Air Form. The elemental can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Actions
Multiattack. The elemental makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Whirlwind (Recharge 4–6). Each creature in the elemental's space must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 15 (3d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage and is flung up 20 feet away from the elemental in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes an object, such as a wall or floor, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.
If the saving throw is successful, the target takes half the bludgeoning damage and isn't flung away or knocked prone.
How many air elementals for a fight?
An air elemental is worth 1,800 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many air elementals fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Party level
Low
Moderate
High
4th
—
—
1
5th
1
1
2
6th
1
2
3
7th
1
2
3
8th
2
3
4
9th
2
4
5
10th
3
5
6
11th
4
6
9
12th
4
8
10
13th
5
9
12
14th
6
10
12+
15th
7
12
12+
16th
8
12+
12+
17th
10
12+
12+
18th
11
12+
12+
19th
12
12+
12+
Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.
How the air elemental compares at CR 5
Against the 26 other challenge 5 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the air elemental has more hit points than 7 of them, which makes it a little frailer than most at its CR. See every CR 5 monster.
Statistic
Air Elemental
CR 5 average
Armor Class
15
14.5
Hit points
90
102
Best attack bonus
+8
+7
Best save DC
13
15
Air Elemental 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the air elemental, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
Speed: 0 ft., fly 90 ft. (hover) → 10 ft., fly 90 ft. (hover).
Air Form. The elemental can enter a creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without expending extra movement to do so.
Actions
Multiattack. The elemental makes two Thunderous Slam attacks.
Whirlwind (Recharge 4–6). Strength Saving Throw: DC 13, one Medium or smaller creature in the elemental’s space. Failure: 24 (4d10 + 2) Thunder damage, and the target is pushed up to 20 feet straight away from the elemental and has the Prone condition. Success: Half damage only.
