Water Elementals
Mercurial Spirits of Flowing Water
Water Elementals are living embodiments of water's ever-changing nature. These primal beings shift between states as naturally as water flows — sometimes a gentle brook nurturing life, other times a raging torrent reshaping the landscape. They manifest as towering columns of translucent liquid, their forms constantly adapting between the graceful cascade of waterfalls and the overwhelming surge of flash floods. In one moment they might pool peacefully like a mountain lake, in the next surge forward with the unstoppable force of a spring tide.
These spirits are drawn to places where water shapes the world — deep lakes that mirror the sky, rivers that carve new paths through stone, or coastal marshlands where fresh water meets the sea. They respond to disturbances in their domain not from malice, but from water's fundamental need to flow, adapt, and find equilibrium.
Water Elemental Lore
- A water elemental's form reflects its source: crystal clear like mountain springs, deep blue-green like ocean depths, or muddy brown like river floodwaters rich with sediment
- They are as adaptive as water itself, seeping through cracks as vapor, flowing around obstacles, freezing when chilled, or becoming steam when heated
- Experienced sailors know to read the water's mood — calm elementals bring favorable currents and fresh drinking water, while agitated ones create unpredictable tides and sudden squalls
- Their presence often signals natural changes: shifting seasons, underground springs breaking through, or the need for waterways to find new courses
Water Elemental Tactics
Water Elementals are patient, adaptive combatants that wear down opponents through persistence and pressure. Unlike fire's aggression or air's evasion, they fight like rising floodwaters — inevitable, adaptable, and impossible to ignore.
Liquid Form Water elementals possess defensive abilities that make them difficult to contain or harm. Liquid Form allows them to flow through tight spaces and resist grapples, while Hydrated lets them regenerate when in contact with water sources. Some manifest Water Clones to confuse enemies and multiply their presence on the battlefield.
Tidal Grasp: More powerful water elementals enhance their melee attacks with drowning techniques, using Drowning Embrace to engulf and suffocate enemies within their mass, Grappling Attack to hold victims in place, or Slowing Attack to leave foes struggling through water-logged terrain.
Command the Waves: Elite water elementals unleash devastating area attacks, creating Tidal Surge to knock enemies prone and scatter formations, lashing out with Water Whip to strike multiple targets, or combining with ice powers like Icy Tomb and Frost Nova to freeze and shatter their opponents.
Universal Weakness: All water elementals share a vulnerability through Lightning Vulnerability - creative parties who channel electrical energy through water can dramatically amplify their damage against these fluid foes.
Water Elemental Statblocks
Water Elemental Whisp
This small Water Elemental Whisp appears as a puddle or stream of animated water, deceptively harmless until it engulfs victims in its liquid embrace and flows through impossibly narrow spaces.
Water Elemental Whisp
Summoned with Foe FoundrySmall Elemental (Water, Elemental)
AC 11 Initiative +0 (10)
HP 9 (2d6 + 2)
Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| Dex | 10 | +0 | +0 |
| Con | 12 | +1 | +1 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 5 | -3 | -3 |
| Wis | 10 | +0 | +0 |
| Cha | 8 | -1 | -1 |
Vulnerabilities Lightning
Resistances Acid, Bludgeoning
Immunities Poison; Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Unconscious
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
Languages Aquan
CR 1/4 (50 XP; PB +2)
Traits
Hydrated. The elemental regains 5 hit points if it starts its turn in or on top of a source of water.
Lightning Vulnerability. When the elemental takes lightning damage, it can't use any recharge or limited use abilities until the start of its next turn. The elemental is vulnerable to lightning damage and has resistance to bludgeoning damage.
Actions
Splash. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Reactions
Liquid Form (1/day). When the elemental would be hit by an attack, it can turn into liquid form, gaining +2 AC and resistance to all damage until the start of its next turn.
Water Elemental
The classic Water Elemental is a surging mass of living water that crashes like a tidal wave, capable of drowning enemies within its fluid form and flowing through any space where water can pass.
Water Elemental
Summoned with Foe FoundryLarge Elemental (Water, Elemental)
AC 13 Initiative +1 (11)
HP 97 (13d10 + 26)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 18 | +4 | +4 |
| Dex | 13 | +1 | +1 |
| Con | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 7 | -2 | -2 |
| Wis | 12 | +1 | +1 |
| Cha | 10 | +0 | +0 |
Vulnerabilities Lightning
Resistances Acid, Bludgeoning
Immunities Poison; Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Unconscious
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
Languages Aquan
CR 5 (1,800 XP; PB +2)
Traits
Hydrated. The elemental regains 20 hit points if it starts its turn in or on top of a source of water.
