Sundering Shadows has a number of different types of damage. This help file will explain the various types, their origins, and any considerations for using them.

• PIERCING: Piercing damage is caused by weapons like rapiers, arrows or spears, and by natural attacks like bites. Piercing damage is reduced by normal physical damage resistance and piercing resistance.

• SLASHING: Slashing damage is caused by weapons like axes, swords or scythes, and by natural attacks like claws. Slashing damage is reduced by normal physical damage resistance and slashing resistance.

• BLUDGEONING: Bludgeoning damage is caused by weapons like maces, hammers, and staves, and by natural attacks like tail sweeps. Bludgeoning damage is reduced by normal physical damage resistance an bludgeoning resistance.

• COLD, FIRE, ELECTRICITY, ACID: Cold, fire, electricity, and acid damage are all derived from the elemental planes they are associated with. Electricity is associated with the elemental plane of air, while acid is associated with the elemental plane of earth. These damage types are reduced by spell damage resistance, or resistance to their specific type. Among the easiest types of offense to defend against well are fire, electrical and acid damage. Refuge from cold damage can be sought via similar defensive spells, too, but not to the same level.

• FORCE: Force damage is caused by raw concussive force, either delivered telekinetically, or through a spell like bolt of force. Unlike bludgeoning damage, this is not delivered by a melee weapon, but by things like explosions or other bursts. It is rare to find ways to defend against force damage, but also rare to find many things that do it.

• MENTAL: Use predominantly by wielders of psionic energy, mental damage is energy delivered directly to the victim's central nervous system and brain, causing raw damage to their psyche. Something that specifically targets the mind is usually only warded off by those strong of will or those who practice psionics.

• SONIC: A favorite of bards, sonic energy is raw sound that delivers incredible damage to the victim through pure, overpowering sonic overload. It's unusual to find things to defend against this form of damage, but audio-based resistance is not impossible to achieve.

• SILVER and COLD IRON: Silver and cold iron are metals that serve a very specific purpose. Silver is deadly against were-creatures and vampires alike, causing them much more damage than other metals. Cold iron is specifically geared towards killing Fey creatures and causes extra damage to them. Difficult to find potent defenses against, fey, werekin and vampires alike should fear the metal they're weak to.

• RADIANT: Radiant energy is the explosive light that renews, the energy of the stars, cleansing all darkness and taint. It is a ferocious, burning energy that leaves behind a fertile place with the possibility of new growth. Spells and effects that use the power of the sun do radiant damage. Stars are powerful and radiant damage is a difficult thing to find true resistance to.

• VOID: Void is the pure destructive energy of unmaking. Between the stars lies the vast and cold utterdark of oblivion, the void itself. This energy is the pure energy of darkness. Spells that use darkness or shadows to do damage use void damage. A difficult thing to resist, void damage is a valuable way to destroy one's enemies.

• DIVINE: Divine energy is the energy of the gods themselves. Abilities and feats that channel the energy of the gods use divine damage. Godly power tends to be hard to find resistance to.

• UNTYPED: Akin to void but without any sort of true planar influence itself, this is the power of nothing, null, that which does not exist. Untyped damage does not leave cuts, burns, or anything of the sort; it simply erases effected targets. It is extremely hard to find a way to defend against specifically. Only certain spells and abilities can do untyped damage. Sometimes used to represent certain other indirect forms of damage such as blood loss.

• POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ENERGY: Positive and Negative energies are diametrically opposed side of the same coin. Positive energy is the energy of life, renewal and growth and is completely anathema to undead, causing them great pain and harm. Negative energy is the necrotic energy of unlife and is completely anathema to life, causing great injury and harm to the living. Positive energy heals the living, negative heals the unliving. Not incredibly hard to find defenses against.