158
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What are the most and least-resisted damage types?
The forum post referenced in András's answer gives a quick overview of the the damage types but misses many important details about how those damage types are distributed.
Dragons contribute ...
- 5,610
121
votes
Accepted
What are the most and least-resisted damage types?
Unsurprisingly Poison and Force, respectively
Here is a nice summary of Monster Manual.
I shall transfer the relevant parts of the chart here in case of link rot:
Resistance
Immunity
Vulnerability
...
- 65.9k
58
votes
Can you make armor with multiple elemental resistances using only wool and copper? And how much time and money would it cost?
No, this scheme does not work. Elemental magic is primarily magical rather than primarily elemental
For the same reason you can successfully cast Fireball underwater you can't expect wool and copper ...
- 21.9k
57
votes
Accepted
What happens when a creature with vulnerability to a damage type has resistance to the same type imposed on it, or vice versa?
They both apply (almost 1x damage).
On page 197 of the Player's Handbook, it states (bolds added):
Resistance and then vulnerability are applied after
all other modifiers to damage.
This means that ...
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51
votes
Accepted
Does a barbarian's damage resistance from Rage apply to damage from magical weapons?
The exclusion of any mention of magical weapons isn't accidental, Barbarians are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage whether it's magical or otherwise as it's key to their ability ...
- 37.6k
50
votes
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Would houseruling two or more instances of resistance to the same element as immunity be overly unbalanced?
It allows for some explosive combat options and methods to gain extreme immunities
For example, a Tiefling gains resistance to fire damage, they could walk into a group of enemies and cast fireball ...
- 76.8k
50
votes
If a creature has advantage against spells and magical effects, is it resistant to magical attacks?
Resistance and advantage are two separate mechanics
Advantage has to do with rolling the dice, resistance has to do with reducing damage in half.
Easy illustrative example is a Dwarf
Dwarven ...
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48
votes
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Can a Paladin use Divine Smite when attacking (with a natural 20) a creature immune to the weapon's damage type?
Divine smite only requires you to hit, which immunity does not prevent
Some creatures have vulnerability, resistance, or immunity to certain types of damage. Particular creatures are even resistant ...
- 95.6k
44
votes
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What does the Vorpal Sword ignoring resistance to slashing actually mean?
Magic weapons do not automatically bypass anything
There is no general rule for magic weapons and resistances or immunities. It is hard to prove a negative, but you can look in the DMG at page 140 for ...
- 61.9k
42
votes
Does +1 armor give resistance to damage?
The armor itself has resistance to damage, it does not confer this to the wearer
As you've quoted, the magic item itself has resistance to damage, but there is nothing that states it gives whomever ...
- 126k
41
votes
What if a revenant (monster) gains fire resistance?
Nothing changes, except that the Revenant takes half damage from fire.
The Regeneration trait states:
If the revenant takes fire or radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the ...
- 26.3k
40
votes
Can a bear totem barbarian gain damage resistance while wearing heavy armor?
Yes.
Counter to Airatome's point (which relies on a designer's input without errata), the rules as written are quite clear.
In battle, you fight with primal ferocity. On your turn, you can enter a ...
- 1,090
39
votes
Damage reduction and damage resistance: how to calculate?
PHB p.197
Resistance and then vulnerability are applied after all other modifiers to damage. For example, a creature has resistance to bludgeoning damage and is hit by an attack that deals 25 ...
- 13.9k
37
votes
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Do resistances stack?
Nope, they don't stack.
Per the rules on damage resistance and vulnerability (PHB, p. 197):
Multiple instances of resistance or vulnerability that affect the same damage type count as only one ...
- 66.9k
37
votes
Accepted
What is the point of weapon type resistances?
Not everyone has a magic weapon
The type of loot and magic items to hand out is largely dependent on the GM. While your campaign might have magical weapons for all PCs, in mine usually only one ...
- 54.2k
37
votes
When specifically stated "this weapon is magical for overcoming resistances" does that mean it does full damage against a character in rage
Generally speaking, such a feature would not overcome the barbarian's resistances from their Rage feature.
First, for an example of such a feature, let's refer to the (NPC) archdruid's Wild Shape ...
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35
votes
Can you make armor with multiple elemental resistances using only wool and copper? And how much time and money would it cost?
It wouldn't work even if D&D was a physics simulator
I second everything that Upper_Case and ThomasMarkov have said, but there's another problem. Even if D&D were a physics simulator, this ...
- 35.6k
34
votes
Are your resistances optional?
By RAW, No.
5E generally uses a plain-English approach to explaining things. When it speaks of optional abilities, it uses words like Can or May. When it speaks of things that are non-optional, it ...
- 66.9k
33
votes
Accepted
Is a Raging Barbarian immune to 1-damage attacks?
Alas, there is no minimum damage value. From page 10 of the Sage Advice Compendium:
Can damage be reduced to 0 by resistance or another form of damage reduction? There is no damage minimum in the ...
- 57.2k
32
votes
How does resistance work?
Resistance is a game term which means that a creature takes half damage from a specific source.
From the Player's Handbook (pg. 197)
If a creature or an object has resistance to a damage type, ...
- 21.8k
32
votes
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Are Flameskulls resistant to magical piercing damage?
It is resistant to all piercing
As you've noted in the flameskull, they are resistant to:
Lightning, Necrotic, Piercing
Because there is no qualifier for only piercing from a non-magical source, it ...
- 126k
31
votes
Are there creatures that are resistant/immune to falling damage?
Yes, Demon Lords
In the recently released Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, there are several extremely powerful enemies. Amongst them are the Demon Lords, creatures of near-deity level power. An example ...
- 38.4k
31
votes
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Does the Pyromancer sorcerer's Fiery Soul feature totally bypass immunity to fire damage?
No, it doesn't completely bypass immunity
When a feature is designed to ignore both immunity and resistance to a damage type, rather than "reduce/step down" one level of protection, it is ...
- 29.7k
30
votes
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Is there a cantrip or spell that grants resistance to damage from natural attacks in the way Blade Ward does for weapon damage?
Blade ward already works for natural attacks
It may not seem obvious, but Blade Ward already does this. A claw or bite attack (etc) are classed as Melee Weapon Attacks.
This can be seen if you look ...
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30
votes
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Do magic items lose their magical durability in an Antimagic Field?
Regular Magic Items? Yes.
You've already provided the only relevant quote from Antimagic Field:
Magic Items. The properties and powers of magic items are suppressed in the sphere. For example, a +1 ...
- 49k
29
votes
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Is there a way to bypass resistance/immunity to fire damage?
You have a few not very good options for overcoming resistance, and only one option for overcoming immunity, albeit drawn from "unofficial" content.
Your best option is probably the ...
- 7,068
28
votes
Do vulnerability and resistance cancel out?
Resistance and then vulnerability are applied after all other
modifiers to damage. (PHB 197)
This tells us that both are applied if present. In most cases this will mean that the damage taken is ...
- 61.9k
28
votes
Is Absorb Elements cast before or after a save? Is it cast before or after damage?
When you take damage.
The casting time of absorb elements (Elemental Evil, 150) is with my emphasis:
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder ...
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27
votes
Are there creatures that are resistant/immune to falling damage?
Hover creatures
Any creature with Hover and a fly speed cannot fall by normal means and is therefore not susceptible to fall damage.
If a flying creature is knocked prone, has its speed reduced ...
- 76.1k
27
votes
Accepted
What are all the ways that stacking resistance becomes immunity by RAW?
This particular search on DND Beyond reveals 1 racial trait, 2 spells, and 21 magic items having both "resistance" and "immunity" in their descriptions. The only items appearing ...
- 154k
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