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[[Category:Epic Path]]
[[Category:Epic Path]]
==Physical damage==
[[Image:Damage_Types_1.jpg|500px|right|Never doubt that light can kill.]]
This broad term represents damage caused by weapons, claws, rocks, that sort of thing.  Physical damage is resisted by Damage Reduction (DR). .
<div style="clear:right; float:right; font-size:85%; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.5em">__TOC__</div>
There are two broad categories of damage in Epic Path: physical damage and energy energy.  Within these categories, there are numerous specific types, each falling into either a common, uncommon, or rare abundance.


===Weapon Damage===
Physical damage is caused by physical things damaging the body.  The most common examples are weapon damage, falling damage, claws, or bites.  However, less common types of physical damage also exist, such as abrasion damage (such as getting caught in a sand storm), or rot damage.  Physical damage can be reduced with Damage Resistance (DR).
Weapons always do physical damage.  Weapons are further subdivided into three primary category's of damage: bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing.   
 
:* '''Piercing Damage:''' Piercing damage is physical damage concentrated into a very small point on the target. Piercing weapons do less damage than bludgeoning or slashing weapons, but have a higher chance of doing critical damage.   
Energy damage is most often caused by magic, but can also be caused by damage from the elements, rudiments, or fundaments of the universe. The classic energy damage types include fire, lightning, acid, and the like, but can also include bizarre and esoteric energies, such as necrotic, eldritch, or desiccation damage.  Energy damage can be reduced with Energy Resistance (ER).
:* '''Bludgeoning Damage:''' Bludgeoning damage is impact damage that tends to spread over a large area upon the target. Bludgeoning weapons tend to do more damage but have a lower chance of doing critical damage.
 
:* '''Slashing Damage:''' Slashing damage is more focused than bludgeoning but less concentrated than piercing. As such, slashing weapons tend to do average damage and have average chances of doing critical damage.
== Physical Damage ==
=== Common Physical Damage Types ===
Nearly all weapons, as well as natural attacks, such as a creature's claws, inflict common physical damage.  The most frequently encountered "physical, common" damage types are:
* bludgeoning
* crushing
* piercing
* slashing
 
Other sources of "physical, common" damage exist.  In all cases, such damage is resisted with "DR x/common", or "DR x/-".
 
=== Uncommon Physical Damage Types ===
Quite a few natural attacks include some combination of common physical damage types.  When combined, they become a harder-to-resist version of physical damage.  The most frequently encountered "physical, uncommon" damage types are:
* abrasion
* buffeting
* drilling
* falling
* gnashing
* poison
 
Other sources of "physical, uncommon" damage exist.  In all cases, such damage is resisted with "DR x/uncommon", or "DR x/-".
 
=== Rare Physical Damage Types ===
Rare physical damage is caused by some truly horrific effects, where the very sanctity of the target's corporeal flesh is compromised, often at a molecular level.  The most frequently encountered "physical, rare" damage types are:
* disintegration
* flensing
* fracturing
* laceration
* mutilation
* rot
* spindling
 
Other sources of "physical, rare" damage exist. In all cases, such damage is resisted with "DR x/rare", or "DR x/-".
 
== Energy Damage ==
=== Common Energy Damage Types ===
Common sources of energy damage most frequently align with basic elemental forces.  As a result, common energy damage is sometimes referred to as "element" damage.  The most frequently encountered "energy, common" damage types are:
* acid
* cold
* fire
* lightning
* sonic
 
Other sources of "energy, common" damage exist.  In all cases, such damage is resisted with "ER x/common", or "ER x/-".
 
=== Uncommon Energy Damage Types ===
Uncommon sources of energy damage often originate from forces of a higher order, or more complex than elemental damage.  Uncommon energy damage is sometimes referred to as "rudiment" damage.  The most frequently encountered "energy, uncommon" damage types are:
* desiccation
* force
* light
* nascent
* necrotic
* negative
* positive
* psychic
* radiant
 
Other sources of "energy, uncommon" damage exist.  In all cases, such damage is resisted with "ER x/uncommon", or "ER x/-".
 
