Alternate elementals

[TrT8r]

Hello. I was reading about different enemies in the monster manual, and I figured out that I liked elementals the best. But, there were so few elementals, and I couldn't help but wonder what different elementals could be created. I am thinking about elementals for the planes of ice, ash, mud and lava, but I'm not really good at home brewing things. So if you have any ideas for what they would be like or what they could do, or if you have already made some, feel free to share! :smallbiggrin:

[Potato_Priest]

Have you seen the Mephits? They are small elementals from the aforementioned planes. You can find them on pages 215-217 of the monster manual.

[Balyano]

I have one type of elemental for a setting I made a few years back, ties into the creation of the demiplane it takes place on, but can fit elsewhere. I'll keep it brief and won't go into detail. But basically imagine the standard earth elemental, but a piece of the tree from the plane of elemental wood got embedded in its dirt/flesh. The piece of tree grew and now it's got roots throughout and a leafy afro on top. The two are in an obligate symbiotic relationship. The tree plants a seed in the earth. The tree then grows an earth elemental around its roots. Each morning the elemental finds a good spot and ''plants'' itself in the ground using the earth elementals ability to earth glide. It photosynthesizes all day ''resting''. During this time the earth elemental draws nutrients from the surrounding soil and weathers rock deeper down to get at trace elements. Then in the evening they uproot and wander off in search of a new spot. They start off small, could fit in your hand. As they age they grow larger and larger and they stay rooted and asleep for longer and longer. In the setting they were renowned for their vast stores of knowledge collected over centuries of conversing with each other, mortals, and fey. They are quite talkative and curious, though they speak slowly and seem somber by human standards.

[Ninja_Prawn]

or if you have already made some, feel free to share! :smallbiggrin:

That's my cue!

I wrote some exotic elementals here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?494144-Exotic-Elementals) and a collection of pseudonatural elementals here (https://store.magehandpress.com/products/lovecraft-handbook) (I'm afraid you'll have to pay to access those :smallsigh:).

And while I have been toying with the idea of writing ice/mud/dust/smoke/steam/magma elementals (actually I've already done ice (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20514984&postcount=15)), so far haven't found the time. If no one else in this thread wants to, I could look into it tonight...

[Morphic tide]

Positive and Negative Energy Elementals were a thing in 3.X, as well as the Omnimental.

In 5e, Positive Energy Elementals benefit from Radiant damage being a thing to describe hostile infusions of positive energy. Whether it's added to their attacks or their inbuilt attacks automatically deal Radiant damage as their full damage is up to the homebrewer, but, being Positive Energy, they can have methods of healing. An ability they might have would be having a burst of Positive Energy that either heals or deals Radiant damage, with a possible on-death being a bigger version.

Negative Energy Elementals can be much the same, only swapping Radiant for Necrotic and Undead boosting abilities. Healing Undead, making them, increasing their Strength, giving them temp HP and so on. Or you can focus them on debuffs and Necrotic damage. Or just copy what the 3.X version does as closely as possible in 5e, which also applies to the Positive Energy Elemental.

The Omnimental is a fused Elemental. On death, it splits into one of each basic Elemental, as in Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Google it for it's stats, then adapt to 5e's changes to the normal Elementals.

As for literally-alternate elementals, you can go with more esoteric, conceptual building blocks of reality, corresponding to primordial creation myth stuff, like Order and Chaos Elementals unrelated to the alignments, or the various planes that aren't Elemental but can be reasonably associated with the building blocks of reality, like the Alignment related planes.

[TrT8r]

Positive and Negative Energy Elementals were a thing in 3.X, as well as the Omnimental.

In 5e, Positive Energy Elementals benefit from Radiant damage being a thing to describe hostile infusions of positive energy.

Negative Energy Elementals can be much the same, only swapping Radiant for Necrotic and Undead boosting abilities. Healing Undead, making them, increasing their Strength, giving them temp HP and so on.

The Omnimental is a fused Elemental. On death, it splits into one of each basic Elemental, as in Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Google it for it's stats, then adapt to 5e's changes to the normal Elementals.

I might use those later. Do you have any ideas for omnimental stat blocks?

[TrT8r]

And while I have been toying with the idea of writing ice/mud/dust/smoke/steam/magma elementals (actually I've already done ice), so far haven't found the time. If no one else in this thread wants to, I could look into it tonight...

