why do you always use your racial breath weapon? especially when it has a bigger recharge?
I believe it's because he can pick the energy type. The DFA's BW is set to Fire by default, and while he can change it to something else, it can't be done every round.
If he has the BW Augment for Acid damage, for example, he can apply it to one breath weapon this round, and then has to wait until the round after the next to use the Acid version again. The Dragonborn's BW, on the other hand, has no such restriction and can be picked on the fly. Against an enemy like the Whitespawn you guys are fighting (who has the obvious vulnerability to Fire) the DFA's BW is much more valuable. He should be using it at every opportunity he can, adding in Entangling Exhalation each time (even with the reduced damage, you'd be dealing an average of 10 points each use).
Once he gets either the Discorporating Breath or the Fivefold Breath, he'll probably use the DFA's more often. If he combines the Fivefold breath with the Shape Breath metabreath feat from the Draconomicon, he'll end up with 5 60ft cones; two acid, one fire, one electricity, and one cold. Each one would deal 9d8 damage (spirit cincture), and would likely carry with it Clinging Breath, Entangling Breath, and Tempest Breath. Maybe Maximize and Heighten, depending on if he wants to use it again in that encounter or not. 36 damage of each energy type is nasty enough (what they are immune/resistant to is a pain in the ass), add in Clinging Breath for extra impact, and Tempest Breath to play with the battlefield.
Also note: A good feat to look into is the Exhaled Barrier feat from Races of the Dragon. That+Fivefold or Discorporating Breath= Wall of Suicide. Add in the Defenestrating Sphere spell, Bull Rushes, and other methods of forcing them into the wall, and you've got a nasty trump card. The Greater Slide spell would be a good thing to have on your Chameleon's spell list, Bogsnes.
