistance?

[no good scallywag]

in title...

Plus, if immune to slashing, are they immune to a magical scimitar?

[Castilliano]

No & Yes.

A +1 weapon overcomes Resistance which requires a magic weapon which is rare in PF2 even though common in DnD/PF1. It's still doing physical damage and gets resisted by Resistance Physical unless it says "Except magical" or something similar.

A scimitar only does Slashing damage, so yep.

Even though a weapon can be made magic, that only changes how well the weapon works, not how the weapon works. It and its damage remain the same type; it just adds "magic" to its traits w/o losing any other traits.

[The Bald Man]

A magical weapon does not overcome physical damage resistance.
Your example: a magical +1 scimitar does not bypass slashing resistance or immunity.

[Claxon]

If something is immune to slashing damage, then they are immune to slashing damage from a magical scimitar. Being magical doesn't change the damage type.

The only way a magical scimitar would overcome slashing resistance/immunity is if the kind of resistance said something like "DR 5/slashing or magic". Which is more of PF1 kind of thing, and even then not at all common.

[Aw3som3-117]

Yep, what the others have said. Though, I think I explain why in a bit more detail:
In pf2 physical damage doesn't mean non-magical damage. If something was immune to or resisted non-magical effects it would have to call that out. Physical damage is simply referring to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning, regardless of the source. It could be a basic weapon, a magic weapon, or even from a spell.

[Ascalaphus]

It's quite common for incorporeal creatures like ghosts to have a resistance to all damage, that is doubled against damage that isn't magical.

[no good scallywag]

one more question:

What about the spell telekinetic projectile? Does the magical nature of the attack and spell bypass the physical resistance?

[xcmt]

No, the fact that it comes from a spell's magical propulsion doesn't change the fact that the base damage is still slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning and would still be mitigated by raw physical resistance.

[breithauptclan]

Because it is a spell the damage is inherently magical, so it will bypass the higher damage resistance from non-magical damage that incorporeal creatures have.

But magical piercing damage still gets reduced by resistance(piercing).

[pauljathome]

no good scallywag wrote:

one more question:

What about the spell telekinetic projectile? Does the magical nature of the attack and spell bypass the physical resistance?

This is one area where GMs disagree. Some treat the rock as a thrown rock (the magic just propels it), some treat the rock as a spell that does bashing (or whatever) damage.

Especially important when fighting golems :-(

[HammerJack]

I think the important thing to keep in mind, for the context if magical weapons not bypassing resistance in most cases is that in this system, you'll rarely see anyone other than a bomber alchemist making non-magical Strikes any later then level 1.

[breithauptclan]

Monks don't get Mystic Strikes until level 3 ;-P

[HammerJack]

They usually get handwraps of mighty blows before that.

[Ravingdork]

I assume every spell attack is Magical.

[no good scallywag]

Interesting.

It is strange, though, that magical bows sort of imbue a non-magical arrow with it's power. Although, I could see the "power" imbued isn't really imbuing the arrow...

[Lycar]

no good scallywag wrote:

Interesting.

It is strange, though, that magical bows sort of imbue a non-magical arrow with it's power. Although, I could see the "power" imbued isn't really imbuing the arrow...

That is probably a holdover from D&D 3.0 where the enhancement bonus from bow and arrow stacked.

As did Keen and Improved Critical.

Also Fighters didn't have Intimidation as a class skill.

Those things changed with D&D 3.5 though.

[_benno]

Ravingdork wrote:

I assume every spell attack is Magical.

That might be correct but magical is not the damage type. The different damage types are physical, energy, alignment, mental, poison, bleed(also physical) and precision(special case).

Core Rulebook pg. 451 wrote:

Damage dealt by weapons, many physical hazards, and a handful of spells is collectively called physical damage. The main types of physical damage are bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing. Bludgeoning damage comes from weapons and hazards that deal blunt-force trauma, like a hit from a club or being dashed against rocks. Piercing damage is dealt from stabs and punctures, whether from a dragon's fangs or the thrust of a spear. Slashing damage is delivered by a cut, be it the swing of the sword or the blow from a scythe blades trap.

I think what that implies is that all slashing, bludgeoning, etc damage is physical no matter if it comes from a spell of weapon.