Quasi-Elemental, Positive, Steam
Steam Quasi-Elemental, Small
Small Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (6 squares, clumsy), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–4
Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4 plus 1d4 cold or fire)
Full Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4 plus 1d4 cold or fire)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulfing steam, steamburn
Special Qualities: Conducting body, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to cold, positive adaptation, protection from weather & water, resistance to fire 5, steamy form
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2, Swim +9
Feats: Weapon Finesseᴮ, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Steam (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 2 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment: —
Steam Quasi-Elemental, Medium
Medium Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 3d8+9 (22 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (6 squares, clumsy), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: AC 16 (+3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+3
Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d6+1 plus 1d6 cold or fire)
Full Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d6+1 plus 1d6 cold or fire)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulfing steam, steamburn
Special Qualities: Conducting body, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to cold, positive adaptation, protection from weather & water, resistance to fire 5, steamy form
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +3, Spot +3, Swim +11
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Weapon Finesseᴮ, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Steam (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4–5 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
Steam Quasi-Elemental, Large
Large Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 6d8+24 (51 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (6 squares, clumsy), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (–1 size, +5 Dex, +4 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+12
Attack: Slam +9 melee (1d10+4 plus 1d10 cold or fire)
Full Attack: 2 slams +9 melee (1d10+4 plus 1d10 cold or fire)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulfing steam, steamburn
Special Qualities: Conducting body, damage reduction 5/–, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to cold, positive adaptation, protection from weather & water, resistance to fire 10, steamy form
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 20, Con 19, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +5, Swim +13
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Finesseᴮ, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Steam (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 7–11 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —
Steam Quasi-Elemental, Huge
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 12d8+60 (114 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (6 squares, clumsy), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 19 (–2 size, +7 Dex, +4 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+23
Attack: Slam +15 melee (2d8+6 plus 2d8 cold or fire)
Full Attack: 2 slams +15 melee (2d8+6 plus 2d8 cold or fire)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulfing steam, steamburn
Special Qualities: Conducting body, damage reduction 5/–, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to cold, positive adaptation, protection from weather & water, resistance to fire 10, steamy form
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +6
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 24 Con 21, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +7, Spot +8, Swim +15
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Cleave, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Finesseᴮ, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Steam (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 13–17 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Steam Quasi-Elemental, Greater
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 18d8+90 (171 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (6 squares, clumsy), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 24 (–2 size, +8 Dex, +8 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+28
Attack: Slam +20 melee (2d8+7 plus 2d8 cold or fire)
Full Attack: 2 slams +20 melee (2d8+7 plus 2d8 cold or fire)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulfing steam, steamburn
Special Qualities: Conducting body, damage reduction 10/–, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to cold, positive adaptation, protection from weather & water, resistance to fire 20, steamy form
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +14, Will +8
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 26, Con 21, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +12, Spot +13, Swim +15
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Finesse (B), Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Steam (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 19–23 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Steam Quasi-Elemental, Elder
Huge Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 24d8+120 (228 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (6 squares, clumsy), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 25 (–2 size, +9 Dex, +8 natural), touch 17, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +18/+34
Attack: Slam +26 melee (2d8+8 plus 2d8 cold or fire/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 slams +26 melee (2d8+8 plus 2d8 cold or fire/19-20)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulfing steam, steamburn
Special Qualities: Conducting body, damage reduction 10/–, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to cold, positive adaptation, protection from weather & water, resistance to fire 20, steamy form
Saves: Fort +19, Ref +19, Will +10
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 28, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +15, Spot +16, Swim +16
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (slam), Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Finesseᴮ, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Steam (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 25–48 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Steam Quasi-Elemental, Monolith
Gargantuan Elemental (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 36d8+255 (417 hp)
Initiative: +13
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (6 squares, clumsy), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 29 (–4 size, +9 Dex, +14 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +27/+39
Attack: Slam +37 melee (6d6+13 plus 4d6 cold or fire/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 slams +37 melee (6d6+13 plus 4d6 cold or fire/19-20)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./20 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulfing steam, steamburn
Special Qualities: Conducting body, damage reduction 15/–, darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to cold, positive adaptation, protection from weather & water, resistance to fire 30, steamy form
Saves: Fort +27, Ref +23, Will +16
Abilities: Str 36, Dex 28, Con 25, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 17
Skills: Listen +23, Spot +24, Swim +21
Feats: Alertness, Awesome Blow, Combat Reflexes, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Finesseᴮ, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Quasi-Elemental Plane of Steam (see text)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 37–54 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —
An eerie cloud of vapor so transparent it is little more than a shimmer floating in the air. Despite its apparent insubstantiality the cloud is coherent and seems to move with purpose, as if alive.
