Athas is a world particularly close to the Elemental Chaos, and so there are lots of places in it that are soaked in elemental energies of some kind. The creatures that inhabit these areas often end up elementally-infused.

The book suggests changing the creature’s origin to elemental if its mutations end up being inheritable, though that just affects the lore and so it’s just necessary if it will affect the game’s stories in some way.

The main mechanical thing you must decided about an elementally-infused creature is its element. All of its powers that deal damage have it written as “[damage type]” in the book, and you’re meant to replace that lacuna with a type corresponding to the creature’s associated elements: one of fire, acid, cold, thunder, or lightning (very very frightening!).

Not all of its attacks need to do the same type of damage. Multi-element elementals are a thing now, after all. And you might decide to make one or more of these attacks untyped, which would be common for an earth elemental whose rock-based attacks deal physical damage for example.

Elementally-infused creatures get +2 to Intimidate and Athletics.

Attack Powers

All of these powers deal damage of the type you chose above.

  • There are two Elemental Auras, one that triggers when the monster is bloodied and damages enemies inside, and one that is always active and makes enemies vulnerable to your chosen element.

  • Elemental Eruption causes an explosion when the monster is first bloodied, a close burst 2 that targets Reflex and deals elemental damage equal to the monster’s best basic attack.

  • Elemental Manifestation converts the damage of all of the monster’s attacks to your chosen element.

  • Elemental Persistence is recharge 5+ and inflicts 5/tier ongoing damage of the chosen type when the monster hits with a melee attack. It’s said to increase “damage output and entertainment value”.

Utility Powers

The most obvious here is Elemental Damage Resistance, which should be high enough for the monster to resist its own attacks (or I guess 5/tier if you don’t want to do math). If a monster’s attacks are untyped, you could give it variable resistance instead.

Nearly all of the others deal damage, proving that the “attack”/”utility” split is more of a guideline here.

  • Elemental Dissipation lets the monster vanish from play for a turn and reform next to an enemy, dealing a bit of damage and making them grant combat advantage for another turn.

  • Elemental Ground is a third aura variant, this time meant to keep enemies close. The aura’s radius becomes difficult terrain and enemies take damage when they leave it, instead of when they enter it.

  • Elemental Step deals elemental damage to anyone who hits the monster with an opportunity attack while it moves.

  • Elemental Transport lets the monster teleport between patches of hazardous terrain that deal damage of the chosen type. Clever!

  • Mutable Body is appropriate for water-based or otherwise gooey monsters, and lets the creature count as one size smaller when squeezing through narrow openings.

Final Impressions

You want elemental damage? We got elemental damage! I like the design strategy of additional attack powers that modify and work around the monster’s usual attacks, and it works particularly well here.