Discussion and Suggestion Thread

[Nanshork]

Ohhh, the Ice one sounds interesting.

[Nanshork]

Question: A solid elemental changes size due to the Change Size feat.  Does it gain/lose bonus hit points?

[DonQuixote]

Ice: Melt, becoming fluid instead of solid for some time?
Smoke: Leave behind a trail of fumes that functions as a wall of smoke spell?

Intriguing.  I'll keep these in mind, given that I didn't have any ideas during the morning drive today.  Of course, we still have the afternoon one, so something might occur to me then.

Ohhh, the Ice one sounds interesting.

The ice one does sound interesting, but we'll have to see.  I'm trying to avoid having the Elemental Body definitions take up too many lines--that's part of why I completely nixed the molten squares on fire and magma companions.  Plus, I had this great idea:

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   Ice Body: An eyece paraelemental is the strongest.  As a free action, the eyece paraelemental can freeze any frog within 100 feet.

Question: A solid elemental changes size due to the Change Size feat.  Does it gain/lose bonus hit points?

Yup.  The bonus hit points of a creature with the solid subtype are based on its size, rather than being defined separately for each different statblock.

Undoubtedly, this ruling will come back to bite me in the ass.

[Nanshork]

Question: A solid elemental changes size due to the Change Size feat.  Does it gain/lose bonus hit points?

Yup.  The bonus hit points of a creature with the solid subtype are based on its size, rather than being defined separately for each different statblock.

Undoubtedly, this ruling will come back to bite me in the ass.

If it is something you think might bite you in the ass you could just put something like "Elementals with Solid Traits continue to gain bonus hitpoints as a creature of their base size (Medium)" in the feats.

[DonQuixote]

Well, I don't actually think it will be a problem.  The only weirdness I can actually see is if shrinking would kill the elemental, in which case why would you choose to shrink?

Edit: Even though I haven't figured out Ice Body or Smoke Body, I updated the paraelemental adept post, just because I felt like screwing over ice and smoke paraelemental adepts who are trying to remain current.  Bwahaha!

[Nanshork]

It'll cause extra bookkeeping, but I guess that's okay.

Hooray, now I can finally try and decide if I want an Earth Elemental or a Magma Elemental.  Hmmmm...

[Nanshork]

   Advancement (Ex):  At 9th level, in addition to the increases to Constitution, Intelligence, and Charisma gained by all elemental companions, an ice, magma, or ooze companion gains +2 Dexterity
   At 15th level, in addition to the increases to Constitution and Charisma gained by all elemental companions, an ice, magma, or ooze companion gains +4 Dexterity.
   At 19th level, in addition to the increases to Intelligence and Charisma gained by all elemental companions, an ice, magma, or ooze companion gains +2 Dexterity.

Elemental companions never gain a Charisma bonus in the Elemental Companion writeup

[DonQuixote]

It'll cause extra bookkeeping, but I guess that's okay.

Hooray, now I can finally try and decide if I want an Earth Elemental or a Magma Elemental.  Hmmmm...

My stance on extra bookkeeping is that, if it's an option, it's not a problem.  A base class that requires piles of bookkeeping is problematic to me.  A prestige class that does is not as much of a problem, as it represents part of the player's cost in taking that prestige class.  Same thing with a feat designed for a player's companion creature.  By no means do you have to give your earth or ice companion the Change Size feat.  It's a nice ability, but I don't think that not having the feat will make your build entirely worthless.

Besides, you already have to keep track of the changes to Armor Class and attack bonuses.  This doesn't take much more effort.

Elemental companions never gain a Charisma bonus in the Elemental Companion writeup

So, last night, I posted the updated Elemental Companion writeup online, then started editing it into the PDF.  When doing so, I realized that they had to receive that Charisma bonus in order for air and fire elementals to maintain their Armor Class.  So, I changed it in the Word document and thought that I changed it online.

Apparently, I didn't, but I have now!

[Nanshork]

With all these changes it's a good thing I haven't tried to build my companion yet.   

