Immune to Flanking?

[Morrow]

The other day I threw a couple of Stone Spikes from Monster Manual II at the party in my Knights of Ill Fortune game. I noticed that Stone Spikes are listed as being immune to flanking. Is this a typical immunity? Immune to criticals comes up pretty often, but I don't remember any other monsters being listed as immune to flanking. I couldn't find any detail in MMII about it. Perhaps the ability should be treated like Uncanny Dodge?

Stone Spikes are basicly Earth Elementals with pointy edges, there doesn't seem to be any reason to have this weird additional ability. Any thoughts?

Morrow

 

[Zenon]

The Xorn from the MM cannot be flanked:

All-Around Vision (Ex): Xorns’ symmetrically placed eyes allow them to look in any direction, bestowing a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks. Xorns can’t be flanked.

 

[AuraSeer]

Beholders are also immune to flanking, because they can see equally well in all directions.

 

[Taren Seeker]

Any creature with the elemental type is immune to flanking.

I found that out when I REALLY didn't need to. That +2 can make a huge difference when the chips are down.

 

[Zenon]

Any creature with the elemental type is immune to flanking.

Are you confusing immune to critical hits with immune to flanking?

From the SRD:

Elemental: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning. Not subject to critical hits.

It doesn't state under the Elemental abilities they are not able to be flanked (unless the MM or MM2 blocks are different from the SRD text). Only very specific monsters state that they are not able to be flanked (so no +2 bonus to hit).

edit - immune to criticals also gives immune to sneak attack damage (IIRC) but you should still receive the +2 to hit if they are being flanked.

 

[diaglo]

barbarians of 5th or higher level in the PHB.

 

[Taren Seeker]

Are you confusing immune to critical hits with immune to flanking?

From the SRD:

It doesn't state under the Elemental abilities they are not able to be flanked (unless the MM or MM2 blocks are different from the SRD text). Only very specific monsters state that they are not able to be flanked (so no +2 bonus to hit).

edit - immune to criticals also gives immune to sneak attack damage (IIRC) but you should still receive the +2 to hit if they are being flanked.

I made the same mistake. It doesn't state it in the actual elemental descriptions, but check out the Creature Overview section under Elemental type (edit: also from SRD):

Elemental: An elemental is composed of one of the four classical elements: air, earth, fire, or water. It is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning. Elementals have no clear front or back and are therefore not subject to critical hits or flanking. Unless noted otherwise, they have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
A slain elemental cannot be raised or resurrected, although a wish or miracle spell can restore it to life.

It's also like that in the MM1.

 

[Zenon]

Ahh, thanks for pointing that out, I must have missed it on a quick glance through.

 

[ruleslawyer]

Oozes (and any creature without a clear front and back, for that matter) are immune to flanking as well.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Oozes (and any creature without a clear front and back, for that matter) are immune to flanking as well.

... which makes an interesting comment on the mechanics of flanking, in itself.

-Hyp.