Monk and Stoneskin

[JacktheRabbit]

If I cast stoneskin on a monk does his unarmed attacks attack as +5 weapons for the purpose of damage reduction?

 

[Artoomis]

ROFL

I think ... NOT!

The monk is not a creature with DR 10/+5, he only gains DR for as long as the spell lasts. Not the same thing at all.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Oh really oh wise and arrogant one.

So please enlighten me with the difference between a natural DR and a magical DR. The ONLY difference is one has a time duration and can be dispelled.

Thats it, end of story, have a nice day.

 

[Zhure]

DMG, page 74:
'For purposes of harming other creatures with damage reduction, a creature's natural weapons count as weapons of the type that can ignore its own innate damage reduction. The amount of damage reduction is irrelevant... However damage reduction from spells, such as stoneskin, does not confer this ability."

-emphasis added-

Greg

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Thanks for the rules quote. Sounds like one of the simple good for the goose but not good for the gander type rules. Of course it makes sense since it would drastically increase the power of Stoneskin.

How about this then. What if you use a shape change spell to change into something with DR. That DR is being given to you by a spell so does it also not apply to you being able to strike as an equivalent magic item?

 

[mikebr99]

DR is a supernatural ability... shapechange doesn't give you the use of supernatural abilities.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

I double checked and you are correct. This means that DR can be supressed by an anti-magic field. Wow that sure made Beholders even more powerful and useful as allies. I would have never made it that a Dragon or worse a Balor loses its DR the instant it walks into an anti-magic field.

DR is a supernatural ability... shapechange doesn't give you the use of supernatural abilities.

 

[Metalsmith]

I would have never made it that a Dragon or worse a Balor loses its DR the instant it walks into an anti-magic field.

What!? You must like killing off your players. Could you please tell me what can kill a Dragon with DR or worse yet a Balor while it's inside an Anti-Magic Field? Aside from Bolts from the Blue, or various oozes and slimes.

Metalsmith

 

[JacktheRabbit]

A dragon or Balor inside an anti-magic field can now be killed by 100 guys with pocket knives as the criticals pile up. That same dragon or Balor outside the field would wipe the field of 10 times that many men.

Those random criticals would add up quickly. 100 guys with bows will guaruntee that a few will crit and hit and a few of those will crit and confirm every round. Without DR that damage adds up. With DR none of it gets to actually remove hitpoints and the dragon or balor minces the army. This does not even begin to take into account the loss of magic ability for the dragon or balor while in the field.

What!? You must like killing off your players. Could you please tell me what can kill a Dragon with DR or worse yet a Balor while it's inside an Anti-Magic Field? Aside from Bolts from the Blue, or various oozes and slimes.

Metalsmith

 

[AuraSeer]

A dragon or Balor inside an anti-magic field can now be killed by 100 guys with pocket knives as the criticals pile up. That same dragon or Balor outside the field would wipe the field of 10 times that many men.

AMF only has a 10' radius. You couldn't fit 100 guys into that area.

Seriously though, you're right. Dragons, demons, and other high-powered baddies are inherently magical creatures. Their power, and even their existence, depends on magic. Take away the magic, and a dragon is just a very big, very smart lizard. In a dead magic zone, it could be overwhelmed by an army of ordinary fighters; that's why dragons don't hang out in dead magic zones.