Help with air elemental whirlwind attack

[mariusm]

On Saturday I had a situation. A huge air elemental attacked our party and I was wondering if this attack would be legal.

The air elemental won initiative and was 10' away from the leader as he walked into a room. The air elemental started a whirlwind attack and moved through the party members square. This caused the party member to have to make two REF saves, one for damage and one for being picked up by the elemental. He failed the first and passed the second so he took damage but stayed in his square. Since the whirlwind attack causes a REF save when the air elemental moves through the square it moved back through the square again. Since the air elemental does not provoke an attack of opportunity when doing this it was not attacked. Now the leader had to make another REF save to prevent damage and to prevent being picked up. The air elemental did this tactic until its move was completed.

Now was this a legal form of attack? Since it can basically cause a character to have to make multiple REF per round

 

[BOZ]

That is a good question. From reading the description for the attack, it does not say they cannot do this. However, the ability lasts for only 1 round every 10 minutes (not too many combats last more than 100 rounds).

 

[mariusm]

That is a good question. From reading the description for the attack, it does not say they cannot do this. However, the ability lasts for only 1 round every 10 minutes (not too many combats last more than 100 rounds).

It turns out the DM kept it in the whirlwind state for 4 rounds since...

"The elemental can transform itself into a whirlwind once every 10 minutes and remain in that form for up to 1 round for every 2 HD it has.", it was a 8HD version so he trashed us for four rounds hitting one poor character multiple times per round!

 

[BOZ]

ouch! yeah, i guess that was legal - mean, but legal.

 

[Leo_ASF]

Sorry if this thread is closed... but got a quick question What bennefit does a small or medium air elemental gets from use Whirlwind

 

[freyar]

Same as any other size air elemental, just acting on smaller enemies. So a Small air elemental can damage and pick up Tiny or smaller critters, etc.

 

[Leo_ASF]

mmm that halfling will live for another day...