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The Air Elemental statblock in 5e has a feature called Air Form that states:

Air Form. The elemental can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

An argument was made that because an air elemental is made out of air, they should be able to enter a hostile's space, and move through it if they wish to too. However, despite the text saying "it can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing" it does not suggest that they can move through a hostile's space such as a ghost's incorporeal movement which reads as follows:

The ghost can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Thoughts on what the correct interpretation would be, RAW?

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    – Someone_Evil ♦
    Commented Apr 1, 2022 at 14:42

2 Answers 2

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Moving through is covered by being able to enter

Air elementals have the ability to enter another creature's space:

The elemental can enter a hostile creature's space

Having entered the space, it is presumably able to leave it again to whatever space it wishes. The rules don't bother specifying that it can also leave (to effectively allow it to move through), though if it can't entering another creature's space would leave it trapped on it which is (at least to me) quite a counter-intuitive result.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I find the wording of that confusing then because if that was the case the language would be in combination of both Incorporeal Movement and Air Form. Along the lines of: "The elemental can move through a hostile creatures space and stop there". It makes the distinction that it can stop through a hostile creatures space and not any creatures. As for moving out, I interpret that they can move back in the direction they came from initially but cannot move through the hostile creature the same as Incorporeal Movement. \$\endgroup\$
    – TheLonelyGod
    Commented Apr 1, 2022 at 14:43
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    \$\begingroup\$ @TheLonelyGod If that were the case I'd expect wording to that effect, because it's a weird limitation without any kind of in-world explanation. In general, 5e's rule wording is always consistent, and in this case the wording is likely different as ghosts are only to move through things, while the elemental wants to be in the space for its Whirlwind action. \$\endgroup\$
    – Someone_Evil ♦
    Commented Apr 1, 2022 at 14:52
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    \$\begingroup\$ I think the language "can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there" is so that it can then make a whirlwind attack, "Each creature in the elemental's space must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw. On a failure...." I recently DMed a setting with air elementals and it seemed like a very intuitive attack. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jack
    Commented Apr 1, 2022 at 15:20
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    \$\begingroup\$ @TheLonelyGod Yeah, you have a good point. Seems like the language is inconsistent across creatures. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jack
    Commented Apr 1, 2022 at 15:52
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    \$\begingroup\$ @TheLonelyGod The ability to move through a space and the ability to stop there are two different things. (See Moving Around Other Creatures, which specifies that "you can't willingly end your move in [a creature's] space".) Air Form grants both abilities. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ryan C. Thompson
    Commented Apr 1, 2022 at 21:58
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Same but Different

In order for a creature to be able to move into another creature's space, it must enter it. The two are different ways of stating the same thing. As long as a creature is not grappled, incapacitated, etc., there is no rule preventing them from leaving a space occupied by another creature.

The main difference between these, and one possible reason that the same wording was not used, is that the air elemental doesn't take damage for staying and sharing the space, unlike the ghost. It can stay or move on at its leisure. This is also important for its Whirlwind, which begins with:

Each creature in the elemental's space must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw. -DMG, Air elemental

Having an ability which requires them to be sharing a space with their intended target gives credence to their ability to share the same space with another creature, as it would have to be a different target if this was not the intended use.

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