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You become a Huge Elemental, not an Elder.
As far as I can tell by RAW, the ability score modifications, abilities, and immunities are all based on the elemental type and not the size. Slam damage and whirlwind size would be based on size of elemental, but otherwise you should get the same benefits at any size.
I can see the argument that your ability score modifications, natural armour bonus, and fly speed would have to fit the size, like they would with the Beast Shape spells, and this is how I opted to play my druid (didn't make much difference since I usually used the biggest elementals anyway). But you absolutely get the immunities at any size, just like if you use Beast Shape II to turn into a medium-size animal with Pounce, you get Pounce.
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Well, I don't like disagreeing with Treantmonk but I don't think it was intended to work that way. An Elder Elemental appears to be just a Huge Elemental with more HD and slightly better slam damage. It feels too much like turning into a creature with the "Advanced" template to me, and that's not allowed for Polymorph effects. In any case, since your HD don't change and your abilities and ability DCs are based on the spell, not the form taken, the only advantage is the slightly higher slam damage.
As for the Xorn and Invisible stalker, it says you turn into an "earth elemental" or "air elemental," not a creature with the elemental subtype, so I'm as sure as I can be that you're supposed to change into those specific monsters.
Ok. I'm playing my first druid and was wondering what abilites I would get if I use Elemental Form IV to become a small elemental. Beast Shape clearly states animal size and the bonuses for that size but reading Elemental Form seemed to imply that the bonuses for EFIV would override those of EFI.
So casting EFIV to be come small would I get:
+4 Strength
+6 Dexterity
+4 natural armor bonus
fly 120 feet (perfect)
darkvision 60 feet
ability to create a whirlwind
immune to bleed damage, critical hits, and sneak attacks
DR 5/—.or
+2 Dexterity
+2 natural armor bonus
fly 60 feet (perfect)
darkvision 60 feet
ability to create a whirlwindOr do I still get the immunities and DR on smaller sizes but the abilities listed at EFI?
The first stat block you listed. No where does the spell say that the size of the elemental you assume determines the stat bonuses. So you can be a small, medium, large, or huge elemental, but you get the stat bonuses listed in the spell's description regardless.
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I've always interpreted it as you can take any size (up to the size permitted by the spell you use) but receive the bonus of that specific spell. So Elemental Body IV could turn you into a small earth elemental, but you'd receive the bonuses listed for Elemental Body IV. The key phrase in any of the II-IV versions of the spell is "functions as elemental body [n], except that it also allows you" instead of "except you assume the form of a [specific size] elemental."
Also, as per the general rule for polymorph spells, you also adjust armor class, attack bonus, Combat Maneuver Bonus, and Stealth to those of the size creature you polymorph into (only adjusting ability scores if he spell says to). I've seen so many players to forget this.
With Elemental Body, the bonuses you get are determined by type of elemental and the spell level, not by the size of your elemental form. That's part of why they're so awesome.