Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 skrapsan Dec 10, 2013 6:52:23	So I was wondering. Would it be possible for a shapeshifting druid with elemental shape (3.5/pathfinder at least) to shift into an elemental and propell an airship/elemental galleon/land cart?   Or for a encounter what if a druid had shifted into an elemental and then was trapped in a khyber shard. How pissed do you think he would be at the gnomes and Lyrandar/Orien and how greatfull would he not be if he was released?   Or perhaps he was bound to a elemental weapon. Trapped by a cult of the dragon bellow that he wanted to expose.
#2 Syltorian Dec 10, 2013 7:28:59	Not sure whether this works by the rules. According to the 3,5 SRD, the druid retains the type and subtype of its original form ("http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#wildShape: "She also gains the elemental’s feats for as long as she maintains the wild shape, but she retains her own creature type"). I don't know about Pathfinder; at any rate, I cannot find out by the Pathfinder SRD whether you change type or merely form.   Still, storywise, the idea is so great that I'd allow it in spite of the rules. You'd have to consider how to get the druid to cooperate, or at least to keep him sedate and prevent him from changing back to his normal form, during the binding ritual, and also whether he could decide to change back while bound (and what the consequences would be for himself and whatever he is bound to). Unless he was willing to be bound to an airship - there might be Lyrandars who consider this their natural destiny. So, as a background, it definetly has potential.   Also, if it can be rule-zeroed to work for druids, it could also work for polymorphed creatures, victims of baleful polymorphs. Perhaps a gnome needs to get rid of a rival researcher; you know how much those devious little scholars like to find inventive solutions! It might also work to sabotage enemy vehicles: get yourself bound to its core, and take over the ship when you want to, then watch the pilot go crazy as his vehicle fails to obey his commands. Especially if the bound elemental is actually an Ashbound druid on a suicide mission.
#3 StrikerGreen Dec 11, 2013 8:31:00	Ashbound Druid on a suicide mission is a great idea.   I agree that the rules should go out the window here (unless a PC is trying to do this, I guess) to make room for an inspired concept; almost like a ghost in the machine type deal.   It would be interesting for a character's entire goal to turn into an elemental and power a craft. Can the druid speak in it's elemental form or use telepathy? If so, then it becomes almost like another member of the party and gives the ship itself some semblance of character; the ship from FarScape springs to mind.
#4 Syltorian Dec 11, 2013 9:47:19	StrikerGreen wrote:
#5 skrapsan Dec 12, 2013 11:26:41	More questions.   So if someone was balefully polymorphed into an elemental and trapped in the Khyber shard. What would happen when his natural lifespan was over?   Does a normal elemental have a lifespan?   Perhaps an enity trapped in a shard is in suspended animation whenever they are in the shard.   Does it hurt being called and stored time and time again?   If so, would that not turn the being inside crazy? Imagine a trapped druid going crazy with pain... yammering about the black light.   If suspended animation is what you are going for, do you dream? Perhaps of a magical sheep...
#6 StrikerGreen Dec 12, 2013 14:02:19	Skrapsan, you gotta check out the group called Elemental Purity. They're Gnome Anarchists who believe shackling Elementals is evil because the binding is like slavery. They would posit that elementals feel all emotions and yes, it is very paiful, humiliating, and oppressive to enslave elementals.   I think you've got a lot of great ideas that you should develop and put in your game; if you're the DM you can just make it happen, no matter the 'fesibility' (whatever that means in this context) of your ideas.
#7 skrapsan Dec 12, 2013 21:14:50	Thanks, and yeah I might put them in my games eventually. But for now I'm happy with just toying with the ideas.   But then again my group have just gotten hold of an airship. It would be cool to crash it, release it and then on send them to the apropriate plane and oooops there were the previous elemental of their ship. Except he is a prince in some faction they need help from.   That would be a cool twist of fate.
#8 Beoric Dec 12, 2013 22:30:37	There are a few posts on Hellcow's site that touch on elemental binding, but one I think you might find interesting is at keith-baker.com/dragonmarks-125/.
#9 Syltorian Dec 13, 2013 11:38:30	skrapsan wrote: