| Mathius |
A 10th level druid has wild shaped into a large air elemental and intends to use whirlwind.
Does he get the DR5/-
What kind of action is to transform into a whirlwind?
Can he cast while a whirlwind if he has natural caster?
If he moves onto a foe and it saves against the slam damage does it still need to save against being lifted?
Does he count as taking up the all the vertical spaces for purposes of targeting?
Does his size change with his height? Does this change effect his stats in any way? What size creatures can it lift?
How many creatures can he lift?
Can he move off and back onto a creature an force it to make the saves again?
Where is a lifted creature?
If creatures are in vertical line over the base and the effect ends what happens?
How many creatures can a whirlwind hold?
How does this form interact with fog spells?
Can the druid be attacked while a whirlwind?
How would a melee attacks work for non lifted creatures?
Who controls where an ejected creature ends up?
What if any combat maneuvers work against the whirlwind?
Is there any limit on the number of times per day the druid can use this form?
Any way short off teleportation that a nonflying creature can escape?
How do you determine where in the whirlwind a lifted creature is located? (might need this if others want to attack into whirlwind or for area of effect spells)
Any effect on vision if not on the ground?
How does this form interact with archery in the area?
Any other info I should know about this?
| Atarlost |
A 10th level druid has wild shaped into a large air elemental and intends to use whirlwind.
Does he get the DR5/- not at level 10. You don't get DR from Elemental Body III. You do get it from Elemental Body IV, but that's whirlwind or no.
What kind of action is to transform into a whirlwind? The bestiary doesn't specify. This probably means it's intended to be a standard action.
Can he cast while a whirlwind if he has natural caster?Nothing about whirlwind form prevents Natural Spell from functioning. Note that elementals can speak and form somatic components so he doesn't need Natural Spell to cast as an elemental when not in whirlwind form so long as he takes care of material components.
If he moves onto a foe and it saves against the slam damage does it still need to save against being lifted? Yes. There's no conditional on the second save.
Does he count as taking up the all the vertical spaces for purposes of targeting?Yes. A creature takes up all the spaces that it takes up.
Does his size change with his height? Does this change effect his stats in any way? What size creatures can it lift? No. Nothing says his size changes.
How many creatures can he lift? There is no limit given, but he cannot lift more if he's already full.
Can he move off and back onto a creature an force it to make the saves again? Yes, but I think I remember a ruling on something similar that you can't hit a target twice in one round this way.
Where is a lifted creature? Within the whirlwind's volume.
If creatures are in vertical line over the base and the effect ends what happens? They take falling damage. I believe that if one creature lands on another both take falling damage.
How many creatures can a whirlwind hold? It's volume limited so it should be 1/6 (height in 5' cubes)^3 * pi medium creatures. A small creature counts as 1/8 of a medium creature. I think a tiny creature counts as 1/8 of a small creature, but don't quote me on that. Large creatures cound as 8 medium creatures.
How does this form interact with fog spells? The fog spells all reference Obscuring Mist. I believe a whirlwind constitutes at least a strong wind and will disperse them in 1 round.
Can the druid be attacked while a whirlwind? Nothing prevents this, but touching it causes the attacker to be caught in the whirlwind and once caught a creature cannot make attacks. I think the wind rules would preclude most non-siege ranged weapons as well. Magic should work
How would a melee attacks work for non lifted creatures? Nothing prevents melee attacks from working completely normally, though anyone attacking it with a melee weapon would be in contact with it and have to make a reflex save to avoid being effected.
Who controls where an ejected creature ends up? Whoever controls the elemental, in this case the druid.
What if any combat maneuvers work against the whirlwind? I don't believe any would. but only trip and disarm are explicitly nonfunctional.
Is there any limit on the number of times per day the druid can use this form? There is no limit on the number of times an air elemental may use the form so there's no limit for the druid. Unless it's been errata'd. I don't think I'm looking at the newest Bestiary printing.
Any way short off teleportation that a nonflying creature can escape? A flying creature should be able to rescue a non-flying creature with the Drag or Reposition maneuver at the risk of being caught itself, and everyone drops out when the duration ends.
How do you determine where in the whirlwind a lifted creature is located? (might need this if others want to attack into whirlwind or for area of effect spells) There are no rules for this. I believe that for mounts every creature riding a mount occupies all squares the mount occupies and this is appropriate for area spells. For attacks into the whirlwind you might do things randomly based on volume, but whatever you do you're in house rule territory.
Any effect on vision if not on the ground? It only effects vision when it touches the ground and kicks up dust and debris.
How does this form interact with archery in the area? Compare the largest size creature to CRB table 13-10 on page 439 to determine the whirlwind's wind speed and apply that modifier to ranged attacks. For a large elemental that's medium creatures which are blown away at hurricane force winds. Normal ranged attacks would be impossible and siege weapons would take a -8 penalty.
Any other info I should know about this? At large or larger it changes the dice for Call Lightning and Call Lightning Storm to d10s.
| Mathius |
Why can a lifted creature not attack the whirlwind that it is? Whirlwind says that you have -2 to attacks, not that you can not attack.
Based on the fact that it does not kick up dust when it does not touch the ground I am going to say that it does not generate wind outside of itself but will blow away fog spells it shares a space with. Archery will only take the penalty to shoot through the druids space or to target a lifted creature. Archery can target the druid with no penalty.