View source for Steam Elemental (3.5e Monster)

=== Steam Elementals in the World ===

Being incredibly useful and powerful creatures, steam elementals have pervaded many different facets of arcane and technological society. In societies where steam power is emergent, caged steam elementals are the perfect power source to create powerful and long-lasting machines with. Certain mages will employ steam elementals as servants and familiars, and some particularly welfaring civilizations might even use smaller ones as steam cleaners, steam cookers and all other sort of performers of mundane tasks.

==== Steam Elementals as Familiars ====

A [[SRD:Wizard|wizard]] or [[SRD:Sorcerer|sorcerer]] with 7 class levels and the [[SRD:Improved Familiar|Improved Familiar]] feat may gain a small steam elemental familiar. A spellcaster with a steam elemental familiar is not affected by any airborne miasma that blocks his vision; he can see right through the vision-impairing effects of ''[[SRD:Obscuring Mist|obscuring mist]]'', ''[[SRD:Solid Fog|solid fog]]'' and other effects based on steam, fog, haze or smoke, but is still affected normally by things like ''[[SRD:Darkness|darkness]]'', effects that bestow the ''[[SRD:Blinded|blinded]]'' condition, and sufficiently solid barriers that remove line of sight.

==== Steam Elementals and Summoning ====

A spellcaster of any alignment can use the ''[[SRD:Summon Monster I|summon monster]]'' or ''[[SRD:Summon Nature's Ally I|summon nature's ally]]'' line of spells to summon a steam elemental, as per [[#Table: Steam Elementals as a Resource|Table: Steam Elementals as a Resource]]. 

==== Steam Elementals and Steam Power ====

When trapped and compacted in a boiler with the help of a ''[[SRD:Planar Binding|planar binding]]'' spell, or physically imprisoned in one with the help of another spell that prevents dismissal or return, a ''steam elemental boiler'' can be used to generate locomotive steam power which can then be used for locomotion or to convert to electrical power, effectively creating a very compact and lasting power source for a [[Steam Engine (3.5e Equipment)|steam engine]]. The amount of power generated ranges from 10 to 1000 horsepower (see [[#Table: Steam Elementals as a Resource|Table: Steam Elementals as a Resource]]).

==== Steam Elementals as Trade Goods ====

As written above, steam elementals are high-value goods and are often traded as such. In remote locations where technology and power are highly sought after, a good, reliable source of energy like a ''steam elemental boiler'' is worth its weight in gilded platinum, often literally (see [[#Table: Steam Elementals as a Resource|Table: Steam Elementals as a Resource]]).

==== Steam Elementals and [[SRD:Craft Construct|Construct Crafting]] ====

Many constructs are animated by elemental spirits, and steam elementals are doubly effective at powering and animating a construct. This works somewhat akin to a steam elemental's ability to [[#Inhabit Machine|inhabit machines]], except the elemental and its boiler become an integral and intended part of the construction, and the elemental is not in control of the construct in question. The maximum CR of construct a steam elemental can power and animate is listed in the table below, under Animate CR.

{|class="zebra d20"
|-
|+'''{{Anchor|Table: Steam Elementals as a Resource}}'''
|-
! rowspan="2" | '''Elemental Age'''
! rowspan="2" | '''Summoning<br>Spell Level'''
! colspan="2" | '''Power'''
! rowspan="2" | '''Engine Size'''
! rowspan="2" | '''Animate<br>CR'''<sup>1</sup> 
! rowspan="2" | '''Value (gp)'''
 
|-
! '''Horsepower'''
! '''kW'''
|- 
| [[SRD:Small Size|Small]] || 3rd || 10 || 7.5 || 2 ft. ([[SRD:Tiny Size|Tiny]]) || 5 || 500
|- 
| [[SRD:Medium Size|Medium]] || 4th || 40 || 30 || 2½ ft. ([[SRD:Tiny Size|Tiny]]) || 8 || 1,500
|- 
| [[SRD:Large Size|Large]] || 6th || 160 || 120 || 3 ft. ([[SRD:Small Size|Small]]) || 11 || 4,000
|- 
| [[SRD:Huge Size|Huge]] || 7th || 360 || 270 || 4 ft. ([[SRD:Small Size|Small]]) || 14 || 11,500
|- 
| Greater || 8th || 640 || 480 || 5 ft. ([[SRD:Medium Size|Medium]]) || 17 || 32,500
|- 
| Elder || 9th || 1,000 || 750 || 6½ ft. ([[SRD:Medium Size|Medium]]) || 20 || 72,000
|-
| class="foot" colspan="7" |
# The maximum CR of [[SRD:Construct Type|construct]], [[Vehicle (3.5e Subtype)|vehicle]] or machine it is capable of powering.
|}


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Alignment	Always neutral +
Author	Sulacu +
Challenge Rating	2 +, 4 +, 6 +, 9 +, 12 + and 14 +
Environment	The quasi-elemental plane of steam +
Identifier	3.5e Monster +
Level Adjustment	— +
Rated By	Eiji-kun +
Rating	Rating Pending +
Size	Small +, Medium +, Large + and Huge +
Title	Steam Elemental +
Type	Elemental +