| 4 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
So what, if anything, can an earth elemental, magma elemental or xorn carry while earth gliding? Are equipment or carried passengers fair game?
Earth Glide (Ex)
A burrowing earth elemental can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth
except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can
even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any
ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing
earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it
succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.
I typically only wearr jewelrry and use my storrage stomach to carrry any goods. Somtimes I grrab folks and thrreaten to 'Glide 'em underr grround and leave 'em therre, but I haven't actually trried it.
So grappling opponents and dragging them underground to die of suffocation is fine RAW as is as is carrying companions safely through a stone or earthen wall?
So far, all you've gotten is opinions. (Ok, an opinion and a joke.)
So far, all you've gotten is opinions. (Ok, an opinion and a joke.)
Yeah, I'm hoping for something a little more official. It'd seem fairly important since earth elementals are so easily summonable; it'd give them significantly more versatility and effectiveness.
It can carry gear with it but not passengers who are not objects (ie already dead).
Is this official, the general consensus or your opinion? If true couldn't an earth elemental ferry people through the earth by carrying them inside a bag of holding or portable hole?
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There is nothing in the description of Earth Glide that says it allows the creature to confer its abilities to objects or creatures in it's grasp so I'd say it isn't possible.
A demon's teleport ability specifically states the creature can take 50lbs of equipment and an ethereal filcher's jaunt, because it simulates the Ethereal Jaunt spell, allows it to take equipment, but Earth Glide doesn't simulate a spell effect or state any specific ability to pass onto another creature or object. If you want to get really detailed I'd even go so far as to say any undigested materials inside a monster would also end up exempt from traveling through stone (i.e. a xorn with a bag in its mouth would have to spit the bag out in order to Earth Glide.)
That's my interpretation of it anyway. I think, based on the teleport and jaunt examples given, it would be specifically stated if the earth elemental, etc. could carry people and gear through stone.
The lava child (from Misfit Monsters Redeemed) is another good example. Lava children have an ability called Metal Immunity that allows them to completely ignore metal. A lava child carrying an oak club would have to drop its club if it wanted to walk through an iron door because it can't confer its immunity to the club.
There is nothing in the description of Earth Glide that says it allows the creature to confer its abilities to objects or creatures in it's grasp so I'd say it isn't possible.
I see what you're saying, and granted your conclusion might in fact be correct, but it seems that pointing at the lack of a statement as proof of its opposite is a fallacy. For instance, there's no mention in the RAW (that I'm aware of) of creatures carrying gear or creatures with them in the descriptions of the various movement modes: climb, swim, burrow or fly. Yet I don't think anyone would claim it to be impossible for creatures to do so.
If you want my opinion, it is that earth glide lets you carry gear, but not other characters.
Otherwise, the grapple check of an earth-gliding monster becomes a save-or-die effect when it 'glides and leaves the grapplee undergroung to die.
As to whether the creature can glide and carry an ally, I would say no as an extension of the same idea.
Gear would be a yes, as typically, unless otherwise stated, a creature can carry gear up to its encumberance when it moves.
If you want my opinion, it is that earth glide lets you carry gear, but not other characters. Otherwise, the grapple check of an earth-gliding monster becomes a save-or-die effect when it 'glides and leaves the grapplee undergroung to die.
As to whether the creature can glide and carry an ally, I would say no as an extension of the same idea.
Would you rule it okay for allies to be carried while inside an extra-dimensional space such as a bag of holding or portable hole?