Strafing Breath

[M@XIM]

I just can't fully comprehend the wording for this feat-

Strafing Breath

( Dragonlance Campaign Setting, p. 87)

[General]

You can sustain your breath weapon when you use it on the wing, covering a larger ground area in its effect.
Prerequisite
Flyby Breath (DCS) , Flyby Attack (MM4) , breath weapon, Fly speed,
Benefit
When you use your breath weapon while flying (either with a single move, using the Flyby Attack feat, or with a double move, using the Flyby Breath feat), you can extend the area covered by your breath weapon on the ground. You can use your breath weapon over a distance up to half your fly speed if you move in a straight line along that distance. To determine the affected area, find the area your breath weapon would normally affect on the ground, then extend that area in a straight line the desired distance. Measure the extended distance from the center of the effect.
For example, an adult blue dragon has a fly speed of 150 feet, and its breath weapon is a 100-foot line of lightning. Normally, its breath weapon would cover a single 5-foot-by-5-foot circle on the ground, since a line is 5 feet wide and 5 feet high. Using Strafing Breath, it can cover an area 5 feet wide and 75 feet long (half its fly speed).
An old red dragon has a fly speed of 200 feet, and its breath weapon is a 120-foot cone. If it is flying at an altitude of 80 feet, its breath weapon affects a circle on the ground with a radius of 80 feet. Using Strafing Breath, it can cover an oblong area 80 feet wide and 180 feet long, with both ends shaping like half circles.

I've looked at Examples for Dragons and other explanations, but could someone help me apply it to a Dragonborn DW Kobold with a 30' Flight Speed? I want to think of it as continuously using my Breath weapon for 30' and back to my original location, but I don't think it's really that good. Then there is maneuverability. Draconic Flight (invo) gives you good maneuverability which considering the size of my character should mean he can turn on a dime. Am I right about this?

If someone wants to be my friend for life, they could probably making me a picture before my brain melts. I just want to be reasonable when I play this character.

So far.. my range has been my greatest weakness. The only improvement to range that I can find is at later levels when it doubles as part of the class features.

[TuggyNE]

Maneuverability is entirely irrelevant for this feat, since you must strafe in a straight line no matter what. No turns, no doubling back, no nothing.

[M@XIM]

Maneuverability is entirely irrelevant for this feat, since you must strafe in a straight line no matter what. No turns, no doubling back, no nothing.

Your movement isn't entirely straight.. it is when you're attacking, but it's the big picture I'm referring to. In Draconomicon it shows a Strafing run for a Dragon being somewhat of a circle -
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/Draco_Maps/Draco_D4_tn.jpg

Now I don't have a 300' range or anything so scaling the above down is a bit hard for me..

[TuggyNE]

Your movement isn't entirely straight.. it is when you're attacking, but it's the big picture I'm referring to. In Draconomicon it shows a Strafing run for a Dragon being somewhat of a circle -
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/Draco_Maps/Draco_D4_tn.jpg

I see. That makes things a bit trickier, since I'm not sure which options allow you to turn before or after breathing. But the general maneuverability rules are on the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/movement.htm#movingInThreeDimensions), and good maneuverability requires you to spend some movement when turning in place.

[M@XIM]

I see. That makes things a bit trickier, since I'm not sure which options allow you to turn before or after breathing. But the general maneuverability rules are on the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/movement.htm#movingInThreeDimensions), and good maneuverability requires you to spend some movement when turning in place.

Therein lies my confusion

[MesiDoomstalker]

You can cover an area up to half your movement. Your movement is 30, so you can strafe a 15-ft straight line. Where is the confusion?

[M@XIM]

You can cover an area up to half your movement. Your movement is 30, so you can strafe a 15-ft straight line. Where is the confusion?

The movement.. Does that mean I can fly 30' and while flying do 15' of breath attack? Do the 2 prerequ feats give me double movement so I can fly back to where I started? If so does maneuverability affect it? If I were to use something like Exhaled Barrier while doing this.. does that mean I can do multiple 10x10 barriers since the breath attack becomes a free action as long as you're just flying? Lots of things=Confusing

[Nettlekid]

Unless I'm misunderstanding, I don't think the strafing run described in Draconomicon means that the whole area, or even half of it, is lit up in breath. Instead, since Dragons have such a high movement speed, if they have Flyby Attack they could fly out, take their standard action to breathe, and then curve around to fly back to where they started. Such would be the strafing run.

