Conjure Minor Elementals and Steam Mephit Death Burst

[MarkVIIIMarc]

I played in a campaign before where the DM allowed Steam Mephits conjured by Conjure Minor Elementals to die and explode. Rereading the spell I'm not sure if that is appropriate since, "An elemental summoned by this spell disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends."

RAI and RAW do these mephits have the chance to explode when they drop to 0 hit points?

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Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You summon elementals that appear in unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. You choose one of the following options for what appears:


One elemental of challenge rating 2 or lower
Two elementals of challenge rating 1 or lower
Four elementals of challenge rating 1/2 or lower
Eight elementals of challenge rating 1/4 or lower.

An elemental summoned by this spell disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends.
The summoned creatures are friendly to you and your companions. Roll initiative for the summoned creatures as a group, which has its own turns. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions.
The DM has the creatures’ statistics.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using certain higher-level slots, you choose one of the summoning options above, and more creatures appear: twice as many with a 6th-level slot and three times as many with an 8th-level slot.

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Armor Class 10
Hit Points 21 (6d6)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.


STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA


5 (-3)
11 (+0)
10 (+0)
11 (+0)
10 (+0)
12 (+1)


Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Aquan, Ignan
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Death Burst: When the mephit dies, it explodes in a cloud of steam. Each creature within 5 feet of the mephit must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 4 (1d8) fire damage.
Innate Spellcasting (1/Day): The mephit can innately cast blur, requiring no material components. Its innate spellcasting ability is Charisma.
ActionsClaws: Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2 (1d4) slashing damage plus 2 (1d4) fire damage.
Steam Breath (Recharge 6): The mephit exhales a 15- foot cone of scalding steam. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4 (1d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

[Xetheral]

I would allow them to explode at my table. Worst case scenario (they all die at once, while clustered together) it's far weaker than a Fireball, which is a lower level spell.

[Unoriginal]

Mephits don't die if they go to 0 HPs when summoned, the rules are clear on that.


Also if they did you'd be using enslaved and mind-controlled people as suicide bombers.

[Jerrykhor]

It could be argued either way, but I'd say they do explode. Specific beats general and all that jazz.

[Unoriginal]

It could be argued either way, but I'd say they do explode. Specific beats general and all that jazz.

The specific in that particular setup is that creatures summoned by Conjure Minor Elementals don't die, they just disappear.

[Jerrykhor]

The specific in that particular setup is that creatures summoned by Conjure Minor Elementals don't die, they just disappear.

That's where you are wrong. The spell says that generally, creatures summoned disappear on death. But Mephit is a specific creature which has a different effect on death, so it overrides the spell.

[ff7hero]

Generally, creatures die when they reach 0 HP.
Specifically, when Conjured Elementals reach 0 HP, they disappear.

[Unoriginal]

That's where you are wrong. The spell says that generally, creatures summoned disappear on death. But Mephit is a specific creature which has a different effect on death, so it overrides the spell.

No, the Mephit's Death Burst specifically says that it happens when the Mephit dies, not when it reaches 0 HPs, and the spell specifically says that the creatures disappear when they reach 0 HPs, which is not dying.


If the Death Burst activated when the Mephit reached 0 HPs, you'd be right, but it is not the case. Meaning it's perfectly possible to trigger Death Burst via a non-damage death (ex: excessive exhaustion), and to use a non-lethal KO via a melee attack when putting the Mephit to 0 HP (note that a non-lethal KO would still make the summoned creature disappear, as it's still putting it to 0 HP)

[DwarfDM]

Just ask your dm.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Just ask your dm.

I AM the DM in this case now.

[JackPhoenix]

I AM the DM in this case now.

So make a ruling. That's what GMs do if something is unclear (though it isn't, in this case).

[NaughtyTiger]

Elementals don't die, they just go back to their native plane, right?

[Unoriginal]

Elementals don't die, they just go back to their native plane, right?

When they're summoned by Conjure Minor Elementals, they just go back to their native plane.

If a Mephit goes through a portal or the like, though, then they can die in the Material Plane just fine.

[Grey Watcher]

I think you could make the argument either way, honestly.

You could say "Because summoned creatures are teleported home at 0 HP, on-death effects do not trigger."

You could argue that the body is some kind of simulacrum-like thing (so you're not sending summonees home beaten to within an inch of their lives) and that, since their temporary local body dies, it triggers on-death effects.

You could argue the creature DOES die, but that summoning spells have Revivify built in.

Personally, I'd be inclined to do as you did, and have the Steam Mephits explode. It's not overpowered, it allows the player to feel clever, and it keeps something that helps the choice of Steam Mephit over other things feel significant.

[RipTide]

Conjure minor elemental is honestly one of the worse summoning spells. Compared to woodland beings and animals it has a 1 min cast time where they have a 1 action cast time, so its only usable if you precast it. Conjure Animals is a 3rd level spell compared to 4th and woodland beings summons fay that have a bunch of useful spells (even without going for the pixy/polymorph cheese).

Of your summon options with minor elemental, Fire snake, Azer, and Gargoyle are the only options that don't have a death burst effect. To me the only advantage minor elemental has going for it is the death burst effect.

So, for me, by RAW it's pretty clear you don't get the death burst effect. As far as RAI and what I would rule, those death burst effects are the only reason to take that spell, so let the player have it.