[3.5] Elemental Suggestions

[Irreverent Fool]

I need suggestions for a band of airborne water and fire elemental types (ideally a group of three or more) to act as a prelude encounter to a boss fight.

My players are currently preparing to fight a red dragon that has been causing them trouble for the majority of the campaign. The dragon himself is an agent of certain elemental forces. The encounter is going to take place above a port city during a strong storm.

I plan to have water and fire elemental/themed servants accost the players first, as sort of a prelude encounter to soften them up. I originally had planned to have some of the dragon's Exarchs mounted on elemental drakes (Draconomicon p.154), but I wanted to make the elemental affinity a little more apparent. The party is ECL 11-12 and the encounter is meant to be CR-appropriate so as to leave them with enough resources to face the dragon afterward should they choose to fight (some information may lead to a negotiation).

I considered half-water elemental fire elementals and half-fire elemental water elementals, but this seems rather drab and I'd need some contrived way to keep them in the air. Not to mention that the half-elemental templates seem rather lackluster in representing such an affinity.

The dragon is a CR 13 with a few alternate features and abilities. The party consists of a Seeker of the Song, an Occult Slayer (cohort), a Warblade, a Radiant Servant of Pelor, and a Warlock. (There was a wizard who buffed them at the end of last session, but he's no longer in the group). They all have methods of flight and have had some time to prepare for the encounter via spells.

obnoxious
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[Irreverent Fool]

I've decided to go with a Marid (Manual of the Planes, water geniie) with a pair of wings of flying and an Efreeti (SRD, fire genie). This only works out to be about EL 10 though, and I fear the party will breeze through it.

What I think would be great to go with these two is something of both the fire and water subtypes, but I can't seem to come up with anything.

[arguskos]

Fire and Water subtypes on a single critter? I can't think of any such critters.

Perhaps instead use a pair of Elementite Swarms from the Planar Handbook?

[Milskidasith]

Make up a hydrogen elemental? It can go at will from what's basically a water elemental to a fire elemental (via combusting/combining with oxygen, respectively? Sweet magickey science!)

[arguskos]

Make up a hydrogen elemental? It can go at will from what's basically a water elemental to a fire elemental (via combusting/combining with oxygen, respectively? Sweet magickey science!)

It explodes to light on fire, then dunks in water to become water. THAT IS AWESOME.

[DonEsteban]

I'm a big fan of mephits. They come in all sizes (fire, water, steam...) and have a fly speed included. Enhance them or give them class levels and/or let them be let by an efreeti. Give them dispell magic.

[WoodenSword]

Mephits and Genasi are excellent "cannon fodder" to throw at the players. Plus, if you're feeling devious, a Half-Earth Water Elemental/Half-Air Fire Elemental/Half-Fire Earth Elemental/Half-Water Air Elemental/Half-Air Earth Elemental/Half-Water Fire Elemental foes would be a powerful "Big Guy" for the Genasi and Mephits to be lead by. Heck, an Omnimental or a Omninecromental (yeah, Undead and All 4 Elements) or even an Unraveler could be a worthy trial for the players.

[Irreverent Fool]

I'm a big fan of mephits. They come in all sizes (fire, water, steam...) and have a fly speed included. Enhance them or give them class levels and/or let them be let by an efreeti. Give them dispell magic.

Class levels are more work. I'm looking for things I can use "out of the box" either as printed or by racial advancement. I like the idea of mephits, especially since a handful of the creatures have escaped the party in the past. The steam mephits suit my purposes well, I can't believe I forgot about them.

@Woodensword: I considered the omnimental, but I want it clear to the players that it's Fire and Water working against them to clue them in on certain plot points (and hopefully remind them of some of their adventuring history).

I think what I'm going with is a Marid, an Efreeti, a Qurrashi (ice genie, Frostburn), and a Magma Paraelemental equipped with wings of flying(Manual of the Planes). The paraelemental is technicaly earth/fire, but I don't think a being made of red-hot magma will come across as anything but fire-based.

Those four together work out to be EL12 and I believe they will make for a challenging enough combat. If it seems the party is defeating them too handily, I may have a group of mephits join in.

I'll let y'all know how it goes.

obnoxious
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