Okay, so I started revising elementals back on the old boards, and then I got swamped by Real Life, and by the time I've had time to really get back into brewing (last couple of weeks), the old boards crashed. I've had some new ideas since then, and reminded by DonQuixote's revisions, I've decided to actually try and finish this project. From what I've seen, we're going in fairly different directions with this, so there's no reason these elementals can't actually coexist in the same setting as different manifestations of the elements. Except for the different choices of paraelementals. I'm going to try and make myself get one of these things out every 2 to 4 days until they're done. I can't match Quixote's preposterous output. I'm doing them in alphabetical order (elementals before paraelementals, though), and since the text quantity is substantial, I'll be separating them out into different posts by power level, starting with standard elementals in this post. It'll be a few minutes till I get it all done.
These rules assume you're using a consolidated Stealth skill and a similar Perception skill, and an alignment system that allows for creatures to be Unaligned (differentiated from True Neutral by not caring about balance even slightly). The wealth and feats are representative of a typical elemental, but are hardly mandatory.
EDIT: So the Air elemental is up. Comments are welcomed!
FluffAirAn air elemental is wind given form, a living gust. As incarnations of elemental air, these creatures love sudden, constant movement, despising any sort of confinement. Like many elementals, if they find themselves on the Material Plane, they often seek to demolish sites of industry for their pollution of air. Like most elementals, they are clever about accomplishing their goals, and so do not attack such sites blindly. They are often summoned to guard aerial or other high-altitude locations, and sometimes are called to be assassins.
Earth elementals are beings of stone and soil, the soul of the earth given body. These creatures are slow, both in motion and in forming opinions, but they are by no means dim-witted. On the contrary, they are brilliant, methodical thinkers, often using their wisdom to topple the industrial powers of humanoids, which they typically despise for corrupting and withering the land upon which they sit. Earth elementals are often summoned to protect underground dungeons or to serve as near-invulnerable bodyguards.
Fire elementals are blazing masses of living flame. These creatures, like air elementals, love to stay in motion, but unlike the annoyance of an air elemental, a fire elemental is more prone to rage at forces that compel it to stay in a single place. Fire elementals are typically not subtle, nor do they desire subtlety. Unlike most elementals, fire elementals often protect sites of humanoid industry, finding great pride in the utility of furnaces and forges. Fire elementals are often summoned by cultists in worship of a fiery deity, or as terrifying shock troopers.
Water elementals are the spirit of the seas manifested into material form, waves that walk upon the land. As beings born of elemental water, these creatures tend toward periods of transience interspersed with short settlement. Never quite at home traveling, but equally uncomfortable staying in one place for too long, these creatures will often make it a mission to defend local bodies of water if they find themselves on the Material Plane. They particular despise large cities, which foul rivers both with sewage and with runoff from industry. These creatures are often summoned to guard underwater lairs or as defenders of mighty navies.
Cold paraelementals are beings of purest frost, brought forth by the intermingling of the powers of elemental air and elemental water. Creatures of living ice, they are quick to form opinions and slow to change them. Cold paraelementals despise sources of warmth, and so will typically sabotage major settlements if they find themselves on the Material Plane, not out of any particular grudge against pollution or civilization, but because these places disrupt the climate the creatures find tolerable. These creatures are often summoned to defend remote, frozen locations or to serve as shock troops (in much the same way as fire elementals).
Dust paraelementals are dense beings of earth, eroded by and animated by air. With particles ranging in size from sand to all but invisible dust, these beings are far weightier than they might sound from their name. Often mistaken for sand golems by onlookers, these creatures wander aimlessly until something catches their attention, but have no particular emotional attachment to travel. Dust elementals will often attack forest creatures and areas preferring a drier environment. These creatures are often summoned by desert nomads or to serve as scouts.
Lightning paraelementals are beings of the storm, given life by air energized by elemental fire. These creatures often change many opinions at once, seeming stable for a time until all at once their thoughts upend themselves. At the same time, while they punctuate travel with settlement, they don't much relish travel itself and seek to finish it as quickly as possible. They simply despise being in one place after they feel they've stayed long enough. Lightning paraelementals are often summoned as servants in temples to thunder deities, or to serve as brutally efficient warriors.
Magma paraelementals are creatures of flowing stone, made fluid by the power of elemental fire. Typically slow and practical, much like earth elementals, they are prone to occasional outbursts of emotion, often anger. They have little preference about their location, so long as it isn't too cold. They are often summoned to serve in volcanic lairs, or as living siege engines.