Lightning Vulnerability. When the elemental takes lightning damage, it can't use any recharge or limited use abilities until the start of its next turn. The elemental is vulnerable to lightning damage and has resistance to bludgeoning damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The elemental makes three Tidal Slam attacks.
Tidal Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage and 3 (1d6) fire damage. On a hit, the target's movement speed is reduced by a cumulative 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
Reactions
Liquid Form (1/day). When the elemental would be hit by an attack, it can turn into liquid form, gaining +2 AC and resistance to all damage until the start of its next turn.
Water Elemental Torrential
This massive Water Elemental Torrential embodies the unstoppable force of a tsunami, an overwhelming deluge that floods entire chambers and sweeps away everything in its path with crushing hydraulic pressure.
Water Elemental Torrential
Summoned with Foe FoundryHuge Elemental (Water, Elemental)
AC 15 Initiative +2 (12)
HP 152 (16d12 + 48)
Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 20 | +5 | +5 |
| Dex | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| Con | 16 | +3 | +3 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 7 | -2 | -2 |
| Wis | 12 | +1 | +1 |
| Cha | 10 | +0 | +0 |
Vulnerabilities Lightning
Resistances Acid, Bludgeoning
Immunities Cold, Poison; Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Unconscious
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
Languages Aquan
CR 10 (5,900 XP; PB +4)
Traits
Cold Affinity. The elemental gains immunity to cold damage. It gains advantage on its attacks while it is in an environment where sources of cold damage are prevalant.
Lightning Vulnerability. When the elemental takes lightning damage, it can't use any recharge or limited use abilities until the start of its next turn. The elemental is vulnerable to lightning damage and has resistance to bludgeoning damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The elemental makes four Tsunami Strike attacks.
Tsunami Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage and 3 (1d6) fire damage.
Drowning Embrace (Recharge 5-6). The elemental moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks and can enter a Large or smaller creature's space. The creature must make a DC 17 Strength saving throw. On a failure, it is Grappled and Restrained by the elemental. At the start of each of the grappled creature's turns, it takes 32 (13d4) bludgeoning damage and must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or begin suffocating.
Reactions
Freezing Burst (2/day). When the elemental is hit by a melee attack, their form explodes with freezing energy. Each other creature within 10 ft must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 12 (5d4) cold damage on a failure and half as much damage on a success.
Liquid Form (2/day). When the elemental would be hit by an attack, it can turn into liquid form, gaining +4 AC and resistance to all damage until the start of its next turn.
Water Elemental Encounter Ideas
Ready-to-use water elemental encounters that bring aquatic challenges and fluid mysteries to your D&D campaigns across all experience levels.
- A confused farmer asks the party to investigate why his well water has become "restless." Each bucket drawn up contains swirling currents that seem to pull downward, where a Water Elemental Whisp has formed around the underground spring and is trying to find a new outlet to the surface
- A concerned sailor reports strange tidal patterns at the dock — water flowing against the wind and moon. Investigation reveals a Water Elemental has formed in the harbor, drawn by pollution from upstream that has disrupted the natural flow of water through the area
- The party discovers a crystalline chalice floating serenely in the center of a perfectly still pond. When they approach, gentle ripples reveal the entire pond is actually a Water Elemental Torrential at rest, the chalice caught in its peaceful currents like debris in a calm eddy
- During a strong storm, a Water Elemental manifests, trying to drag the PCs into the nearby rain-swollen river
Water Elemental Adventure Ideas
Multi-session adventure hooks featuring water elementals as environmental forces, guardians, or transformative threats for extended gameplay and aquatic storylines.
- A wealthy Noble hires the party to recover her daughter's wedding ring from a castle's flooded well shaft. The mine wasn't deliberately flooded — a Water Elemental Whisp formed when underground streams were disrupted by mining, and it's now trying to restore the natural water flow, inadvertently trapping treasures in its currents
- A worried Acolyte seeks help with a sacred spring that has become "too alive." A Water Elemental has formed in the spring, not from corruption but from the accumulated prayers and offerings over centuries. The elemental isn't malicious, but its powerful currents are reshaping the temple's foundation and threatening to flood the surrounding village
- The party must help a merchant caravan cross a ford where a Water Elemental has recently formed. The elemental isn't hostile, but it's actively changing the river's course and depth as it seeks its natural flow, making the crossing unpredictable and dangerous for travelers who don't understand its patterns
- A strange phenomenon causes people near certain water sources to gradually become more fluid, eventually dissolving into Water Elementals while retaining fragments of their memories. The party must discover that an ancient Water Elemental Torrential trapped beneath the town has been unconsciously calling to the water within living beings, trying to gather enough mass to break free and return to the sea