Fire Elemental Question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Fire Elemental Question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Goldenbane
09-07-04, 11:08 PM My fire elemental character (made via Savage Species) is placed inside a typical steel bar cage. Can it escape the cage by walking through the bars, because it's just a pure fire creature, or is it solid? I know it doesn't get any special abilities like incorporial or such, but it's a pure fire creature...and fire isn't exactly solid...or am I getting the wrong impression of a fire elemental?
Shemeska the Marauder
09-07-04, 11:12 PM From a purely flavor perspective I'd suggest two stances to take:

1) While not technically able to do such by the rules perhaps I'd allow it to slowly move through the bars if we assumed it was made of only gaseous flames.

2) Assume that it exists as a composite of various states of 'flame' including flaming cinders, gaseous flames, nearly liquid flames, solid materials on fire slowly being consumed within itself, etc. And as such make it fairly solid enough to not be able to do such.
Bloodtide_the_Red
09-07-04, 11:48 PM By-the-Book, no. Elementals all have humanoid-like shapes(air is the only one vague on this). An elemental can not flow or wiggle around, they are stuck in that humanoid-like shape. So a elemental can not 'flow' through bars or cracks or keyholes.

A fire elemental is a humanoid shaped creature, as per the MM. It has to stay in that shape to 'live'. Flowing through bars is a special ability, one that would be noted if they could do that.
A fire elemental does have the burn extrodinary ability, so you could given time melt the bars away or even better just melt off the lock.

I would not let elementals flow around myself, though this is perfect for a racial elemental feat.

Flow like Element
Prerequisite-must be an elemental(but note not an elemental type creature)
Benefit-As a full round action you can flow amorphously alling you to move through cracks, holes and the like for up to a full minute.You can do this once a day, plus one additional time a day per plus of constustion.

BT
Slagger the Chuul
09-08-04, 12:57 AM I think this is one of those things that are left up to the DM to decide, like whether or not you can grapple an air elemental. By the rules they can't, by logic they can; the DM is expected to reconcile the two views.

I personally feel that there should be a semicorporeal or gaseous subtype that grants this sort of ability. The air, fire, and water elementals all pose this sort of problem.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Goldenbane 09-07-04, 11:08 PM	My fire elemental character (made via Savage Species) is placed inside a typical steel bar cage. Can it escape the cage by walking through the bars, because it's just a pure fire creature, or is it solid? I know it doesn't get any special abilities like incorporial or such, but it's a pure fire creature...and fire isn't exactly solid...or am I getting the wrong impression of a fire elemental?
Shemeska the Marauder 09-07-04, 11:12 PM	From a purely flavor perspective I'd suggest two stances to take: 1) While not technically able to do such by the rules perhaps I'd allow it to slowly move through the bars if we assumed it was made of only gaseous flames. 2) Assume that it exists as a composite of various states of 'flame' including flaming cinders, gaseous flames, nearly liquid flames, solid materials on fire slowly being consumed within itself, etc. And as such make it fairly solid enough to not be able to do such.
Bloodtide_the_Red 09-07-04, 11:48 PM	By-the-Book, no. Elementals all have humanoid-like shapes(air is the only one vague on this). An elemental can not flow or wiggle around, they are stuck in that humanoid-like shape. So a elemental can not 'flow' through bars or cracks or keyholes. A fire elemental is a humanoid shaped creature, as per the MM. It has to stay in that shape to 'live'. Flowing through bars is a special ability, one that would be noted if they could do that. A fire elemental does have the burn extrodinary ability, so you could given time melt the bars away or even better just melt off the lock. I would not let elementals flow around myself, though this is perfect for a racial elemental feat. Flow like Element Prerequisite-must be an elemental(but note not an elemental type creature) Benefit-As a full round action you can flow amorphously alling you to move through cracks, holes and the like for up to a full minute.You can do this once a day, plus one additional time a day per plus of constustion. BT
Slagger the Chuul 09-08-04, 12:57 AM	I think this is one of those things that are left up to the DM to decide, like whether or not you can grapple an air elemental. By the rules they can't, by logic they can; the DM is expected to reconcile the two views. I personally feel that there should be a semicorporeal or gaseous subtype that grants this sort of ability. The air, fire, and water elementals all pose this sort of problem.