Elemental Weirds (MM2)

[Rystil Arden]

Gahhhhh!!!! MIT is the bastion of nerdiness........

Bodes not well, this does.

A lot of the MIT scene is a whole lot less nerdy than one might expect. I know plenty of jock-types as well as people who I would simply not have expected to see accepted at MIT based on my preconceived notion that everyone at MIT would be really smart (not that the jock types are the ones that aren't smart--its actually usually not them).

 

[jodyjohnson]

I have a few decent ideas for using elemental weirds, but their CR just seems totally off if things ever turned violent. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

I haven't reread their description lately but they seem like plot generators rather than combat encounters and they would go out of their way to not kill opponents -- which would certainly lower their CR.

I'd run them as primarily defensive and have them go out of their way to end encounters in a non-violent way. It's like a 20th level cleric with a Vow of Peace. You can fight and kill him but I wouldn't give out XP as a CR20 encounter. The weirds might be worthy opponents for a 18th+ party but their heart just isn't in fighting and the XP reward would be low as a result.

 

[Ultrazen]

It is a tiny area. Just a little pool--they can barely move at all.

Not quite true. Pool dimensions given are minimums. They could be larger. I easily envision an earth weird pool taking up a large underground cavern. Combine that with summoned earth elementals moving in and out of the walls and ceilings, and I see little tactical disadvantage.

jody: Yes, they do seem more like plot generators than combat encounters. But like other elementals they can be bound into service and would of course defend themselves. I've learned to never underestimate a PC's ability to pick a fight with the wrong creature... like the NPC from whom they are 'supposed' to recieve the next plot hook.

I'd probably run an encounter like that anyway, with most spells limited to divinations, enchantments, and protective spells. The stats just seemed off and I was hoping there was some obscure rule or tactical insight someone might have picked up about them from actual play experience.

But then as they are bound to their pools yet have both regular movement and fly, swim, or burrow speeds and have regeneration but no listed weaknesses to attack types from which they take normal damage, have a very high caster level for their CR, and are in the MM2, they could just be messed up.

 

[dedicated]

Yeah...
Guess that's why they're weirds!

 

[Rystil Arden]

Combine that with summoned earth elementals moving in and out of the walls and ceilings, and I see little tactical disadvantage.

Summoned things are a breeze to keep away or banish at that level though

 

[Mokona]

Back in 3.0 an Epic Level Druid could shapeshift into a Weird and get all the powers. That is broken.

Improved Elemental Wild Shape: Wis 25, ability to wild shape into an elemental.

 

[Kunimatyu]

Can't the weirds only cast spells from a very small list, namely, their respective elemental domain and one other(travel for air, destruction for earth, etc. etc)?

 

[Ultrazen]

Can't the weirds only cast spells from a very small list, namely, their respective elemental domain and one other(travel for air, destruction for earth, etc. etc)?

"An air weird can cast arcane spells and divine spells from the Air and Travel domains as an 18th-level sorcerer (spells known 9/5/5/4/4/4/3/3/2/1; spells/day 6/8/8/7/7/7/7/6/5/3; save DC 16 + spell level)."

The other three have similar entries with different domains. It can't possibly mean only spells from the domains though: the domains don't supply enough spells known for each level and aren't arcane. In addition to those spells, they have the supernatural ability to duplicate the effects of about a dozen different divinations at will as free actions.