Making Elementals Interesting

[davidvs]

The generic Pathfinder Elemental is a summoned Outsider. Its role as a slave to whomever summoned it eclipses any personality or goal it might otherwise have on this plane.

Can anyone link to some discussion about how to make Elementals more interesting?

Are then any modules in which elementals function as normal NPCs?

I can think of plots easily enough...

(a) A group of Earth Elementals seek a certain magic item known to be owned by a traveling merchant and thus start acting like highwaymen to the terror of the nearby cities. The PCs are hired to stop the attacks, either by force or by finding that merchant and convincing him to sell the item to the local city leaders to appease the Elementals so they will return to their own plane.

(b) Centuries ago a population of Fire Elementals had built a fanciful ceramic city, only recently rediscovered deep in the desert. The PCs are hired to explore, map, and loot the place.

But how might the elementals in plot (a) be different in personality than human bandits? Or how might the city in plot (b) have different architecture and structures than a normal city?

Ideas or links, please!

[Shadowdweller]

Eh, I tend to view elementals as physical manifestations of the elements. In my games, they're intelligent enough to make crude long-term plans, but are not typically interested in the sorts of things mortal humanoids would be. For example:

Fire elementals like to burn things, particularly new and exotic substances. They HATE rain - it's physically painful to them and makes things much more difficult to burn. Thus, they prefer to remain underground most of the time when on the material plane. Unless they can find dry regions. They might consider erecting primitive shelters to protect themselves.

Earth elementals do occasionally like the taste of exotic minerals or burying things that sit in place too long, but mostly like to set themselves against some titanic force. For instance, they might choose to change the course of a river or move a continent. Or fortify either against change. They tend to preoccupy themselves with long term plans, pretty much otherwise oblivious to anything else around them.

Water elementals are sort of bipolar. When the moon is right, they become brash and feisty. At other times they become calm, lazy, and possibly depressive. They enjoy sliding down hill (like skiing or sledding, except that they need no equipment to do so), and moving objects around for the fun of it. They're a bit slow to anger, but can driven into berserk frenzies by the persistent sound of howling wind.

Air elementals can't stand to sit still. They're always dancing, rushing about. They're attracted to odd smells - incense, perfumes, etc...and might be tempted to investigate an odd odor a time or fifty between wildly zipping away. They like play with billowy objects in the air, and generally see other things in motion...piles of leaves, sailing ships, etc.

Sometimes (in my games) elementals appear naturally as well - excessive manifestations of elemental power on the material plane can cause temporary portals to an appropriate elemental plane. Thus, you might find fire elementals in a volcano, earth elementals along the fault line after an earthquake, air elementals in a hurricane....

[Neriandal Freit]

davidvs wrote:

snipped

You could always make a story line of some sorts with the back ground that would involve...say, soul magic of some sort with unbirthed, new souls being combined with the Elemental's here. My thinking is that if you create something with unbirthed, new soul that there is a great chance of the Evil through Good spread, more humanoid and more consciousness of Ze's(Him/Her's, unless you want gender specific) actions, planning, expectations.

It could be a sorcerer of some sort + an already ancient soul artifact created a group of Elementals that are far more humanoid than they're brethern in the Planes. They choose to live in the Planes or in the Material world that is best suited, creating new and proper items to secure their fragility (or lack there of now?) and so forth.

[Fozbek]

Most elementals are barely sapient. They have an Int of 4 until they hit Large size, and don't even reach human average of 10 until they're Elder elementals.

[DreamAtelier]

As far as answering the questions asked...

In A) your earth elementals aren't going to be interested in anything that isn't the item they're after, or that won't help them survive in this plane longer. So, figure out what they consider "food" and then have that be the only thing taken.

in B), you've got the allowance to create virtually anything you can dream of, for architecture and such. But consider adding 'fast travel' networks of a flammable material (like oil) that the elementals used to use for getting around.

[Remco Sommeling]

Most elementals will be oblivious to the concepts of culture and civilization personally I do not see value in having them form groups that are much more than packs.

Small and medium elementals are little more intelligent than animals and will spend much time emulating animal life or in standby mode, since they do not need to eat, sleep or breath and are basically immortal they will have virtually none of the motivations that mortal creatures do, nor do they have any grand schemes going like other outsiders.

large elementals are typically more humanoid in intelligence, but only the largest actually approach human intelligence which is more likely attained by millenia of experience, exploring and emulating lifeforms than a natural inclination to ponder and think.

personally I like elementals because they are in general uncomplicated summoning stock, at the same time it is easy to create a unique elemental creature using the elemental as a base.

An advanced medium water elemental Oracle 13 (lore) could easily function as 'lady in the lake' providing healing, knowledge and support and might be venerated as a powerful spirit, herald of more powerful entities or even a local goddess.

