Flaming Flora and Fiery Fauna
“Ah, the flora and fauna of the Plane of Fire—an infernal menagerie of wonders and horrors, each more blisteringly bizarre than the last. Let’s start with the locals, shall we? The fire elementals are the true children of this plane, so much more than living flames that flicker and dance across the lands. Some are grand infernos, towering over the dunes of ash, while others take on smaller, animal-like forms—a pack of ember foxes prowling for prey, or a flock of phoenix-like fundamentals trailing molten sparks through the haze. Then there are the salamanders, those molten serpents who slither between servitude and rebellion with sinuous grace. Their young, the fire snakes, are wild and untamed, writhing through rivers of magma like living currents of fire. And let’s not forget the mephits—those cackling little pests flitting about in small groups. Fire mephits are most common of course, but you’ll also find their smoky, ashen, and even radiant cousins stirring up trouble wherever they go.
“And what of the plants? Oh yes, even here in this blazing inferno, life finds a way—though it’s a way that would likely set your delicate Prime Material sensibilities ablaze. The ash willow sways its blackened branches in the hot winds, while serpent trees twist like frozen flames with bark that glows faintly from within. The rare salamander orchid blooms with molten gold petals that shimmer like liquid fire—a treasure worth more than your weight in rubies (and far harder to steal). In the Obsidian Fields near my glorious City of Brass, you’ll find crops like crimson rye, flame cloves and habbat grain cultivated by those clever enough to harness heat as sustenance. But beware the tergamit fruit—it may be a fiery delight for an efreet palate like mine, but for your kind? It’ll burn you from the inside out faster than you can say “bad idea.”
“Even the simple beasts here defy reason: lava worms burrow through solid fire; fire bats hunt glowing hornets; and animentals—living constructs of pure flame—glide through seas of liquid fire or dart through the smoke-choked skies. Every flicker of life here celebrates survival in a place that hungers to consume all.
“Here then is a list of some of the wonders you might encounter in the most glorious of planes…”
— Tadj-al-Saltaneh Tiznaa bint-Saatadeh al-Mamaalek
A Bestiary of Fire
- Aasimon, Monadic Deva
- Animental, Fire
- Animals of the Plane of Fire
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol. 3 [2e] p14-15
- Azer
- Bloodfire Ooze
- An unholy mixture of elemental fire, the blood of innocent humanoids and the ichor of a slain demon, these oozes can be commanded by their creators and are used as guardians
- Monster Manual IV [3e] p18-19. See the FR wiki
- Cherufe†
- A huge humanoid reptilian beast of molten magma covered with black obsidian scales
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 1e ] Bestiary 5 [PF1e]
- Chososion
- Ghostly ethereal creatures who stalk the Inner Planes looking for food
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol. 3 [2e] p26-27
- Cinder Rat†
- These oversized rodents are made of smoldering charcoal and elemental fire, and noxious fumes continually bellow from their flaming flesh
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 2e ] Monster Core [PF2e] p144
- Cinder Swarm
- A swarm of tiny fire elementals, generally aggressive and malicious
- Monster Manual III [3e] p29. See the FR wiki
- Combusted†
- Dragon, Elemental Fire‡
- Efreeti (ifrit)†
- Elemental, Fire (multiple sizes)
- Sentient beings made entirely from elemental flame, from tiny to enormous
- See also: Elemental Empires [coming soon]
- Stats: [ D&D 2e | 3e | 5e ] [ Pathfinder 1e | 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p17,44-45,77; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p42,93,122; Manual of the Planes [3e] p74; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p31; Planewalker’s Handbook [2e] p28; Planar Adventures [PF1] p137; Bestiary 1 [PF1e] p120-127; Monster Core [PF2e] p144
- Elemental Inferno
- Walking conflagrations of unimaginably hot fire, elemental infernos are harbingers of destruction and heedless chaos. More tactical than many elementals, the infernos will set entire cities ablaze to confuse enemies
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 2e ] Bestiary [PF2e] p149; Monster Core [PF2e] p145
- Element Infused Creature† (template)
- Turn any creature into a fire version with this monster template
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 1e ] Planes of Power [PF1e] p56-57
- Ember Fox†
- Ember foxes resemble their canid namesakes, save for the flames that make their fur and the tips of their long whiskers flicker and glow
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 2e ] Bestiary 2 [PF2e] p110
- Ember Guard
- Entrope
- Entropic creatures who seek to break down planar boundaries
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol. 3 [2e] p38-39
- Filth Fire†
- These creatures look like roiling clouds of black smoke churning above a mound of burning refuse. Leering faces form and fade in the smoke above, while the burning trash writhes in spasmodic lurches, obviously alive.