=== Rare Energy Damage Types ===
Rare energy damage is usually caused by extra-dimensional beings of terrible power and uncertain form.  These energies rage against the very foundation of the universe, or are the foundational forces to create new universes.  Rare energy damage is sometimes referred to as "fundament" damage. The most frequently encountered "energy, rare" damage types are:
* darkfire
* eldritch
* holy
* stellar
* sunlight
* tenebrous
* void
 
Other sources of "energy, rare" damage exist. In all cases, such damage is resisted with "ER x/rare", or "ER x/-".
 
== Other Damage Considerations ==
The following subjects can be considered 'damage types', but they aren't types of damage in the same way as the types listed above.  These are game mechanics which are relevant to ''how'' damage is inflicted, but are different from the ''kinds'' of damage that are inflicted.


{{:Base Weapon Damage}}
{{:Base Weapon Damage}}


===Epic Damage===
{{:Bonus Damage}}
Epic damage has been removed from the game.  Epic damage served to make all lesser forms of DR useless, which hurt the Monk, Barbarian, Paladin, Fighter, etc quite a lot.  So, damage is damage, even when done by high level foes, and your DR/- always protects against it.  Although, see Primal Damage, next.
 
===Primal Damage===
Primal damage cannot be reduced by any type of DR or ER or any other damage-reducing ability. Any attack dealing primal damage that hits will always do its full damage to its target.  To balance this, Primal damage is rare and fraught with danger.  Alchemists can inflict Primal damage at level 35, and there is a weapon property that inflicts primal damage both upon the target of your attacks and the wielder of the weapon, and that is IT.


===Critical Damage===
===Critical Damage===


===Illusory Damage===
Illusions can cause damage, but the type of damage dealt is based on whatever the illusion is pretending to be.  That is, an illusion of an ogre swinging a giant club would deal bludgeoning (physical, common) damage, while an illusion of a fire-filled pit would deal fire (energy, common) and falling (physical, uncommon), if someone fell into it.  As such, the illusion itself dictates what type of resistance is needed to reduce its effects.
===Massive Damage===
There is an optional rule in Pathfinder that any monster or PC who deals 50 points of damage or more from a single blow causes 'massive damage' and the struck creature must make a saving throw or die.  This rule is not used in Epic Path.
===Mixed Damage Types===
In any case where an attack or effect inflicts more than one type of damage at the same time, the attack or effect should specify how much of each damage type is inflicted.  If it is not specified, the two damage types are split 50/50 across the damage being dealt.  Each damage type is resisted individually, as though the creature were hit two separate times.  That is, if an attack deals 50 points of damage as a combination of "holy (energy, rare)" and "fire (energy, common)", it really deals 25 points of holy damage, and 25 points of fire damage.  The target creature can apply any resistances they have to each damage type.  If they have a single resistance that applies to both types, it is applied twice.  Continuing our example, if the target creature had ER 10/-, which applies to both common and rare energy types, the creature would only take 15 points of holy and 15 points of fire from this attack, for a total of 30 points of damage.
It is very common for a weapon to be enchanted with a magic property that adds additional energy damage to the weapon's normal damage. A flaming longsword deals 1d8 points of slashing (physical, common) and 2d6 points of fire (energy, common).  Just as above, each damage type is resisted individually.
Of course, if a creature has neither ER, nor DR, it's just damage, and they take it all.
{{:Non-Lethal Damage}}


===Precision Damage===
===Precision Damage===
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:* Protean (subtype) - 50% chance to ignore precision damage.
:* Protean (subtype) - 50% chance to ignore precision damage.


{{:Bonus Damage}}
===Primal Damage===
Primal damage cannot be reduced by any type of DR or ER or any other damage-reducing ability. Any attack dealing primal damage that hits will always do its full damage to its target.  To balance this, Primal damage is rare and fraught with danger.  Alchemists can inflict Primal damage at level 35, and there is a weapon property that inflicts primal damage both upon the target of your attacks and the wielder of the weapon, and that is IT.


