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The triton's Control Air and Water feature says that:

Once you cast a spell with this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Does that mean a triton can only cast one spell using this trait per long rest, or can they cast each of their spells once per long rest?

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3 Answers 3

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The phrasing is ambiguous, but the intent is once each:

Ian Tomlin‏ @zanderkreegan · 13 Nov 2016
@JeremyECrawford can a 5th level triton cast each spell they have from their racial once per long rest, or can they cast one of them?

Jeremy Crawford‏ @JeremyECrawford · 14 Nov 2016
A triton can cast each spell in Control Air and Water. #DnD

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    \$\begingroup\$ I wonder why he didn't finish that sentence with "per long rest," since that was the question asked? I find the tweet as vague as the point Miniman was asking about. \$\endgroup\$
    – KorvinStarmast
    Commented Apr 6, 2017 at 16:00
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    \$\begingroup\$ I think he's referring back to the text used in the question. The question is effectively "Can they cast each spell, or one of them?" Answer: "They can cast each". The per long rest is implied from the context given in the question. \$\endgroup\$
    – Marijn Stevering
    Commented Apr 7, 2017 at 9:58
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    \$\begingroup\$ Note: this ambiguity was corrected in the 2017 VGtM errata. The Control Air and Water trait (VGtM, p. 118) now reads: "Once you cast a spell with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest." You may want to update your answer accordingly. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Commented Nov 8, 2019 at 11:55
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As clarified in errata: each spell can be cast once per long rest.

Volo's Guide to Monsters received an errata in August 2017 that addresses the ambiguity you point out.

Post-errata, the triton's Control Air and Water trait (VGtM, p. 118) now reads:

A child of the sea, you can call on the magic of elemental air and water. You can cast fog cloud with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast gust of wind with it, and starting at 5th level, you can also cast wall of water with it. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

This makes the answer to this question clear: the limitation is once each per long rest, not simply one spell per long rest. You could cast fog cloud, gust of wind, and wall of water using the trait all in the same day if you wanted.

This correction matches rules designer Jeremy Crawford's earlier clarification in a now-unofficial tweet from November 2016 (as cited in Derek Stucki's answer):

can a 5th level triton cast each spell they have from their racial once per long rest, or can they cast one of them?

A triton can cast each spell in Control Air and Water.

"Once you cast a spell with this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest." It's very confusing wording

Noted!

This exchange may very well be what prompted the clarification in errata.

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It says "a spell" so I guess it means "a spell" i.e. one of them and you're done.

If they wanted to indicate you could cast each of the spells once they would have said so.

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    \$\begingroup\$ And now they have indeed said so. This ambiguity was corrected in the 2017 VGtM errata. The Control Air and Water trait (VGtM, p. 118) now reads: "Once you cast a spell with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest." You may want to update your answer accordingly. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Commented Nov 8, 2019 at 11:55

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