I have a little question relative to the (philosophical) controlling. It say: "an elemental philosopher can affect the motion of natural materials with the appropriate element, or organic materials using his lowest Form as a requisite".
Then it specifies 2 ways to use it (one to increase soak, and another to command animals).
It seems to me that the first paragraph i write above implies that an elemental philosopher can move "raw element". EG, a water elemental philosopher could control sea to push his boat faster, or create a tsunami [according he has the necessary controlling total to affect his target's size]; or an air elemental philosopher could control air so that he creates hurricane force winds or a gentle breeze to blow his boat's sails.
Because aside from this technique, i don't see how elementalist can control raw element (not elementals with might score! [which fall under (theurgical) controlling]). And i think controlling raw elements is very elementalistic
Well I think the soak improvement was supposed to represent the elementalist's ability to affect raw elemental matter (keeping in mind that most Elementalist effects are Touch range).
That said, I suppose if a player complained I might consider allowing a character to apply 1/2 his Elemental Controlling total toward spontaneous Rego (Element) magic effects targeting raw, unworked elemental material, but frankly I'm afraid that any significant expansion to (Philosophical) Controlling might elevate it powerwise, above the other techniques (perhaps imposing RDT limits might help)...
I don't think he is refering to 'Spont' versions of controlling, but just plain old using philosophical control, in it's ritualized manner, and using it to control physical manifestations of the element... like using fire to summon up massive quantities of fire and then use it to do stuff like, say, blast away and set a load of stuff on fire.
As I am travelling right now, I don't have my books at hand. But IIRC this type of action is specfically described as allowed, but not very clearly defined in so far as how to execute it mechanically in hedge magic.
It might be me, but so far the elementalist's section is the one I have been less happy with when it comes to the (amazing, IMO the most useful ArM5 book so far) HMRE book. That reference about a "combat" elementalist made me wonder if it would be possible to actually do that.... I have tried to imagine using elemental fire as a (weak) combat power able to threaten a group of grogs or something like that, but so far I have not really succeeded here.
Could you care to explain how can you use the elementalists power in a dynamic combat situation?
Dynamic? If by that you mean 'in the heat of the moment when one is unprepared' I would say.... you largely can not. Though IIRC one 'can' place ammounts of the element into 'containers' for later use. This is largely undefined mechanically however, and takes a fatigue level as long as you maintain the container. But this would present the option of having a concentrated source of the element you want to work with at hand, and could be as simple as having a flask or the like full of concentrated fire and just throwing the thing. That was my idea for 'dynamic combat' type situations. But I was more talking about the ability of the caster to do his 'ritual' style casting, using a circle, and then stand there and discharge out the element in a combat blasting manner. Theoretically useful say in a siege or pitched battle type of scenario.
Controlling or summoning take 1 round both. So you can summon fire on your opponents or summon tons of stone on the top of a mountain.. to have a nice avalanche.
But my idea was to control earth to make "punch of earth" and other stuff with water.
As in the cartoon "Avatar: the last airbender"
Elementalists are very interesting characters, but the philosophical controlling power - the one to control elements - is not very detailled
This sounds great to me. I don't think it would be too powerful; an elemental philosopher should feel quite at home surrounded by nature and its component parts of earth, air, fire, and water. As long as his Controlling Total is large enough to affect the target based on its Size, and as long as it is within range of his voice and he spends a Fatigue level, I think he should be able to do all of the things you mention.
