Resolving the paradoxes afflicting elementals

The MM entry on "elementals" is riddled with contradictions and plot hooks that go nowhere. In this post, I will examine those mistakes and provide solutions.

Terminology

Problem: “Elemental”, as a term, is both a monster type and a monster entry. This is needlessly confusing terminology grandfathered from prior editions.

Solution #1: Elemental thingies. Rename the elemental entry to something else. E.g. "elemental" becomes "elemental servant," "air elemental" becomes "aerial servant," "earth elemental" becomes "chthonic servant," "fire elemental" becomes "fiery servant," and "water elemental" becomes "aqueous servant."

Solution #2: Generic statistics. Ignore the description of the entry as an in-game taxonomy and treat the entry as generic statistics for monsters of the elemental type.

The rest of this post will refer to members of the elemental entry as "spirits" (since their background explains they are created by summoning elemental spirits into bodies of base matter) to avoid confusion with the elemental type.

Intelligence

Problem: Spirits have little sense of being and are little more than animated energy, yet they are also described as having emotions and goals. The statistics give them an intelligence score in the lower human range.

Solution #1: Either-or. Treat spirits as either unintelligent or intelligent. Unintelligent spirits have intelligence scores of 1 or 2 and follow the description of being animated energy lacking a sense of being. Intelligent spirits keep their intelligence score and follow the description of having emotions and goals.

Solution #2: Variable. Treat spirits as having variable intelligence. Unintelligent and intelligent spirits, as given in solution #1, co-exist within the game world.

Slavery

Problem: Spirits are commonly summoned and enslaved to a variety of purposes. This is considered morally acceptable, despite their relative intelligence.

Solution #1: Beasts of burden. If spirits are unintelligent and do not suffer from being bound, then enslaving them is morally acceptable. This will not change the game setting as implied.

Solution #2: Slaves. If spirits are intelligent and suffer from being bound, then enslaving them is an evil act. This will have a massive impact on the game setting due to the prevalence of bound spirits.

Solution #3: Variable. If spirits vary in intelligence, then it is only evil to enslave those intelligent enough to suffer. This may not change the game setting as implied, but will open plot hooks for freeing imprisoned intelligent spirits.

Summoning

Problem: Spirits have no physical form on their home planes, but when summoned to the material plane they are given physical form. This is supported by the conjure elemental spell requiring a mass of the appropriate element. However, this is contradicted by other descriptions that portray the elemental planes are being inhabited by spirits already with physical form.

Solution #1: No elemental planes. The elemental planes are energy channels, not places that may be visited. Elementals are only ever encountered on the material plane. Locations previously located on the elemental planes (e.g. City of Brass) are now located on the material plane.

Solution #2: Spiritual and elemental planes. Spirits are summoned from an unspecified spirit world, whereas the elemental planes are a separate place inhabited by incarnate elementals. When incarnate elementals are summoned, their existing physical forms are discarded.

Solution #3: Platonic elemental planes. The elemental planes represent the platonic ideal of the elements, not physical places. When elementals are summoned to the material plane, they must be incarnated in material bodies. When adventurers travel to the elemental planes, their bodies are translated into spiritual substance.

Binding

Problem: Spirits summoned to the material plane are not only given physical form but bound into specific shapes. The other elementals present in the MM are suggested to be the result of such binding. However, this statement is completely ignored in their entries: they are often given different origins and portrayed as inhabiting the elemental planes.

Solution #1: Made-to-order elementals. The discorporate spirits that are summoned by wizards or incarnated on the elemental planes have forms chosen for them, becoming the variety of elementals depicted in the MM.

Solution #2: Ready-made elementals. Wizards summon elementals that already have fixed forms. Their spirits or spiritual bodies are summoned from the elemental planes and incarnated in nearby matter.

Solution #3: Variable. Some elementals are effectively created from scratch by their summoners, while others had lives before they were so rudely interrupted.