Creatures wrought of earthen stability with watery malleability, metal paraelementals are often thought strange by those who encounter them. Their thoughts often jump from one subject to the next with a flow indiscernible to others, but there is always a sense of reasonability to them that can't quite be placed. Metal paraelementals are often summoned to serve as mighty guards or as intimidating champions on the field of battle.
Beings born of fusing fiery power into elemental water, steam paraelementals are living clouds. They are usually creatures of emotion, acting in the moment. When they find themselves on the Material Plane, they can be anything from an amiable traveling companion to a vicious foe, depending on their mood at the time. They are often summoned to guard aerial strongholds alongside air elementals, or to act as intimidating crowd control in pitched battles.
Elemental Type: An elemental is a being composed of one of a pure elemental substance, or otherwise so closely tied to the elements that its body is entirely drawn from such matter.
Features: An elemental has the following features.
—8-sided Hit Dice.
—Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (as cleric).
—Good saves depend on the element: Fortitude (earth, water) or Reflex (air, fire).
—Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die.
Traits: An elemental possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—Darkvision out to 60 feet.
—Immunity to disease, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning.
—An elemental is a more or less homogenous mass of elemental material, making it all but impossible to make a critical hit against one. An elemental's AC is 10 higher against critical threat confirmation rolls. This provides no benefit against other sources of precision damage, as a skilled attacker can still pinpoint structural weaknesses.
—Unlike most other living creatures, an elemental does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an elemental is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an elemental. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection, to restore it to life.
—Proficient with natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
—Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) that it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Elementals not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Elementals are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
—Elementals do not eat, sleep, or breathe.
Elementals are now immune to disease, and their critical hit immunity is now a bonus to AC against confirmation rolls and doesn't do jack against sneak attackers. You don't exactly have to use this, it just made sense to me, and I don't like nerfing people who rely on precision damage.
Air:Air Subtype: This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Plane of Air. Air creatures usually have fly speeds and perfect maneuverability. A creature with the Air subtype can choose to ignore any [Air] effect it wishes to, but is not immune to them.
Earth Subtype: This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Plane of Earth. Earth creatures usually have burrow speeds or some other method of effectively traveling through earth or stone. A creature with the Earth subtype can choose to ignore any [Earth] effect it wishes to, but is not immune to them.
Incorporeal Subtype: Some creatures are incorporeal by nature, while others (such as those that become ghosts) can acquire the incorporeal subtype. An incorporeal creature has no physical body. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells, including touch spells, or magic weapons, it has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons). Nondamaging spell effects affect incorporeal creatures normally unless they require corporeal targets to function (such as implosion) or they create a corporeal effect that incorporeal creatures would normally be unaffected by (such as a web or wall of stone spell). Although it is not a magical attack, holy water can affect incorporeal undead, but a hit with holy water has a 50% chance of not affecting an incorporeal creature.
An incorporeal creature’s attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it. Nonmagical attacks made by an incorporeal creature with a melee weapon have no effect on corporeal targets, and any melee attack an incorporeal creature makes with a magic weapon against a corporeal target has a 50% miss chance, except for attacks it makes with a ghost touch weapon, while are made normally (no miss chance).
Any equipment worn or carried by an incorporeal creature is also incorporeal as long as it remains in the creature’s possession. An object that the creature relinquishes loses its incorporeal quality (and the creature loses the ability to manipulate the object). If an incorporeal creature uses a thrown weapon or a ranged weapon, the projectile becomes corporeal as soon as it is fired and can affect a corporeal target normally (no miss chance). Magic items possessed by an incorporeal creature work normally with respect to their effects on the creature or on another target. Similarly, spells cast by an incorporeal creature affect corporeal creatures normally.
An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (always at least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus).
An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own. It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object. In order to see farther from the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge. An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover, but when it attacks a creature outside the object it only has cover, so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks. An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect.
Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot typically make trip or grapple attempts, nor can they usually be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot usually take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they usually subject to such actions. However, if subjected to or using an effect that would accomplish such manipulation through a force effect or some other means which can affect the creature with no miss chance, an incorporeal creature uses its Dexterity score in place of its Strength score for all such checks, and otherwise must participate normally. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight.
An incorporeal creature moves with almost complete silence, granting it a +5 bonus to Stealth checks. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to both its melee attacks and its ranged attacks. Nonvisual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.
Since that's a bit long, the takeaway points are: clarified what happens when you use a force effect to do a thing an incorporeal creature cannot usually do (use Dex instead of Str, proceed normally otherwise), gave it a +5 bonus on Stealth checks for its perfectly silent movement.
