lightning elementals

[Devon]

Hi, folks,

Here are the lightning elementals, in the standard format.

There were so many powers one could give to these folks, but I didn't want them to be too overpowered.

Among the rejected powers were:
- Flight
- Bolt (elemental turns to a lightning bolt and "charges" an opponent, doing its HD in damage)
- Haste

Anyone have any other ideas for abilities, or believe I should have used one of the other powers instead of Stun or Lightning Ball?

- Devon


Lightning Elemental, Small
Small Elemental (Lightning)
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft.
AC: 16 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural)
Attacks: Slam +2 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+1 and stun
Face/Reach: 5' by 5'/5'
Special Attacks: Shock field, conductive touch, stun (DC 12)
Special Qualities: Elemental, darkvision 60', Electricity immunity,
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will -1
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 4, Wis 9, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Improved Initiative

Lightning Elemental, Medium
Medium-Size Elemental (Lightning)
Hit Dice: 4d8+16 (34 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft.
AC: 18 (+2 Dex, +5 natural)
Attacks: Slam +4 melee
Damage: Slam 1d8+1 and stun
Face/Reach: 5' by 5'/5'
Special Attacks: Shock field, conductive touch, stun (DC 16)
Special Qualities: Elemental, darkvision 60', Electricity immunity,
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +0
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 4, Wis 9, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +6, Spot +6
Feats: Improved Initiative

Lightning Elemental, Large
Large Elemental (Lightning)
Hit Dice: 8d8+40 (76 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft.
AC: 19 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +7 natural)
Attacks: Slam +7/+2 melee
Damage: Slam 2d8+3 and stun
Face/Reach: 5' by 5'/10'
Special Attacks: Shock field, conductive touch, stun (DC 19)
Special Qualities: Elemental, darkvision 60', Electricity immunity, damage reduction 10/+1
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +2
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +10, Spot +10
Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Improved Initiative

Lightning Elemental, Huge
Huge Elemental (Lightning)
Hit Dice: 16d8+96 (168 hp)
Initiative: +9 (+5 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft.
AC: 20 (-2 size, +5 Dex, +7 natural)
Attacks: Slam +14/+9/+4 melee
Damage: Slam 2d10+6 and stun
Face/Reach: 10' by 5'/10'
Special Attacks: Shock field, conductive touch, stun (DC 24)
Special Qualities: Elemental, darkvision 60', Electricity immunity, damage reduction 10/+2
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +15, Will +5
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 21, Con 22, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +18, Spot +18
Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, Dodge

Lightning Elemental, Greater
Huge Elemental (Lightning)
Hit Dice: 21d8+126 (220 hp)
Initiative: +10 (+6 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft.
AC: 21 (-2 size, +6 Dex, +7 natural)
Attacks: Slam +18/+13/+8 melee
Damage: Slam 2d10+7 and stun
Face/Reach: 10' by 5'/10'
Special Attacks: Shock field, conductive touch, stun (DC 26)
Special Qualities: Elemental, darkvision 60', Electricity immunity, damage reduction 10/+2
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +18, Will +7
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 23, Con 22, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +23, Spot +23
Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, Dodge

Lightning Elemental, Elder
Huge Elemental (Lightning)
Hit Dice: 24d8+ 144 (252 hp)
Initiative: +11 (+7 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft.
AC: 22 (-2 size, +7 Dex, +7 natural)
Attacks: Slam +22/+17/+12/+7
Damage: Slam 2d10+9 and stun
Face/Reach: 10' by 5'/10'
Special Attacks: Shock field, conductive touch, stun (DC 29)
Special Qualities: Elemental, darkvision 60', Electricity immunity, damage reduction 15/+3
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +21, Will +8
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 25, Con 22, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +26, Spot +26
Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility

Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: Small 1; medium 3; large 5; huge 7; greater 9; elder 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually Neutral
Advancement: Small 3 HD (small); Medium 5-7 HD (medium-size); Large 9-15 HD (large); Huge 17-20 HD (huge); Greater 22-23 HD (huge); Elder 25+ HD (huge)

Lightning Elementals are beings from the elemental plane of Lightning. They resemble lanky, hyperactive humanoids made of corruscating bluish-white electricity, their angles and lines always changing. Larger versions grow to resemble walls of lightning. Lightning elementals are somewhat impulsive.

Lightning elementals speak Auran.

Combat:
Lightning elementals are very excitable and unstable, tending to attack for no apparent reason.

Shock field (Ex): A lightning elemental is surrounded at all times by a crackling field of electricity. Anyone grappling, holding, or otherwise in contact with the lightning elemental takes automatic slam damage. A Fortitude save halves this damage (See Save DC, below).

Furthermore, anyone striking the lightning elemental with a barehanded attack, or a conductive metal weapon, also takes the listed damage, Fortitude save for half.

Conductive touch (Ex): Against opponents in metallic armor, a lightning elemental's melee attacks are resolved as melee touch attacks. Anything immune to electricity takes no damage from the lightning elemental's slam attack.

Stun (Su): Anyone hit by the lightning elemental's slam attack must make a Fortitude save (see Save DC below) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Elemental: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning. Not subject to critical hits.

Lightning Elemental Size
Elemental Height Weight Save DC
--------- ------ ------ ------------
Small 4 ft. 1 lb. 12
Medium 8 ft. 2 lb. 16
Large 16 ft. 4 lb. 19
Huge 32 ft. 8 lb. 24
Greater 36 ft. 10 lb. 26
Elder 40 ft. 12 lb. 29




edited to factor in size modifiers to attack rolls; changed special attacks

 

[Frog Slime]

Well, I didn't look through it too carefully, so I can only do a little nitpicking: The Small needs a +2 to its melee attacks and +3 to its ranged. You are either forgetting the size bonus to attacks or the base attack bonus.

 

[Devon]

Yes, you're right -- I had forgotten to factor in size bonuses/penalties on all of the attacks for all of the incarnations. Thanks for alerting me -- I have editied the original to accommodate.

Any other observations, or suggestions as to powers?

- Devon

 

[Devon]

Any other critiques of the lightning elemental?

Does everyone think this writeup, as it is, would be a good addition to the elemental ranks?

- Devon

 

[Krishnath]

First of you should post a warning not to bathe with these guys, it's quite a shocking experience...

But othervise, they're quite good.

 

[Devon]

I could replace their Stun ability with a Shocking energy field, so that they shock you when you touch them - an electrical equivalent to the Burn ability of the Fire Elemental.

I could even make them incorporeal...

- Devon

 

[Krishnath]

I'd go with the shocking field idea, but you shouldn't make them incorporeal. Air elementals aren't incorporeal, and they're made out of air.

 

[Devon]

Lightning elementals could have a particular form of incorporealty, to allow them to "run" through wires and such.

Then you could have a strange dungeon room, made airtight, with an obscure feature: several holes in the wall through which can be seen some copper wire tips... but no visible monsters... what could this be?

I think I'll remove the lightning ball attack and replace it with the energy field. Should I reduce its slam damage, and then add in extra electricity damage?

- Devon

 

[Krishnath]

I don't think you need to reduce the slam damage, the elemental is loosing a ranged attack form, also consider increasing their movement rate to 60', electricity is a very fast form of energy.

 

[Devon]

Alright, I took away lightning ball. Gave it Conductive touch, and a Shock field.

If you folks think Conductive touch is not accurate enough, then I'll simly have the shock field do an additional 1d8 to its melee damage, and to opponents grappling or striking with metallic objects.

- Devon