I am sorry it took me so long to write another post, I’ve been really busy lately.

In the last part of Elemental Elementals series I have written about air elementals which can be quite destructive and scary. This time I am going to discuss two more elemental creatures. One of them is probably the most devastating from all of them. Both of them work best in specific locations. Let’s begin.

Fire elementals, are those I consider most destructive and probably the most exciting. As I’ve mentioned in the previous post, they can divide into smaller ones and so on. What makes fire elementals most fun to use is putting them into areas with lots of wood. So, forests suit very well ( although druids would not like forests being destroyed ) and, even better, crowded, wooden cities. Most towns in fantasy worlds contain wooden elements so this shouldn’t be a problem.

Basically, fire elemental means fire. The size of the fire depends on our needs. We can burn small villages or capital cities, doesn’t matter. Let’s concentrate now on the fire in details.

Fire set up by an elemental is a living creature, it is the elemental itself. It can surround the PCs, chase them. It can set fire to only specific buildings, without damaging others. It can start and finish without a reason. Whatever the fire elemental (the GM) prefers. More fire elementals equal fires in different part of a town. Fire in a forest in which PCs would probably be most deadly, and so interesting.

As an inspiration on how to describe fire (elemental) in your game I recommend seeing a movie “Backdraft” with Kurt Russell. Fire elemental is, obviously, not mentioned in the movie, but the fire acts like a living creature. Another important thing about the movie are sounds that fire makes. It roars, growls, screams, and so it should during your game. It makes it more interesting and illustrates that players are fighting with an intelligent and deadly enemy.

Just like in previous “Elemental Elementals” post – some possible (and obvious) plot hooks:

1. PCs enter a forest which turns out to be a trap.

2. A city has some problems with druids. One night a fire is set up.

3. A cave (or dungeon) PCs enter seems a bit too hot.

Now, the second hero of todays post. Ground elementals are usually considered least interesting from all elementals. They are often seen as another type of golem. Of course, they are not.

There are two places where ground elementals can truly shine, which are: underground and mountains.

Let’s start from the second one. Avalanches, falling rocks, collapsing paths. These are just some examples of what ground elementals can do. Basically, ground elementals means… ground? Everything that’s under your feet (and is not floor of your house) can be your enemy. Indoors becomes the only place where you can really hide. It can become as paranoid as the example with air elemental – players are nowhere safe.

Underground, caves, dungeons and so on. Imagine PCs exploring some, let’s say, mine. Miners told them about a strange creature living in a mine. They complain about a feeling of being tracked, seeing eyes on a wall. They are afraid of the underground’s darkness. And so should be the players. Collapsing a tunnel with PCs and a ground elemental inside means almost certain death for the players (although we do not necessarily want to kill them).

Few really quick plot ideas:

1. Mine with an elemental inside.

2. Avalanches in the center of summer destroying mountain villages.

3. Strange, magical earthquakes.

4. Elemental creating additional tunnels in a cave players explore. Feeling lost?

As always, please express your opinion in a comment.