[RPG] Is the Adult Gold Dragon’s Weakening Breath considered a curse, disease, or poison

diseasednd-5edragonspoisonwizard

In a fight with an Adult Gold Dragon today our delightful barbarian suffered from the effect of Weakening Breath. Our transmutation wizard used his Transmuter's Stone for Panacea to restore hit points, and cure poison, disease, and curses. Would this cure the effect of Weakened Breath?

Best Answer

It wouldn't help :(

Unfortunately, there is nothing in Weakening Breath (MM, 114, Basic Rules, 299) that says it is either a curse, disease, or poison. Since there is no explicit statement that it is one of things, then it is isn't. It is just a breath weapon effect with a strength save.

The dragon exhales gas in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 21 Strength saving throw or have disadvantage on Strength-based attack rolls, Strength checks, and Strength saving throws for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

The effects will last until either they make the save at the end of one of their turns or 1 minute passes. The mechanics for the breath are very clear. The dragon uses that action, the characters in range make a save for it. Without giving it additional qualifiers, it is simply a strength save against the attack. And then the last line provides the specific method to end it - making the save at the end of the turn.

No other mechanic to remove the effect is present because no other mechanic is listed as being able to interact with it.

The Green Dragon presents the counterexample

In the Green Dragon's attack(Basic Rules, 285), the fact that it is poison is explicit. Had they wanted the Gold Dragon to be a poison breath, they would have used the same language.

Poison Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales poisonous gas in a 90-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 77 (22d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

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