{{:Non-Lethal Damage}}
===Siege Damage===
 
Siege damage is damage inflicted by siege weapons, and is distinguished from normal weapon damage in that it is aimed at destroying objects, rather than creatures.  In a rare case where siege damage is used successfully against a creature, a single point of Siege Damage is treated as being equal to ten points of hit point damage.  Rules for destroying objects, fortifications and structures are covered by the [[Sunder]] combat maneuver, and the [[Breaking Objects]] page.  Most siege weapons deal bludgeoning or piercing damage, as specified in their description, but some higher level siege weapons are capable of dealing energy damage instead of, or in addition to, their physical damage.
===Poison damage===
Poisons deal non-lethal (bludgeoning) damage, which is resistible with DR, but they also deal ability damage (energy damage) or ability drain (energy drain).  Neither ER nor DR is effective against ability damage and ability drain.
 
===Disease damage===
Diseases generally do ability drain (energy drain) and sometimes level drain.  Neither ER nor DR is effective against ability damage, ability drain or level drain.
 
===Illusory and shadow damage===
Illusions can cause damage, but usually of the damage type that would be caused by whatever the illusion is pretending to be.  That is, an illusion of an ogre swinging a giant club would deal bludgeoning damage, while an illusion of a fire-filled pit would deal fire damage (and falling (bludgeoning) damage, if someone fell into it).  As such, the illusion itself dictates what type of resistance is needed to reduce its effects.  Often, this damage is completely negated by someone who disbelieves the illusion, while other times the damage is reduced due to its illusory nature.
 
==Energy Damage==
Energy damage is a broad category of damage, usually caused by spells, spell-like abilities and some supernatural abilities, traditionally in the form of elemental damage, but sometimes taking the form of more exotic energy types.
:* '''Elemental Damage:''' Elemental damage is the traditional 'fire, cold, sonic, acid, and lightning" damage types.  These damage types are commonly applied via spells.  Elemental damage MAY be associated with physical weapons, via weapon properties or the application of poisons via class abilities, feats, etc.  In such cases, the elemental damage and the physical damage are resolved separately against their respective resistances.
:* '''Positive/Negative Damage:''' Positive and negative damage are energy damage types that are generally associated with evil/darkness for negative damage and good/light for positive damage.  Positive/negative damage are traditionally associated with divine magics, but are also accessible via arcane magics.  Positive/negative damage are always energy attacks, and are resisted, if at all, by ER.
::* '''Healing and Positive Energy ER:''' While healing does use positive energy, it is not considered a source of damage when used against living creatures.  Therefore, ER x/positive, and ER x/- do NOT block the beneficial effects of healing.  Similarly, an undead creature who is healed by negative energy, but also has ER x/-, would still receive healing from a negative energy effect cast upon him.  Energy Resistance only blocks energy damage.
:* '''Force Damage:''' Force damage is 'non-typed' energy damage.  Force damage always deals full damage to incorporeal creatures. It is a rare damage type, and is only resisted by ER/-.
:* '''Psychic Damage:''' Psychic damage is administered by mental attacks and certain types of spells. It is a rare damage type, and is only resisted by ER/-.
:* '''Other Energy Types:''' There are countless other types of energy damage.  For example, there is 'light' damage, 'dessication' damage, 'toxic' damage, 'sunlight' damage, and 'holy' damage.  All of these damage types are treated similarly to force damage, namely, if you have a special energy resistance to it, or have resistance to all forms of energy damage (ER x/-), then you have resistance.  Otherwise, not.
 
===Mixed Damage Types===
Sometimes an attack will deal two or more types of damage, which can complicate how resistances can or cannot be applied.  If the attack in question lists separates out how much damage each of the damage types deal, then each damage type is resisted individually, just as if it were multiple separate attacks.  If, however, the attack deals more than one kind of damage, but all of that damage is made up of all of the types of damage listed, then use the guidelines below:
:* '''Two or more physical damage types:''' Some attacks, such as bite attacks (which are considered bludgeoning, piercing and slashing all at the same time) deal their damage as multiple types of physical damage.  In these cases, if one of the listed damage types bypasses the target's DR, the entire attack goes through the DR.  If none of the attack's damage types match the specified vulnerability of the DR, the attack is reduced by the DR.
:* '''Two or more energy types:''' An attack which deals more than one type of energy damage is only resisted by the worst resistance available to any of the listed energy types being inflicted by the attack.  That is, if a character is struck by a 25 point demonic fireball, dealing both negative and fire energy, and the target creature has ER 10/fire but only ER 5/negative, he could only reduce the damage by 5 points, since his ER 5/negative is the worst resistance available against the incoming damage.  If our example target creature only had ER 10/fire and no resistance to negative energy, the entire 25 points of damage would get through.
:* '''Both physical and energy damage:''' In nearly every case, this sort of attack, such as from a flaming sword, causes damage as two different damage totals, and each component of the attack (the physical and the energy) is resolved separately against the target creature's defenses.  If the attack provides only a single damage number, then it is considered "untyped damage", and the type of ability being used, whether extraordinary (Ex), supernatural (Su) or spell-like (Sp), determines which resistance is used to resist it (e.g. DR or ER). See Untyped Damage for details.