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 2e ] Bestiary 2 [PF2e] p110
- Fire Bat
- Fire Beetle
- Crawling bugs of flame
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p44. A brief mention only, I suspect the creature linked is a different one only sharing the same name.
- Fire Drake (flame drake)
- Fire Minion
- Freewilled, and generally wicked, fire elementals who recognise salamanders as their masters.
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p44; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p8,93; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p31; Planewalker’s Handbook [2e] p28
- Firenewt (salamen)
- Vast armies of firenewts riding great striders claim territory on the more solid firelands, aggressively challenging intruders
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p45; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p8
- Fire Snake (see also Salamander)
- Larval stage of the salamander
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p43; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p92; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p31; Planewalker’s Handbook [2e] p28
- Firetail (tshala)
- A frolicsome spirit of flame. The more powerful tshala can cast spells.
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p45; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p8,21; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p31
- Fire Whale†
- Firewyrm†
- Firewyrms live in tubes of molten lava found throughout the Plane of Fire. These strange environments often connect to volcanoes on mortal worlds, giving firewyrms access to a wide variety of prey.
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 2e ] Bestiary [PF2e] p149; Monster Core [PF2e] p144
- Flameling (elemental vermin)
- A miniature fire alligator, little more than a pest on the Plane of Fire
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p45; Monstrous Compendium Annual 1994
- Flame Snake (minor, lesser and greater)
- Flame Spirit
- Pulsating balls of flame with tendrils of fire
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Monstrous Compendium Kara-Tur Appendix [2e]
- Fundamental
- A batlike pair of wings, the fundamentals are weakest of the true elementals
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol. 3 [2e] p46
- Gen, Fire
- Genasi, Fire (Ifrit, Flame Lord)
- Mortals who are plane-touched by Elemental Fire, or have efreet ancestry may be born as fire genasi, or ifrit. The genasi is a playable race in D&D (part human, part efreet) and a versatile heritage in Pathfinder (and can be combined with any ancestry, for example elven or halfling ifrit)
- Stats: [ D&D 2e | 3e | 5e ] [ Pathfinder 1e | 2e ] Planewalker’s Handbook [2e] p73-74; Bestiary 2 [PF1e] p160
- Giant, Fire
- Militaristic giants with flames for hair
- Stats: [ D&D 2e | 3e | 5e ] [ Pathfinder 1e | 2e ] Deities & Demigods [3e] p190-192,200; Inner Planes [2e] p43-44,78; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p8,10; Manual of the Planes [3e] p91; On Hallowed Ground [2e] p140; Planes of Chaos [2e] Book of Chaos p123-124; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p64
- Gnome, Fire
- A playable race of gnomes with fire elemental blood who dwell in Dothion and Elemental Fire
- Stats: [ D&D 3e ] Planar Handbook [3e] p125-126
- Harginn (Fire Grue, Flame Horror)
- Flaming horrors with jet black eyes, the harginn are lackeys of the efreeti
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p44; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 1 [2e] p50-51; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p8,93; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p31; Planewalker’s Handbook [2e] p28
- Helion
- Philosophers, diplomats and negotiators, these rings of intense flame are benevolent and can be approached for aid
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Monstrous Compendium Mystara Appendix [2e]
- Lava Otter†
- These fiery otters frolic and hunt in lava streams. They’re highly territorial, instigating fights with rival otter families, and very protective of their own
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 2e ] Rage of Elements [PF2e] p129
- Magmin†
- Short humanoids made from magma and flame, they cultivate magma pools
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 1e ] Planar Adventures [PF1] p137; Bestiary 3 [PF1e] p189
- Mephit, Fire (also magma, radiance, ash and steam mephitis can be encountered in Core Fire)
- Also called fire scamps, these small spindly flaming humanoids are notorious pranksters with a cruel sense of humour
- Stats: [ D&D 2e | 3e | 5e ] [ Pathfinder 1e | 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p44-45,77; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 1 [2e] p70-71,73-74,77-78; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p8,10,93; Planescape Campaign Setting [2e] DM’s Guide p31,33; Planewalker’s Handbook [2e] p28; Planar Adventures [PF1] p138; Bestiary 1 [PF1e] p202
- Mephling, Fire
- A playable race of beings supposedly from the union of mephits an an unnamed mortal race [To be honest I’m not sure I see the point — there is far more interesting lore around the genasi… included here for completeness]
- Stats: [ D&D 3e] Planar Handbook [3e] p6,10-12
- Omnimental, Fire
- An enormous magically created elemental made from all four elements combined, now let loose to roam the elemental planes
- Stats: [ D&D 3e ] Monster Manual III [3e] p118
- Onkushu†
- The humanoid face, round body and broad wings of these elemental creatures are made of crackling flames
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 1e ] Planes of Power [PF1e] p61
- Phoelarchs
- Feathered humanoid descendants of phoenix
- Stats: [ D&D | 3e ] Monster Manual III [3e] p121; The Plane Below [4e] p65
- Plasm, Fire
- Hideous skeletal forms composed of ether and flame
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p44; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p8
- Pyroead (Fire Nymph)‡
- Stats: [ D&D 2e | 3e | 5e ] [ Pathfinder 1e | 2e ]
- Pyrophor
- Appearing as flaming meteors of coal, malevolent pyrophors love to cause conflagrations on the Prime
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Monstrous Compendium Mystara Appendix [2e]
- Rast†
- Rilmani, Abiorach
- Quicksilver beings of balance and neutrality who monitor the elemental planes for inscrutable reasons
- Stats: [ D&D 2e | 5e ]. Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 2 [2e]; Manual of the Planes [5e] p317
- Ruvoka, Kaltori
- Tough druidic humanoids who dwell in tight clans on all of the Inner Planes
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol. 3 [2e] p90-91
- Salamander (lesser and noble)
- Scape
- A hairless carrion-eating rodent known for its ability to teleport
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p44; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p122. No stats, just a mention.
