Earth elemental senses [Archive] - Wizards Community

Earth elemental senses [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Pongolyn
08-23-04, 07:51 PM Earth elementals can move through rock using their earth glide ability. However, there is no mention of how they detect hazards and enemies while moving through the earth. They have darkvision 60' but there is no mention of a tremorsense-like ability anywhere in their description.

How do earth elementals (and the kicker: wizards or druids who polymorph/wildshape into elementals) "see" through solid matter?
The_Fan
08-23-04, 08:06 PM short answer: They don't.

Long answer: They actually can't see through solid matter, so they can't just hide in the floor all the time and only pop up to attack. They can walk through walls because it's fairly short and they're pretty sure what's on the other side, but they won't be spending all their time merged with the ground.
cwslyclgh
08-23-04, 08:15 PM by the rules as written they don't...

as a house rule you might want to rule that they can see through earth and stone as if it was water (continueing the earth-glide abilities analogy) if you do not like the idea of earth elementals gliding blindly through the earth.

a wizard can not polymoprh into an elemental unless the wizards type is elemental already (which is pretty unlikely). (A wizard could turn himself into an earth elemental with polymoprh any object, but would have to be an idiot to do so, since his Int would drop to between 4-10 depending on the size of the elemental he chose, and he would be unable to cast anything above 1st level spells in a best case scenario, and would more likly be unable to cast any spells at all.)

This spell functions like alter self, except that you change the willing subject into another form of living creature. The new form may be of the same type as the subject or any of the following types: aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin.

and even if he could the wizard would not get the earth elementals earth glide ability (which is an extraordinary special quality).

. It also gains all extraordinary special attacks possessed by the form but does not gain the extraordinary special qualities possessed by the new form or any supernatural or spell-like abilities.

a druid using elemental wild shape (and a wizard using shapechange) would get earth glide, but by the rules as written no way to see through the earth while they were using it.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Pongolyn 08-23-04, 07:51 PM	Earth elementals can move through rock using their earth glide ability. However, there is no mention of how they detect hazards and enemies while moving through the earth. They have darkvision 60' but there is no mention of a tremorsense-like ability anywhere in their description. How do earth elementals (and the kicker: wizards or druids who polymorph/wildshape into elementals) "see" through solid matter?
The_Fan 08-23-04, 08:06 PM	short answer: They don't. Long answer: They actually can't see through solid matter, so they can't just hide in the floor all the time and only pop up to attack. They can walk through walls because it's fairly short and they're pretty sure what's on the other side, but they won't be spending all their time merged with the ground.
cwslyclgh 08-23-04, 08:15 PM	by the rules as written they don't... as a house rule you might want to rule that they can see through earth and stone as if it was water (continueing the earth-glide abilities analogy) if you do not like the idea of earth elementals gliding blindly through the earth. a wizard can not polymoprh into an elemental unless the wizards type is elemental already (which is pretty unlikely). (A wizard could turn himself into an earth elemental with polymoprh any object, but would have to be an idiot to do so, since his Int would drop to between 4-10 depending on the size of the elemental he chose, and he would be unable to cast anything above 1st level spells in a best case scenario, and would more likly be unable to cast any spells at all.) This spell functions like alter self, except that you change the willing subject into another form of living creature. The new form may be of the same type as the subject or any of the following types: aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin. and even if he could the wizard would not get the earth elementals earth glide ability (which is an extraordinary special quality). . It also gains all extraordinary special attacks possessed by the form but does not gain the extraordinary special qualities possessed by the new form or any supernatural or spell-like abilities. a druid using elemental wild shape (and a wizard using shapechange) would get earth glide, but by the rules as written no way to see through the earth while they were using it.