D&D 5E Swapping critters in an iron flask...adjudication

[Casimir Liber]

Soo.....in one game I DM, the party has just encountered an angry huge elemental. They happen to have an iron flask that already contains a (smaller) elemental. Where we stopped for the night, battle was about to ensue. The iron flask-holder proposed releasing the elemental it contains (which would be friendly for an hour) so it could be empty to trap the huge elemental. Looking at RAW re iron flasks, I can't see any reason for this not to occur...am I missing something?

(I should say if no issue with RAW, this could be quite fun. Party are 14th level and getting superhero-ish anyway)

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Soo.....in one game I DM, the party has just encountered an angry huge elemental. They happen to have an iron flask that already contains a (smaller) elemental. Where we stopped for the night, battle was about to ensue. The iron flask-holder proposed releasing the elemental it contains (which would be friendly for an hour) so it could be empty to trap the huge elemental. Looking at RAW re iron flasks, I can't see any reason for this not to occur...am I missing something?

(I should say if no issue with RAW, this could be quite fun. Party are 14th level and getting superhero-ish anyway)

RAW this is entirely acceptable.

The only issue I might have is this- I might say that the act of trapping a creature nullifies the "one hour" rule since the RAI appear to only allow one critter at a time to be contained and/or controlled by the flask. So if the party traps the new elemental during the one hour period, the old elemental will revert to its prior alignment and disposition immediately.

But that would fall under rulings, not rules. By rules, they can certainly release the old elemental, and trap the new one. Of course, it will get the DC17 Wisdom save.

 

[ichabod]

I concur with Snarf that it is allowed by RAW. My thought is: does the elemental recognize this as an iron flask? If it's like the standard air/earth/fire/water elemental in the MM, it's probably not bright enough to realize it's an iron flask and what it can do. However, if it is a smarter elemental, it might try to avoid the flask wielder, or take them out from range. It might make for an interesting fight if it becomes about control of/proximity to the iron flask.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Yeah was pondering about the one-hour friendliness and whether that was somewhat like an "attunement" (as it were) but the iron flask description makes no comment about this.

 

[ichabod]

Yeah was pondering about the one-hour friendliness and whether that was somewhat like an "attunement" (as it were) but the iron flask description makes no comment about this.

The thing I wondered about the friendly hour was who is it friendly to. If it is friendly to the owner of the iron flask, that could get interesting. But the wording says to me that it is friendly to whoever released it from the flask.

 

[nevin]

Soo.....in one game I DM, the party has just encountered an angry huge elemental. They happen to have an iron flask that already contains a (smaller) elemental. Where we stopped for the night, battle was about to ensue. The iron flask-holder proposed releasing the elemental it contains (which would be friendly for an hour) so it could be empty to trap the huge elemental. Looking at RAW re iron flasks, I can't see any reason for this not to occur...am I missing something?

(I should say if no issue with RAW, this could be quite fun. Party are 14th level and getting superhero-ish anyway)

I'd let em try but the minute they trapped another elemental the magic forcing the current elemental to be friendly would be released. Other question is does the elemental go home or stay on the prime material. I'd probably lean towards permanantly on the prime material.

 

[nevin]

The thing I wondered about the friendly hour was who is it friendly to. If it is friendly to the owner of the iron flask, that could get interesting. But the wording says to me that it is friendly to whoever released it from the flask.

which means it might not be friendly if the elemental being imprisoned is of the same type......

 

[Casimir Liber]

which means it might not be friendly if the elemental being imprisoned is of the same type......

two fire elementals...a big one an' a bigger one

 

[MarkB]

Interesting side question: If you try to re-imprison a creature within that one hour, can you command it not to resist and make it forego its wisdom save?

 

[ichabod]

Interesting side question: If you try to re-imprison a creature within that one hour, can you command it not to resist and make it forego its wisdom save?

RAW, no, because you cannot choose to fail a save unless the effect specifies that you can.