Elemental of Law
by Ivan ChiaEverything has its opposite in the Inner Planes, and so do the foreign chaos-elementals. The elementals of law are natives of the four elemental planes, charged with the task of maintaining Order and Law, both on their respective home planes and the Prime Material. Still, they differ wildly in their methods of achieving this goal. There are four known types of elemental of law, one for each true element.
Anemos of Air are cottony-looking creatures consisting of a complex and ordered network of off-white fibres. Their extremely light bodies enable them to perform unbelievably dexterous aerial manoeuvres. Each anemo works closely with others of its kind, forever attempting to catalogue and order all of existence. These creatures are the most likely of all elementals of law to be found outside their home plane.
Krysts of Earth appear as sets of twelve golden, crystalline spikes projecting outward from a central point with a body made of quartz-like rock. Krysts have a widespread and complex society in their own realms, peacefully living with and helping earth elementals. They welcome visitors, and eagerly seek new knowledge of all types. They are engaged in a never-ending war with the hordes.
Helions of Fire are living rings of pulsating flame, able to twist their bodies in an extraordinary range of motion. Helions form tight family groups of -5 members, known as rings. Rings move methodically about the Elemental Plane of Fire, meeting to discuss and debate philosophical matters of all kinds. They are rarely encountered outside the Elemental Fire. They hate the efreet and the elementals of chaos.
Hydraxes of Water are crab-like creatures of deep blue ice and water, with six legs and two claws. They create ice tools of great beauty and complex cities in the planar border of Elemental Water and Paraelemental Ice. They seldom work together, however. Each hydrax waits for its turn to add to the strange group efforts.
SAMPLE ELEMENTAL OF LAW
GREATER HYDRAX
Huge Elemental (Cold, Extraplanar, Lawful, Water)
Hit Dice: 21d8+105 (199 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 120 ft.
Armour Class: 22 (-2 size, +5 Dex, +9 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+31
Attack: Claw +21 melee (2d10+8)
Full Attack: 2 claws +21 melee (2d10+8)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Drench, improved grab, smite chaos 1/day, spell-like abilities, water mastery, vortex
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/-, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, magic immunity, see invisible, spell resistance 23
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +14, Will +9
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 20, Con 21, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Concentration +16, Hide +10, Listen +27, Spot +27, Swim +16
Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack
Environment: Elemental Plane of Water
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Often lawful evil
Advancement: 22-23 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
This water elemental appears as a crab-like creature of deep blue ice and water, with six legs and two claws.
This sample hydrax is based on a greater water elemental. A water elemental can't venture more than 180 feet from the body of water from which it was conjured. Water elementals speak Aquan but rarely choose to do so.
Combat
A water elemental prefers to fight in a large body of water where it can disappear beneath the waves and suddenly swell up behind its opponents.
Its natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Drench (Ex): The elemental's touch puts out torches, campfires, exposed lanterns, and other open flames of nonmagical origin if these are of Large size or smaller. The creature can dispel magical fire it touches as dispel magic (caster level 21st).
Improved Grab (Ex): A water elemental of law can automatically grapple a creature hit by its claw attack without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Smite Chaos (Su): Once per day, an elemental of law can make a normal attack to deal an extra +20 damage against a chaotic opponent.
Spell-like Abilities: 3/day - detect chaos, detect magic, dispel magic, wall of ice (DC 14); 1/day - control water, ice storm, order's wrath (DC 14), scrying (DC 14). Caster level 10th.
Magic Immunity (Ex): An elemental of law is immune to spells of 2nd or lower level that allow spell resistance. It is likewise immune to all spells with water descriptor that allow spell resistance, regardless of spell level.
See Invisible (Su): An elemental of law can see invisible creatures and objects as if continually under the effect of the see invisibility spell.
Water Mastery (Ex): A water elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its opponent are touching water. If the opponent or the elemental is touching the ground, the elemental takes a -4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.) A water elemental can be a serious threat to a ship that crosses its path. An elemental can easily overturn small craft (up to 105 ft. long) and stop larger vessels (106-210 ft. long). Even large ships (211-420 ft. long) can be slowed to half speed.
Vortex (Su): The elemental can transform itself into a whirlpool once every 10 minutes, provided it is underwater, and remain in that form for up to 10 rounds. In vortex form, the elemental can move through the water or along the bottom at its swim speed. The vortex is 5 feet wide at the base, up to 30 feet wide at the top, and 10-60 feet tall.
