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Hello all.
I'm trying to understand exactly how the elemental body line of spells work, and I have some questions that I'd like to debate with other players so I can submit some dialogue to my DM.
So, I'm a level 14 druid, which means I can use wild shape to be a huge air elemental, giving me the following bonuses :
+4 size to str, +6 size to Dex, +4 base natural armor, elemental immunities, fly 120ft perfect, vortex, dr 5/-
Huge size gives me:
-2 to attack/AC, +2 to cmb/CMD, ability to vortex large and smaller opponents.
However being a caster druid with a base str of 7, the idea of being huge is annoying since I will have to squeeze through a lot of corridors in tight dungeons and I wont melee.
So if I use elemental body IV to take the form of a small air elemental do I still get the spell bonuses but simply change the size bonuses ?
Thank you very much, please keep it classy
Yeah, you would get the changes listed in Elemental Body I under Air Elemental if you chose to take a Small size.
If the form you take is that of a Small air elemental, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +2 natural armor bonus. You also gain fly 60 feet (perfect), darkvision 60 feet, and the ability to create a whirlwind.
You would also get the abilities listed at the top of Elemental Body IV because they aren't tied to size.
You are also immune to bleed damage, critical hits, and sneak attacks while in elemental form and gain DR 5/—.
It would get you the size bonuses of a small elemental. Other bonuses, such as the 120' fly speed and the immunity to critical hits.
You are not duplicating a lower level version of the spell. Higher level versions of Elemental Body give a range of sizes to choose from.
As Mr. Abendroth stated, you're still using EBIV. Each new tier of EB says you may also choose to assume these new sizes, meaning the old size options remain available.
Edit: Shame on me for redundancy.
+1 to the chorus of "stuff listed with small air elemental, plus immunity to bleed/crit/sneak and DR 5/-".
Overall not a bad deal I'd say.
What if I cast reduce person afterwards so i feel less bloated?
I would then lose 2 str, gain no Dex but be at least 1 size smaller so I'd only be large?
I guess I could just go earth elemental in order to avoid squeezing through.
Overall not a bad deal I'd say.
What if I cast reduce person afterwards so i feel less bloated?
I would then lose 2 str, gain no Dex but be at least 1 size smaller so I'd only be large?
I guess I could just go earth elemental in order to avoid squeezing through.
You cannot combine size changing magic with polymorph effects.
In addition, other spells that change your size have no effect on you while you are under the effects of a polymorph spell.
I'd disagree with those saying you get the smaller bonus.
The description for EB3, for instance says:
"This spell functions as elemental body III, except that it also allows you to assume the form of a Large air, earth, fire, or water elemental."
Meaning I can do the size of the earlier spell, as well as the large forms.
Whatever form I use, I get the bonuses listed for EB3 (not 2, or 1)
Because Elemental Form happens to be written a bit badly it can give the impression that it is the spell, not the size, that is giving the bonus.
The problem is that didn't put in "Medium", "Large", or "Huge" in every elemental entry like they did for small (probably to save on wordcount) so you have to read the intent from the initial phrase: "This spell functions as elemental body I, except that it also allows you to assume the form of a Medium air, earth, fire, or water elemental."
It is clear from all the other polymorph spells and from the statement of what has changed (medium, large, huge) that the bonuses belong to each individual size category and only apply if you are turning into that size elemental.
Oh and btw, good catch on the no size mod after polymorph.
I was counting on exotic form of the dragon + animal growth on my companion to tangle with higher level bosses, but I'll have to go form of the dragon + transformation instead.