[Play Feedback] How do you rule Dragon Breath?

[Halfbat]

After a discussion it turned out we had different interpretations of Dragon Breath as it's vague. Does anyone know the _real_ interpretation or have their own?

It seems to read that the caster can attack someone with 1D8 flame damage at a range of POW*5 metres, and that it can't be cast on anyone else.

Correct?

 

[simonh]

The actual spell description is pretty clear, the caster is the one spitting flame. However the flavour text implies that you can cast it on someone else so that they can spit flame. However this is only an implication.

I'd say you can't cast it on someone else so that they breathe flame, for the purely practical reason that it opens up a whole nasty can of worms. Do they breathe fire the same action rank, or on their next action? Is the range of the flame based on the caster's POW or their POW? What happens if the caster overcharges the spell?

The only way to resolve these questions would be to effectively completely re-write the spell for your game.

 

[soltakss]

Looking at the SRDs, there is no Spell Trait of "Self Only", which is how some spells in RQ2/3 were described. Self Only spells could only be cast by the caster on himself/herself. Any other spell could be cast on someone else.

If Dragon's Flame was Self Only then you could only cast it on yourself.

As it isn't, because there isn't a Self Only Trait, you can cast it on someone else.

As Simon points out, it opens up problems as to whose POW you base it on.

My general rule of thumb for this has always been:
1. If the spell gives someone else an ability based on POW, ot other characteristic, then the ability is based on the Recipient's characteristic.
2. If the recipient does not have that characteristic, then the effect is based on the Caster's characteristic.

Since it isn't in the SRD and I don't have my books with me, I can't actually read the description, but, hey, that's never stopped me in the past.

 

[Halfbat]

The actual spell description is pretty clear, the caster is the one spitting flame. However the flavour text implies that you can cast it on someone else so that they can spit flame. However this is only an implication.

Yeah - and that's what confuses things. And, of course, the "Range" attribute but the spell description specifically says _caster_.

::shrugs::

Any more interpretations?

 

[gamesmeister]

I just don't see this as open to interpretation.

The spell is ranged because you have to have a target to breath fire on, and that target can only be up to a certain distance away. The description clearly states that the caster spits fire at the target, and there is nothing about granting that ability to another person.

The flavour text is misleading, but at the end of the day it's just flavour text...

 

[Vatras]

I think the spell was intended to:
- grant someone - caster or a target - the ability to breath fire, and the range in the spell applies to the distance the recipient can be away from the caster
- whoever does the breathing uses his stat to determine the effect

I am not too happy about people spitting fire across 90 meters, but I am houseruling such things anyway (based upon SIZ).

 

[Halfbat]

I think the spell was intended to:
- grant [...] caster or a target - the ability to breath fire, and the range in the spell applies to the distance the recipient can be away from the caster
- whoever does the breathing uses his stat to determine the effect

And that's the other interpretation I've seen from a mix between the flavour and rules text. The SRD says Range (POW*5) which is very long. It means the Dragon Breath becomes a really potent Ignite, though highly visible and uncontrollable.

I am not too happy about people spitting fire across 90 meters, but I am houseruling such things anyway (based upon SIZ).

Straight SIZ btw (as in dragons Breath Flame range = POW)? Conical or straight line or single square?

Either way it has it's uses. AGain, jus twant to get an official line.

 

[homerjsinnott]

I say Oi! Dragon breath, NO.
Do what I say.

If it doesn't do it, I beat the living snot out of them.


Some call this ruling with an ironhand...

 

[Vatras]

Appendix to above:
Range for the actual flame is in my games POW in meters as for a dragon, going in a single line until encountering something or range is exceeded.