Elemental Souls [Archive] - Wizards Community

Elemental Souls [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Bulabase
05-31-04, 04:48 PM Does anyone know the literary or mythological precedent for elementals not having immortal souls?
Selenia's angel
05-31-04, 04:58 PM I think they are just part of a larger elemental conceinance, or at least with pure elementals (earth, fire etc), carnt remember anything writen down in stone tho.
Shemeska the Marauder
05-31-04, 07:41 PM there's no way to seperate the physical shell of an elemental from its 'soul', though I'd suggest you treat an elementals essence as similar but distinct from the outer planar concept of souls as it applies to exemplars/outsiders.

In the case of exemplars/outsiders their physical form -is- their soul, there's no differentiation between the two. Similarly I'd say that you couldn't seperate that fire/water/earth/air form of the elemental from its own soul-like essence. They're one and the same.

I'd say more, but it really depends on the context of the question here. When elementals die they merge with their native plane, similar to how dead outsiders (when killed on their native plane) merge with their native plane's essence. If killed off plane (and various editions vary on this) they may go back to their home plane to slowly reform, or perhaps lost forever if killed off plane (like petitioners when they die outside of the plane of their deity/alignment)
Bulabase
06-01-04, 10:05 AM I understand how elementals function from a game mechanics standpoint and have some ideas as to why this might be the case. Is there any historical reason why this is the case.

For example, dragons hoard treasure in the game because there are many myths and stories with dragons hoarding treasure. Halflings have a bonus to thrown weapons because Tolkien's Hobbits were good at throwing rocks.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bulabase 05-31-04, 04:48 PM	Does anyone know the literary or mythological precedent for elementals not having immortal souls?
Selenia's angel 05-31-04, 04:58 PM	I think they are just part of a larger elemental conceinance, or at least with pure elementals (earth, fire etc), carnt remember anything writen down in stone tho.
Shemeska the Marauder 05-31-04, 07:41 PM	there's no way to seperate the physical shell of an elemental from its 'soul', though I'd suggest you treat an elementals essence as similar but distinct from the outer planar concept of souls as it applies to exemplars/outsiders. In the case of exemplars/outsiders their physical form -is- their soul, there's no differentiation between the two. Similarly I'd say that you couldn't seperate that fire/water/earth/air form of the elemental from its own soul-like essence. They're one and the same. I'd say more, but it really depends on the context of the question here. When elementals die they merge with their native plane, similar to how dead outsiders (when killed on their native plane) merge with their native plane's essence. If killed off plane (and various editions vary on this) they may go back to their home plane to slowly reform, or perhaps lost forever if killed off plane (like petitioners when they die outside of the plane of their deity/alignment)
Bulabase 06-01-04, 10:05 AM	I understand how elementals function from a game mechanics standpoint and have some ideas as to why this might be the case. Is there any historical reason why this is the case. For example, dragons hoard treasure in the game because there are many myths and stories with dragons hoarding treasure. Halflings have a bonus to thrown weapons because Tolkien's Hobbits were good at throwing rocks.