D&D 5E Air Elemental and the Gust of Wind spell

[CTurbo]

Would it/should it be possible for an air elemental to be able to move at all against the Gust of Wind spell? I'm thinking no, but according to RAW, it should still be able to move up to half it's speed.

 

[jaelis]

Are you concerned specifically with air elementals, or any flying creature?

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Is there some RAW reason it wouldn't be able to move against a Gust of Wind? Why would it be treated any differently?

 

[LordEntrails]

If RAW says it can move half speed, then I've got no problem with that. A DM can always house rule differently, but what's the problem with RAW?

 

[jaelis]

I could see two issues...

First, you might think that GoW would affect flying creatures more strongly than walking creatures, since they have nothing solid to brace against.

Second, you might think that since air elementals are made of air, GoW would act directly on their substance and push them away.

Don't know if either of those is what the OP is wondering about. I think I'm more supportive of the first than the second.

 

[Oofta]

Just because an air elemental is made of air, it doesn't mean it's helpless against a gust of wind.

It's just as "real" and has mass just like other creatures, it's just that it's held together by magic. In the real world, you have conflicting air masses pushing against each other all the time, it's why we have tornadoes.

 

[CTurbo]

Yes it was mostly that the air elemental is mostly air that I thought it may have a harder time moving towards a Gust of Wind. Maybe I will just give it disadvantage on it's check to walk into the spell.

 

[CTurbo]

The air elemental has a laundry list of condition immunities so I figured it would be vulnerable to strong winds.

 

[jaelis]

I could definitely see rewarding a player who came up with that idea.

 

[LordEntrails]

Well, Is the magic of GoW stronger than the magic of an elemental? You could rule either way, but to me, an elemental is pretty damn proficient with the elemental that is it's nature.

Therefore, an air elemental would have better control of air than a GoW spell.