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When resisting damage, you apply the resistance to each applicable "instance of damage" (damage type) separately. Does the same also apply to weaknesses? If you attack an enemy who is weak to Holy, and your attack deals many different damage types, all holy, does each damage type trigger the weakness separately?

For example, say a Champion has a Thundering, Frost, Brilliant Spear, with an attached Weapon Siphon loaded with Bottled Lightning, and has hit an enemy Marilith, which has Weakness 15 to Holy.

The Champion's strikes are Holy, so the strike would deal the following instances of damage:

  • Holy Piercing damage
  • Holy Sonic damage
  • Holy Cold damage
  • Holy Fire damage
  • Holy Spirit damage
  • Holy Electricity damage

All of these are separate instances of damage, so would this Champion apply the Marilith's weakness once to each damage type, for a total of 90 additional damage?

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1 Answer 1

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There's no such thing as Holy Sonic damage (etc.). You only apply the weakness once.

But there are two ways to interpret the rules that you'll encounter out in the wild. (Both with essentially the same result, for this example):

RAW

The attack is one instance, all damage is totaled, and only the highest weakness applies. Per the rules for Damage Rolls:

Step 1: Count and roll all damage dice. Your attack deals Xd6+Str.

Step 2: Determine type. Your attack has Piercing, Sonic, Cold, Fire, Electric, and Holy.

Step 3: Apply immunities, weaknesses, and resistances. (In that order.)

Weakness states:

If more than one weakness would apply to the same instance of damage, use only the highest applicable weakness value.

The Marilith has Weakness Holy 15 so takes an additional 15 damage. No other type is applicable.

Step 4: Reduce hitpoints. Your attack does Xd6+Str+15 damage.

Common play

Each damage type is it's own instance, and you apply all instances once.

Your attack deals:

  • Xd6+Str Piercing (Spear)
  • Xd6 Sonic (Thundering)
  • Xd6 Cold (Frost)
  • Xd6 Fire (Brilliant)
  • Xd6 Electric (Siphoned lightning)
  • 15 Holy (Champion + Weakness Holy 15)

For a total of Xd6+Str+15 damage.

The major difference from RAW: If the target were weak to any of the other damage types, you'd also apply that extra damage. In this example, there are no other applicable types.


I'm missing where you got the spirit damage, sorry if it's obvious. But the overall point remains the same.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Spirit damage is from the brilliant rune, because the Marilith is a fiend. \$\endgroup\$
    – Strill
    Commented Apr 16 at 4:55
  • \$\begingroup\$ So, you're treating the trait weakness separately from each damage type. Would Trait resistances be applied the same way? Would Resistance 5 to ranged attacks be applied only once, rather than once per damage type, like this answer says? rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/211226/… \$\endgroup\$
    – Strill
    Commented Apr 16 at 4:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ Resistance refers to weakness in its rules, so I'd assume it's the same. If you want to know about resistance, that's probably a separate question. Though I'd bet the same answer. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jason_c_o
    Commented Apr 16 at 5:17
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Strill "So, you're treating the trait weakness separately from each damage type." Either you total all damage and use the greatest weakness, or you treat each type as a separate instance. That's in the answer and I'm.not sure what you're asking here. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jason_c_o
    Commented Apr 16 at 5:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ Jason_c_o: I'm saying that in the linked answer, @Greebo claims that Resistance to a trait applies a separate copy of the resistance to each damage type, in line with Resistance to All damage. You said you think resistance and weakness should operate similarly, but if Greebo is right, then wouldn't Holy weakness apply to every damage type separately? Would you say that Greebo has it wrong, or is there some other reason why weakness to a trait and resistance to a trait should work differently? \$\endgroup\$
    – Strill
    Commented Apr 16 at 6:44

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