- Shard Slag†
- Living mounds of magic-infused iron, these strange molten metal creatures have pseudopods tipped with burning blades
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 1e ] Bestiary 4 [PF1e] p240
- Spider, Inferno
- A swirling mass of magma, flame and legs
- Stats: [ D&D 3e ] Monster Manual IV [3e] p76-77 (77)
- Suli†
- Thoqqua (Fireworm, Rockworm)
- Thrasfyr†
- Tome Guardian
- Usually encountered on the Prime as a summoned elemental bound to a valuable book, in their native habitat these creatures are treasure collectors like magpies
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Monstrous Compendium 1996 Annual [2e]
- Tshala (see Firetail)
- Veela, Fire
- Capricious and alluring elemental spirits in human form, who gain strength from dancing with other creatures leaving them exhausted
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 1e ] Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p264
- Waiveras
- A multilegged black lizard that feeds only on tiny insects and the eggs of fire snakes
- Stats: [ D&D 2e ] Inner Planes [2e] p44; Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3 [2e] p 122. No stats, just a mention.
- Weird, Fire and Weird, Lesser Elemental Fire
- Empathic creatures which predict fortunes of hope and love
- Stats: [ D&D 3e | 5e ] [ Pathfinder 1e ] Dragon Magazine #347 p66,69-71 (the ecology of the weird); Monster Manual II [3e] p91,93 (93). Several sources state that weirds are found in all of the elemental planes, but stats are given for only a subset
- Wysp, Fire; Wysp Conductor (also spelled Wisp)†
- Playful tiny elementals who are frequently enslaved by larger elemental creatures, and can sacrifice themselves to heal others. Conductors are leaders of the wysps, with the ability to perform magic, kineticism or elemental sorcery
- Stats: [ Pathfinder 1e | 2e ] Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p282-283; Bestiary 3 [PF2e] p91
Hazards and Treasures of Fire
- Ash Willow
- Huge trees which grow from pools of lava, and continually rain ash around themselves. Dragon Magazine #347 p48
- Cerulean Magma
- The chant goes that this bright blue lava is the hottest substance on the plane. It is acidic and produces clouds of green corrosive smoke. Dragon Magazine #347 p48
- Ebony Mote
- A vast destructive storm of darkness and cold that sweep across the plane leaving thick trails of steam. Dragon Magazine #347 p48
- Ember Root
- An unusual poisonous plant with roots that contain drinkable water. Dragon Magazine #347 p48
- Flame Clove
- Garlic-like spice from the Plane of Fire. Dragon Magazine #357 p56
- Fyrite
- Glittering red ore which can be made into heat-resistant armour. Dragon Magazine #347 p48-49
- Hardfire
- Explosive stones which can create fireballs when damaged. Dragon Magazine #347 p49
- Inferno Star
- Enormous and dangerous balls of yellow flame which move slowly across the plane and destroy everything in their path, even fire resistant beings. Dragon Magazine #347 p49-50
- Lambent Firegrass (Flame)
- Oases of purple flame which protect from fire damage. Dragon Magazine #347 p49-50; Manual of the Planes [5e] p162
- Salamander Orchid
- The stalks and leaves of a salamander orchid are composed of red-hot brass, which support blossoms of gold and crimson flame. Dragon Magazine #357 p54
See Also: The Elemental Plane of Fire
Canonical Sources: Start with the excellent Planescape Inner Planes [2e] book. Other references from D&D and Pathfinder lore are mentioned on the relevant entries.
Other Sources: Apprehensive Cold (conditions, the locals), Libertad (background info), Jon Winter-Holt
