PDA

View Full Version : Reimagined Air Elementals (3.5) PEACH



Seharvepernfan
2013-11-28, 04:25 AM
So, a while back in this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=280451) thread, I talked about how I disliked elementals as they are, and what changes I'd like to see. Somebody linked to a thread of Eldan's, and I used a lot of his ideas in this as well.

I finally got around to building elementals for my own games, and focused on air elementals first. So, here they are. They're odd, I'll tell you that right now. They don't work like other monsters....which is intentional. My main focus with the elementals is having the feeling that you are fighting elemental air (or whatever element). *Earth elementals are largely the same, however.

The fluff is non-existent at this point. For me, they're just balls of elemental destruction, bent on tearing you a new one. An air elemental looks like a sphere of spinning wind, surrounded by a less-distinct larger sphere of weaker spinning wind.

I think I'll start by listing their various abilities and qualities, then post a few stat blocks. So, here we go:

Gaseous Form: An air elemental can pass through small holes or openings at half their normal speed. Air elementals cannot enter water. Air elemental's can occupy the same space as another creature(s). They also have DR 5/magic for each size category above tiny.
In my houserules, for every +1 enhancement a weapon has, it can bypass 5 points of DR/magic, so this is more substantial to me.

Immunities: An air elemental is immune to electricity, blindness/deafness, the effects of wind (magical or mundane), and all gaseous attacks (fogs/mists/certain breath weapons). As an elemental, it is immune to poison/sleep/paralysis/polymorph/stunning, nor is it subject to critical hits or flanking.

Air Sense (Ex): The only sense that an air elemental has is Blindsense (240ft) and Blindsight (60ft) times the number of size categories it is above tiny (so Blindsense 720ft and Blindsight 180ft with a large air elemental). However, it can detect any words spoken in Auran within these ranges (they understand Auran), and is vulnerable to any language-dependent effect used against them that is in Auran (such as the command spell).

Absorption (Su): An air elemental in contact with external wind (that is, wind that is not produced by the elemental) gains Fast Healing dependent on the size of the elemental and the strength of the wind, up to their aura strength.
Small - 1 (at least Moderate wind)
Medium - 2 (at least Strong wind)
Large - 5 (at least Severe wind)
Huge - 10 (at least Windstorm-level winds)
So, a medium air elemental in strong winds gains Fast Healing 2, and Fast Healing 1 in moderate winds, but still only Fast Healing 2 in severe winds, since it's aura is only "strong" winds.

Wind Aura (su): Air elementals are surrounded by winds that blow in all directions around them. The range and power of that aura depend on the elemental's size:

Small air elementals are surrounded by a 5 ft. radius area of moderate wind. This disperses many gases, mists and fogs (making air elementals immune to gaseous spells, attacks and breath weapons) and has a chance of blowing out small, unprotected flames. It also gives them a +4 deflection bonus to AC.

Medium air elementals are surrounded by a 10 ft. radius area of strong wind. In addition to the effects of moderate wind, it gives a -2 penalty on ranged attacks and listen checks and knocks down creatures of tiny or smaller size unless they succeed on a fortitude save (DC 10). It also gives them a +6 deflection bonus to AC.

Large air elementals are surrounded by a 20 ft. radius area of severe wind. This increases the penalty to ranged attacks to -4, blows tiny or smaller creatures directly away from the elemental, knocks down small creatures and checks medium creatures, preventing them from moving towards the air elemental unless they succeed on a fortitude save (DC 15). It also gives them a +8 deflection bonus to AC.

Huge air elementals are surrounded by a 40 ft. radius area of windstorm, making normal ranged attacks impossible and giving a -4 penalty on attacks with siege weapons. Small or smaller creatures are blown directly away from the elemental, medium creatures are knocked down and large or huge creatures are checked, unless they succeed on a fortitude save (DC 18). It also gives them a +10 deflection bonus to AC.

A control winds spell can be used to affect an air elemental's aura. The elemental must succeed on a will save against the spell's DC, or have their aura's range and effect reduced to that of an elemental one size category smaller.
Note that an air elemental's aura does not start its absorption ability, for that an external wind is required.

