SYSTEM REFERENCE DOCUMENT 3.5

Breath Weapon (Su): A breath weapon attack usually deals damage and is often based on some type of energy. A creature attacking with a breath weapon is actually expelling something from its mouth (rather than conjuring it by means of a spell or some other magical effect).

Such breath weapons allow a Reflex save for half damage (DC 10 + 1/2 breathing creature’s racial HD + breathing creature’s Con modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). A creature is immune to its own breath weapon unless otherwise noted. Some breath weapons allow a Fortitude save or a Will save instead of a Reflex save.

Most creatures with breath weapons are limited to a number of uses per day or by a minimum length of time that must pass between uses. Such creatures are usually smart enough to save their breath weapon until they really need it.

• Using a breath weapon is typically a standard action.
• No attack roll is necessary. The breath simply fills its stated area.
• Any character caught in the area must make the appropriate saving throw or suffer the breath weapon’s full effect. In many cases, a character who succeeds on his saving throw still takes half damage or some other reduced effect.
• Breath weapons are supernatural abilities except where noted.
• Creatures are immune to their own breath weapons.
• Creatures unable to breathe can still use breath weapons. (The term is something of a misnomer.)

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