Lightning Elemental? 3.5

[Gan The Grey]

Has anyone homebrewed one? If not, will someone?

Ideas:

Retribution - Does damage = to half hitdie to anyone striking it with a metal weapon.

Metal Mastery - increases to hit and damage to anyone wearing metal.

Flight - as long as it ends round on a solid surface.

See post #5 for my version of a Lightning Elemental.

[deuxhero]

Storm Elemental officially exists actually. Not sure where from though.

[arguskos]

That's a STORM elemental though. The Lightning Quasi-Elemental has been statted out as homebrew (technically) by the guys over at Planewalker. You can get it in their free PDF, Denizens of the Outer Planes. It does not seem to be available sans PDF though. Check out their site, it's worth the slightly annoying interface.

EDIT: Storm Elementals are in the MM3, btw.

[Set]

Has anyone homebrewed one? If not, will someone?

Ideas:

Retribution - Does damage = to half hitdie to anyone striking it with a metal weapon.

Metal Mastery - increases to hit and damage to anyone wearing metal.

Flight - as long as it ends round on a solid surface.

Use Fire Elemental stats, damage becomes Electrical instead of Fire. Replace Burn with Retribution, doing the elemental's energy damage to anyone who strikes it with a bare-hand or metal weapon. (So a Large Lightning Elemental would inflict 2d6+2 damage with a slam +2d6 electrical, and anyone striking it with a metal or natural weapon would take the 2d6 electrical. Perhaps a caveat could state that nobody can take Retribution damage from a particular Lightning Elemental more than once a round, to prevent a giant squid or TWF Tempest from blowing itself to hell on round one... If the Elemental gets multiple attacks (from haste, or something), it can, of course, zap someone with every hit.)

Add Metal Mastery (which is cool), and the ability to Fly, limited as you state. Instead of fire immunity, it has electrical immunity. HD, AC, attributes, feats and skills can remain the same (and the electrical damage can use the same dice as the fire damge of the fire elemental).

[Gan The Grey]

Okay, I checked the Homebrew Lightning Elemental, and it's not quite balance vs. the other elementals.

So, here's my best effort:

Small Lightning Elemental (Natural AC and Ability score increase just like Air Elemental)
HD: 2d8 (9 HP)
Init: +8
Speed: Fly 120ft (perfect) must end round on a solid surface, liquid, or cloud.
Landing on water shunts the elemental to the near solid surface (not
underwater), dealing 1d6 damage to the elemental per 10ft moved.
AC: 18 (1 size, 4 dex, 3 natural)
Base Atk/Grapple: +1/-4
Attack: Jolt + 6 (1d8 electrical*)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Lightning Mastery, Arc, Retribution
Special Qualities: Immunity to Electrical, Elemental Traits, Darkvision
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +7, Will +0
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Don't care to think about it
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Challenge Rating: 1

Lightning Mastery: If a Lightning Elemental attacks a target that is grounded or carrying large amounts of metal (generally metal armor or weapons with a good amount of metal), the Lightning Elemental adds a +1 to hit and damage. For airborne enemies or enemies wearing nonconductive armor, the lightning elemental takes a -4 to hit and damage.

Arc: A Lightning Elemental can 'arc', sending a jagged line of electricity from his current position to an enemy within 60ft, increasing by 20ft for each size category increase. This is a ranged touch attack that does 1/2 damage. As the Lightning Elemental grows in size and power, it can choose to arc between enemies, initially only damaging those two at medium size, and damaging more and more enemies in between the two targets with each size increase.
Large - 1 enemy
Huge - 2 enemies
Colossal - 4 enemies
Gargantuan - 8 enemies
These enemies do not need to be in a straight line, though the line cannot move farther than the range of the arc.

Retribution: A small Lightning Elemental automatically deals half damage to any creature attacking it with natural or metal weapons. It can only do this once per round. However, it can activate Retribution one additional time per size increase, up to 7 times per round at Gargantuan size.


*Note: Once a Lightning Elemental reaches large size, 1/2 of its damage is made up of sonic energy.

[deuxhero]

I'd allow large elementals do to half sonic as an option, in case they are fighting a elec weak creature.

[Gan The Grey]

Good call Deux

[DM_of_the_Lazy]

I have one question about Lightning Mastery, maybe I am wrong but wouldn't a creature that is grounded be immune to the attack?

[DracoDei]

I have one question about Lightning Mastery, maybe I am wrong but wouldn't a creature that is grounded be immune to the attack?

Such a thing would be more of a house rule on electricity damage in general than something specific to these things I should think.

[weenec]

Such a thing would be more of a house rule on electricity damage in general than something specific to these things I should think.

No I would think it would make sense that the damage would be halved if not just normal. Flying creatures should take double damage.

[Athaniar]

It should have the (Air) subtype. Elementals usually (always?) have elemental subtypes, and lightning is traditionally associated with the element of Air. Otherwise it looks good, though, I've been considering the idea myself.