Wrap upĪ very short but sweet post on this mechanic within DnD 5e. So if a creature had vulnerability to lightning damage, and took 20 points of lightning damage from a spell or other source of lightning damage, they would actually take 40 points of lightning damage. Vulnerability means that the creature/character that has vulnerability to a specific damage type takes double damage from that specific damage type. So it’s mostly the DM that would be concerned with this mechanic. There are some spells that can cause vulnerability to a creature, but not many. Vulnerability is less common than resistance, generally, it’s seen on certain creatures in the monster manual. So if a creature was resistant to cold damage, and took 20 cold damage from a spell (or any other source of cold damage) the creature would actually only take 10 cold damage. Resistance means that the creature/character that has resistance to a specific damage type takes half damage from that specific damage type. You’ll also see it a lot as a DM in a creature’s stat block. Generally, it comes from a character’s race or from magic, sometimes the class as well, at least where player characters are concerned. In DnD 5e there are plenty of ways to come across resistance in the game. So let’s dive in and see what this system is all about. For more info on the different damage types, check out our post on the different damage types. You’ll see many creatures have resistance or vulnerability to certain damage types. It’s a fairly simple system, the place you’ll see it most is if you’re a DM.
In today’s post, DnD 5e Damage Resistance Explained, we’ll discuss the vulnerability/resistance system in DnD 5e.