D&D (2024) Monster Manual 2025 Elementals

[MonsterEnvy]

Elemental Cataclysm damage is weirdly low compared to other high cr creatures in the book. Any ideas why?

It does quite a lot of damage.

Assuming it uses Elemental Burst that's 75 Damage from the Legendary Actions plus Cataclysmic Event. Which is a Random roll of one of 4 things. Blowing up everything in a 60 foot radius sphere for 45 Fire damage that burns them. 22 Bludgeoning and 22 Cold damage in a 90 foot cone that knocks everyone prone and reduces their speed to 0. 60 Foot radius stormcloud that blinds and deafens everyone in it until this action is used again or a minute passes and they have to save or take 18 Lighting, and 18 Thunder. A 90 foot cube that buries targets for 18 Acid, and 18 Bludgeoning giving them Prone restrained and suffocates them. Every other turn it will do 125 damage

Also it has good saves minus intelligence, but it's also immune to pretty much every condition.

 

[Parmandur]

It does quite a lot of damage.

Assuming it uses Elemental Burst that's 75 Damage from the Legendary Actions plus Cataclysmic Event. Which is a Random roll of one of 4 things. Blowing up everything in a 60 foot radius sphere for 45 Fire damage that burns them. 22 Bludgeoning and 22 Cold damage in a 90 foot cone that knocks everyone prone and reduces their speed to 0. 60 Foot radius stormcloud that blinds and deafens everyone in it until this action is used again or a minute passes and they have to save or take 18 Lighting, and 18 Thunder. A 90 foot cube that buries targets for 18 Acid, and 18 Bludgeoning giving them Prone restrained and suffocates them. Every other turn it will do 125 damage

Also it has good saves minus intelligence, but it's also immune to pretty much every condition.

It is also a major threat to stuff other than the players, like the place they keep all their stuff, with siege attacks.

 

[Tonguez]

Lizardfolk are elemental geomancers?? thats weird

you'd think gnomes would be a better fit for elemental, or Gargoyles? or ...

 

[pukunui]

Lizardfolk are elemental geomancers?? thats weird

you'd think gnomes would be a better fit for elemental, or Gargoyles? or ...

Lizardfolk geomancers are elementals. So are Lizardfolk Sovereigns. Regular lizardfolk are humanoids (and thus use the various NPC stat blocks).

 

[Tonguez]

Lizardfolk geomancers are elementals. So are Lizardfolk Sovereigns. Regular lizardfolk are humanoids (and thus use the various NPC stat blocks).

Ah thats a bit more understandable, thanks for the clarity - though I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of Lizardfolk =elemental earth infused/affiliated humanoid, the connection seems a bit arbitrary but easily ignored.

 

[Yaarel]

Lizardfolk are elemental geomancers?? thats weird

you'd think gnomes would be a better fit for elemental, or Gargoyles? or ...

Your suggestion that the Gargoyles are the Earthfolk is a good one.

I guess that would make them Neutral, rather than Chaotic Evil.

 

[pukunui]

Ah thats a bit more understandable, thanks for the clarity - though I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of Lizardfolk =elemental earth infused/affiliated humanoid, the connection seems a bit arbitrary but easily ignored.

The geomancer has become an elemental through its practice of geomancy.

The sovereign has become one through absorbing the power of the wilderness in which they live.

 

[Parmandur]

Lizardfolk are elemental geomancers?? thats weird

you'd think gnomes would be a better fit for elemental, or Gargoyles? or ...

Gargoyles are also Elementals.

 

[Upper_Krust]

It does quite a lot of damage.

Assuming it uses Elemental Burst that's 75 Damage from the Legendary Actions plus Cataclysmic Event. Which is a Random roll of one of 4 things. Blowing up everything in a 60 foot radius sphere for 45 Fire damage that burns them. 22 Bludgeoning and 22 Cold damage in a 90 foot cone that knocks everyone prone and reduces their speed to 0. 60 Foot radius stormcloud that blinds and deafens everyone in it until this action is used again or a minute passes and they have to save or take 18 Lighting, and 18 Thunder. A 90 foot cube that buries targets for 18 Acid, and 18 Bludgeoning giving them Prone restrained and suffocates them. Every other turn it will do 125 damage

Also it has good saves minus intelligence, but it's also immune to pretty much every condition.

Damage still seems a bit lightweight to me. I'd be looking around DPR 180 for CR 22. Hit points also appear a tad low. Bit weird (to me) that the Lich gets 42 Hit Dice But the Elemental Cataclysm gets 20. What is the point of having the bigger monsters using bigger dice if WotC lower the Hit Dice to even out the HP by CR?

But I guess it's the closest we get to a Primordial in the book. I like that it's a multi-elemental.

 

[Shardstone]

It does quite a lot of damage.

Assuming it uses Elemental Burst that's 75 Damage from the Legendary Actions plus Cataclysmic Event. Which is a Random roll of one of 4 things. Blowing up everything in a 60 foot radius sphere for 45 Fire damage that burns them. 22 Bludgeoning and 22 Cold damage in a 90 foot cone that knocks everyone prone and reduces their speed to 0. 60 Foot radius stormcloud that blinds and deafens everyone in it until this action is used again or a minute passes and they have to save or take 18 Lighting, and 18 Thunder. A 90 foot cube that buries targets for 18 Acid, and 18 Bludgeoning giving them Prone restrained and suffocates them. Every other turn it will do 125 damage

Also it has good saves minus intelligence, but it's also immune to pretty much every condition.

Seems about 25 less then other creatures its level. Maybe the siege monster trait is mathematically significant to WotC after all.