The elemental's movement while in vortex form does not provoke attacks of opportunity, even if the elemental enters the space another creature occupies. Another creature might be caught in the vortex if it touches or enters the vortex, or if the elemental moves into or through the creature's space. An elemental in vortex form cannot make slam attacks and does not threaten the area around it.
Large or smaller creatures might take damage when caught in the vortex and may be swept up by it. An affected creature must succeed on a DC 28 Reflex save when it comes into contact with the vortex or take 2d8 damage. It must also succeed on a second Reflex save or be picked up bodily and held suspended in the powerful currents, automatically taking damage each round. An affected creature is allowed a Reflex save each round to escape the vortex. The creature still takes damage, but can leave if the save is successful. The save DC is Strength-based.
Creatures trapped in the vortex cannot move except to go where the elemental carries them or to escape the vortex. Creatures caught in the vortex can otherwise act normally, but must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + spell level) to cast a spell. Creatures caught in the vortex take a -4 penalty to Dexterity and a -2 penalty on attack rolls. The elemental can have only as many creatures trapped inside the vortex at one time as will fit inside the vortex's volume.
The elemental can eject any carried creatures whenever it wishes, depositing them wherever the vortex happens to be. A summoned elemental always ejects trapped creatures before returning to its home plane. If the vortex's base touches the bottom, it creates a swirling cloud of debris. This cloud is centred on the elemental and has a diameter equal to half the vortex's height. The cloud obscures all vision, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have concealment, while those farther away have total concealment. Those caught in the cloud must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell.
Skills: A water elemental has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
CREATING AN ELEMENTAL OF LAW
An Elemental of Law is an inherited template which can be added to any air, earth, fire, or water elemental of Large or greater size, hereafter referred to as the base creature. An elemental of law uses all the base creature's statistics and abilities except as noted here.
Type: As base creature (elemental). It gains lawful subtype. A water elemental of law also gains cold subtype.
Attack: A water elemental of law replaces its slam attacks with claw attacks. Damage is unchanged.
Special Attacks: An elemental of law retains all the special attacks of the base creature, and also gains smite chaos and spell-like abilities. A fire elemental of law also has constrict and improved grab special attacks. A water elemental of law also has improved grab special attack.
• Constrict (Ex): On a successful grapple check, a fire elemental of law can constrict to deal bludgeoning and fire damage equals to its normal slam damage. Its burn ability is also effective, requiring a Reflex save (adjusted for being grappled) to avoid catching on fire.
• Improved Grab (Ex): A fire or water elemental of law can automatically grapple a creature hit by its slam/claw attack without provoking an attack of opportunity. The fire elemental does this by coiling itself around the victim. If it gets a hold, it can constrict. The water elemental does this with its pincers, but it cannot constrict.
• Smite Chaos (Su): Once per day, an elemental of law can make a normal attack to deal extra damage equal to its Hit Dice (max +20) against a chaotic opponent.
• Spell-like Abilities: All elementals of law gain lesser spell-like abilities, which are useable 3/day. Elementals with 16+ HD also gain greater spell-like abilities, which are useable 1/day. Caster level equals 1/2 the elemental's Hit Dice. Save DCs are Charisma-based.
Special Qualities: An elemental of law retains all special qualities of the base creature, and gains magic immunity, see invisible, and spell resistance.
• Magic Immunity (Ex): An elemental of law is immune to spells of 2nd or lower level that allow spell resistance. It is likewise immune to all spells with the respective elemental descriptor that allow spell resistance, regardless of spell level.
• See Invisible (Su): An elemental of law can see invisible creatures and objects as if continually under the effect of the see invisibility spell.
• Spell Resistance (Su): An elemental of law has spell resistance equal to its Hit Dice +2.
Abilities: As base creature, except Int +6.
Skills: Recalculate skill points due to increased intelligence.
Challenge Rating: As base creature +2.
Alignment: Always any lawful. Earth and fire elementals of law are usually good, while water elemental of law are often evil.
SPELL-LIKE ABILITIES BY ELEMENT OF LAW
| Element | Lesser Abilities 3/day | Greater Abilities 1/day |
| Air | detect chaos, detect magic, dispel magic, obscuring mist, solid fog, wind wall | control winds, order's wrath, summon monster IV (air elemental only) |
| Earth | detect chaos, detect magic, dispel magic, stone tell, wall of stone | order's wrath, spike stones, transmute rock to mud |
| Fire | remove disease, detect chaos, detect magic, dispel magic, wall of fire | fire shield (warm only), order's wrath, produce flame |
| Water | detect law, detect magic, dispel magic, wall of ice | control water, ice storm, order's wrath, scrying |