Lesser Elemental (3.5e Race)

Lesser Elemental
Summary::As gensai are humans touched by elemental blood, lesser elementals are elementals touched by human blood. Not as strong, but much smarter and more cunning, lesser elementals are more human in their outlook, acting more like creatures than animate nature given life. Though seen with suspicion by other elementals, lesser elementals prove to be a good means of interacting between the elemental and material and other planes, often acting as the face of the inner planes.

Personality
Lesser elementals have a strange life. Outwardly they look like the elemental of their choosing, though permanently of medium humanoid form regardless of their strength. While normal elemental's personalities are nearly uniform, dull, single minded, and hostile to things which are not them, lesser elementals have no such issues. That is not to say their elemental natures do not affect them, far from it. Fire elementals continue to be passionate, hot tempered, and egotistical. Earth elementals are stubborn and slow to change. Water elementals change with a whim and adapt to their surroundings. And air elementals are free spirited travelers who cannot keep still and see themselves above others. They are not, however, single minded and simply adapt their elemental outlooks to whatever possibly human task or inspiration they have at the time. Because the elementals shun them as being aberrant, many seek to enter the material plane to explore and find places where they are accepted for who they are.

Physical Description
Lesser Elementals are medium humanoid shapes composed of their primary element; air, earth, fire, or water. They are easily confused with medium sized elementals but value their individuality and will often do things other elementals never consider, such as wearing clothing, gaining quirks, and other signs that they are not your typical elemental. Though air, fire, or water hardly seem solid, they are each composed of "thick" solid forms of their essence and have the consistancy of paste. Fire elementals are ill advised to touch explosives and flammables, but in general elementals have enough control over their element to prevent damaging creatures and items on touch, and allowing them to wear clothing.

Relations
Lesser elementals have a standing, but strained relation with true elementals. With elementals not of their kind, especially of their polar opposites, this mistrust opens into outright hostility. Among material plane races, lesser elementals come with little to know pre-formed ideas of what to expect. Other races see them strange, unused to elementals being anything more than sentient but not necessarily sapient materials, suitable for domestication or binding. It is the functional equivalent to a pig being able to talk, simultaneously wonderful and disturbing given the state of elementals in several magical societies.

Alignment
Lesser elementals are almost universally neutral of some sort, though certain elements such as the sturdiness of earth or the chaotic motion of water, tend to pull them in the directions of law and chaos respectfully.

Lands
Lesser elementals are inherent to their respective elemental planes, but often come to the material plane by slipping in via calling spells. There they find small homes in places similar to their home; the volcanos, the oceans, the caves, or the high clouds and cliffs. Their numbers are low, but ever growing as elemental summoning becomes more and more important.

Religion
Lesser elementals do not worship inherently, but have great respect for nature and for gods of certain elements. Druids are commonplace within their ranks.

Language
Lesser elementals speak common and their inherent elemental tongue. They often learn the languages of other elemental races to communicate, and those which surround places of elemental significance like underground and in volcanos.

Names
Elemental names are simple descriptions of what they are with little difference between male and female. Names such as Gale, Trumbler, Scorch, and Wavefoam are common.

Racial Traits (Air)

 * , : Sentient wind, lesser air elementals may not have much substance but flicker around at a whim.
 * Type::Elemental (Subtype::Air): Creatures of air, their bodies are made from vapor, smoke, and whirling, solid air.
 * Lesser Air Elemental base land speed is 30 feet. Lesser air elementals prove to be unable to fly when young, only able to swirl on the ground.  This changes with age and strength.
 * Air Mastery : Airborne creatures take a -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls against an air elemental.
 * Lesser Elemental Movement : Lesser air elementals may not start with a fly speed but their abilities are evident from the get go. They have a hover speed equal to their land speed (perfect) and are immune to fall damage.  At 3 HD, lesser air elementals gain a fly speed of 10 ft (perfect).  At 6 HD, it rises to 30 ft.  At 9 HD, it rises to 60 ft.  At 12 HD, it jumps up to 100 ft fly speed.
 * Lesser Elemental Traits : Unlike normal elementals, lesser elementals do not have all the traits of the elemental type, at least not right away.  They can be raised and resurrected like a normal humanoid creature, and they do not need to eat, sleep, or breath.  They are not immune to paralysis or stunning, nor immune to critical hits and flanking.  They are, however, immune to sleep and have 25% fortification against critical hits and sneak attack.  When the lesser elemental obtains 4 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 50%, and they become immune to poison.  When the lesser elemental obtains 8 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 75%, and they become immune to paralysis.  In addition, those flanking them do not receive the +2 bonus to hit (but they may still sneak attack).  When the lesser elemental obtains 12 HD, the elemental's is completely immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and cannot be flanked at all.  They are also immune to stunning.
 * Natural Weapon : Lesser elementals have a slam attack which deals 1d6 + strength damage, with a 20/x2 critical.
 * Whirlwind : Lesser air elementals gain the whirlwind ability of a medium air elemental, though they are only able to retain the form for 1 round per HD each day.  The saving through for this ability is 10 + 1/2 HD + Dexterity.
 * Whisping : Being made of air, a lesser air elemental would traditionally be invisible were it not for the ever-present miasma of vapor in their forms.  However as a swift action a lesser air elemental and go partly transparent and make themselves difficult to hit.  They gain 20% concealment for 1 round, up to 1 round per HD they possess each day.
 * Automatic Languages: Common, Auran.
 * Bonus Languages: Aquan, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Ignan, Terran, Undercommon.
 * Favored Class: and
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1

