TOPIC: Damage Reduction Cap Details

I tried finding something about DR Cap in PHB and DMG and didn't find anything. Has it been added?

What I found most recent on the subject from forums:
Damage Reduction Cap
There is now a cap of Damage Reduction 20 for each type of damage, regardless of sources. Thus, the most DR you could have is (inclusive):
Acid DR 20
Blunt DR 20
Cold DR 20
Darkrift DR 20
Eldritch DR 0 (Eldritch can't be mitigated)
Fire DR 20
Force DR 20
Piercing DR 20
Poison DR 20
Sacred DR 20
Shock DR 20
Slashing DR 20
Sonic DR 20

Does this mean that there is no cap for other types of damage reduction, like unspecified ranged DR? How does Shaed work with these limits? Does it count as 2 of blunt, piercing, slashing (in addition to what else it reduces)? Is Energy Control/Energy Adjustment affected by this cap?

This is just so kludgy. To fix a self-inflicted problem with a series of single year tokens mixed with other tokens now affecting all sorts of other plays. To my knowledge, someone using Shaman's Greater Necklace for, say, ice elemental, Greaves of Absorption, and wants to use Energy Control cold exceeds the cap by 2 on cold DR. That's someone without an expensive Eldritch token (multiple ways to get to psychic 7 and Skull isn't expensive like SRoEC is). That's someone without a legendary token. Making a lot of lesser tokens irrelevant as they take someone over a cap due to how much a few tokens in the game consume of the cap.

Then, get situations like how I have SRoEC, Stalker Greaves, Kvothe's equipped. Against spell shock, only 16 DR so no interaction with cap. Now, Sunstone Trilliant. So, DR20 to shock and DR6 to spell for -26 damage to shock spell. So, this combination doesn't break the cap, yet someone running SRoEC, Greaves of Absorption, and Sunstone Trilliant does break the cap. Just so much needless bookkeeping.

All for what? To stop someone who wants to defend better from certain attack types from being too good at survival? There are significant problems with damage output in the game, but I'm not going to care if someone who has to put effort into surviving manages to make one monster's attacks not meaningful to them.

Because I find defending against dungeons more interesting than just dealing more damage, my replay metagaming will usually be about mitigating combat room damage. In order to fit defensive plays into my builds - two tokens that added a mighty 1 point of damage to my attacks between them, I had to give up significant increases in my offensive output. Acting like there's no opportunity cost with the tokens that add a bunch of DR. The model of the game is that higher rarity tokens are just better such that they lack as significant opportunity costs as tokens of the same rarity. Money makes builds stronger. Why are we caring that someone with a legendary and an expensive Eldritch is sloughing massive damage and not caring how much legendaries like Bog's or Benrow's add to making monsters die too fast?

I think from the comments that were made on the details discussion is that the cap is to future proof damage resistance so you can't receive more then 20 dr from any combined resistance and to make sure monsters can always deal damage if they want it to. IE you take 25 for and they know your going to take at least 5 but they know most people are going to have some fire resistance etc. This just keeps things from everything being Eldritch. Darkrift was being where you could a ton because of two ioun stones would get you to 20.

I get the idea behind some type of DR cap. Yes, it means we are likely not fully utilizing everything we have but we can always use those slots for something else. Ultimately, I like it when TD takes steps to try and rebalance the game.

I'd suggest the damage cap be by difficulty tier and simplify it a bit. Something like:
Normal DR 10
Hardcore DR 15
Nightmare DR 20
Epic DR 25
"DR limits apply to all damage types - eldritch cannot be mitigated by DR" would improve the wording wording.

I have a question. Immune is immune still correct? So it's not capped at 20 (example. Protection from energy 3rd level druid spell makes you totally immune)? Also how about half damage? Is that capped at 20? Or is it halved then minus your up to 20? Sorry if this is already gone over somewhere. Just pondering.
-Ogg

Ogg wrote: I have a question. Immune is immune still correct? So it's not capped at 20 (example. Protection from energy 3rd level druid spell makes you totally immune)? Also how about half damage? Is that capped at 20? Or is it halved then minus your up to 20? Sorry if this is already gone over somewhere. Just pondering.
-Ogg

Immune is immune - monks with poison, for example.
As for the calculation, I only know this because I missed it on the TD DM test and needed to look it up. Damage is calculated as follows: (p 53 DMG)


The box indicating "subtract point based modifiers" is where all DR calculations are done (whether from a spell or not.) Let's say you take 100 fire damage from an angry god (just a random example.) Dragon tooth would give you a chance to negate it if it was magical. If not, then you add up all the DR you have to that particular type of element. Let's say you have 20 DR against fire leaving 80 damage. You also have a ring of fire resistance cutting your damage in half leaving 40 damage. The process is determine if negated, take gross dmg minus DR then apply percentages. Add/subtract then multiple/divide (yep - Algebra rules.)

Fred K wrote: Damage is calculated as follows: (p 53 DMG)

In addition to the Dungeon Master's Guide, one can also find it in these places:

• Player's Handbook, Appendix 5 (currently page 73, but that's subject to change in the future)
• Dragon Tooth Amulet (because this token is what necessitated the process being spelled out)

Fred K wrote: Add/subtract then multiple/divide (yep - Algebra rules.)

Reverse algebra rules, actually.

Did anyone use the Dragon Tooth Amulet against Seth? I forgot that it existed. But, also, that kind of item runs the risk of them saying, "Nah, he's a god. It doesn't apply."

Jason Brown wrote:

Fred K wrote: Add/subtract then multiple/divide (yep - Algebra rules.)

Reverse algebra rules, actually.

We'll just have to place some parentheses in the right spots and we'll back in Algebra's good graces.

That happens to be the exact encounter I've been thinking about Jason Thanks all!

The fact that PEMDAS doesn't apply makes me upset. I understand the reason, but still.