Inaccurate?

Animate Breath

(Draconomicon, p. 76)

Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer 7, Wizard 7,
Components: S, MB,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

You imbue the energy of your breath weapon with coherence, mobility, and a semblance of life. The animated breath then attacks whomever or whatever you designate. The spell works only on breath weapons that deal energy (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) damage. The animated breath has the following characteristics.

Type: Construct.

Subtype: The same as yours, or the energy type of your breath weapon if you do not have a subtype.

Size: One size smaller than you.

Hit Dice: Equal to the number of dice of damage your breath weapon deals. The Hit Dice are 10-sided. Constructs also receive bonus hit points based on size:

  • Diminutive, Tiny: —
  • Small: 10
  • Medium: 20
  • Large: 30
  • Huge: 40
  • Gargantuan: 60
  • Colossal: 80

Speed: Varies by breath type:

  • Acid: 20 ft., swim 90 ft.
  • Cold: 30 ft.
  • Electricity: Fly 100 ft. (perfect)
  • Fire: 50 ft.
  • Sonic: Fly 100 ft. (perfect)

AC: The animated breath's natural armor bonus varies by size:

  • Diminutive or Tiny: +2
  • Small or Medium: +3
  • Large: +4
  • Huge: +8
  • Gargantuan: +10

If your breath weapon uses force energy, this bonus is an armor bonus composed of force (like that granted by mage armor) rather than a natural armor bonus.

Attacks: The animated breath makes slam attacks according to its Hit Dice.

Damage: Each successful hit deals bludgeoning damage (varies by size of the animated breath; see below) plus energy damage equal to one die of the same size as your breath weapon damage.

  • Diminutive: 1d2
  • Tiny: 1d3
  • Small: 1d4
  • Medium: 1d6
  • Large: 1d8
  • Huge: 2d6
  • Gargantuan: 2d8

For example, a Colossal red dragon's animated breath is Gargantuan in size, so it deals 2d8 points of bludgeoning damage on a successful hit—plus 1d10 points of fire damage, because d10 is the size of die used to determine a red dragon's breath weapon damage.

Special Qualities: Creatures that hit the animated breath with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take energy damage as though hit by the breath's attack.

Construct Traits: The animated breath is immune to mind-affecting effects, and to poison, magic sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects. The breath is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Saves: The animated breath has no good saves. All of its save bonuses are 1/3 of its Hit Dice plus the appropriate ability modifier.

Abilities: The animated breath has no Constitution or Intelligence score. Its Wisdom and Charisma scores are both 1. Its Strength and Dexterity vary by size:

  • Diminutive: Str 6, Dex 16
  • Tiny: Str 8, Dex 14
  • Small: Str 10, Dex 12
  • Medium: Str 12, Dex 10
  • Large: Str 16, Dex 10
  • Huge: Str 20, Dex 8
  • Gargantuan: Str 24, Dex 6

Alignment: Always neutral.

An old brass dragon's animated breath has the following statistics:
Large construct (fire); HD 8d10+30; hp 74; Init +0; Spd 50 ft.; AC 13, touch 9, flat-footed 13; Atk +9/+4 (1d8+1d6 fire, slam); SQ burn, construct traits; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will -3; Str 16, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1.

An old red dragon's animated breath has the following statistics:
Huge construct (fire); HD 16d10+40; hp 128; Init -1; Spd 50 ft.; AC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15; Atk +15/+10/+5 (2d6+1d10 fire, slam); SQ burn, construct traits; AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +0; Str 20, Dex 8, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1.

Casting the spell requires a standard action, which includes using your breath weapon. When you use your breath weapon, it immediately takes animate form and attacks. It does not form as a cone or a line, and does not deal damage when it is used to cast this spell.

Also appears in

  1. Spell Compendium

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