Deep Breaths
If you’ve ever made a monster from scratch, or given extra Hit Dice to an existing one, you know that sometimes picking a relevant feat can be tricky, especially at high CRs, where they sometimes have over 25 HD. Feats that tie into monster abilities not only make those abilities more fun and interesting, but also keep you from taking Skill Focus just to fill out a monster’s feats. In that vein, today’s article provides six new feats usable by anything with a breath weapon.
Adjustable Breath (Monster)
You can adjust the shape of your breath weapon.
Prerequisite: Breath weapon.
Benefit: Whenever you use your breath weapon, you can choose whether it takes the form of a cone or a line. When taking the form of a line, its length is twice as long as when it takes the form of a cone (so, if it is normally a line, and you use it as a cone, it is half the normal length, but if it is normally a cone, and you use it as a line, it is twice the normal length). No other aspect of your breath weapon is changed.
Breath of Frost (Monster)
Your cold breath freezes foes in their steps.
Prerequisite: Breath weapon that deals cold damage.
Benefit: Whenever you use your breath weapon, you can choose to make it a breath of frost. If you do, any creature that fails its Reflex save to reduce the damage from the breath weapon and suffers at least 1 point of cold damage from your breath weapon has its legs covered in a thin layer of frost, rooting it in place. The creature is unable to leave its current square unless it succeeds on a Strength check (DC 12 + your Constitution modifier) as a move action. If your breath weapon can only be used a certain number of times per day, a breath of frost counts as two uses. If your breath weapon takes a certain amount of time to recharge, it takes twice as long after a breath of frost.
Breath of Ignition (Monster)
Your flaming breath causes creatures caught in it to catch on fire.
Prerequisite: Breath weapon that deals fire damage.
Benefit: Whenever you use your breath weapon, you can choose to make it a breath of ignition. If you do, any creature that fails its Reflex save to reduce the damage from the breath weapon and suffers at least 1 point of fire damage from your breath weapon catches on fire, suffering an amount of fire damage each round equal to 1d6 per 5 Hit Dice you possess (minimum 1d6) or your normal breath weapon damage, whichever is lower. Other than the damage dealt, and the Reflex DC to put out the flames (which is equal to the breath weapon’s DC), this functions identically to catching on fire through other means. If your breath weapon can only be used a certain number of times per day, a breath of ignition counts as two uses. If your breath weapon takes a certain amount of time to recharge, it takes twice as long after a breath of ignition.
Deep Lungs (Monster)
You can use your breath weapon more often.
Prerequisite: Breath weapon that requires you wait 1 or more rounds between uses.
Benefit: When determining how long you must wait before using your breath weapon again, reduce the number of rounds, minutes, or hours by 1 (so if you would normally need to wait 1d4+1 rounds, you wait 1d4 rounds instead, whereas if you would normally need to wait 1d4 hours, you wait 1d4–1 hours, and so on). This cannot reduce the wait time to less than 1 round.
Nauseating Breath (Monster)
Your acidic breath creates noxious fumes.
Prerequisite: Breath weapon that deals acid damage.
Benefit: Whenever you use your breath weapon, you can choose to make it a noxious breath. If you do, any creature in the breath weapon’s area must succeed on a Fortitude save (at the same DC as the breath weapon’s Reflex save) or be nauseated for 1 round, and then sickened for 1 round per 5 Hit Dice you possess. If your breath weapon can only be used a certain number of times per day, a nauseating breath counts as two uses. If your breath weapon takes a certain amount of time to recharge, it takes twice as long after a nauseating breath.
Numbing Breath (Monster)
Your electric breath numbs your victims’ muscles, weakening them.
Prerequisite: Breath weapon that deals electricity damage.
Benefit: Whenever you use your breath weapon, you can choose to make it a numbing breath. If you do, any creature that fails its Reflex save to reduce the damage from the breath weapon and suffers at least 1 point of electricity damage from your breath weapon becomes fatigued (or exhausted, if already fatigued). If your breath weapon can only be used a certain number of times per day, a numbing breath counts as two uses. If your breath weapon takes a certain amount of time to recharge, it takes twice as long after a numbing breath.