[Index]

LIGHTNING ELEMENTAL4 (12)

Cypher Bestiary

A standing bolt of twisting lightning with a vague semblance of a humanoid form stalks from point to point like individual lightning strikes advancing across the ground. A lightning elemental dances amid the bolts in natural thunderstorms or is coaxed into existence in wizardly laboratories, confined to buzzing wires under glass, until they escape.

In some dimensions, lightning elementals are referred to as "accumulators."

Health: 12

Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound

Armor: 1

Movement: Short; flies a short distance each round

Modifications: Perception as level 5; perceives invisible living creatures as level 7

Combat: Lightning elementals attack with claws of pure lightning, inflicting damage and stunning targets they touch for one round on a failed Might defense task.

Lightning elementals gain health from electrical attacks and sources of electric energy (such as natural lightning), allowing them to exceed their normal maximum, up to a maximum of 36 health.

Individual lightning elementals may also attack with one of the following abilities.

• Lightning Bolt: Long-range lighting blast attacks one target and all creatures between the lightning elemental and the target (no more than once every minute), inflicting a major wound on a failed dodge roll, and a minor wound even if successful.
• Forking Bolts: Forking bolts attack all creatures within immediate range (no more than once every few rounds) inflicting a moderate wound on a failed dodge roll, and a minor wound even if successful.
• Channel Charge: The lightning elemental can choose to channel 3 points of their health to ease an attack or inflict a major wound with an attack against an individual target. The elemental can channel health in multiples of 3 on any given attack for greater effect.
• Traveling Bolt: As their action, the lightning elemental immediately appears in any spot within a very long distance, so long as they can see the area and electricity could travel that path.
• Magnetic Pulse: An electro-aligning burst (no more than once a minute) magnetizes metal and other objects within short range for about one minute, causing metallic objects to fly together into a clump next to the lighting elemental. Creatures wearing metal armor are drawn into the clump on a failed Might defense roll and held immobile until they can squirm out of their armor with a successful Speed roll as their action. Creatures holding metal weapons, or with metal items in a pack or purse, are similarly affected unless they let go. If the target is a creature comprised mostly of metal, like an iron golem, or machine that uses electronics, they cease to function for one minute. Affected metallic PCs regain function if they use a non-rest recovery.

GM Intrusion: The character breathes in a cloud of elemental substance; all they can do on their next turn is violently cough.

GM Intrusion: As a player attacks, the creature suddenly splits, creating an identical, though temporary, Lightning Elemental next to another character, catching them off-guard with a surge of electrical energy.

Adventure Seed: The iron vault door to the queen's armory has become sealed by some kind of strange force the court wizard calls "magnetic." Those who spend overlong trying to haul the door open anyway are eventually blasted backward by an electric shock.