Simple RAW for 5e V: The Disadvantage Strikes Back

[Arial Black]

Q314 Scourge Aasimar: in Volo's, and in Wildemount, the Radiant Consumption ability reads: "...you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing a searing light to radiate from you, pouring out of your eyes and mouth, and threatens to char you."

"....at the end of each of your turns, you AND each creature within 10 feet of you take radiant damage...."

So, fluff-wise, your whole body is radiating, well, radiance, especially from your eyes and mouth. Mechanically, everyone in the aura gets damaged by it, including you, which is why our resistance to radiant damage is really handy! The fluff matches the crunch; your whole body is radiating, omnidirectionally, so everyone gets burned.

In the new Monsters of the Multiverse, there is a new version of Aasimar. Its version of Radiant Consumption has been seriously nerfed, except now its a bonus action to kick it off, but the nerfing is not the subject of this post.

This is: the fluff part now omits the radiance from the whole body, replacing it with "Searing light temporarily radiates from your eyes and mouth." So why does it radiate omnidirectionally when it only comes from your eyes and mouth, not your whole body? Still, minor issue. Also doesn't mention threatening to char the Aasimar.

However, crunch-wise, it now says "....and at the end of each of your turns, each creature within 10 feet of you takes radiant damage".

So, are you definitely included in the taking of the damage? After all, you are within 10 feet of yourself!

Are you definitely excluded? After all, they did change the language and removed the "...you and..." part!

Can you choose whether or no you are included? If so, is this a choice made when you first gain the ability? Or choose each time you activate it? Or can you choose round to round?

As strange as it may seem, I want to take damage, so that it keeps my Rage going even if I don't attack!