Monster Class - Earth Elemental

This hulking, roughly humanoid creature of dirt and stone explodes up from the earth, faceless save for two glowing gemstone eyes.

Earth elementals are plodding, stubborn creatures made of living stone or earth. Most resemble an especially mobile heap of stone or small hill, and can pass for one when standing still. When an earth elemental lumbers into action, its actual appearance can vary, although its statistics remain identical to other elementals of its size. Most earth elementals look like terrestrial animals made out of rock, earth, or even crystal, with glowing gemstones for eyes.

Larger earth elementals often have a stony humanoid appearance. Bits of vegetation frequently grow in the soil that makes up parts of an earth elemental’s body.

Alignment: Earth elementals tend towards true neutral and are typically concerned with their own well-being and that of the group or organization which aids them. They may behave in a good manner to those that they consider friends and allies, but will only act maliciously against those who have tried to injure them in some way.

#### Earth Elemental Racial Traits

• +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, –2 Dexterity, –4 Intelligence: Earth elementals are capable of great feats of strength, but are slow and a bit dull.

Small: Earth elementals are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

Outsider (Earth, Elemental): Earth elementals are outsiders with the earth and elemental subtypes, gaining the following traits as a result. On planes other than their home plane, earth elementals also have the extraplanar subtype.

Earth elementals are immune to bleed, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.

Earth elementals are not subject to critical hits or flanking, and do not take additional damage from precision-based attacks, such as sneak attack.

Earth elementals do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

Slow Speed: Earth elementals have a base speed of 20 feet.

Darkvision (Ex): Earth elementals can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.

Rocky Skin (Ex): An earth elemental’s rocky skin grants it a +3 natural armor bonus to its AC.

Languages: Earth elementals begin play speaking Common and Terran. Earth elementals with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Dwarven, Gnome, Infernal, and Sylvan.

Hit Die: d10.

Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

#### CLASS SKILLS

The earth elemental’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Stealth (Dex).

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

#### CLASS FEATURES

All the following are class features of the earth elemental monster class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An earth elemental is proficient with all simple weapons, but not with any type of armor or shield.

Ability Score Increases: As an earth elemental gains levels, its ability scores increase as noted on Table 1-1: Earth Elemental. These increases stack and are gained as if through level advancement.

Slam (Ex): At 1st level, an earth elemental gains a slam attack. This is a primary attack that deal 1d6 points of damage plus 1-1/2 times the earth elemental’s Strength modifier. When the earth elemental grows to Large size at 8th level, the damage die of its slam increases to 2d6. When it grows to Huge size at 10th level, the damage die of its slam increases to 2d8.

At 13th level, the earth elemental gains a second slam attack, and its slams now deal 2d10 points of damage plus the earth elemental’s Strength modifier.

Stone Step (Ex): Starting at 1st level, an earth elemental may move through 5 feet of earth or stone-based difficult terrain (deep mud, rubble, stone stairs, and the like) each round as if it were normal terrain. The earth elemental can use this ability to take a 5-foot step into this kind of difficult terrain.

This ability stacks with other abilities that allow movement through difficult terrain (such as the Nimble Moves feat).

Tremorsense (Ex): At 1st level, an earth elemental gains tremorsense with a range of 30 feet. At 9th level, the range of this tremorsense increases to 60 feet.

Improved Bull Rush: At 2nd level, an earth elemental gains Improved Bull Rush as a bonus feat, even if it does not meet the normal prerequisites.

Earth Mastery (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, an earth elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its target are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the elemental takes a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls against it. These modifiers also apply to bull rush and overrun maneuvers, whether the elemental is initiating or resisting these kinds of attacks.

Natural Armor (Ex): At 4th level and every level thereafter, an earth elemental’s natural armor bonus to its AC increases by +1 (to a maximum of +16 at 16th level).

Damage Reduction (Ex): Starting at 6th level, an earth elemental’s rocky body begins to cause weapons to glance off. It gains damage reduction 1/–. At 8th level, this damage reduction increases to 5/–, and at 13th level, it increases to 10/–.

In addition, the earth elemental’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Medium: At 4th level, an earth elemental grows to Medium size, losing the bonuses and penalties it had for being Small size. Its slam attack now deals 1d8 points of damage.

Earth Burrow (Ex): At 7th level, an earth elemental gains a burrow speed equal to 1/2 its base speed. It can burrow through sand, dirt, clay, gravel, or similar materials, but not solid stone. The earth elemental do not leave a tunnel or hole behind it, nor is its passage marked on the surface.

Large Size: At 8th level, an earth elemental grows to Large size. Its ability scores do not change, although it gains the normal benefits and penalties for being a Large creature. The earth elemental’s space and reach both increase to 10 feet and it gains a –1 size modifier to attacks and armor class, a +1 special size modifier to its Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a –2 penalty to Fly checks, and a –4 penalty to Stealth checks, as normal. Its slam attack now deals 2d6 points of damage.

Earth Glide (Ex): Starting at 11th level, a burrowing earth elemental can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.

Huge Size: At 10th level, an earth elemental grows to Huge size. Its ability scores do not change, although it gains the normal benefits and penalties for being a Huge creature. The earth elemental’s space and reach both increase to 15 feet and it gains a –2 size modifier to attacks and armor class, a +2 special size modifier to its Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a –4 penalty to Fly checks, and a –8 penalty to Stealth checks, as normal. Its slam attack now deals 2d8 points of damage.

These bonuses and penalties replace those gained when the earth elemental grew to Large size.