The type of damage that a weapon or spell does is indicated by its damage verb. Most damage verbs tend to be self-explanatory, as in the example below this text, where smash indicates a bashing type of damage. However, sometimes the type of damage associated with a particular damage verb is less intuitive. Listed here are the standard damage verbs of Avendar, and their associated damage type. Note that during your travels you may occasionally run into more exotic damage verbs, or into weapons which carry a standard damage verb that nevertheless is associated to a different damage type.
Example: Your mediocre smash dismembers the large lizard.
Physical damage types
Bash
Races: ch'taren (resist), alatharya (resist), aelin (vuln)
Verbs: beating, charge, crush, hit, pound, punch, slap, smash, suction, thwack
Sources: staffs, maces, flails, unarmed attacks, mundane glove weapons, earth damage spells (such as stonefist), air damage spells (such as wind surge)
Pierce
Races: ch'taren (resist)
Verbs: bite, chomp, peck, pierce, jab, scratch, sting, thrust, stab
Sources: daggers, swords, spears, earth damage spells (such as jaws of the mountain), air damage spells (such as wind surge)
Slash
Races: ch'taren (resist)
Verbs: chop, claw, cleave, hack, lash, slash, slice, whip
Sources: axes, daggers, swords, polearms, unarmed attacks (kankoran only), air damage spells (such as wind surge)
Magical Damage Types
Acid
Races: none
Verbs: acidic bite, digestion, slime
Sources: generic spells (such as acid blast), breath attacks, monsters
Charm
Races: none
Verbs: none
Sources: charm person and workalikes (such as dominance)
Notes: this damage type only appears for the purposes of saves
Cold
Races: kankoran (resist), srryn (vuln)
Verbs: chill, freeze, freezing bite, chilling touch
Sources: water damage spells (such as iceblast), frostbranded weapons, breath attacks, ice monsters
Defilement
Races: ch'taren (vuln), shuddeni (resist)
Verbs: defilement
Sources: weapons bound with defilement of Logor, rare evil weapons
Notes: variant of negative damage type; sanctuary has lower damage reduction against defilement
Disease
Races: srryn (resist)
Verbs: none
Sources: magical disease damage and saves
Drowning
Races: none
Verbs: drowning
Sources: drowning, water elementals, rare weapons
Notes: underwater creatures are often immune to this damage type
Energy
Races: none
Verbs: magic
Sources: lifebolt, generic spells (such as holy word)
Notes: this is one of the rarest damage types overall
Fire
Races: srryn (resist), kankoran (vuln)
Verbs: flaming bite, flame
Sources: fire damage spells (such as flamestrike), firebranded weapons, breath attacks, fire elementals
Notes: fire magic deals reduced damage underwater
Holy
Races: alatharya (vuln)
Verbs: divine power, wrath
Sources: spirit damage spells, consecrated weapons, generic spells (such as ray of truth), celestials, avatars, rare weapons
Illusion
Races: chaja (vuln)
Verbs: none
Sources: spectral fist, illusion magic saves (such as delusions or phantasmal creation)
Light
Races: nefortu (resist), shuddeni (vuln)
Verbs: searing light
Sources: ray of light, blade of light, rare good-aligned weapons
Lightning
Races: aelin (resist)
Verbs: shocking bite, shock
Sources: lightning damage spells (such as lightning bolt), lightning branded weapons, breath attacks, lightning elementals
Notes: lightning magic deals increased damage underwater
Mental
Races: ch'taren (resist), chaja (vuln)
Verbs: none
Sources: psionic blast, spirit damage spells (such as manabarbs), fear effects (such as power word fear)
Negative
Races: ch'taren (vuln), shuddeni (resist)
Verbs: life drain, drain, deathly chill, negative burst, numbness
Sources: void damage spells, generic spells (such as cause critical), demons, void shades
Notes: this encompasses both "negative" and the stock ROM "harm" damage types
Poison
Races: srryn (resist)
Verbs: none
Sources: poison damage and saves, cloudkill, breath attacks
Sound
Races: nefortu (vuln)
Verbs: sonic wave
Sources: bard songs (such as note of striking), thunderclap saves
List of Non-standard Damage verbs
Note that these might be a bit more inaccurate, as they're based on player knowledge or conjecture
Blast - bashing (Staff of the Eye)
Squelching lash - slashing (Midnight-black octopus tentacle)
Whipcrack - slashing (Leather snakewhip)
