Periodic Elementals and the Hodgepocalypse

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/498792/periodic-table-of-elementals

Inspired by the phenomenal Periodic Table of Elementals from DriveThruRPG, I've been exploring how these fascinating entities could thrive in the post-apocalyptic chaos of the Hodgepocalypse. This setting is ripe for unique interpretations, making periodic elementals perfect as guardians, hazards, resources, and even unlikely allies.

Where are they?

Metals (Iron, Copper, Gold, Silver, Mercury):

• Iron: Found in battlefields (iron from blood and weapons), near ancient mines, forgeworks, or meteorite craters.
• Copper: Dwells in copper-rich mountains, trade hubs, or pre-apocalypse ruins tangled with copper wiring.
• Gold: Glimmers in riverbeds (gold panning), treasure hoards, or sacred sites linked to prosperity.
• Silver: Radiates purity in holy sites, lunar altars, or haunts places tied to werewolves and vampires.
• Mercury: Flows through volcanic vents, geothermal springs, or the remnants of disastrous alchemical experiments.

Gases (Oxygen, Hydrogen, Neon, Helium, Radon):

 

• Oxygen: Vital and dynamic in dense forests, mountain peaks, or places of purification and life.
• Hydrogen: Ubiquitous in oceans, hydrothermal vents, or cosmic intersections brimming with primordial energy.
• Neon: Pulsates in urban neon-lit districts, dreamscapes, or astral crossroads.
• Helium: Ascends to high-altitude locales, floating magical islands, or whimsical skylands.
• Radon: Creeps in decaying ruins, death-marked landscapes, or the depths of shadowy underground caverns.

Earth-Associated Elements (Carbon, Silicon, Aluminum, Titanium):

 

• Carbon: Coalesces in coal mines, dense forests, or volcanic vents where diamonds form under intense pressure.
• Silicon: Crystallizes in desert sands, technology hubs, or areas infused with AI-driven magic.
• Aluminum: Soars in mountain ranges rich with bauxite ore or airy, light-filled sanctuaries.
• Titanium: Embodies strength in mountainous fortresses or unyielding bastions of resilience.

Halogens (Chlorine, Fluorine, Bromine, Iodine):

 

• Chlorine: Cleanses coastal areas, saline lakes, or ancient purification sites.
• Fluorine: Corrodes in volcanic regions or areas illuminated by otherworldly lights.
• Bromine: Seethes in coastal marshes, eerie swamps, or enigmatic alchemical labs.
• Iodine: Blesses seaweed-rich coastlines, sacred healing springs, or oceanic sanctuaries.

Rare Earth Elements (Lanthanides, Actinides):

 

• Cluster in sites of advanced technology, arcane knowledge vaults, or deep faults where rare treasures slumber.

Radioactive Elements (Uranium, Plutonium, Radium):

 

• Uranium/Plutonium: Manifest in post-apocalyptic wastelands, magical fallout zones, or sites scarred by divine wrath.
• Radium: Glows in haunted graveyards or ethereal, luminescent caverns.

Combustive Elements (Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium):

 

• Sodium: Preserves balance in salt flats or desiccated ruins.
• Potassium: Erupts in fertile volcanic soils or dynamic landscapes of growth and destruction.
• Magnesium: Blazes in volcanic forges, bright labs of innovation, or high-energy battlegrounds.

Noble Gases (Argon, Xenon, Krypton):

 

• Argon: Preserves the quiet of sealed tombs or areas untouched by time.
• Xenon: Illuminates mysterious caves or sites of astral energy.
• Krypton: Inspires legends on floating islands or cosmic pathways.

Identifying and Exploiting Periodic Elementals

In the Hodgepocalypse, you can roll against your skills to get a mechanical benefit in a situation.  Customarily, a secret check is the CR plus 12.  (aka a CR 1 monster would need a DC  13 to discover their weakness.  Here are a few guidelines when using this:

Skills:

 

Nature: Unearth their environmental and natural connections.

·       Example Mechanic: A successful Secret Nature check could reveal:

o   Weaknesses tied to their environment (e.g., a Hydrogen Elemental's susceptibility to fire or an Oxygen Elemental's reliance on open spaces).

o   Nearby environmental factors that could hinder or aid the elemental (e.g., identifying water sources for a Sodium Elemental’s explosive reaction).

Parapsychology: Decode their magical or anomalous behaviors, bridging Arcana and Chemistry.

·       Example Mechanic: A successful Secret Parapsychology check might:

o   Identify unique abilities or magical auras (e.g., a Mercury Elemental's resistance to piercing damage due to its liquid form).

o   Provide tactical insights, like recognizing patterns in the elemental’s attacks or defenses tied to its anomalous nature.

o   Detect if the elemental can be influenced, bound, or reasoned with.

Tools:

 

Chemistry: Analyze their composition and weaknesses.

·       Example Mechanic: A Secret Chemistry tool check could:

o   Reveal reactions to specific substances (e.g., Chlorine Elementals being neutralized by essential compounds like sodium hydroxide).

o   Allow improvised weapons or traps using the elemental's composition (e.g., mixing compounds to create an explosion against a combustible elemental).

Metalworking: Craft counters for metallic elementals.

·       Example Mechanic: A Secret Metalworking tool check might:

o   Allow crafting of specialized weapons (e.g., hammers that deal extra damage to brittle Aluminum Elementals).

o   Repair or enhance tools damaged by combat with elementals.

o   Identify weak points in a metallic elemental structure, granting advantage on attack rolls against it.

Electronics: Exploit tech-reactive elementals.

·       Example Mechanic: A Secret Electronics tool check could:

o   Temporarily disable a Silicon Elemental by overloading its crystal structure with a pulse of electromagnetic energy.

o   Hack into a tech-aligned elemental's core functions to reprogram or disrupt it.

o   Detect vulnerabilities tied to technology (e.g., exploiting a Krypton Elemental’s ties to high-energy fields).

EMR (Electromagnetic Radiation): Detect and counter radioactive beings.

·       Example Mechanic: A Secret EMR tool check might:

• Identify the range of radiation emitted by a Uranium or Plutonium Elemental, allowing the party to avoid harmful zones.
• Create barriers or shielding to reduce damage from energy-based attacks.
• Reveal hidden radioactive elementals by tracking their electromagnetic signatures.

General Benefits for All Skills and Tools

• Knowledge-Based Buffs: Grant advantage or bonuses on attack rolls, saving throws, or ability checks against the elemental once its properties are understood.
• Environmental Control: Identify elements in the surroundings to trap, hinder, or neutralize the elemental effectively.
• Resource Gathering: After defeating the elemental, the skill or tool check could yield rare materials for crafting, such as purified metals, volatile compounds, or magically infused cores.

Role of Elementals in the Hodgepocalypse

 

• Plot Devices: Guard vital locations like water supplies or ancient caches of knowledge.
• Environmental Hazards: Turn surroundings volatile, such as Magnesium igniting flammable areas.
• Resources: Harvest crafting materials from fallen elementals for gear or spells.
• Potential Allies: Rarely can these beings be befriended or controlled for unique advantages.

Enhancing Encounters

• Visualize: Mercury Elementals might shimmer like liquid mirrors, while Sulfur Elementals could fume acridly.
• Tactics: To aid strategic planning, offer clues—like glowing weak points or elemental behaviors.
• Lore: Integrate them into myths. Were they protectors of the old world or divine punishments reborn?

 

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