Air Elemental Whirlwind Questions

[maggot]

I have two questions about the air elemental whirlwind, maybe someone can help me out:

1) How far can the air elemental move in whirlwind form?
2) What kind of action is it to drop people from the whirlwind?

It seems like the answer to (2) is "no action at all", and that the answer to (1) is "as far as a double move allows or in this case 200ft". The problem with that is that air elementals are grabbing people and flying up 180ft and dropping them all in one turn. So the supposedly CR 7 huge elemental has an attack that basically becomes reflex save versus DC 22 or take 18d6 damage. That's seems quick harsh. What are we doing wrong?

 

[DevoutlyApathetic]

1) Double move is correct, but it takes a standard to assume the whirlwind form, so only 100' the first round.

2) Yep, no action.

It's not 18d6 each round, it has to fly back down. So it's more like 8d6 or so, save for none each round. This is all assuming the fight is someplace he has the height to do this. Compare to an Earth Elemental, who would just pound the heck out of you.

Otherwise.....learn to fly? Dust off that first level spell of Feather Fall? 7 is the CR where a few things show up that are cake if you can fly but murder if you can't. If a first level spell can nullify a CR 7's attack for two rounds it's probably not too out of line.

 

[Pinotage]

Highlighting by utter lack of knowledge on all thing natural, but doesn't the whirlwind's base need to touch the ground? Can a whirlwind form several hundred feet up in the air? If the whirlwind can't leave the ground and is limited by its own height, then it's problem solved.

Pinotage

 

[DanMcS]

Highlighting by utter lack of knowledge on all thing natural, but doesn't the whirlwind's base need to touch the ground? Can a whirlwind form several hundred feet up in the air? If the whirlwind can't leave the ground and is limited by its own height, then it's problem solved.

Pinotage

It's not natural, it's the air elemental spinning around going "wheeeeeeeee!" So it can form wherever the air elemental is, and move like it too, basically.

 

[jerichothebard]

Highlighting by utter lack of knowledge on all thing natural, but doesn't the whirlwind's base need to touch the ground? Can a whirlwind form several hundred feet up in the air? If the whirlwind can't leave the ground and is limited by its own height, then it's problem solved.

Pinotage

Yes - most tornados start with the funnel hundreds of feet off the ground, then touch down. They've even been known to 'hop'.

 

[Pinotage]

It's not natural, it's the air elemental spinning around going "wheeeeeeeee!" So it can form wherever the air elemental is, and move like it too, basically.

Heh-heh! Then I have to agree with maggot. That does sound harsh unless dropping somebody is at least a move action or possible even a standard action.

Pinotage

 

[Nail]

Don't forget the Ref saves necessary to be caught in the whirlwind.

You need to fail 2 sequential Ref saves to be caught. Then, and only then can the air elemental take you up somewhere and drop you.

Given those limitations.....no big deal.

 

[Pinotage]

Don't forget the Ref saves necessary to be caught in the whirlwind.

You need to fail 2 sequential Ref saves to be caught. Then, and only then can the air elemental take you up somewhere and drop you.

Given those limitations.....no big deal.

For the rogue, maybe. But 7th level characters with poor reflex saves are going to have base +2 on reflex against a DC 22. Even given dexterity bonuses and cloaks of resistance etc. that fails almost everytime in my book against the elemental. Take a +5, for example, requiring a 17 to pass, and a 20% pass rate/80% fail rate. That implies a 64% chance that you're going to get picked up and the end result isn't pretty.

Pinotage