Sorry about the double post, I can't quote twice in one post.
I really like the Ice elemental. I think I will try to make a mud elemental soon and/or edit your ice elemental (if that's OK with you). I was thinking a faster, more damaging elemental.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Sorry about the double post, I can't quote twice in one post.

You can, actually. Just need to mess with the BB tags a bit. Like I could quote my ice elemental post... in fact, I'll add NOPARSE tags so it'd be easy for you to copy-paste the formatting if you wanted to...


Ice Elemental
Large elemental, neutral
Armour Class 15 (natural armour)
Hit Points 102 (12d10 + 36)
Speed 30 ft., burrow (ice only) 30 ft.


STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA


16 (+3)
17 (+3)
16 (+3)
6 (-2)
10 (+0)
7 (-2)


Damage Vulnerabilities fire, thunder
Damage Resistances acid, cold; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralysed, petrified, poisoned, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Aquan, Auran
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Ice Form. The elemental always floats in water, rising at a rate of 120 feet per round if submerged. Furthermore, the elemental is not impeded by icy or snowy terrain, and it can burrow through solid ice (such as glaciers or permafrost) without disturbing the material it moves through. Any creature that starts its turn grappling or being grappled by the elemental takes 5 (1d10) cold damage and has its movement speed reduced by 10 feet for the duration of that turn.

Actions
Multiattack. The elemental makes two slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Anyways, where was I?


I really like the Ice elemental. I think I will try to make a mud elemental soon and/or edit your ice elemental (if that's OK with you). I was thinking a faster, more damaging elemental.

Yeah sure, go for it! I got kind of distracted last night, but more elementals is still on my to-do list.

[Eldan]

Planescape in 2nd edition defined tons of elemental planes and elements.

You have the positive and negative energy planes. Hopefully self explanatory. THen, you have the four basic elements of fire, water, air and earth.

Then you have paraelementals where those meet:
Fire and air is smoke, fire and earth is magma. Water and air is ice, water and earth is ooze.

And where the elements meet energy,you get quasielementals:
Fire: radiance and ash
Water: Steam and salt
Earth: crystal and dust
Air: lightning and vacuum

THere were elements written up for a lot of those. 3rd ed had some of them too.

[TrT8r]

Mud Elemental
Large elemental, neutral
Armour Class 14 (natural armour)
Hit Points 130 (12d10 + 60)
Speed 20 ft.


STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA


20 (+5)
11 (+0)
18 (+4)
6 (-2)
10 (+0)
9 (-1)


Damage Vulnerabilities None
Damage Resistances fire, cold, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing
Damage Immunities poison, acid, lightning
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, restrained, unconscious
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Terran, Auran
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Mud Form. The elemental can move through a gap that is 1 inch wide without squeezing. The elemental ignores difficult terrain caused by mud. This creature also has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide while in a muddy environment.

Mud glide. While the elemental is on mud (or a similar surface), for it's movement, it can take on the form a mud puddle. While moving in this form, it's speed is doubled, it can move through another creature's space, it doesn't provoke opportunity attacks, and it can't move off of it's current surface. It cannot end a turn in this form.

Regenerate (2/day) While the elemental is in contact with mud, it can take an action to regenerate any limbs that it has lost. It also regains 16 (2d10 + 8) hit points.

Actions

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the creature is restrained by sticky mud.

Engulfing slam. (Recharge 5-6) Melee Weapon Attack: The elemental makes one slam attack against a target within reach. On a hit, the target it grappled by the elemental. While grappled in this way, the target cannot breathe. A creature may make a DC 15 strength check to free itself. On a success, the target is restrained by sticky mud, and the grapple ends.

Mud throw Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 20/40., one or two targets within 5 ft. of each other.Hit: 15 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target is restrained by sticky mud.

I hope that this works. I imagine it a a humanoid figure made of mud, with bits of plant matter in it, with mud dripping off of its arms and a earth elemental's face. Anyways, hope you like it! :smallbiggrin:

[RatElemental]

Somebody was once kind enough to write up an elemental based on my name, but I'd rather not share it without permission. It was for 3.5 too, so it would probably take a bit of adapting.