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In the description of Elemental spirits in the Animism chapter, the book says that the shaman can embody the elemental spirit. In doing so, the shaman will gain the abilities of the elemental.

From the Animism chapter:

[Embodying the elemental] grants the animist the physical and magical benefits of an elemental...

The animist's STR, DEX and Hit Points are replaced by the spirit's values...

From the Elemental creature entry:

Elementals are naturally immune to magic that is based on their particular element... Neither can they be injured by mundane weapons, as their physical forms merely replenish material from the immediate environment...

Does the animist inherit the immunity to physical damage?

Destruktor
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2 Answers2

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p.148

the animist has two choices: Permitting the spirit to animate a suitable volume of its native material, as per a normal elemental, or, embodying the elemental so that it manifests within his own body. The latter choice grants the animist the physical and magical benefits of an elemental.

The latter choice grants the animist the physical and magical benefits of an elemental.

This means that the animist is also immune to mundane damage, since that is one of the magical benefits of an elemental.

If you "embody" the elemental - your body takes on the characteristics of the elemental.

Bilharzia
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I would say that no, they are not immune to physical damage; however, I would grant them immunity from their element-type damage. Expanding on the reasoning, the animist is allowing their body and spirit to be augmented by the elemental's power, but they do not "become" the spirit. The elemental spirit is naturally immune to physical damage due to it patching itself with more of X element from the surrounding environment, but the PC is still flesh and blood and is not made of the same stuff as an elemental's manifested form. Feel free to play your game as you wish but this is just my reasoning, and it keeps one player from tipping the balance by being immune to all non-magical damaging attacks.

Tremblay
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  • Welcome to the site, but I'd encourage you to take the https://rpg.stackexchange.com/tour. This is not an opinion question. Questions about the rules are questions about what the rules are, not about your personal interpretation. – Ben Barden Apr 08 '21 at 18:53