CLIMATE/TERRAIN: All mountains
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVE TIMES: Any
DIET: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)
TREASURE: Incidental
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
REACTION MODIFIER: +5

NUMBER APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: /48" (MC:A)
HIT DICE: 8
THACO: 12
NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE PER ATTACK: 5-30
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Lightning bolt
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell immunity, +1 weapons to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: Small
MORALE: Steady (14)
EXPERIENCE VALUE: 1500 + 10/hp

The nimbus is a creature from the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Lightning.
An occasional visitor to the PMP,
it's seen only in high mountain ranges,
and then only during the storm season (typically the months of Sunsebb through Coldeven). <(12, 1, 2, 3)>

Physical Appearance: The nimbus is a creature composed entirely of electrical energy,
and thus has no fixed form.
It usu. appears in one of four shapes:
    as ball lightning (a slowly drifting ball of light of light easily mistaken for a will-o-wisp);
    sheet of lightning (a veil of light similar to a small aurora);
    bolt lightning (bolts of light arcing from object to object);
    or St. Elmo's fire (a diffuse, flickering glow that surrounds an object).
The creature can change from one form to another at will.
The creature can reach its maximum movement of 48" only in bolt form;
in other forms,
it's limited to a movement of 18".
In all its forms,
the nimbus gives off a brilliant white or blue-white light.

Combat: On the Material Plane,
the nimbus isn't an aggressive creature,
playing among the mountain peaks for the sheer joy of it.
If attacked,
however,
it's well able to defend itself.
Its preferred means of attack is to surround its victim in its St. Elmo's fire form,
and electrocute the creature.
A successful to hit roll indicates that the numbus has managed to engulf its TARGET and has discharged its shocking current.
If the TARGET is wearing armor made of ferrous metal (iron or steel, but not mithril or adamantite),
or is carrying more than 250 gp weight of ferrous metal equipment,
the nimbus receives a +2 bonus to its hit roll.
Although this is the creature's preferred manner of attack,
it can only use this attack 4 times per day,
since further attacks prohibitively drain the creature's energy.

It can also CAST small lightning bolts,
one per round,
to a max. range of 60 feet.
These bolts deal 2-12 points of damage each (save for 1/2 damage).

The nimbus can be harmed only by +1 or better magic weapons.
If the weapon used against the creautre is made of ferrous metal,
its wielder suffers 1-4 points of electrical damage for each successful hit on the nimbus,
and has a 25% chance of dropping the weapon.
Lightning and electrical attacks do no damage to the nimbus;
in fact,
for each such attack that strikes the nimbus,
it regenerates 3-12 points of damage.
Poison and acids are also ineffective.
Fire and cold-based attacks do normal damage,
while magical attacks that include water (e.g., ice storm) do double damage (non-magical water does the creature no harm,
however).
The nimbus is immune to sleep, charm, lllusion and other mind-altering magicks.

When a nimbus is aroused,
it generates a static charge powerful enuff to give creatures within 30 feet an uncomfortable feeling of "their hair standing on end."
Within 10 feet of the nimbus,
this static charge is enough to cause any ferrous metal objects to glow with their own St. Elmo's fire.
This induced charge does no damage,
although it may look dangerous.

Habitat/Society: Although frequently misnamed as a "lightning elemental,"
the nimbus isn't a true elemental,
merely a denizen of that quasi-elemental plane (such as the xorn is of the Elemental Plane of Earth).
It gains access to the PMP through gates that sometimes open at the core of mighty thunderstorms.
Possibly because the thin air is more conducive to the creatures,
only storms in high mountains usher the nimbus to the PMP.
For some reason,
they're particularly partial to the Sulhaut Mountains (possibly because the winds from the Sea of Dust carry their own static charge,
leading to horrendous lightning storms among the peaks).

On this plane they are solitary creatures.
On their own plane, however, they are common,
congregating in groups.

The nimbus has no conception that "bags of mosly water" (like animals) are alive.

The means of communication used by the nimbus is unknown.
Telepathy, tongues and other magicks are totally ineffective in communicating with the nimbus.

Niche: On the PMP, the nimbus consumes nothing and produces nothing,
and it has no predators.
Its energy requirements are drawn from the Quasi-elemental Plane of Lightning.