An Elemental is a planar creature that can be encountered in the Spelljammer campaign setting.[1]
Overview[]
Elementals are sentient beings that normally reside on an elemental inner plane and will only be encountered on the material plane if they are summoned by magical means. Once summoned to the material plane, an elemental must adopt a shell composed of the basic element it represents - air, earth, fire or water. Once this shell has been destroyed, the elemental will return to its native plane. While there are many more powerful and more intelligent residents of the elemental planes, the common elemental is the easiest to contact, and therefore the most frequently summoned.[2]
Most elementals do not like being in wildspace. This is because the ties between them and their native elemental planes are strongest on large planets. This may be due to the large number of extra-dimensional portals concentrated on one planet-sized location, or because the mass of a planet is sufficient to make transit between the material plane and the elemental planes easier. Regardless of the reason, elementals do not enjoy being in wildspace.
Elementals can still be summoned normally via a conjure elemental spell but their term of service will be shorter and limited, their attitude even surlier than normal, with a chance that they will break free from the summoners control. Elementals cannot be summoned in the phlogiston, but may be transported there (excluding fire elementals, unless some rather extraordinary measures have been taken). However, they will lose all contact with their native plane, making them extremely unwilling to travel between spheres.[1]
Combat[]
An elemental's magical nature provides it with a measure of invulnerability against injury on the material plane. Elementals can only be harmed by enchanted weapons with a +2 or greater enhancement bonus and by powerful creatures with magical or spell-like abilities. An orc, for example, would be powerless against a summoned elemental unless they happen to possess a magical weapon with a +2 or greater enhancement bonus.
Like all extraplanar and conjured creatures, elementals are affected by protection from evil spells and similar magical wards. An elemental cannot strike a creature protected by this spell and will recoil from the spell’s boundary. However, an elemental can attack creatures protected by the spell as long as it doesn’t attempt to touch them. For example, a fire elemental could set the ground on fire around a creature and wait for the blaze to spread.
Each of the four types of common elemental has its own particular strengths and weaknesses, attack modes and method of movement, depending on its plane of origin. However, they all share one major characteristic: they are fundamentally unintelligent. This low intelligence is what makes them such prime targets for summoning spells, since they find it difficult to resist this particular type of magic. But even the dullest elemental is bright enough to know it does not like being taken off of its home plane and forced onto the material plane against its will.[2]
Society[]
Of all the common elementals, only fire elementals (and water elementals to a lesser degree) have significant populations living in wildspace. Of course, most, if not all, fire elementals can be found on fire-worlds, the most elemental of all planetary types. Due to their very nature, most fire worlds have one or more interplanar portals to the Elemental plane of fire somewhere within their mass,[3] allowing many fire-loving creatures to visit these worlds, including azer, efreet, salamanders, fire bats, flame swallows, helians and of course fire elementals. Fire worlds and suns known to be inhabited by fire elementals include Ignia,[4] Garrash in Vistaspace,[5] Liga in Greyspace,[6] Sala in Vodonispace,[7] the Sun and the planet Sirrion in Krynnspace,[8][9] and the Sun in Realmspace.[10]
Liga in Greyspace is a rather unusual fire-world in having both fire and water elemental populations. Dotted across its fiery golden surface are thousands of bright-blue semi-spherical lakes of elemental water, tens of miles in diameter. At the center of each lake is a small temporary portal to the Elemental plane of water, which is the only thing preventing these lakes from instantly flashing into superheated steam. A particular gate will remain open for several months before closing, allowing the surrounding lake to boil away. When one gate closes, another will open somewhere else, forming a new lake around itself. The lakes are inhabited by creatures from the Elemental plane of water, including water elementals as well as water weirds. The water elementals seem to know when a gate is about to close and will withdraw back into the water elemental plane; unfortunately the water weirds aren't as observant, with tragic consequences.[11]
Types of elementals[]
Air elemental[]
Air elementals are native to the elemental plane of air and seldom leave their home plane unless summoned elsewhere using magic. Common air elementals appear as amorphous, shifting clouds surrounded by fast moving currents of air. Darker bits of swirling vapor form the suggestion of two eyes and a mouth, but this could merely be a trick of the eye. Air elementals speak Auran, but rarely choose to do so. Their language can be heard in the high-pitched shriek of a tornado or the low moan of a midnight storm.[12]
While air elementals are generally intangible, they can strike opponents with a strong, focused blast of air, like a giant, invisible fist. Their extremely rapid speed make air elementals very useful on vast battlefields or in extended aerial combat. In fact, an air elemental’s mastery of its natural element gives it a strong advantage in combat above the ground.