ElementalsAir ElementalMedium Elemental (Air, Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (27 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: Speed 40 ft. fly (perfect)
Armor Class: 18 (+2 armor, +3 Dex, +3 deflection), touch 16, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/-
Attack: Lacerating Touch (1d6+bleed)
Full Attack: Lacerating Touch (1d6+bleed)
Space/Reach: 5/5
Special Attacks: Breath of life, engulf, gust, lacerating touch
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60, deflecting breeze, elemental traits, incorporeal traits, transparent form
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str -, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills: Knowledge (nature) +4, Knowledge (the planes) +5, Stealth +15, Tumble +10
Feats: Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative
Alignment: U
Challenge Rating: 5
Level Adjustment: +2
Possessions: +2 Bracers of Armor, Anklets of Translocation
A stirring in the air, reminiscent of a human figure, is the only sign of the creature ahead.
Breath of Life (Su): An air elemental can breathe life into a target recently slain, resurrecting it as if by the revivify spell; any creature that has been slain for less than 1 round can be brought back to life without the loss of a level as a standard action. This ability requires none of the special material components required for the spell, and additionally restores the target to 1 hit point. An air elemental can use this power once per week.
Deflecting Breeze (Ex): The gusts of wind that comprise an air elemental's body deflect incoming blows and blades, allowing it to use its Dexterity score in place of its Charisma score for determining its deflection bonus to AC.
Engulf (Ex): An air elemental does not often make attacks in the normal fashion. Instead, it occupies a target's square as a standard action, and razor sharp blades of air slash and tear at the victim (see Lacerating Touch). Entering a target's square in this way does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the elemental enters the square of a creature smaller than itself, the victim must also make a DC 14 Reflex save (Constitution-based) or be knocked prone by the buffeting winds. For the purposes of any effect requiring the elemental to make an attack, use of this ability is considered an attack.
Gust (Su): An air elemental can generate a gust of wind, as the spell, at will. For any relevant checks, the elemental's caster level is equal to its hit dice, and the saving throw DC is 12 (Charisma-based).
Lacerating Touch (Ex): Unbelievably sharp blades of air whirl throughout and around an air elemental, a natural byproduct of its metabolism. These blades deal 1d6 points of damage to any creature touching the elemental, and are so sharp that the wounds they create continue to bleed until the victim receives medical attention. Victims take 1 additional point of damage in each round after they take damage from an air elemental's lacerating touch until they heal at least 1 hit point of damage or receive a DC 15 Heal check made as a standard action to apply bandages. This bleeding damage lasts for up to 5 minutes, and stacks with itself in the case of multiple hits from this ability, to a maximum of 3 points of damage per round. An air elemental can divert these blades away from creatures it wishes no harm, so it does not damage a creature it tries to touch if it does not wish to.
Transparent Body (Ex): An air elemental varies from other incorporeal creatures in several ways. Unusually for such creatures, it is louder than most corporeal creatures, a result of the constant gale that makes up its form, but it is also nearly invisible; while it retains its +5 bonus on Stealth checks, creatures that fail a Perception check against it by 5 or less sense its presence (to within 150 feet of its true location), but not its location or any other details. Should an air elemental become invisible, this bonus overlaps to the bonus on Stealth checks granted by invisibility. Furthermore, as creatures composed of material air, air elementals cannot pass through solid objects, but can slip through cracks or holes of any size sufficient for a Fine creature to enter. Finally, while an air elemental can enter a body of water, its form becomes obvious and it loses the ability to manipulate its immediate surroundings, taking a -5 penalty on Stealth checks and losing its deflection bonus to AC.
Medium Elemental (Earth)
Hit Dice: 6d8+40 (67 hp)/73 hp/79 hp
Initiative: -1
Speed: Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+4 natural, +5 armor, -1 Dex), touch 9, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+7
Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d10+4)
Full Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d10+4)
Space/Reach: 5/5
Special Attacks: Brutal slam, guide the stone, stonefist
Special Qualities: Earth glide, earthen rage, hardness 4, nature's bounty, solid build
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +1, Will +2
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 9, Con 19, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 12
Skills: Disguise +10, Knowledge (nature) +11, Knowledge (the planes) +11, Survival +9
Earth elementals have a +4 racial bonus on Disguise checks to appear as a statue or stone golem.
Feats: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Toughness
Alignment: U
Challenge Rating: 5
Level Adjustment: +2
Possessions: Bracers of Great Collision, Brute Gauntlets, Mwk Crystal Breastplate
A humanoid figure, built of stone and dirt, stands alone in the field. Brilliant gems gleam in place of eyes.