Racial Traits (Earth)

 * , : Heavyset and durable, earth elementals have no need to dodge, not when they can take a hit.
 * Type::Elemental (Subtype::Earth): Creatures of earth, their bodies are animate stone and gravel.
 * Lesser Earth Elemental base land speed is 20 feet.  However, lesser earth elementals can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
 * Earth Mastery : An earth elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the elemental takes a -4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)
 * Hardening : Being made of stone, a lesser earth elemental is tough as nails.  As a swift action a lesser earth elemental hardens its body, gaining DR/adamantine equal to their HD for 1 round, up to 1 round per HD they possess each day.
 * Lesser Elemental Movement : Lesser earth elementals may not start with a burrow speed but their abilities are evident from the get go. Can see through unworked stone, earth, and dirt up to 60 ft.  At 3 HD, lesser earth elementals gain a burrow speed of 10 ft, and the penalty for attacking an airborne or waterborne opponent from earth mastery drops to -3.  At 6 HD, it rises to 20 ft and the earth mastery penalty drops to -2.  At 9 HD, it rises to 30 ft and their land speed increases to 30 feet and the earth mastery penalty drops to -1.  At 12 HD, they gain the earth glide ability of an earth elemental, and no longer take any penalty to their earth mastery ability.
 * Lesser Elemental Traits : Unlike normal elementals, lesser elementals do not have all the traits of the elemental type, at least not right away.  They can be raised and resurrected like a normal humanoid creature, and they do not need to eat, sleep, or breath.  They are not immune to paralysis or stunning, nor immune to critical hits and flanking.  They are, however, immune to sleep and have 25% fortification against critical hits and sneak attack.  When the lesser elemental obtains 4 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 50%, and they become immune to poison.  When the lesser elemental obtains 8 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 75%, and they become immune to paralysis.  In addition, those flanking them do not receive the +2 bonus to hit (but they may still sneak attack).  When the lesser elemental obtains 12 HD, the elemental's is completely immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and cannot be flanked at all.  They are also immune to stunning.
 * Natural Weapon : Lesser elementals have a slam attack which deals 1d6 + strength damage, with a 20/x2 critical.
 * Push : Lesser earth elemental can start a bull rush maneuver without provoking an attack of opportunity. The combat modifiers given in Earth Mastery, above, also apply to the elemental’s opposed Strength checks.
 * Automatic Languages: Common, Terran.
 * Bonus Languages: Aquan, Auran, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Ignan, Undercommon.
 * Favored Class: and
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1

Racial Traits (Fire)

