Advancement: 97–288 HD (Colossal)

[Pippin]

It seems that Primal Air Elementals can go up to 288 HDs. That's 192 HDs more than the "ordinary" Primal Air Elemental, so that's a total of +48 to all ability scores combined, and 64 bonus feats.


Is it possible to find a 288HD Primal Air Elemental that put all its ability score bonuses to Dex?
With that many HDs, is it relevant to assume that such a creature would have, at least, 20 levels in Wizard, Cleric, etc?

[MesiDoomstalker]

It seems that Primal Air Elementals can go up to 288 HDs. That's 192 HDs more than the "ordinary" Primal Air Elemental, so that's a total of +48 to all ability scores combined, and 64 bonus feats.


Is it possible to find a 288HD Primal Air Elemental that put all its ability score bonuses to Dex?
With that many HDs, is it relevant to assume that such a creature would have, at least, 20 levels in Wizard, Cleric, etc?


A few things; the bonuses to ability scores is 48 separate packets of +1 to a singular ability score. So yes, its possible all of them would go into dex. The other, is if the advencment section of the monster stat block says nothing about Character Class, then it can NOT gain class levels. So even if you find a Primal Air Elemental with 288 Hit Dice, all of them will be Elemental Hit Dice.

[Pippin]

A few things; the bonuses to ability scores is 48 separate packets of +1 to a singular ability score. So yes, its possible all of them would go into dex.
Good, that's what I tried to say with "combined" but my English is poor.


The other, is if the advencment section of the monster stat block says nothing about Character Class, then it can NOT gain class levels. So even if you find a Primal Air Elemental with 288 Hit Dice, all of them will be Elemental Hit Dice.
That's perfect, although I'd be a little worried about them if that's true. A 20th-level wizard could defeat those monsters within a few minutes :smallsigh:

[Bronk]

It seems that Primal Air Elementals can go up to 288 HDs. That's 192 HDs more than the "ordinary" Primal Air Elemental, so that's a total of +48 to all ability scores combined, and 64 bonus feats.


Is it possible to find a 288HD Primal Air Elemental that put all its ability score bonuses to Dex?
With that many HDs, is it relevant to assume that such a creature would have, at least, 20 levels in Wizard, Cleric, etc?


The rules for improving monsters are here:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm

A monster that improves via the advancement option given in its stat block would be able to gain all of it's level derived ability increases to whichever stat it wants (or the DM wants).

Alternatively, the DM can choose to advance monsters using whatever class he wants, adjusting the CR according to the guidelines concerning associated and nonassociated levels, further down the page. An advanced primal elemental cleric, wizard, cleric/wizard, whatever, could be made to exist by the DM.

[Grod_The_Giant]

The other, is if the advencment section of the monster stat block says nothing about Character Class, then it can NOT gain class levels. So even if you find a Primal Air Elemental with 288 Hit Dice, all of them will be Elemental Hit Dice.
Pretty sure that's just a general thing, not a rule. An big elemental is certainly smart enough for class levels. But those rules can be kind of borked in and of themselves. For instance, wizard levels on an air elemental would be nonassociated, meaning that you could put 48 wizard levels on your Primal elemental for only +24 CR.

[Urpriest]

Pretty sure that's just a general thing, not a rule. An big elemental is certainly smart enough for class levels. But those rules can be kind of borked in and of themselves. For instance, wizard levels on an air elemental would be nonassociated, meaning that you could put 48 wizard levels on your Primal elemental for only +24 CR.

I think the point to be made here is that HD advancement and class level advancement are different things. You can do both on the same creature obviously, but there isn't any connection between them. It sounded like the OP thought there was.

[Telonius]

It might be better to think of that "288 HD" as being a 288-level-long base class. You can multiclass out at any point if you want.

[atemu1234]

That is vaguely ridiculous.

[Elkad]

Nevermind it's stats, I'm picturing the F4 tornado that thing makes in whirlwind form.

[Uncle Pine]

Nevermind it's stats, I'm picturing the F4 tornado that thing makes in whirlwind form.

I was going to write a snarky comment about F4 as in "Alt+F4", but then I looked at the ability in question and noticed that it only does 4d8 damage a round, which probably wouldn't be enough to close even a slightly crowded browser.