Brutal Slam (Ex): When an earth elemental successfully strikes or bull-rushes a foe, that foe must make a DC 16 Reflex save (Strength based) or fall prone afterward, unbalanced by the force of the blow. A creature with 5 or more ranks in Balance gets a +2 bonus on this saving throw. Furthermore, all of an earth elemental's slam attacks are made as though with a two-handed weapon, no matter how many such attacks the elemental is allowed.
Earth Glide (Su): An earth elemental can slide through earth and stone. In fact, what occurs is that the elemental transfers its essence into the existing matter through which it passes, leaving behind the substance it previously occupied. Thus, an earth elemental leaves behind no tunnel or disturbance, other than a pile of inanimate stone and dirt where it began and tearing similar substance from the ground where it emerges. An earth elemental using this ability creates a ripple on the nearest surface, allowing its position (but not depth) to be tracked with a DC 15 Perception check. An earth elemental's speed is reduced to 5 feet while underground. Otherwise, this functions just as a fly speed with perfect maneuverability that can only be used while occupying a cube of natural earth. It takes a move action for an earth elemental to submerge itself. Because an earth elemental can only animate substances like itself, it can only travel through natural stone, dirt, or crystal in this manner, and cannot pass through a gap in another substance smaller than its space. Masonry, or the surface of worked stone, is impassable to a submerged earth elemental. An earth elemental has no special ability to sense through the earth while it is submerged.
An earth elemental can only take actions to move while submerged.
Earthen Rage (Su): Though slow to anger, an earth elemental enraged is a terrifying opponent. In every round in which an earth elemental takes damage, it gains a +1 morale bonus to Strength and to Constitution. For convenience, its updated hit point totals when its Constitution score increases are listed above, separated by slashes. Remember that its slam attack is considered a two-handed weapon for the purposes of damage, so it adds 1.5x its Strength modifier to damage rolls. These bonuses last for 1 minute after an earth elemental last takes damage, and stack with one another, to a maximum of +4 Strength and Constitution.
Guide the Stone (Su): An earth elemental can use the stone shape spell at will, except that it takes 10 minutes to cast. An earth elemental's caster level for this effect is equal to its hit dice.
Hardness (Ex): An earth elemental has hardness, much like an object. Whenever it is dealt damage, subtract this number from the damage dealt. Hardness can reduce damage to 0, but obviously no lower. An attack that ignores an object's hardness of the same magnitude as the elemental's also ignores an earth elemental's.
Nature's Bounty (Su): An earth elemental exudes an aura that nourishes and protects plant life. This acts as the enrichment version of the plant growth spell with a radius of 1000 feet, except as follows. It only takes effect any time the elemental spends 6 months within a single 400 foot radius area, although the elemental can leave this radius for up to 6 hours each day without canceling the effect; the aura, while constant, requires long-term exposure to have a noticeable effect. If the elemental spends an entire year in such an area, the yield increases to double its normal amount, rather than 1 and 1/3 its normal amount. The effect is centered on the area in which the elemental spent time, and it does not require any action on the elemental's part (although the elemental can certainly withhold the benefit). Its benefits are not cumulative on a single area, except as noted.
Solid Build (Ex): An earth elemental's body is made of animated stone and earth, and shares many qualities with that of a construct or an object. Like a construct, an earth elemental gains bonus hit points based on its size, although it is considered one size smaller than it actually is for determining how many hit points it gains compared to a construct. Earth elementals also have hardness (see above), and take reduced damage from certain forms of attacks. While acid and sonic attacks deal full damage to an earth elemental, electricity, fire, and cold attacks all deal ½ the damage they normally would. Similarly, piercing damage deals ½ its normal damage to an earth elemental. Earth elementals can be healed by spells that repair objects, just as if they were objects; for this purpose, mending heals an earth elemental for 1 hit point.
Stonefist (Su): An earth elemental can animate the stone and soil on which it stands, allowing it to strike nearby foes indirectly. An earth elemental can use this ability on any square within 10 feet. The elemental can attack any creature that is within a distance equal to its melee reach (usually 5 feet) of the ground. Because it can use this power to attack from any direction, it is considered to be occupying every square in the area it can affect with this ability that is in contact with the ground, but only for the purposes of determining whether a given creature is flanked by the elemental and for determining the direction from which the elemental attacks. An earth elemental can flank a creature on its own as a result. An earth elemental can only use this ability on natural stone or dirt with which it is in direct, physical contact.