 * , : Fire is charming, fire is frightening, and fire, beyond all else, is reckless and unwise.
 * Type::Elemental (Subtype::Fire): Creatures of flame, they are hot headed, passionate, and dangerous.
 * Lesser Fire Elemental base land speed is 30 feet. Lesser air elementals prove slow burners when young.  This changes with age and strength.
 * Burn : A lesser fire elemental’s melee attacks through its slam, unarmed strike, and metal weapons deals normal damage plus 1 point of fire damage per HD from the elemental’s flaming body. Those hit by a fire elemental’s natural weapons (but not other melee weapons) also must succeed on a Reflex save or catch on fire.  The flame burns for 1d4 rounds.  The save DC is DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma.  A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame.  Creatures hitting a fire elemental with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the elemental’s attack, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save.
 * Burning Wave : Being made of fire, a lesser fire elemental is damaging just by its presence.  As a standard action it can release a 15 foot cone of flame which deals 1d4 points of fire damage per HD.  They treat this as a breath weapon, able to be used at will but only once every 1d4 rounds.  At 8 HD, the range becomes a 30 foot cone.
 * Fire Immunity : Lesser fire elementals are immune to fire damage.
 * Cold Vulnerability : Lesser fire elementals take 50% additional damage from cold damage.
 * Illumination : Fire glows, and while lesser fire elementals can dim their light greatly, they are best when shining bright.  At their dimmest, they still possess a -2 to hide checks, but in return they may illuminate the surroundings like a torch, controlling their light as a free action on their turn only.
 * Lesser Elemental Movement : Lesser fire elementals may not start with great speed but their abilities are evident from the get go. They gain Run as a bonus feat.  At 3 HD, lesser fire elementals gain a +10 bonus on their base land speed.  At 6 HD, they gain another +10 bonus to speed, and a +2 dodge bonus on AC on attacks of opportunity caused by movement.  At 9 HD, they gain another +10 bonus to speed, and the AC bonus rises to +4.  At 12 HD, they no longer provoke attacks of opportunity for movement if they wish, and can run up walls and other surfaces provided they end their movement on a horizontal surface which can support them.
 * Lesser Elemental Traits : Unlike normal elementals, lesser elementals do not have all the traits of the elemental type, at least not right away.  They can be raised and resurrected like a normal humanoid creature, and they do not need to eat, sleep, or breath.  They are not immune to paralysis or stunning, nor immune to critical hits and flanking.  They are, however, immune to sleep and have 25% fortification against critical hits and sneak attack.  When the lesser elemental obtains 4 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 50%, and they become immune to poison.  When the lesser elemental obtains 8 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 75%, and they become immune to paralysis.  In addition, those flanking them do not receive the +2 bonus to hit (but they may still sneak attack).  When the lesser elemental obtains 12 HD, the elemental's is completely immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and cannot be flanked at all.  They are also immune to stunning.
 * Natural Weapon : Lesser elementals have a slam attack which deals 1d6 + strength damage, with a 20/x2 critical.
 * Automatic Languages: Common, Ignan.
 * Bonus Languages: Aquan, Auran, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Terran, Undercommon.
 * Favored Class: and
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1

Racial Traits (Water)

 * , : The power of water is undeniable.  Tsunamis rip up coastlines and overturn ships, yet water is easily swayed and never has the focus to think straight.
 * Type::Elemental (Subtype::Water): Creatures of water, their bodies are made from flowing water either fresh or briny.
 * Lesser Water Elemental base land speed is 20 feet, and they have a swim speed of 30 ft. Lesser water elementals prove to be slow swimmers.  This changes with age and strength.
 * Drench : The elemental’s touch puts out torches, campfires, exposed lanterns, and other open flames of nonmagical origin if these are of Large size or smaller. The creature can dispel magical fire it touches as dispel magic (caster level equals elemental’s HD).
 * Hydro Pump : Water elementals are capable of projecting a mass of dense water from their bodies, allowing them to enable acts of strength from afar.  They are able to perform a bull rush, disarm, or trip action from 10 feet away by blasting the enemy with water, plus an additional 5 ft per HD.  They are capable of producing this torrent of water at will.
 * Lesser Elemental Movement : Lesser air elementals may not start with an impressive swim speed but their abilities are evident from the get go. They never take penalties to attacking underwater, even when using manufactured weapons not designed to be used underwater.  At 3 HD, lesser water elementals improve their swim speed to 50 ft, and the water mastery penalties for attacking non-waterbound creatures or while being out of water itself decrease to -3.  At 6 HD, its swim speed increases to 70 ft, and its water mastery penalty drops to -2.  At 9 HD, its swim speed increases to 90 ft, and its water mastery penalty drops to -1.  At 12 HD, it jumps up to 120 ft swim speed, their land speed rises to 30 feet, and it loses the water mastery penalty completely.
 * Lesser Elemental Traits : Unlike normal elementals, lesser elementals do not have all the traits of the elemental type, at least not right away.  They can be raised and resurrected like a normal humanoid creature, and they do not need to eat, sleep, or breath.  They are not immune to paralysis or stunning, nor immune to critical hits and flanking.  They are, however, immune to sleep and have 25% fortification against critical hits and sneak attack.  When the lesser elemental obtains 4 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 50%, and they become immune to poison.  When the lesser elemental obtains 8 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 75%, and they become immune to paralysis.  In addition, those flanking them do not receive the +2 bonus to hit (but they may still sneak attack).  When the lesser elemental obtains 12 HD, the elemental's is completely immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and cannot be flanked at all.  They are also immune to stunning.
 * Natural Weapon : Lesser elementals have a slam attack which deals 1d6 + strength damage, with a 20/x2 critical.
 * Vortex : Lesser water elementals gain the vortex ability of a medium water elemental, though they are only able to retain the form for 1 round per HD each day.  The saving through for this ability is 10 + 1/2 HD + Strength.
 * Water Mastery : A lesser water elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its opponent are touching water. If the opponent or the elemental is touching the ground, the elemental takes a -4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. A lesser water elemental can be a serious threat to a ship that crosses its path.  They can easily overturn small craft (5 feet of length per Hit Die of the elemental) and stop larger vessels (10 feet long per HD).  Even large ships (20 feet long per HD) can be slowed to half speed.
 * Automatic Languages: Common, Aquan.
 * Bonus Languages: Auran, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Ignan, Terran, Undercommon.
 * Favored Class: and
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1