Aerokinesis (sp): An air elemental has several abilities that help it control air, giving it a list of spell like abilities, depending on size:

Small: Gust of Wind 1/day
Medium: Gust of Wind at will
Large: Gust of Wind at will, control winds 1/day
Huge: Gust of Wind at will, control winds 3/day, Whirlwind 1/day

Scouring Winds (Ex): An air elemental deals damage by moving into it's opponents space (which provokes an AoO) and ending it's turn there. It deals damage equal to that of a swarm of it's HD. Any creature within the air elemental's space at the end of it's turn takes this damage. Any creature that begins it's turn within an air elemental's space is subject to Distraction (as per swarms).

Pick up: An air elemental can "grapple" opponents within it's space (as long as they are it's size or smaller). It can grapple one opponent of it's size, two opponents that are one size smaller, 8 opponents that are two sizes smaller, 32 of three sizes smaller, and so on. It does so by spending a standard action to force an opponent within it's space to make a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the elemental's HD + the elemental's con mod). If they fail, they are considered grappled, though they do not take any extra damage. The air elemental suffers none of the drawbacks or consequences of grappling, save that it must spend a standard action each round or drop it's grappled opponents (if they make their save, they are dropped, and they get a new save each time the elemental spends an action to carry them). Each round, it can move at up to it's speed in any direction, even vertically, while carrying it's opponents. It can drop them as a free action, or fling them (as the Snatch feat) as a standard action.

Tear from hands: If a creature is within the air elemental's space at the end of the elemental's turn, it makes a free automatic disarm attempt against any items they hold in their hands (one roll for each item). This does not provoke an AoO. The elemental uses it's Con mod on the roll, and is treated as using a light weapon (defenders do not take a penalty for items that are not melee weapons).

If an opponent outside of the elemental's space attacks it with a melee weapon and hits (regardless if damage is dealt or not), the elemental makes a free automatic disarm attempt against their weapon.

Any time an elemental successfully disarms an opponent of an item (or is targeted by a thrown weapon or projectile), the item is flung 1d3 squares (per size category of the elemental above tiny) away in a random direction.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): An air elemental that is immobile can hide without cover or concealment, and can do so while moving as long as it is within Absorption-level winds. Air elementals gain a +8 racial bonus to hide checks.
I'm not exactly sure how this ability works during combat for an elemental, as I didn't intend it to be used in combat by them.

An air elemental's ability scores are equal to: Dex 19+1 per 2HD, Con/Wis/Cha 10+1 per 2HD, Int 3+1 per 4HD.

Small Air Elemental:
Small Elemental (Air)
1d8 (5 HP)
init +8
spd: fly 100ft (perfect)
AC 19 (+1 size, +4 dex, +4 deflection)
Space: 5ft.
Scouring Winds 1d6
Gaseous Form, Immunities, Air Sense, Absorption, Wind Aura, Aerokinesis, Distraction (DC 10), Pick Up, Tear from Hands, Hide in Plain Sight
F+0, R+6, W+0
Str -, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 10
Improved Initiative
Hide +20
CR ?


Medium Air Elemental:
Medium Elemental (Air)
5d8+5 (28 HP)
init +9
spd: fly 100ft (perfect)
AC 21/23 (+5 dex, +6 deflection, /+2 exp dodge)
Space: 5ft
Scouring Winds 1d6
Gaseous Form, Immunities, Air Sense, Absorption, Wind Aura, Aerokinesis, Distraction (DC 13), Pick Up, Tear from Hands, Hide in Plain Sight
F+2, R+9, W+2
Str -, Dex 21, Con 12, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 12
Improved Initiative, Expeditious Dodge
Hide +21
CR ?


Large Air Elemental:
Large Elemental (Air)
9d8+18 (59 HP)
init +10
spd: fly 100ft (perfect)
Space: 10ft
AC 23/25 (-1 size, +6 dex, +8 deflection, /+2 exp dodge)
Scouring Winds 2d6
Gaseous Form, Immunities, Air Sense, Absorption, Wind Aura, Aerokinesis, Distraction (DC 18), Pick Up, Tear from Hands, Hide in Plain Sight
F+5, R+12, W+5
Str -, Dex 23, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 14
Improved Initiative, Expeditious Dodge, Mobility, Distraction Focus
Hide +22
CR ?


