Author Topic: Spectral Creature, Energy Drain, and Breath Weapons  (Read 1165 times)

Offline ksbsnowowl

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Spectral Creature, Energy Drain, and Breath Weapons
« on: December 23, 2013, 08:15:47 AM »
The example Spectral Creature for the template presented in Dragons of Faerun is a spitting felldrake.  It is noted that its spit ability also deals energy drain.  Does this mean that a Spectral Green Dragon's breath weapon would deal energy drain as well?

I realize this may be an instance of the writers taking liberties beyond what the template actually grants.  Thus my question.

Offline Iainuki

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Re: Spectral Creature, Energy Drain, and Breath Weapons
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2013, 11:13:51 PM »
A page citation would be helpful when the rules aren't easily found in the ToC.  I had to go to the monster index to find it.

This template is not well written, but the relevant rules are in the "attack" and "full attack" sections of the template, which state the templated creature retains all the "attacks" of the base creature, with those requiring physical contact becoming incorporeal touch attacks.  From context, these are weapon attacks because those are the kind of "attacks" that appear in the attack and full attack lines of monster stats.  If you take the template literally it might apply to manufactured weapons even though that makes no sense.  A more reasonable interpretation makes it apply only to natural weapons.  A green dragon's breath is not a natural weapon or any kind of an "attack" that appears in the "attack" and "full attack" sections at all---it's listed under "special attacks"---and doesn't require an attack roll, so it doesn't get energy drain.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2013, 11:21:06 PM by Iainuki »