Racial Traits (Ice)

 * , : Ice is hard and damaging, but it is also cold and aloof.
 * Type::Elemental (Subtype::Cold): Creatures of frost, their bodies are composed of snow and ice.
 * Lesser Ice Elemental base land speed is 30 feet, and they have a swim speed of 30 ft. Lesser water elementals prove to be decent swimmers, but learn to skate over almost any surface with age and strength.
 * Freeze : A lesser ice elemental’s melee attacks through its slam, unarmed strike, and metal weapons deals normal damage plus 1 point of cold damage per HD from the elemental’s frozen body. Those hit by an ice elemental’s natural weapons (but not other melee weapons) also must succeed on a Fort save or take a -4 penalty to their Dexterity for one round. The save DC is DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma. Creatures hitting an ice elemental with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take ice damage as though hit by the elemental’s attack, and are likewise affected unless they succeed on a Fortitude save. Creatures immune to cold damage are immune to this effect as well.
 * Frozen Blast : Lesser Ice Elementals are walking blizzards. As a standard action the lesser ice elemental can release an effect similar to a gust of wind in a 30-foot line, except that the duration is instantaneous and it also deals 1d4 points of cold damage per HD. They treat this as a breath weapon, able to be used at will but only once every 1d4 rounds. At 8 HD, the range becomes a 60 foot line.
 * Ice Immunity : Lesser ice elementals are immune to cold damage.
 * Fire Vulnerability : Lesser ice elementals take 50% additional damage from fire damage.
 * Lesser Elemental Movement : Lesser ice elementals may not start with an impressive speed but their abilities are evident from the get go. They gain a swim speed equal to their base land speed, and they float instead of sinking on a failed swim check. At 3 HD, lesser ice elementals can skate along the ground as if using the Skate power. At 6 HD, they gain a +10 bonus to speed in both modes of movement. At 9 HD, they can skate along the surface of calm water just as easily as solid ground. At 12 HD, they gain another +10 to their speed, can skate across rough water as easily as calm water, and treat stormy water as though skating up an incline.
 * Lesser Elemental Traits : Unlike normal elementals, lesser elementals do not have all the traits of the elemental type, at least not right away. They can be raised and resurrected like a normal humanoid creature, and they do not need to eat, sleep, or breath. They are not immune to paralysis or stunning, nor immune to critical hits and flanking. They are, however, immune to sleep and have 25% fortification against critical hits and sneak attack. When the lesser elemental obtains 4 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 50%, and they become immune to poison. When the lesser elemental obtains 8 HD, the elemental's fortification rises to 75%, and they become immune to paralysis. In addition, those flanking them do not receive the +2 bonus to hit (but they may still sneak attack). When the lesser elemental obtains 12 HD, the elemental's is completely immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and cannot be flanked at all. They are also immune to stunning.
 * Natural Weapon : Lesser elementals have a slam attack which deals 1d6 + strength damage, with a 20/x2 critical.
 * Automatic Languages: Common, Aquan.
 * Bonus Languages: Auran, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Ignan, Terran, Undercommon.
 * Favored Class: and
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1