Draconic Transformation is a spell that allows you to cosplay as Miraak from Skyrim, while also giving your character a flying speed and a breath weapon bonus action. However, that breath weapon proved a sticky wicket at a recent gaming session.
Someone at my table brought up a reasonable question: isn't Breath Weapon a spell itself? If so, a cantrip is the only action spell that can be used.
Here's the relevant text from the spell:
"Breath Weapon. When you cast this spell, and as a bonus action on subsequent turns for the duration, you can exhale shimmering energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d8 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one."
Another player insisted that "this spell" refers to the Breath Weapon, not the initial casting of Draconic Transformation.
I reordered the sentence a bit to show the other player's view: "You can exhale shimmering energy in a 60 ft. cone as a bonus action on subsequent turns for the duration, as well as when you cast the spell." Why even mention the last part? Because Draconic Transformation is a bonus action spell. Normally, you couldn't have two bonus actions, so you'd have to wait a whole turn to use the breath weapon. The text is dispelling that idea by specifically allowing this bonus action to merge with the casting of the spell for the first turn of the duration.
"When you cast THIS spell." The first player insisted that the spell referenced here was Draconic Transformation itself, while the other claimed it was referring to Breath Weapon. I agree with the first player, since, removing the text within commas, it reads like this: "When you cast this spell, you can exhale shimmering energy..." The spell, having been cast, grants the ability to optionally use breath weapon on every subsequent bonus action, as well as alongside the bonus action used to transform in the first place. Otherwise, the spell would be forcing you to wait a turn before using its main ability, which would make it worse than True Strike. The second player believed this is why it was worded this way. He also pulled up Sage Advice, which described Breath Weapon as a ability, not a spell: https://www.sageadvice.eu/could-a-dragonborn-druid-use-breath-weapon-while-wildshaped-into-like-a-wolf/
The second player still insisted that "this spell" in the text referred to the nearby paragraph heading, Breath Weapon, rather than the initial casting of Draconic Transformation.
The first player consented to using a cantrip to avoid an argument, but I realized that was a mistake after looking this up later. It seems so plain from the reading...how do I explain this in an understandable way?
"This spell" is draconic transformation. The breath weapon is not a spell. This is easily determinable by the PHB's section on what a spell is. Can "breath weapon" be prepared or learned by a spellcaster? Does it have a level? Does it require spell slots to use? The answer to all of these questions is "no," but it's "yes" for the actual spell, draconic transformation.
A breath weapon is the name of the ability of dragons to breathe energy or gases.
The spell Breath Weapon is so named because it provides the character targeted by the spell with an ability similar to that of a dragon's breath weapon.
The spell Draconic Transformation includes an effect that also provides an ability similar to a dragon's breath weapon.
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If the spell Draconic Transformation wanted to grant you the ability to cast the Breath Weapon spell it would say it granted you the ability to cast the breath weapon spell. It doesn't. It just grants a breath weapon like ability.
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You gain the following benefits until the spell ends:
Benefits is plural, so you gain multiple benefits from the spell.
They are a) Blindsight ability, b) Breathweapon ability and c) Wings ability.
It is a powerful spell because it gives you a solid attack while also enhancing your movement and also granting a solid sense that defeats many attempts to blind you. Blindsight, even just 30 ft, is hugely helpful, undoing darkness, invisibility, AND the various other obscurements from things like fog, smoke, etc.
I thought so, but I wanted to be sure. A player at my table felt the spell's wording left this ambiguous, so I wanted to clarify my understanding. Thanks!
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Draconic Transformation is a spell that allows you to cosplay as Miraak from Skyrim, while also giving your character a flying speed and a breath weapon bonus action. However, that breath weapon proved a sticky wicket at a recent gaming session.
Someone at my table brought up a reasonable question: isn't Breath Weapon a spell itself? If so, a cantrip is the only action spell that can be used.
Here's the relevant text from the spell:
"Breath Weapon. When you cast this spell, and as a bonus action on subsequent turns for the duration, you can exhale shimmering energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d8 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one."
Another player insisted that "this spell" refers to the Breath Weapon, not the initial casting of Draconic Transformation.
I reordered the sentence a bit to show the other player's view: "You can exhale shimmering energy in a 60 ft. cone as a bonus action on subsequent turns for the duration, as well as when you cast the spell." Why even mention the last part? Because Draconic Transformation is a bonus action spell. Normally, you couldn't have two bonus actions, so you'd have to wait a whole turn to use the breath weapon. The text is dispelling that idea by specifically allowing this bonus action to merge with the casting of the spell for the first turn of the duration.
"When you cast THIS spell." The first player insisted that the spell referenced here was Draconic Transformation itself, while the other claimed it was referring to Breath Weapon. I agree with the first player, since, removing the text within commas, it reads like this: "When you cast this spell, you can exhale shimmering energy..." The spell, having been cast, grants the ability to optionally use breath weapon on every subsequent bonus action, as well as alongside the bonus action used to transform in the first place. Otherwise, the spell would be forcing you to wait a turn before using its main ability, which would make it worse than True Strike. The second player believed this is why it was worded this way. He also pulled up Sage Advice, which described Breath Weapon as a ability, not a spell: https://www.sageadvice.eu/could-a-dragonborn-druid-use-breath-weapon-while-wildshaped-into-like-a-wolf/
The second player still insisted that "this spell" in the text referred to the nearby paragraph heading, Breath Weapon, rather than the initial casting of Draconic Transformation.
The first player consented to using a cantrip to avoid an argument, but I realized that was a mistake after looking this up later. It seems so plain from the reading...how do I explain this in an understandable way?
"This spell" is draconic transformation. The breath weapon is not a spell. This is easily determinable by the PHB's section on what a spell is. Can "breath weapon" be prepared or learned by a spellcaster? Does it have a level? Does it require spell slots to use? The answer to all of these questions is "no," but it's "yes" for the actual spell, draconic transformation.
A breath weapon is the name of the ability of dragons to breathe energy or gases.
The spell Breath Weapon is so named because it provides the character targeted by the spell with an ability similar to that of a dragon's breath weapon.
The spell Draconic Transformation includes an effect that also provides an ability similar to a dragon's breath weapon.
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If the spell Draconic Transformation wanted to grant you the ability to cast the Breath Weapon spell it would say it granted you the ability to cast the breath weapon spell. It doesn't. It just grants a breath weapon like ability.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Cyb3rm1nd is correct. Note the lines:
Benefits is plural, so you gain multiple benefits from the spell.
They are a) Blindsight ability, b) Breathweapon ability and c) Wings ability.
It is a powerful spell because it gives you a solid attack while also enhancing your movement and also granting a solid sense that defeats many attempts to blind you. Blindsight, even just 30 ft, is hugely helpful, undoing darkness, invisibility, AND the various other obscurements from things like fog, smoke, etc.
I thought so, but I wanted to be sure. A player at my table felt the spell's wording left this ambiguous, so I wanted to clarify my understanding. Thanks!