Can anyone see any rules reason that a wildshaping Druid turning into an elemental can't claim the full stat bonus for their level even if they don't become full-sized?
For example: turning into a medium air elemental as a level 12 Druid and invoking Wild Shape/ Elemental Body IV to be a medium air elemental and gain +4STR, +6DEX etc.
The rules seem to say that you can "also" turn into a larger size, but that the stats gained are simply based on which type of elemental you become...
Try to think of it as the volume of the element IS its power.
Now, of course, someone is going to make a Concentrate Elemental feat to change this, but until then...
Yeah, I figured that by concept it was quite possibly supposed to be linked to size, though it's not exactly difficult to rationalize a character using Elemental Body IV getting greater power than using Elemental Body II, even if the size is the same; size bonus is relative anyhow, since you can use Alter Self to gain a size bonus when turning from medium to medium.
The thing is, the way the rules are actually written out seems to suggest that you gain the listed bonuses for that level of Elemental Body regardless:
"This spell functions as elemental body III, except that it also allows you to assume the form of a Huge air elemental, Huge earth elemental, Huge fire elemental, or Huge water elemental. The abilities you gain depend upon the type of elemental into which you change...
Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +4 size bonus to your Strength, +6 size bonus to your Dexterity, and a +4 natural armor bonus. You also gain fly 120 feet (perfect)."
It doesn't say "huge air elemental: X", or "you may also assume the form of a huge elemental, in which case your stats become..." - which makes it different from Beast Shape, which specifically lists bonuses by size.
So the straightforward reading seems to me to be: "I invoke Elemental Body IV. I choose to turn into an air elemental. The bonus for air elemental is X." Leaving rationalizations aside, I'm not sure where one would point in the actual rules to say "even though you used Elemental Body IV, you don't get to use the stat block from Elemental Body IV if you don't become the maximum size it allows".
|
Yeah, this is one of those unwritten rules things, so you're not going to find anything that says a druid can't change into a small elemental while gaining the statistics presented in elemental body 4.
As it stands, beast shape, vermin shape, plant shape and monstrous physique all provide stats specifically based on what size you turn into. Elemental body, giant form and form of the dragon all provide differing stats based on spell level while also allowing for increasingly larger forms. And while it's likely these higher stats only apply with these larger forms, it never says so, and a strict reading of the spell allows for smaller forms to gain these statistics. I would likely just have accepted that these spells are supposed to work differently except for the fact that form of the dragon provides specific natural attacks along with the stat adjustments that correspond to a specific size of dragon, making it pretty clear the stats are meant for a specific size of dragon.