Diabolic Dragon sanctification gap


Pathfinder Second Edition General Discussion


A signature ability of the new Diabolic Dragon is its Diabolic Flames allowing it to deal spirit damage instead of fire damage with any of its abilities. However, despite the flavor text saying that this is because its flames are "imbued with the unholy power of Hell", it does not look like it mechanically sanctifies them as unholy. The jaws strike and Hellfire Breath were already unholy, and Divine Immolation not only already has the Sanctified trait but doesn't need Diabolic Flames to do spirit damage, but the other fire-based Innate Spells the Diabolic Dragon has are not Unholy or Sanctified and thus are not unholy when cast by a Diabolic Dragon.
I have two questions about this. First, why did this happen? Second, aside from making spellcasting Diabolic Dragons have a completely redundant cantrip in their default selections (an Ignition that can deal unholy damage would remove the need for Divine Lance), would there be any problem in allowing a Diabolic Dragon to sanctify its fire spells?


You can read Diabolic Fire to already add the Unholy trait to the fire spells. That being said, I think it is fine not treating them as Unholy. The ability already allows them to bypass all fire resistance/immunity. It's already good enough as is.


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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Fire damage with the Unholy trait and Spirit damage with the Unholy trait are two very different things, not a redundancy. An angel with not particular resistance and a weakness to Unholy might be affected the same, but a ghost sure wouldnt.


I'm more miffed that dragon form doesn't grant the holy or unholy traits.


Captain Morgan wrote:
I'm more miffed that dragon form doesn't grant the holy or unholy traits.

Honestly yeah that would make a lot of sense.

I wonder if it was just too much of a pain to call it out?


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It’s the Dragon Form spell, not Dragon Soul.

Dragon Form also doesn’t grant the breath weapon rider effects a couple of dragons have. You adopt some generic characteristics, you don’t become the creature.

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