Elementals: DnD 5e Monster Guide

Elemental, my dear Watson

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

Earth elemental creatures

Fire elemental creatures

Water elemental creatures

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:

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

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.