Radiant Breath feat and Draconic Blade

Shin Okada · Sep 9, 2017

I have questions regarding a feat and a paragon path feature.

Radiant Breath feat says,

Benefit: Add the radiant damage type to whatever damage type you chose for your dragon breath racial power. This power also gains the radiant keyword.

Which is correct?
A) I can change the damage type of the Dragon Breath into radiant instead of original damage type.
B) I can change the damage type of the Dragon Breath into XX and Radiant (say, Fire and Radiant if I chose Fire as the original damage type).

Another question.

Honorable Blade Path Feature "Draconic Blade" says,

Draconic Blade (11th level): Choose one type of damage you can deal with the dragon breath power. As a free action, you can add this damage type to all damage dealt with your melee weapon, in addition to any other type of damage those powers deal. Another free action returns the weapon’s damage to normal.

Assuming my character has Radiant Breath feat and Draconic Blade feature, can I choose to add Radiant damage type to damage dealt with melee weapon?

MoutonRustique · Sep 9, 2017

(B) and yes.

When you add a damage type, it does not replace anything. All damage dealt will be of the original type(s) AND the added type (as per usual 4e rules).

Since [radiant] is now a damage type you can deal with your breath weapon, it can be added as a free action to the damage dealt by your melee weapon - what exactly "damage dealt by your melee weapon" means is something your table should come to a decision about (and give yourselves a couple of examples) as there are some situations where different interpretations could be considered valid.

My personal take : if it has the [weapon] keyword, it is dealt by your weapon. Unless a portion of it is clearly meant to come from something else (a shield strike, an unharmed strike, or something like this - but even then, it has to be super duper clear that this is not from your weapon.)

Jhaelen · Sep 11, 2017

Shin Okada said:
Which is correct?
A) I can change the damage type of the Dragon Breath into radiant instead of original damage type.
B) I can change the damage type of the Dragon Breath into XX and Radiant (say, Fire and Radiant if I chose Fire as the original damage type).

Neither. It's added to any existing damage types.

Shin Okada said:
Assuming my character has Radiant Breath feat and Draconic Blade feature, can I choose to add Radiant damage type to damage dealt with melee weapon?

Yes.

Shin Okada · Sep 11, 2017

Jhaelen said:
Neither. It's added to any existing damage types.

Isn't that B? I mean, if the original choice was fire, now his dragon breath power can inflict "Fire and Radiant" damage.

And, another question regarding the choice of damage type for Draconic Blade feature. Should the choice be done once and only once when a PC acquires this feature? Or can he change the type of damage whenever he uses this feature?

I mean, assuming my dragonborn PC choose Fire damage type at 1st-level, then learned Radiant Breath feat.

A) At level 11th, he should choose either Fire or Radiant (one of the two). If he chooses, say, Fire, he can add Fire type to any damage dealt with your melee weapon. But can never add Radiant type by this feature.
B) Each time he uses this feature, he can choose either Fire or Radiant damage and can add that one type to any damage dealt with your melee weapon.

MoutonRustique · Sep 12, 2017

As written it's chosen then and there (once) - but then, it's also something that's within the purview of retraining (as all leveling/power gain decisions are).

Also, this is the kind of thing most tables will probably be able to agree on a houserule for...

Jhaelen · Sep 12, 2017

Shin Okada said:
Isn't that B? I mean, if the original choice was fire, now his dragon breath power can inflict "Fire and Radiant" damage.

Ah, yes, sorry, I somehow read that as 'or'.

Radiant Breath feat and Draconic Blade

Shin Okada

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MoutonRustique

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Jhaelen

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Shin Okada

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MoutonRustique

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Jhaelen

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