Riding in an elemental

[Lord Il Palazzo]

This is probably a really dumb question, but does anyone know of any rules that might be applicable to a character riding around inside a friendly elemental?

The specific circumstances are these: I'm working on designing an NPC who is a (fairly high level) merfolk druid who regularly has business in a large city. I know she could use Fins to Feet or find a way to cast Alter Self to become human or something like that, but she would probably prefer to keep her natural form. As such, my idea is that she uses the Elemental Companion (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20061010a) alternate class feature to get a large water elemental companion in whom she rides around while she's on land, sticking her head out when she needs to talk to somebody.

This is mostly going to be fluff, as I doubt she's going to get into much combat where she can't simply get out of the elemental beforehand and wild shape, but just in case it comes up, I'd like to have some rules available? Does anybody know if there's anything like this out there? (Either official or homebrewed would be welcome.)

[Darrin]

This is probably a really dumb question, but does anyone know of any rules that might be applicable to a character riding around inside a friendly elemental?


Sounds like "Elemental Merge" from Elemental Scion of Zilargo (Magic of Eberron). There was a Iron Chef recently for Scion of Tem-Et-Nu, and one of the entries, I think "Shui Dao Ye, the River’s Edge" (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12043978&postcount=184), involved riding around in a water elemental.

[Lord Il Palazzo]

Thanks. I'll have to take a look at that later on.

[Riverdance]

Riding inside most elementals is usually damaging, be it from burning or bumping, but in some settings it is very common to see vehicles powered by elementals.