===Untyped Damage===
===Untyped Damage===
Sometimes no damage type is listed for an attack.  In these cases, the type of ability being used, whether extraordinary (Ex), supernatural (Su) or spell-like (Sp), determines which resistance is used to resist it (e.g. DR or ER):
Sometimes no damage type is listed for an attack.  In these cases, the type of ability being used, whether extraordinary (Ex), supernatural (Su) or spell-like (Sp), determines which resistance is used to resist it (e.g. DR or ER):
:* '''Extraordinary Abilities (Ex):''' Untyped damage caused by an extraordinary ability (EX) is treated as physical damage unless the ability states otherwise, and is therefore subject to reduction by DR. However, in most cases, such damage is only blocked by DR x/-.
:* '''Extraordinary Abilities (Ex):''' An extraordinary ability (Ex) that inflicts an unspecified damage type is treated as "physical, common" and can be resisted with "DR x/common", or "DR x/-". If it specifically calls out that the damage dealt is "untyped", it can only be resisted with "DR x/rare", or "DR x/-".
:* '''Supernatural (Su) and Spell-Like Abilities (Sp):''' Untyped damage dealt by a supernatural or spell-like ability is considered energy damage unless the ability states otherwise, and can be reduced by ER. However, in most cases, such damage is only blocked by ER/-.
:* '''Supernatural Abilities (Su):''' A supernatural ability (Su) that inflicts an unspecified damage type is treated as "energy, common" and can be resisted with "ER x/common", or "ER x/-". If it specifically calls out that the damage dealt is "untyped", it can only be resisted with "ER x/rare", or "ER x/-".
 
:* '''Spell-Like Abilities (Sp):''' A spell-like ability (Su), or any spell, that inflicts an unspecified damage type is treated as "energy, common" and can be resisted with "ER x/common", or "ER x/-".  If it specifically calls out that the damage dealt is "untyped", it can only be resisted with "ER x/rare", or "ER x/-".
===Siege Damage===
Siege damage is damage inflicted by siege weapons, and is distinguished from normal weapon damage in that it is of much greater magnitude, so that even sturdy objects can be readily destroyed by siege damage.  As a rule, a point of Siege Damage is roughly equal to ten points of hit point damage.  Siege Damage is only inflicted by weapons and effects which have some special property or quality which allows them to inflict siege damage.  All siege weapons have the Sunder mundane weapon quality, allowing them to deal damage to unattended objects, fortifications and structures, even when those objects contain metal or stone.  Rules for destroying objects, fortifications and structures are covered by the [[Sunder]] combat maneuver, and the [[Breaking Objects]] page.  Most siege weapons deal bludgeoning or piercing damage, as specified in their description, but some higher level siege weapons are capable of dealing energy damage instead of, or in addition to, their physical damage.
 
===Massive Damage===
There is an optional rule in Pathfinder that any monster or PC who deals 50 points of damage or more from a single blow causes 'massive damage' and the struck creature must make a saving throw or die.  We think this rule sucks for a number of reasons, the biggest one being that 'save or die' is just no fun.  The GM will do 'massive damage' to the PC's far more often than the PC's do it to the GM, since he's got an infinite number of monsters to use.  Furthermore, since Epic Path goes all the way up to level 35, dealing 50 points of damage with a single blow just isn't that big a deal once you get a few levels under your belt.  This rule is not used in Epic Path.
 
