One creature commonly found in fantasy RPGs (or fantasy settings in general) is the dragon, and they often have a type of attack that isn't normally available to player characters, namely the breath attack, which typically does elemental damage to multiple targets, but doesn't count as a spell. There are, however, a few games where such attacks are player usable, and I'm curious what games do this.

For purposes of this topic, I'm going to impose 2 extra requirements:
* The character with the breath attack must be a first class party member. In other words, the character must have access to the same (or similar) growth systems that other party members have, and should be player controllable (if party members normally are in that game).
* The use of the breath attack needs to be controlled by the player.

So, some examples of games that allow this:
* Dragon Quest 5, 6, and 7 (recruit dragons, or use dragon or monster master classes)
* Wizardry 6-8 and many spin-offs (Dracon race), Elminage Gothic also has this
* Probably Might and Magic 8 (there's a Dragon class, though it's not available to the main character)
* Bard's Tale 1-3 by using certain items (like the Fire Horn)

So, any other good examples?

Edit: Why the low rating?

Geneforge; creations often have a breath attack.

Drat. My example was Might and Magic 8.

I believe some of the heroes from Warcraft 3 have upgradeable breath attacks.

Edit: Drakes in Grimoire.

Devil Whiskey also has a reptilian race called Saurians who can get an exclusive class called Black Claw (if I remember right), which can unlock special breath attacks, poison breath and later on fire breath as they level up.

I'm going to suppose that it's also required that the breath attack be innate rather than granted by a spell/potion/artifact/overly-strong mint.


Some of these are strategy/RPG hybrids, but...

Divinity: Original Sin 2 (Lizards have fire breath.)
Divinity: Dragon Commander (You are a dragon.)
Gloomhaven (Some attack cards are breath weapons.)
Popup Dungeon (Some character attacks, whether default or custom. You could create a custom character that uses nothing BUT breath weapons.)
Age of Fear (series) (Various units have breath weapons.)
ADOM (Drakelings have a breath weapon.)


I don't remember it clearly enough but I'm reasonably certain that there are also one or two breath weapons available among the potential characters in Shadows: Awakening

If the playing the original NwN a magic-using protagonist has access to familiars, some of which have breath weapons. (In all the games a magic-user may "possess" their familiar .) There are numerous potions that give temporary breath attacks.

Also, one of the better mods (check the vault) created had the protagonist play a Gold Dragon (including flying and strafing enemies from the air) but that mostly has the protagonist in human form. My apologies for the lack of detail but I haven't played it for decades, but it was a top-rated series that was very popular (three or more mods of a high quality) by a celebrated modder.

Additionally, all the Shadowrun games have a cybernetic implant that provides a poison breath-weapon and there is a eye-mounted flash beam to stun / blind opponents, too.

edit: linkie to vault.
edit 2: extra Neverwinter Nights modding links

Whilst I was trying to find the mod (it was in the old Hall of Fame) I found a couple of mods that might be interesting:
Updated Dragon Special Ability Scripts
The Amethyst Dragon has a toolkit full of neat stuff.

Completely irrelevant but useful: Modules Listed by Prime Material Plane.

edit 3
Rick Burton is brilliant.

Let's not forget the Breath of Fire series. Especially the third game with the gene system.

D&D style games can have breath attacks as well, depending on the character build. I really enjoyed using some of the Dragon shapes in Neverwinter Nights: HOTU. (Edit: Ninja'd)

In The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The amulet of Chaos the Ogre character (a mandatory character) has a breath attack which can be used to belch gas in an area of effect attack which in its basic form can stun enemies causing them to miss their turn.

The Ogre like the other party members has upgrades for its characteristics as well as a skill tree.

RuneScape (RuneScape 3, not Old School) has a dragon breath ability in the Magic codex but it's just one ability, it's not complex.

Off the top of my head, Tales of Maj'Eyal has wyrmic.

Most DnD (3rd ed+)/Pathfinder games have breath attacks.
Some fo them are spell controlled, generally by transmuters, either directly or after a metamorphosis in a draconid; other breath attacks are influenced by special classes tied to specific bloodlines, like Dragon Disciples, Maguses and Sorcerers with a Dragon ancestor.

in ELONA you may acquire the feat giving you such ability.

Skyrim would be a prime example for people that consider it an RPG:

red dragon disciple is a subclass of character allowed in most D&D games ; baldur's gate and the neverwinter nights game for example

It's absolutely an RPG; people who argue otherwise really have no clue what an RPG is.