Elemental, my dear Watson
What are elementals?
Elementals are creatures born of pure elements. Typically, this means they are formed from the 4 main elements of fire, earth, water and air, but other elements exist from which elementals can be created.
Such creatures are self-aware and even intelligent, though when found outside of the elemental planes, it’s often because they’ve been bound to servitude for a master or a summoner. Elementals come from planes composed of the same type of element so fire elementals, for example, come from the plane of fire.
Elementals have existed for aeons, at least since the primordials were active across the planes. This is due to the age of the elemental planes and their creation from this pure, elemental matter.
Types of Elementals
There are many types of elemental creatures, owing particularly to the many elemental planes in existence. Not only are there the 4 core elemental planes of Air, Earth, Fire and Wind, but there are also para-elemental and quasi-elemental planes that combine aspects of different elements. Altogether, there are 16 different elemental planes, meaning 16 different elements an elemental could be created from.
Each plane is home to many different creatures too. We’ve detailed out the main elemental creatures below, but many creatures native to the elemental planes also aren’t considered elementals. For example, the Aarakocra are natives of the plane of air, but as a creature type, are actually humanoids.
Core elementals
These are the 4 primary elemental planes of Air, Earth, Fire and Water. These planes are inhabited by elementals composed of these 4 core elements. While there are other elemental types, most of these are comprised in part, by combinations of the core elements.
Air elemental creatures

Air elemental
CR 5
Book: Monster Manual
A creature of whirling air with a malleable form that often takes on the appearance of a storm or whirlwind with a vaguely recognisable face.

Air elemental myrmidon
CR 7
Book: Monsters of the Multiverse
Air elementals that have been summoned and bound to a suit of armour, erasing their memories and transforming them into servants of war.

Djinni
CR 11
Book: Monster Manual
Djinni are genies born of elemental chaos that resemble humanoids with a stormy influence. They possess powerful magical abilities and have been known to be bound to mortal servitude in order to grant magical boons. Of all the genies, the Djinni are the most benevolent and tolerant of mortal flaws.

Invisible stalker
CR 6
Book: Monster Manual
An invisible creature whose true form is unknown. While they can be bound to perform various tasks, they will resent such bindings and will seek ways to twist the command they’ve been given to spite their summoner.
Earth elemental creatures

Earth elemental
CR 5
Book: Monster Manual
A creature of pure rock and occasionally, gems and ore. Earth elementals have humanoid appendages, but their rocky constitution makes them far tougher than creatures of flesh and bone.

Earth elemental myrmidon
CR 7
Book: Monsters of the Multiverse
Earth elementals that have been summoned and bound to a suit of armour, erasing their memories and transforming them into servants of war.

Dao
CR 11
Book: Monster Manual
Proud genies possessing the powers of earth. They are evil creatures that gladly enslave other races to enact their will. They are reasonable though and can be worked with.

Flail snail
CR 3
Book: Monsters of the Multiverse
Giant snails with about 5 tentacles with flails on the end. They are magical creatures with their own anti-magic protections emanating from their shells.

Galeb duhr
CR 6
Book: Monster Manual
Living boulders with roughly humanoid appendages, but that could easily be mistaken for a boulder when slumbering. They’re intelligent creatures, but ponderous in nature.

Xorn
CR 5
Book: Monster Manual
Rocky creatures that consume gems, rocks and minerals. They have 3 arms, legs and eyes and a central mouth. They’re not usually aggressive unless provoked, particularly as they don’t eat meat.
Fire elemental creatures

Fire elemental
CR 5
Book: Monster Manual
Elementals formed from pure fire. Their touch will burn another creature. They are often used by mages and fire giants as guardians of their homes and previous items.

Fire elemental myrmidon
CR 7
Book: Monsters of the Multiverse
Fire elementals that have been summoned and bound to a suit of armour, erasing their memories and transforming them into servants of war.

Firenewt
CR 1/2
Book: Monsters of the Multiverse
The fiery, evolved form of lizardfolk. These creatures are known for being particularly sadistic, enjoying the suffering and torture of others.

Azer
CR 2
Book: Monster Manual
Dwarf-like creatures with hair composed of flame. Azers are often used as salve labour by giants and other races.

Efreeti
CR 11
Book: Monster Manual
Fiery genies that could be hostile and unpredictable. They are best avoided due to their impressive magic and vicious nature.

Giant strider
CR 1
Book: Monsters of the Multiverse
Looking like a cross between a reptile and an ostrich, these creatures are impervious to fire and can act as a mount for natives of the plane of fire.

Magmin
CR 1/2
Book: Monster Manual
Looking like squat humanoids made of magma and flames, they are unintelligent beings that crave chaos and to set things on fire.

Phoenix
CR 16
Book: Monsters of the Multiverse
Huge, flaming birds, that can be reborn when they die.

