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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 9439839" data-attributes="member: 58172">Earth is "solid". But it is also minerals and chemistry. Whence Acid.Horrible Earth? Are you referring to lava that is in the "depths" of earth? Fire? Or the grave? Spirit, ether? Or acids and other polluting chemicals?Chemicals can also be a "toxic" Poison. Poison is often part of the "primordial" "elemental" spells. In this context, the poison reminds me of the alchemical toxins like the metals of lead and mercury.But generally, I associate the Poison damage type with snake venom and poisonous plants. When I think of what poison is − something that interrupts the metabolism of a living organism − only living organisms can even be "poisoned". The Poison damage type is inherently an aspect of the natural lifeforms of the Material Plane, thus it organizes thematically with the creature types Plant and Beast of the Material Plane. One can use the Medicine skill to create poisons and antitoxins.I strongly view the Earth element − including the Beast and Plant creature types − with the "Transmutation" spell school. The alchemist "transmutes" lead into gold, for example. The alchemist also experiments with chemicals from various organic and inorganic sources to produce elixirs of immortality and healing medicines. Likewise Transmutation involves shapeshifting of creatures and objects, including Plant and Beast, including Werewolf, as well as spells like Barkskin and properly Stoneskin. Spells that "Fabricate" products made out of animal products and plant products, as well as forged from metal and stone, are Transmutation. The Abjuration spell school is more like a specialized subschool of Transmutation, dedicated to healing, restoring, and protecting. D&D seems to entangle all of these themes with element of Earth. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it feels like a useful entanglement of themes.Evocation spells handle the rest of the four the Elements. Evocation can include Earth, but mainly primordial and insubstantial forms, such as Acid and Poison. Otherwise the evoked elemental "energies" are Air Lightning-Thunder, Water Cold, Bludgeon, Pierce, plus Fire Radiant. The fire of a candle is literally, hot air, an incandescent gas. By contrast the fire of the sun is plasma, a distinct state of matter, whence the Radiant damage type. Fire as an element is actually Radiant. But the combination of Fire and Air can include themes like Fire and Radiant sunlight, daylight.</blockquote>

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