[davidvs]

Thanks for all the ideas! I especially like the "Lady in the Lake" elemental. Helpful and also a fun disappointment if the PCs hear only about such a personality and are surprised to find an elemental instead of a beautiful woman.

[Bwang]

I've been playing/running 35+ years and never considered common elementals as motivators! A 'City of Brass' on the PM! Venice style canals of raw crude (The air would be toxic at best). A nursery of natural gas jets feeding mass raised young! A chaotic and ever shifting political culture within, rivaling the Terror for turmoil.

No! I HAVE other things to do this day! ACK! Great ideas here, must fertilize and see what grows...

[Ambrus]

In our game, for my gnomish sorcerer, I roughly fleshed out the background of a fey-themed sylvan community from which he originated in which native elementals played a part. Seing as how the fey are sentient manifestations of the natural world and elemntals are embodiments of the raw materials of creation; it seems natural (heh heh) that they'd be closely associated. And so, in my charcater's forest homeland, the gnomes live alongside loosely organized communities of elementals whom they consider kin. The air elementals live above the treetops where they cavort endlessly while stirring the canopy. The water elementals live in the streams and springs that dot the forest where they nurture all living things. The earth elementals live beneath the ground where they tend the tree roots; dutifully ensuring that the kings of the forest grow tall and strong. A few fire elementals live amongst the rare hot springs and natrual gas spouts exalting in the explosive discharges. Although the elementals aren't particularly bright, the gnomes respect and honor their contributions to the natural order.

For those young gnomes undertaking the study of magic, the first step is to be led by their mentors to meet their elemental kin. There they learn the nature of the world's base elements, the metaphorical building blocks of magic, firsthand. In a longstanding tradition between the fey and elementals, the young gnome entreats one of the elementals to join and guide him on the path of magic as his familiar.

[Tom S 820]

add sor or orcel level to any elemental is cool

[gigglestick]

I've always enjoyed using the assorted creatures from the Magi Nation Card Game (which features dozens of elementally-themed beasties) as interesting encounters for elemental monsters.

Back in 3.5, our group took the time to convert most of the monsters into quick d20 stats and they worked pretty well...

[Castilliano]

I don't find Elementals boring, they're just underdeveloped, mainly because they are visitors to most settings and, like an Ogre, are tough, but dumb. Ogres were finally fleshed out by making them creepy & incestuous, so you too can build whatever culture you'd like around Elementals.
Maybe Air & Fire have Asian sensibilities, while Earth & Water are more Nordic. Have at it.

I have a fey-heavy setting where happy little Fire Elementals light the street lanterns at night and the goblins manifest elemental abilities (and may as well be small-sized elementals in some cases).
In fact, you can just change their names, and you have something.
"The Fire-Folk of Rothar." "The Earth-Beasts or Balaluu."

The elemental planes, City of Brass excepted, are relatively boring compared to the others, much like other planes that are (too) dangerous to explore. But you can add just as much political infighting and structure as in any other plane.

I find Elementals with class levels to be great. Just add goals and you're set.
Earth Elemental Warriors charging like cannonballs.
Or jewel thieves, professional miners, defenders/enemies of dwarves.
Fire Elemental Sorcerers dousing the room in flame.
Or desert expanders, glacier destroyers, sun worshippers
Water Elemental pirates swamping boats.
Or chewing away coasts, exploring sunken ruins, raising fish for sale, acting as canals across stretches of rock, ferrying up waterfalls.
Air Elemental kidnappers sweeping away victims.
Or quelling/causing storms, acting as 'dumb' messengers (but reading all messages as part of network), scavenging far and wide.

Once a culture and some NPC goals are in place, they can become woven into your world.
You may have a Water Elemental Lord asking the party to rescue its daughter who's somewhere on land. Perhaps in the hands of Fire Elementals who took her in response to actions on the part of the WE Lord, or maybe there's a Romeo & Juliet style love happening. (Ring of Fire Resistance required...) Or maybe the Storm Elementals are framing the Fire Elementals because the Water/Fire combats will cause more steam/precipitation to cause more storms.

Plus the fact they can be any shape is pretty neat.
You can choose any cinematic/funny/disturbing image you'd like and run with it.
"The boulder running down the corridor changes direction."
"The flaming hawk swoops."
"The ocean sticks its tongue out at you."
"The fog swirls into a misty dragon."

Hope that inspires,
JMK

[Epic Meepo]

Castilliano wrote:

I find Elementals with class levels to be great. Just add goals and you're set.

Incidentally, here's a post that includes a stat block for an elemental with sorcerer levels.

[Bwang]

gigglestick wrote:

I've always enjoyed using the assorted creatures from the Magi Nation Card Game (which features dozens of elementally-themed beasties) as interesting encounters for elemental monsters.

Back in 3.5, our group took the time to convert most of the monsters into quick d20 stats and they worked pretty well...

Intriguing! Never really got into that game. Might we get a couple of examples?