Fire salamander
CR 5
Book: Monster Manual
Spiney, serpentine creatures with burning hot skin and a cruel mind.
Water elemental creatures

Water elemental
CR 5
Book: Monster Manual
Made purely from water, water elementals are fairly unintelligent creatures, but as they are often conjured into servitude, resent and dislike those that force them into service.

Water elemental myrmidon
CR 7
Book: Monsters of the Multiverse
Water elementals that have been summoned and bound to a suit of armour, erasing their memories and transforming them into servants of war.

Water weird
CR 3
Book: Monster Manual
Conjured to protect pools of water. Despite their similarity to water elementals, water weirds are quite intelligent with a propensity towards extreme nobility or extreme evil.

Marid
CR 11
Book: Monster Manual
Genies native to the plane of water, marids are proud creatures with highly changeable moods and powerful magic.
Para-elemental creatures
The para-elemental planes occur where main elemental planes intersect. For example, where the fire and air elemental planes intersect, you get the plane of smoke and where earth and fire planes intersect, you get the plane of magma.
some elementals are created from these combined elements becoming para-elementals.
There are 4 para-elemental types which are:
- Ice – Air and water
- Magma – Earth and fire
- Ooze – Earth and water
- Smoke – Air and fire
Para-elemental creatures include:

Frost salamander
CR 9
Book: Monsters of the Multiverse
6-legged reptiles with cold powers and that are native to the elemental plane of ice.

Ice mephit
CR 1/2
Book: Monster Manual
Like winged goblins, mephits are often summoned into the servitude of powerful wizards. Ice mephits are native to the plane of ice and embody a cruel, cold nature.

Magma mephit
CR 1/2
Book: Monster Manual
Like winged goblins, mephits are often summoned into the servitude of powerful wizards. Magma mephits are native to the plane of magma and are formed of both the elements of earth and fire.

Smoke mephit
CR 1/4
Book: Monster Manual
Like winged goblins, mephits are often summoned into the servitude of powerful wizards. Smoke mephits are native to the plane of smoke and composed of the elements of both fire and air.
Quasi-Elemental creatures
Quasi-elementals are formed where planes of energy (positive and negative) intersect with the core elemental planes. Elementals formed from these planes take on the influences of each of the combined planes.
There are quasi-elemental planes; 4 intersecting with the positive energy plane and 4 intersecting with the negative energy plane:
Positive energy planes
Planes that intersect with the positive energy plane become hyperactive in nature, buzzing with energy and creatures. While this sounds beautiful, and it is, it can be equally deadly, creating lightning from the air or filling the plane with steam from the water.
- Lightning – Positive energy and air
- Mineral – Positive energy and earth
- Radiance – Positive energy and fire
- Steam – Positive energy and water
Negative energy planes
Elemental planes that intersect with the negative energy plane begin to decay and deteriorate, destroying the natural aspects of those elements. For instance, where the negative energy plane and the plane of air intersect, the plane of vacuum becomes a vast, airless space where nothing can breath. Likewise, where the negative plane intersects with the plane of earth, the rock and solid matter crumbles into dust.
The following are the negative quasi-elemental planes:
- Ash – Negative energy and fire
- Dust – Negative energy and earth
- Salt – Negative energy and water
- Vacuum – Negative energy and air
Other elementals
Some elementals do not neatly fit into any one elemental category such as the elementals of nature which is composed of all 4 of the core elements or storm elementals that reside in the plane of air, but utilise other elements to create rain, thunder and lightning.
These include:
- Darkness elementals
- Nature elementals
- Necromental elementals
- Shadow elementals
- Storm elementals
Summoning an Elemental
To summon an elemental requires extraordinary power as the creature is being plucked from another plane of existence and its power and energy must be harnessed by the summoner. Great mental fortitude is required to summon an elemental and a break in concentration or a mental weakness could result in the summoned elemental not being bound by the servitude of the summoner. In such moments, the furious or confused elemental, might instead choose to wreak havoc in the new plane it’s been summoned to. Often, this involves attempting to kill the summoner themself.
Typically, the summoning process is made easier when the creature performing the summons is closely tied with that plane of existence, for this reason, salamanders and efreetis have a great aptitude for summoning fire elementals while the rock dwelling and mining sverfneblin are very adept at summoning earth elementals.
Using elementals in your campaign
Usually, elementals crop up when they’ve been summoned by a powerful mage or creature that embodies similar elemental powers. As you can imagine, most creatures don’t like being plucked from their home and being enslaved into servitude. If a mage isn’t powerful enough, then the elemental can turn on them which might create interesting plot points.
In role playing situations, you might use this hatred towards a master to have the elemental attempt to find ways to discreetly harm their master. While they must obey their master, such creatures may attempt to utilise loop holes in their instructions.
While many elementals function primarily as foot soldiers, genies make particularly interesting creatures. While they possess powerful magic, they are often enslaved by a master. This can create great moral dilemmas for players who may want to take advantage of their magic, want to rescue the genie, or be concerned about releasing such vengeful power on the realms.
Genies like dao and efreeti also make great antagonists who may simply be operating as slavers or exerting their dominance on other creatures.