An air elemental can transform into a whirlwind once every ten minutes, resembling a truncated, inverted cone 10-feet wide at the base, 30-feet wide at the top, and up to 80-feet tall, depending on the elemental's size. The elemental determines the exact height, but it must be at least 10 feet. It takes a full ten minutes for an elemental to transform into a whirlwind, and another 10 minutes to dissipate. This whirlwind lasts for one minute, sweeping away and injuring any creatures caught it area of effect, and killing weaker creatures outright. [13]
Earth elemental[]
Earth elementals are native to the elemental plane of earth and seldom leave their home plane unless summoned elsewhere using magic. Common earth elementals resemble very large, crudely formed humanoids made of whatever type of dirt, stones, rocks, precious metals, and gems were available when they were summoned. Earth elementals have cold, expressionless features, with two sparkling eyes resembling multi-faceted gems. Earth elementals are incredibly strong and tough, and can pound almost anything into rubble. Earth elementals speak Terran, but rarely choose to do so. Their voices can be heard in the echo's of deep tunnels, the rumbling of earthquakes, and the grinding of stone on stone.[14][13]
Though earth elementals travel very slowly, they are relentless in the fulfillment of their appointed tasks. An earth elemental can travel through solid ground or stone. However, they cannot travel through water: they must either go around the body of water in their path or go under it, gliding through the ground like a fish swimming through water. Earth elementals prefer the latter as it keeps them moving, more or less, in a straight line toward their goal.
Earth elementals will always try to fight on the ground and will rarely be tricked into giving up that advantage. Because of their mastery of rock and earth, these elementals can deal enormous damage when striking an opponent resting on the ground. Earth elementals are extremely effective against structures with foundations in earth or stone, destroying buildings and such in mere moments, making them extremely useful for armies besieging a fortification.[13]
Fire elemental[]
Fire elementals are native to the elemental plane of fire and seldom leave their home plane unless summoned elsewhere using magic. Common fire elementals resemble a tall ambulatory sheet of flame, seemingly flickering and sparking from central torso-shaped conflagration, with two flickering flame-like appendages and two large glowing patches of brilliant blue fire resembling eyes. Fire elementals speak Ignan, but rarely choose to do so. Their voices can be heard in the crackle and hiss of a great fire.[14][15]
To enter the material plane, a fire elemental requires a large source of heat and fire, at least six feet in diameter and reaching at least four feet into the air. Fire elementals are fierce and savage opponents who attack their enemies directly, taking great joy in burning them to ashes. In combat, a fire elemental lashes out with one of its ever-flickering limbs. Any flammable object struck by a fire elemental may immediately burst into flame and begin burning. Fire elementals are unable to cross water or non-flammable liquids, and often, a quick dive into a nearby lake or stream is the only thing that can save a victim from certain death at the hands of a fire elemental.[15]
Water elemental[]
Water elementals are native to the elemental plane of water and seldom leave their home plane unless summoned elsewhere using magic. A common water elemental appears as a high-crested wave, which ebbs and flows as it moves. On either side of the main body are smaller waves which serve as the creature's limbs. Near the front of the wave are two deep green orbs which resemble eyes. Water elementals speak Aquan, but rarely choose to do so. Their voices can be heard in the crashing of waves on rocky shores and the howl of an ocean gale.[14][15]
To enter the material plane a water elemental requires at least one thousand cubic feet of water or watery liquid to form its material shell. Usually a large pool serves this purpose, but several large kegs of wine or ale will do just as well. Water elementals make ferocious and dangerous adversaries, though they prefer to fight in large bodies of water where they can constantly disappear beneath the waves and suddenly swell up behind their opponent. When a water elemental strikes, it lashes out with a huge wave-like arms. Water elementals also pose a serious threat to any watercraft that cross their paths. A water elemental can easily overturn small boats and stop or slow almost any size vessel.
Though a water elemental is most effective in large areas of open water, it can be called upon to serve in battle on dry land, close to the body of water from which it arose. However, a water elemental cannot move more than 180 feet away from the water it was conjured from, and their effectiveness in combat is diminished.[15]
Notable Elementals[]
- The four Elemental Lords of Vodonispace were kept imprisoned within the artifact known as the Eye of the Gods by the Emperor Vulkaran,[16] allowing their elemental subjects an unprecedented degree of autonomy, resulting in chaos as they ran amuck.[7]
- Imix, Prince of Evil Fire Creatures, was rumored to maintain a stronghold on one of the floating continents of Garrash in Vistaspace.[17]
Appendix[]
See also[]
External Links[]
- Elemental article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Elemental article at the Eberron Wiki, a wiki for the Eberron campaign setting.
- Elemental article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, Extraplanar Beings section, chapter 3: Spacefarers (p.60)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Elemental, Generic Information entry, page 98
- ↑ Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Introduction, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, page 20
- ↑ Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Ignia section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, pages 20-21
- ↑ Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Garrash section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, pages 23-24
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, SJR6 Greyspace, 1992, (TSR Inc.), Liga chapter, pages 23-24
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Grant Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), event 8: Infernal Realms, chapter 3: Reconnoitering, page 28
- ↑ Jean Rabe, SJR7 Krynnspace, 1993, (TSR Inc.), The Sun chapter, pages 9-10
- ↑ Jean Rabe, SJR7 Krynnspace, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Sirion chapter, pages 12-13
- ↑ Dale "Slade" Henson, SJR2 Realmspace, 1991, (TSR Inc.), The Sun chapter, page 5
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, SJR6 Greyspace, 1992, (TSR Inc.), Liga chapter, pages 24-25
- ↑ Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook. Monster Manual v.3.5., 2003, (Wizards of the Coast),ISBN: 0-7869-2893-X, page 95
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Elemental, Air/ Earth entry, page 99
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook. Monster Manual v.3.5., 2003, (Wizards of the Coast),ISBN: 0-7869-2893-X, page 98
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Elemental, Fire/ Water entry, page 100
- ↑ Grant Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), pages 38, 49 and 51
- ↑ Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Garrash section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, page 24