Dragon's Breath 5e: Damage Types, Cone, and Familiar
I like Dragon’s Breath because it gives another creature a repeatable area attack instead of dealing damage only once. The caster chooses the element, but the willing recipient controls when and where to exhale, making positioning and concentration more important than the initial casting.
This guide uses the 2014 spell. SRD 5.2.1 modernizes the action terminology without materially changing how the spell plays.
Dragon’s Breath 5e — Quick Spell Reference
- Casting time
- Bonus Action
- Range
- Touch
- Components
- V, S, M (a hot pepper)
- Duration
- Concentration, up to 1 minute
- Classes
- Sorcerer, Wizard
You touch one willing creature, and choose Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Poison. Until the spell ends, the target can take a Magic action to exhale a 15-foot Cone. Each creature in that area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 damage of the chosen type on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.
SRD note: Dragon’s Breath is not included in SRD 5.1, so this table uses SRD 5.2.1. Its mechanics are materially the same as the 2014 spell.
How Dragon’s Breath Works
Cast Dragon’s Breath as a Bonus Action by touching one willing creature. Choose Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Poison when you cast it. Until the spell ends, that creature can use its action to exhale a 15-foot cone of the chosen energy.
Every creature in the cone makes a Dexterity saving throw against the caster’s spell save DC. A creature takes 3d6 damage on a failed save or half as much on a success. The recipient does not use its own spellcasting ability and does not need to be a spellcaster.
The spell lasts for up to 1 minute while the caster maintains concentration. The recipient can breathe again on later turns without another spell slot, but each breath costs that creature’s action.
Choosing a Damage Type and Aiming the Cone
Choose the damage type when casting; the recipient cannot switch elements between breaths. Use known resistances and immunities when possible. No option is universally best, and the spell itself does not reveal which damage type will be effective.
A 15-foot cone originates from the breathing creature each time it uses the granted action. The creature can move before exhaling, so the recipient should look for angles that include several enemies without catching allies. Dragon’s Breath does not let the recipient exclude friendly creatures inside the cone.
The breath is not a weapon attack or spell attack. Creatures in the area make saving throws, which means attack-roll bonuses and penalties do not apply to the breath.
Can You Cast Dragon’s Breath on Yourself?
Yes. The caster is a willing creature they can touch, so self-targeting is valid. Casting on yourself uses the Bonus Action now and your action on later turns to breathe.
The spell can also target an ally, mount, companion, or other willing creature. Once cast, the magic remains on that recipient even if it moves beyond touch range; the spell does not require the target to remain close to the caster. Concentration and the one-minute duration still apply.
Can a Familiar Use Dragon’s Breath?
Under the 2014 rules, a familiar can use the action granted by Dragon’s Breath. Find Familiar prevents the familiar from attacking, but exhaling the cone is not the Attack action and makes no attack roll. The familiar remains fragile, and enemies can target it or force the caster to reconsider the concentration risk.
The caster still maintains concentration and supplies the spell save DC. The familiar merely chooses when to use its action and how to aim the cone.
Official 2014 guidance says Dragon’s Breath is not eligible for the original Twinned Spell Metamagic because the spell’s granted breath can affect more than one creature. Some tables read the initial one-creature target differently; if using 2014 Twinned Spell, settle that ruling before spending Sorcery Points.
Concentration and Ending the Spell
The caster—not the recipient—maintains concentration. Damage to the recipient does not create a concentration save unless the recipient is also the caster. Damage to the caster can end the spell even when the breathing creature is elsewhere.
The spell also ends if the caster becomes incapacitated, chooses to end concentration, or starts concentrating on another spell. The recipient becoming unconscious does not transfer the spell to someone else; it simply cannot use the granted action while unable to act.
Casting Dragon’s Breath at Higher Levels
The cone’s damage increases by 1d6 for every slot level above 2:
| Spell slot | Damage per breath |
|---|---|
| 2nd | 3d6 |
| 3rd | 4d6 |
| 4th | 5d6 |
| 5th | 6d6 |
| 6th | 7d6 |
Upcasting does not enlarge the cone, extend the duration, add targets, or allow multiple damage types. Its value depends on how many useful breaths the recipient can make while concentration lasts.
Dragon’s Breath in SRD 5.2.1
The revised spell uses the term Magic action for the action spent exhaling. That term incorporates the revised rules’ spell and magical-action framework, but the practical sequence remains the same: a willing creature uses an action to produce a 15-foot cone, creatures make Dexterity saves, and higher slots add 1d6 damage.
The range, damage choices, concentration, duration, component, and scaling are otherwise materially unchanged, so this guide’s core rulings apply to both versions.
Dragon’s Breath FAQ
Does the recipient need to concentrate?
No. The original caster maintains concentration.
Can the recipient breathe as a Bonus Action?
No. Casting uses the caster’s Bonus Action, but each breath uses the recipient’s action.
Does a successful save avoid all damage?
No. A successful Dexterity save takes half damage.
Can the damage type change each round?
No. The caster chooses one type when casting the spell.
Rules sources: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything (2017), p. 154; the revised Dragon’s Breath spell; SRD 5.2.1; and the official Sage Advice Compendium for the 2014 Twinned Spell interaction. Tactical recommendations are original advice.