One of my players has the dwarven Stonelord paladin archetype, which comes with an earth elemental. I have a dungeon-heavy campaign (Rappan Athuk), and he wants to use the elemental to scout ahead.
I don't want his intelligent choice to go unrewarded; but I do want to make a set of rulings that are consistent with the rules and don't disrupt balance.
First, his tremorsense ability can only extend 60'. I have overruled his interpretation that is like blindsense for anyone touching earth -- I refer to the text and require that something be moving so as to cause "vibrations" with the earth.
Second, what if he wants to peek into a room? I am requiring that he succeed at a stealth check. My understanding of the earth glide ability is that it is as if one where a "fish swimming in water", and it leaves no ripples or trace of its use. This implies that one is completely silent while doing so. However, for balance reasons, I want to require a Stealth vs. Perception check to make sure that the elemental isn't noticed. The text does not say that the movement is silent.
Anyone else have thoughts on this?
And on a related note, I am ruling that coming out of earth provokes an attack of opportunity as if one were stepping out of that square, but the elemental benefits from a +4 cover bonus to AC.
that ruling on the AoO is weird if you think it out.
Earth elemental moves up to ground level, provoking
AoO lands
Earth Elemental is now underground, with total cover
how did you hit him if he has total cover? (GM fiat of course but its still weird)
that ruling on the AoO is weird if you think it out.
Earth elemental moves up to ground level, provoking
AoO lands
Earth Elemental is now underground, with total coverhow did you hit him if he has total cover? (GM fiat of course but its still weird)
By the rules, yes, I believe the AoO occurs before the triggering movement. But this admittedly is an abstraction -- the defender is reacting to movement after all.
During combat the enemy creature is assumed to be aware of its surroundings. And so an entire creature coming out of a wall should be obvious.
On the other hand, a rogue who has stealthed into the shadows is "obvious" when it is walking up to the defender, too. So maybe this calls for a Stealth vs. Perception roll...
Tremorsense would work, it is exactly like blindsense with the requirement that whatever you pinpoint must be touching the ground. The rules text specifically states that "A creature with tremorsense is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground."
The rules don't ever say how sensitive someone with tremorsense is, or that there is a level of vibrations that are required to trip the ability. Someone with tremorsense is literally so sensitive to vibrations that they automatically sense any creature in contact with the ground. Whether or not that's from breathing, or blinking or smacking something doesn't matter.
Monsters with tremorsense are balanced to be useful/challenging assuming that the abilities work like the rules say they do. When you change that you are either making a monster weak or taking something away from your player.
If you're having balance issues talk to your player and see if you two cant come to some sort of agreement, or use enemies that act as a counter to his elemental. Its almost never a good idea to add your own requirements based on you're own personal logic. It will only discourage your player from doing anything outside of the box in the future.
I would think that popping its head out of the earth would require a stealth check, but I would think that he would get a pretty big bonus for being almost totally concealed.
As for the AAO, gliding up wouldn't provoke. According to the rules an AAO happens when you move out of an enemy's threatened square, or when you take a "distracting action" that diverts your attention from the battle, not when an enemy notices something obvious. An AAO is all about the person on the receiving end doing something that causes them to lose their focus.
In this case moving up from your glide is the same thing as walking into an opponents square. In both cases you don't have anything taking your focus away from your battle.
Moving out of an opponents square with your glide might provoke if you went farther than 5 ft.
First, his tremorsense ability can only extend 60'. I have overruled his interpretation that is like blindsense for anyone touching earth -- I refer to the text and require that something be moving so as to cause "vibrations" with the earth.
Your player is correct. Blindsense and Tremorsense are basically identical except for the requirement that Tremorsense only works on creatures in contact with the ground.
Creatures with the tremorsense special quality have a +8 bonus on Perception checks against creatures touching the ground and automatically make any such checks within their range.
Tremorsense (Ex) A creature with tremorsense is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground. Aquatic creatures with tremorsense can also sense the location of creatures moving through water. The ability’s range is specified in the creature’s descriptive text.
This means that, within that 60' range, there is no hiding from a creature with tremorsense without a special ability that says otherwise. Additionally, creatures with tremorsense get a +8 perception bonus vs anything that is in contact with the ground. This is not limited by range.
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Second, what if he wants to peek into a room? I am requiring that he succeed at a stealth check. My understanding of the earth glide ability is that it is as if one where a "fish swimming in water", and it leaves no ripples or trace of its use. This implies that one is completely silent while doing so. However, for balance reasons, I want to require a Stealth vs. Perception check to make sure that the elemental isn't noticed. The text does not say that the movement is silent.
Not quite, the Perception DC is 25. The DC is not set by a stealth check.
Sense a burrowing creature underneath you 25
However, after the Elemental surfaces (comes out of Earth Glide/burrowing) perception vs stealth would then come into play with bonuses based on how much of him is covered (Improved Cover = +10).
------And on a related note, I am ruling that coming out of earth provokes an attack of opportunity as if one were stepping out of that square, but the elemental benefits from a +4 cover bonus to AC.
Also not correct, the Earth Elemental is coming out of cover. You do not provoke AoOs when you move out of cover.
Cover and Attacks of Opportunity: You can’t execute an attack of opportunity against an opponent with cover relative to you.