Huge Air Elemental:
Huge Elemental (Air)
17d8+68 (145 HP)
init +12
spd: fly 100ft (perfect)
AC 26/28 (-2 size, +8 dex, +10 deflection, /+2 exp dodge)
Space: 15ft
Scouring Winds 4d6
Gaseous Form, Immunities, Air Sense, Absorption, Wind Aura, Aerokinesis, Distraction (DC 24), Pick Up, Tear from Hands, Hide in Plain Sight
F+9, R+16, W+9
Str -, Dex 27, Con 18, Int 7, Wis 18, Cha 18
Improved Initiative, Expeditious Dodge, Mobility, Distraction Focus, Quicken Gust of Wind, Flyby Attack
Hide +28
CR ?


Thoughts?

Eldan
2013-11-28, 06:55 AM
A few nice additions. I'm not sure I like Razor Wind: while that is something that shows up quite commonly in fiction, I never quite understood how wind is supposed to cut. Bludgeoning damage, maybe?

Edit: Or how about giving them the ability to very quickly suffocate creatures they grapple?

Seharvepernfan
2013-11-28, 07:33 AM
It doesn't actually "cut"; it's just swarm damage. I needed a title for the ability, and "razor winds" just leaped to mind. I imagine the damage as something like a sandblast.

I'm going to have water elementals quickly drown people, so I don't want air elementals to intrude on the water elementals "thang". Honestly, I think they might be a bit too deadly already, despite doing very little damage on their own.

Kasbark
2013-11-28, 12:05 PM
I like it! looking forward to the other 3.

Djinn_in_Tonic
2013-11-28, 12:19 PM
It doesn't actually "cut"; it's just swarm damage. I needed a title for the ability, and "razor winds" just leaped to mind. I imagine the damage as something like a sandblast.

If you're trying to avoid the blade image (which I'd recommend): buffeting winds, cyclone's embrace, or swirling vortex might all work as names.

I'd like to see the range of senses increased based on the size of the elemental: it makes sense to me that larger air elementals would be attuned to greater areas of surrounding air.

I'd also recommend making Absorption simply give Fast Healing based on the size of the storm: it seems odd to me that larger and larger elementals actually lose their Fast Healing except in the most violent of circumstances.

I'd just cut the size completely from that column, and have Fast Healing be based on this:

1 (at least Moderate wind)
2 (at least Strong wind)
5 (at least Severe wind)
10 (at least Windstorm-level winds)

Seharvepernfan
2013-11-28, 09:06 PM
I like it! looking forward to the other 3.

Great! Glad you like it.


If you're trying to avoid the blade image (which I'd recommend): buffeting winds, cyclone's embrace, or swirling vortex might all work as names.

I'd like to see the range of senses increased based on the size of the elemental: it makes sense to me that larger air elementals would be attuned to greater areas of surrounding air.

I'd also recommend making Absorption simply give Fast Healing based on the size of the storm: it seems odd to me that larger and larger elementals actually lose their Fast Healing except in the most violent of circumstances.

I'd just cut the size completely from that column, and have Fast Healing be based on this:

1 (at least Moderate wind)
2 (at least Strong wind)
5 (at least Severe wind)
10 (at least Windstorm-level winds)

Hmmm, I think I'll go with "Scouring Winds".

With the increased sense ranges....that makes sense, but you don't see that anywhere else, as far as I know. It won't hurt anything, however, so I may as well.

I see your point about the fast healing, but giving Fast Healing 10 to an otherwise CR 1 or 2 elemental just wouldn't be right. I'll say that an elemental gains Fast Healing from wind up to their aura strength (so, a medium-sized one would have Fast Healing 2 in strong wind, and Fast Healing 1 in moderate wind, but still only have Fast Healing 2 in severe wind).

Seerow
2013-11-28, 09:25 PM
I see your point about the fast healing, but giving Fast Healing 10 to an otherwise CR 1 or 2 elemental just wouldn't be right.

Isn't there something in the CR system about having favorable conditions possibly increasing the CR of an encounter?

Having to fight an air elemental in a windstorm, even if it's a small one, sounds like it'd qualify for that. Also for a small elemental with only 5 HP, fast healing 1 or 10 probably won't matter. If the party manages to hit it, it's going down. And by level 4-6ish (where I'm guessing a medium elemental in favorable conditions would land in) fast healing 10 is something the party can deal with.


Either way, it'd be worth it just to have that ability simplified.