Lesser Elementals: overview

Lesser elementals act as the avatars and servants of the mighty beings called true elementals. All of them are reasonably clever and can manage a limited kind of speech, and when called into the prime material plane each shows up in its own humanoid shape. There are four kinds: earth gnomes, sylphs, salamanders and undines.

Practitioners of Elemental Magic can summon them, but only to carry out one service lasting no more than an hour. Every lesser elemental is immune to ordinary weapons and has a modest command of spells: up to four a day, of no higher than fourth level, drawn only from its own element, and its casting never rises past eighth level of ability (the chapter instead allows each kind one spell per level of ability each day, of up to fifth level). Each type also has a signature power. Earth gnomes glide through earth and stone at will at 100 feet a minute; sylphs becalm, turn or whip up the wind whenever they like; salamanders light or snuff fires by touch over an area up to 10 feet in radius; and once a day an undine can scatter into fog or swell in water to ten times its size for 1-4 minutes, striking for tenfold damage or overturning a small or medium boat.

They fight in different ways. An earth gnome is armored as plate mail and pounds with two fists for 1-8 (plus STR) each. A sylph has no armor and can harm others only by wind or spell. A salamander is armored as chain mail and makes two attacks, either touches for 2-12 or weapon blows. An undine has no armor and hits with its fists for 1-4 plus STR.