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5 months ago ::
Feb 05, 2013 - 1:32PM
#11
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Date Joined:
Apr 10, 2009
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When I was thinking about "how do I visualize a dragon using a straight line breath weapon" - I asked myself what would happen if they moved their head around as they did it.
They either get a cone (which is how I would probably change it to make it easier - give them a cone of the length of the current line) or (if you assume that it angles down from the dragon and
A couple points.
One, the dragons with line breath weapons, I think they are intended to be weaker, it's not just an arbitrary choice.
For another, look at the actual breath type before assuming it will shape into a cone if the dragon swings it's head, I don't think it would really do that!
Black dragon: line, acid. This could be more like a cone if the dragon swung it's head around while breathing, but I think if you want to realisticly picture it it's more likely to pool up into a big puddle where it is aimed, which would cause ongoing damage to anything in it, instead of being a single attack.
Blue dragon, line, lightning. As a lightning or electrical breath, it would occur nearly instantaniously like a lightning bolt, so moving the head wouldn't do anything IMO. Unless you picture it more like force lightning from the emperor in return of the jedi.
Depends on how long the charge is maintained.... Electrical arcs can last a long time as long as the conditions are right.
But yes - my example above was driven more by the acid breathe.
Maybe the Lightning should work more like the old Chain Lightning: (From AD&D2nd: After the first strike, the lightning arcs to the nearest object or creature. ... The chain can strike as many times including the first object or creature) as the spell caster has levels [this would be some preset number for a dragon - perhaps its number of hit dice). ... Direction is not a consideration when plotting chain lighting arcs. Distance is a factor - an arc cannot exceed the spell's range. If the only possible arc is greater than the spell's range, the stroke fades into nothingness. ]
For a more predictable version - perhaps the arc distance is smaller. Maybe (thinking of the Chaos Bolt of 4E) the maximum arc distance is 5 squares; the bolt arcs to the nearest target; if there is no new target within 5 squares/ 25' the bolt fades.
Carl
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5 months ago ::
Feb 05, 2013 - 7:09PM
#12
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I like the chain lighting idea - it would make blue dragons breath more interesting and distinct.
As for the line of acid, why not actually make it a 'wall'? The dragon breathes acid in a line/wall shape dealing initial damage and leaving a 'wall' of acid vapor and puddles dealing lesser damage to anyone passing through?
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5 months ago ::
Feb 06, 2013 - 8:20PM
#13
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Date Joined:
Dec 20, 2012
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One, the dragons with line breath weapons, I think they are intended to be weaker, it's not just an arbitrary choice.
They have longer range, it isn't weaker.
It does have a longer range, but the area is smaller and they deal less damage. The area of the cone would be .5(60)*60=1,800 sq ft. whereas a 100 ft line (width 5ft) of the blue dragon is only an area of 500 sq ft. Also, the line requires that all the targets be perfectly in line with each other while the targets can be dispersed anywhere within the area of the cone. The black or blue dragons could engage at a greater distance, but they suffer from an inability to tag multiple targets reliably and have a considerably decreased AoE. On top of that, the black and blue dragons have the least damaging breath weapons of the five chromatics. They are seriously weaker than the others in the breath weapon department.
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5 months ago ::
Feb 06, 2013 - 9:09PM
#14
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i think the blacks weapon stays around in pools causing damage over time that would make up for lack of up front damage and also there may be modifications due to this dragon build being for the basic game
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