==Damage Resistance==
Damage Resistance (DR) is a special defense which is used to reduce the amount of physical damage taken, but is often overcome by one specified type of damage.  One example might be a skeleton who has DR 5/bludgeoning, meaning that the skeleton subtracts 5 points of damage from each physical attack it is subject to, unless that physical attack is made with a bludgeoning weapon.  Skeletons can resist damage caused by piercing and slashing weapons because they have no 'meat' to be damaged by concentrated force.  Bludgeoning weapons, on the other hand, overcome that damage resistance, since blunt force trauma is highly effective against the skeleton's bones. 
 
DR is always penetrated by the damage type listed in its name, and blocks all other damage types.  If DR has no particular weakness, it is represented with a dash (i.e. DR 10/-), meaning that any physical attacks are reduced by the amount listed (in the example, 10 points). DR x/- is therefore quite powerful, but also rare.
 
{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:left" width="95%"
|-
! width="20%" | Type of DR || width="40%" | Blocks || width="40%" | Bypassed By
|-
| DR x/bludgeoning || all physical attacks except those made with bludgeoning weapons || physical attacks with bludgeoning damage (including most Non-Lethal Damage)
|-
| DR x/piercing || all physical attacks except those made with piercing weapons || physical attacks with piercing damage
|-
| DR x/slashing || all physical attacks except those made with slashing weapons || physical attacks with slashing damage
|-
| DR x/magic || all physical attacks from non-magical weapons || physical attacks from magical weapons, or creatures of CR 5 or higher
|-
| DR x/silver || all physical attacks except those made with silvered weapons || Silvered weapons, or those made from Bladesilver or Bloodsilver
|-
| DR x/cold iron || all physical attacks except those made with cold iron weapons || cold iron weapons
|-
| DR x/adamantine || all physical attacks except those made with adamantine weapons || adamantine weapons, or those made from dolemetal, truemetal or paramount alloy
|-
| DR x/lawful || all physical attacks except those made with lawfully aligned weapons || weapons with the Axiomatic magic weapon property, or aligned via a class ability
|-
| DR x/good || all physical attacks except those made with good aligned weapons || weapons with the Holy magic weapon property, or aligned via a class ability
|-
| DR x/chaotic || all physical attacks except those made with chaotic aligned weapons || weapons with the Anarchic magic weapon property, or aligned via a class ability
|-
| DR x/evil || all physical attacks except those made with evil aligned weapons || weapons with the Unholy magic weapon property, or aligned via a class ability
|-
| DR x/neutral || all physical attacks except those made with neutral aligned weapons || weapons with the Void magic weapon property, or aligned via a class ability
|-
| DR x/- || all physical attacks except primal damage || primal damage or non-physical (energy) attacks
|}
 
==Energy Resistance==
Energy Resistance (ER) is used to reduce damage caused by energy attacks.  Unlike Damage Resistance (DR), Energy Resistance ONLY blocks the energy type listed.  For example, ER 10/fire would reduce any damage caused by fire by 10 points, but damage caused by other energy sources, such as lightning or sonic, would not be reduced.
 
Energy Resistance that blocks all energy types is written as ER x/- (where x represents the amount of damage to reduce energy attacks by; for example, ER 10/- reduces any energy damage by 10 points).  This type of ER is highly desirable, but difficult to come by.


Note that energy resistance does not block non-damaging effects, even if it is ER x/- and blocks all energy types.  This means that healing effects, which use positive energy, are not reduced or blocked by a character's ER 10/-, or even a character's ER 10/positive.  Only positive energy being used to cause damage would be blocked by ER x/positive (and traditionally, only undead or very [[evil subtype|evil]] creatures take damage from positive energy).
{{:Damage Resistance}}


{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:left" width="95%"
{{:Energy Resistance}}
! width="20%" | Type of ER || width="40%" | Blocks || width="40%" | Bypassed By
|-
| ER x/fire || fire damage || any other energy type
|-
| ER x/cold || cold damage || any other energy type
|-
| ER x/sonic || sonic damage || any other energy type
|-
| ER x/acid || acid damage || any other energy type
|-
| ER x/electricity || electricity damage || any other energy type
|-
| ER x/positive || positive damage (but not healing, if used on the living) || any other energy type
|-
| ER x/negative || negative damage (but not healing, if used on undead) || any other energy type
|-
| ER x/- || all energy types except primal || primal damage or physical (weapon) attacks
|}

Revision as of 21:18, 11 July 2018

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