TOPIC: Damage Reduction - take two

Damage Reduction (DR)
To maintain clarity, consistency, and speed in combat, use this standard for calculating Damage Reduction.

The Core Rule
Add up the DR numbers from your tokens and abilities that match the incoming attack.

Clarifications & Special Cases

• Token Text: Any token or ability stating "-X damage" grants X DR.
• "Ranged" DR: Shorthand for Missile DR and Spell DR.
• "All" DR: Tokens or abilities granting "All" DR (e.g., Deathward Greaves or Level 5 Barbarian Toughness) contribute to Melee, Missile, and Spell DR. They do not double-dip or multiply across individual damage types. "All" DR can also mitigate special cases like Proximity Damage and Ambient Damage.
• Delivery, Type, & Source DR: Many tokens specify exact delivery methods (Melee, Missile, Spell), damage types (Fire, Cold, Shock, etc.), or specific situations (vs. Undead, Retribution). Add their DR whenever that exact delivery, type, or situation applies.
• The Cap: Total damage mitigated with DR cannot exceed 20 points per attack (unlimited in Mythic).

Examples
Equipped Tokens: Deathward Greaves (3 Melee/Missile/Spell DR), Earcuff of Thor's Bliss (2 Shock/Sonic DR), Ioun Stone Sapphire Trilliant (10 Darkrift/Sacred DR).

• Volcanic Fist (20 melee/fire damage)
  • DR: 3 (Melee) = 3 DR
  • Result: 20 – 3 = 17 damage taken
• Holy Arrow (15 missile/sacred damage)
  • DR: 3 (Missile) + 10 (Sacred) = 13 DR
  • Result: 15 – 13 = 2 damage taken
• Thunder Strike (20 spell/shock damage)
  • DR: 3 (Spell) + 2 (Shock) = 5 DR
  • Result: 20 – 5 = 15 damage taken
• Chaos Storm (25 spell/darkrift/sacred damage)
  • DR: 3 (Spell) + 10 (Darkrift) + 10 (Sacred) = 23 DR -> Capped at 20 DR
  • Result: 25 – 20 = 5 damage taken

Unsure what delivery methods or damage types an attack consists of? Just ask your DM!

This seems much more in line with how I expect tokens to behave and seems intuitive to use in the dungeon.

I believe this is covered by the reference to proxy damage but to confirm this also means that with deathward greaves equiped you would take no damage from Guatlets of the midgard serpent?

Thanks for the hard work that's gone into this!

I like that double dipping is now gone, as that was the confusing part for me. Getting 3*N DR from Deathward Greaves being the biggest example - it didn't make sense that one token could potentially hit the cap on a Prismatic Spray-type attack that did Spell + 6 different typed damages.

I agree, this makes a lot of sense.

That makes more sense - except in your Chaos example don't you have the Ioun Stone double-dipping and stopping 20 points of damage? If the Greaves can't double (or more) dip, it doesn't seem like the Ioun Stone should either.

Agree, this is great. Makes sense, and should be easy to calculate.

Mike Steele wrote: That makes more sense - except in your Chaos example don't you have the Ioun Stone double-dipping and stopping 20 points of damage? If the Greaves can't double (or more) dip, it doesn't seem like the Ioun Stone should either.

Great question.

Tokens that specify multiple specific types of DR can mitigate all named types in a single attack. Ioun Stone Sapphire Trilliant gives a specific example in TokenDB, as do others.

The Greaves (and level 5 Barbarian DR) can be read as "-X damage from Melee, Missile, and Spell" for consistency.

However, monster attacks comprised of multiple elemental damage types are not planned to be the norm going forward.

Hypothetically, if a trap or other source dealt non-eldritch damage (not counting push damage), the Greaves would stop three points from that also, wouldn't it? I recall taking poison damage from drinking from a keg. That wasn't an attack or a spell, but the Greaves should stop three points of that damage I'd think.

Or, if you're taking damage every turn for walking on coals or something, that wouldn't count as an attack or spell, but the Greaves would prevent three from that wouldn't it?

It seems like defining it as DR for just attacks and spells limits it more than it should. It prevents three from every type of damage that isn't push or eldritch.

Mike Steele wrote: Hypothetically, if a trap or other source dealt non-eldritch damage (not counting push damage), the Greaves would stop three points from that also, wouldn't it? I recall taking poison damage from drinking from a keg. That wasn't an attack or a spell, but the Greaves should stop three points of that damage I'd think.

You're right. Most puzzle damage is Eldritch - but if not, then it is mitigable.

PinkRobin wrote: This seems much more in line with how I expect tokens to behave and seems intuitive to use in the dungeon.

I believe this is covered by the reference to proxy damage but to confirm this also means that with deathward greaves equiped you would take no damage from Guatlets of the midgard serpent?

That’s a great edge case! Since you’re indirectly inflicting the damage on yourself, I agree that the Greaves mitigate the effect from the Gauntlets, fitting the spirit of "All" DR.

Melee, Missile, and Spell cover the vast majority of damage delivery, but other delivery methods and sources exist (like Proximity, Ambient, or magical feedback from those Gauntlets). "All" DR is meant to apply in most cases, making that 3 damage mitigable, either fully with Deathward Greaves or partially with Barbarian Toughness.