D&D 5E Bead of Force - And Green Dragon Breath attack - poisonous gas

[Umbran]

XGtE Page 5

Reaction Timing

Certain game features let you take a special action, called a reaction, in response to some event. Making opportunity attacks and casting the shield spell are two typical uses of reactions. If you're unsure when a reaction occurs in relation to its trigger, here's the rule: the reaction happens after its trigger completes, unless the description of the reaction explicitly says otherwise.

"If you're unsure..." What's to be unsure about? "I ready the bead of force to drop it if the dragon takes a big inhale," is pretty clear. Especially because the character is giving up their normal action for the defense. If the dragon doesn't breathe this round, they stand around picking their nose.

 

[Nefermandias]

"If you're unsure..." What's to be unsure about? "I ready the bead of force to drop it if the dragon takes a big inhale," is pretty clear. Especially because the character is giving up their normal action for the defense. If the dragon doesn't breathe this round, they stand around picking their nose.

Fair enough.

 

[NotAYakk]

Oh, and to be fair...

My dragons roll recharge at the end of their turns, and the fact that their breath weapon is back is narratively obvious.

It makes both for better drama, more interesting tactics, and fits fluff well. I want PCs running in terror now that the dragon's breath is about to go off.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Sorry to burst your bubble(BoF), poison gas is still breathable air.

Err, no.

I'm not sure why you would think that, poison gas (specifically chlorine as per earlier editions) is neither breathable nor air.

 

[Tonguez]

I'm going to need a quote or at least a cite for what section of the book that is in. I don't see it.

"Ready
Sometimes you want to get the jump on a foe or wait for a particular circumstance before you act. To do so, you can take the Ready action on your turn, which lets you act using your reaction before the start of your next turn.

First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction...."
(Emphasis mine)

In the most simple of terms, consider a hidden character with a crossbow ready to act as a sniper: "I ready my action to shoot at anyone who comes in the door." Certianly, the target doesn't get to complete their entire declared movement before that shot goes off, does it? And movement isn't even an action!

By RAW Breath weapons are expelled from the mouth but dont actually require the creature to breath, so the inhale isnt a raw part of the process.

that said I’d allow rule of cool, especially if the pc is willing to take damage to drop a force bubble on themselves just to block the dragons breath ‘in the nick of time’

but Id also let the dragon play pong with the force ball too

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If you wanted to go with rule of cool you could allow the bead to enclose and neutralise the breath.