[DonQuixote]

Yeah, I have to rebuild Parvus Vesuvius for next week's session.  Fortunately, the new Magma Body ability means that Pliny won't have to continue to keep it in the Gem of Elemental Retreat.  (Though I'm still going to keep said gem, just in case.)

However, other than me figuring out what Ice Body and Smoke Body will do, I think I'm done messing with the elemental companion progressions.

[Amechra]

Smoke Body: Something related to Belkers.

Ice Body: Generate icicles from their flesh? Gain natural armor spikes?

[Nanshork]

I'm amused.  My entire decision about whether or not to be devoted to Earth or to Magma is going to be entirely determined by if I think the Earth Elemental or the Magma Elemental is more awesome.

[DonQuixote]

After taking a break and looking through all of Frostburn, I reached a decision for Ice Body.

Any creature that takes cold damage from the paraelemental's claw attacks or chill ability must make a Fortitude save or become fatigued for 1d4 rounds.  While fatigued in this way, a creature also takes a -10 foot penalty to all its speeds.  This effect does not cause a creature that is already fatigued to become exhausted.

The idea behind this iteration of the Elemental Body abilities is that I don't actually want to grant brand-new capabilities to the companions.  I want to tweak things that they already have or make small changes.

Still undecided on Smoke Body.  I've toyed with the belker idea, but haven't yet settled.  Smoke paraelementals already have a nice effect on their attacks, after all.

Edit: I've decided that Smoke Body will not be the belker claws effect.  I'm going to put that on the revised version of the Elemental Perfection companion feat, instead.

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• Air: Miss chance increases to 50%, bonus on Hide and Move Silently, Hide in Plain Sight.
• Earth: Ignore difficult terrain, ability to create difficult terrain on earth or stone.
• Fire: Fire caused by Burn ability deals extra damage, creatures must succeed on a save to put out the fire.
• Ice: Aura of cold damage, similar to Fire Body.
• Magma: Create molten squares that last 1d4 rounds.
• Ooze: ???
• Smoke: A creature sickened or nauseated by the Searing Smoke ability takes damage from the smoke in its lungs tearing at it, must save to cough out smoke.
• Water: ???

[DonQuixote]

Finally decided on Smoke Body!  Any creature within 5 feet of the paraelemental takes a -2 penalty on its saves and to its AC.  Sort of fits with the fact that smoke-devoted paraelemental adepts get access to Devouring Shadow.

In terms of PDF porting progress, I've finished the first three elementals.  Organizing the tables is...weird, since my page and font sizes aren't actually the same as, say, the Monster Manual.  Plus, I have seven categories for each elemental, rather than six.  It's a little messier than I'd like, but still fairly coherent.

[Nanshork]

The smoke elemental ability sounds good to me.

You've done the bonus hp from size for the Earth Elemental wrong, but you got it right for the Ice Paraelemental.   

[DonQuixote]

On...all the earth elemental sizes?  Or just some?

Edit: Medium and Monolith were the only ones that I saw as incorrect.  Fixed them.

[Nanshork]

Medium (well, and small but they don't get bonus hp) was the only one I was looking at.

[Nanshork]

Earthbreaker
Crushing Stone (Major) [Earth]
Level: Elemental adept 2, impulse mage 2, spellsage 2, spellshape champion 2
Prerequisite: One Crushing Stone formula
Shaping Action: 1 standard action
Range: Rockslam attack
Target: One creature
Area: 10-foot-radius spread, centered on target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: As spellshape

As a part of shaping this formula, you make a rockslam attack that deals an extra 2d8 points of damage.  If it hits, the ground fractures and cracks in a 10-foot-radius spread centered on your target, becoming difficult terrain.  In addition, your target must make a Fortitude save or be immobilized for 1 round.  Though the immobilization ends after 1 round, the difficult terrain is permanent and does not move with the target.
   If your target is in the air when affected by this formula, no difficult terrain is created.  However, you still deal extra damage, and your target must still make a Fortitude save or be immobilized.

I assume that it's supposed to be Fortitude?

[DonQuixote]

...yes.  Yes, it is.

Good thing I'm already editing the Codex I PDF!

[Nanshork]

Good thing I'm making an elemental adept and make notes about everything.