Steam quasi-elementals inhabit the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Steam, which is formed from the junction of the Positive Energy Plane and the Elemental Plane of Water. They are said to influence or control almost every living being on their home plane and desire to extend this mastery to their neighboring planes.
Steam quasi-elementals are almost invisibly in a steamy environment such as the Plane of Steam. When visibly, their vaporous bodies resemble a ghostly water elemental. They fly and swim with equal faculty. On their rare visits to the Prime Material Plane they are only found in places where the air is constantly filled with water vapor, such as the base of a waterfall.
The vaporous bodies of steam quasi-elementals lack the ability to manipulate objects, so they strive to manipulate other creatures instead. They expend great effort spying on the inhabitants of their plane and its neighbors in a perpetual quest for control. The more powerful steam quasi-elementals run spy networks of their weaker and less intelligent brethren, and many of them keep slaves to work with material objects on their behalf. Steam quasi-elementals are as aggressive as they're manipulative and have no hesitancy about attacking creatures that interfere with their plans or refuse to cooperate. They prefer to enslave intruders than kill them, however.
These elementals feed by absorbing gases and vapors. In rare circumstances a steam quasi-elemental reproduces by absorbing a vast amount of vapor and splitting off an offspring.
A steam quasi-elemental has the same height and weight as an air elemental of the same size.
COMBAT
Steam quasi-elementals typically attack by engulfing their opponents until they die. These quasi-elementals mainly use their slam attacks when they are unable to engulf all their foes. If a steam quasi-elementals of substantial size faces a single powerful opponent, or melee fighters with a shorter reach than its own slam attacks, it would rather use slams than engulf.
Conducting Body (Ex): Any creature that is being grappled or engulfed by a steam quasi-elemental when it takes electricity damage must also succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (using the DC of the attack or DC 15 if none is given) or suffer half damage from the attack. The creature takes no damage if they save. Steam quasi-elementals themselves take damage normally from electrical attacks.
Engulfing Steam (Ex): A steam quasi-elemental can simply move over creatures smaller than itself as a move action. A steam quasi-elemental can make slam attacks while engulfing but it can only attack targets outside itself - it cannot slam engulfed opponents. The steam quasi-elemental merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make opportunity attacks against the quasi-elemental, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a Reflex save or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the quasi-elemental moves forward. Engulfed creatures are not considered to be grappled, but moving through the steam quasi-elemental's space is similar to the effects of a
fog cloud spell. Each round a creature remains engulfed, it suffers the damage indicated in the Steam Quasi-Elemental Engulfing Steam Table. The steam quasi-elemental automatically damages creatures it has engulfed as a free action. It can act normally in a round - including making a full attack - and continue to damage opponents it already covers. The save DC is Strength-based.
Steam Quasi-Elemental Engulfing Steam Table
Size of Steam
Quasi-Elemental | Steam Damage
(Cold or Fire) | Save
DC |
Small
Medium
Large
Huge
Greater
Elder
Monolith | 1d8
2d6
4d6
7d6
6d8
8d8
14d6 | 11
12
17
22
26
30
41 |
Steamburn (Ex): A steam quasi-elemental can change the temperature of its body once per round as a free action, allowing it to scald or freeze anything in contact with it. The quasi-elemental's slam attack deals bludgeoning damage plus cold or fire damage. Creatures hitting a steam quasi-elemental with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take cold or fire damage as though hit by the elemental's attack. A steam quasi-elemental can choose to lower its steamburn damage to that of a smaller quasi-elemental or become a "room-temperature" steam that does not inflict fire or cold damage.
Positive Adaptation (Ex): Steam quasi-elementals do not exceed their full normal hit points or need to make Fortitude saves due to being in a positive-dominant environment.
Protection from Weather & Water (Ex): A steam quasi-elemental never suffers harmful effects from bad weather, water-based attacks, or spells with the Water descriptor.
Steamy Form (Ex): Steam quasi-elementals exist in a state between liquid and gas. The quasi-elemental can flow through cracks of any size but can not pass through solid matter. It can not manipulate material objects, but can cast spells and benefit from natural armor. Steam quasi-elementals can fly through the air in the form of a cloud of vapor. Unlike gaseous creatures, steam quasi-elementals can enter water or other liquids and swim. An underwater steam quasi-elemental resembles a boiling mass of bubbles.
Steam quasi-elementals do not need to breathe and are immune to attacks involving breathing.
Discerning a steam quasi-elemental from natural mist or boiling liquid requires a DC 15 Spot check. Steam quasi-elementals attempting to hide while surrounded by mist, smoke, other gases, fumeroles and geysers or when immersed in boiling liquid gain a +20 bonus to their Hide checks.
Skills: A steam quasi-elemental has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. A steam quasi-elemental use either its Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Swim checks, whichever is higher. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
The Steam Quasielemental first appeared in Dragon #125 (1987).