I got confused because there's a feat in Dragonlance called Strafing Breath that allows you to cover half your fly speed, in a straight line and with normal width of your breath weapon, with your breath weapon as you fly. In that case, the movement and breathing really are simultaneous. But that's not what you're referring to, right?

[M@XIM]

Unless I'm misunderstanding, I don't think the strafing run described in Draconomicon means that the whole area, or even half of it, is lit up in breath. Instead, since Dragons have such a high movement speed, if they have Flyby Attack they could fly out, take their standard action to breathe, and then curve around to fly back to where they started. Such would be the strafing run.

I got confused because there's a feat in Dragonlance called Strafing Breath that allows you to cover half your fly speed, in a straight line and with normal width of your breath weapon, with your breath weapon as you fly. In that case, the movement and breathing really are simultaneous. But that's not what you're referring to, right?

I am referring to the breath, but in terms of the movement, that picture is all I could find. I'm just trying to understand what space I can attack and what movement I can make while doing it. Can I effectively attack and then fly back to where I started to avoid being attacked easily or is these 3 feats simply allowing me to use my breath attack while flying (which would seem pointless).

[Envyus]

I am referring to the breath, but in terms of the movement, that picture is all I could find. I'm just trying to understand what space I can attack and what movement I can make while doing it. Can I effectively attack and then fly back to where I started to avoid being attacked easily or is these 3 feats simply allowing me to use my breath attack while flying (which would seem pointless).

You could always use your breath while flying. The just let's you cover a larger area with the breath.

Honestly you are making this more confusing the it has to be.

[M@XIM]

You could always use your breath while flying. The just let's you cover a larger area with the breath.

That's what I want to do, but I want to know the limits and if I can move back.

E.G. If I use Exhaled Barrier for 30' continuously, could I have multiple barriers? Same with metabreaths and other battlefield effects. Even using normal breath attacks.. Do I get more range? or is it just the ability to move up to a spot attack and move back.

[Nettlekid]

That's what I want to do, but I want to know the limits and if I can move back.

E.G. If I use Exhaled Barrier for 30' continuously, could I have multiple barriers? Same with metabreaths and other battlefield effects. Even using normal breath attacks.. Do I get more range? or is it just the ability to move up to a spot attack and move back.

I think you are confusing yourself. Although it's not really how it happens, imagine it as: Dragon moving. Dragon stops in midair. Dragon breathes its thing. Dragon starts moving again. At any point in the loop the Dragon can do its breath attack, regardless of how far it has moved or how much movement it has left. The breath attack is just a normal attack on its own, and the movement of the Dragon does not affect the breath weapon's area of effect. You are taking a standard action in the middle of a move action (as Flyby Attack states) but they are separate, not a full-round action like a Charge which incorporates elements of move and standard together.

The breath weapon is totally normal. It will have its 1d4 round recharge time, plus extra from Metabreath. If you make it a Clinging Breath, or Lingering, or Enlarged, or Maximized, then that will happen as normal.

Exhaled Barrier states that it makes a 10 ft barrier, and that's all it does. You gain no special advantage from it, except I guess the added option of diagonal directions from being in the air.

EDIT:
Oh, sorry, I didn't see the part where you actually WERE referring to the Strafing Breath feat. Oh, in that case, it's pretty simple. You must move straight in a line up to one half your full fly speed, the area under which is affected by your breath weapon. Metabreath feats apply, because your breath weapon is still the same. At the end of that straight line, you may continue your move action in any way that you would like, which includes spending the rest of your movement to get back to where you were. Since Flyby Breath makes breathing a free action if you do nothing else but move, you've moved 1/2 your fly speed in a straight line so you still have 3/2 your fly speed left for the turn. You can easily get back to your starting position with that, or go wherever else you want.

Exhaled Barrier is technically not a breath weapon or breath attack, and so cannot be used in conjunction with Strafing Breath, or even Flyby Breath.