The Genasi are a humanoid race of people who have been touched by power from the elemental planes.
Alternate planes of reality are often inhospitable to the residents of the mortal plane. The harsh environments of planes that consist of endless seas of fire, restless earth, and unending chaos show no mercy to mortals. However, residents of these planes have less trouble traveling to the material plane of mortals and do so often, whether of their volition or through powerful summoning arts.
The elemental genies or djinn are one such traveling resident. They can adapt to the workings of the material plane by mingling their elemental essences with the elements of the material plane. In so doing, they can survive and even blend in with mortals as they travel.
Occasionally, a mortal may attract the affection of a genie and the resulting romance may result in a child who possesses the essence of the genie who sired it. These children are often born with obvious characteristics reminiscent of the essence of their elemental parents. In some cases, however, they may only possess a recessive alteration which may result in a genasi offspring later down in the family tree. Some genasi may not even be able to trace their lineage as the trait may have lain dormant in the family for generations until their birth.
In less frequent situations, exposure of people to elemental energies may occur during an eruption of power from an elemental into the material plane, or a planar convergence. The mortals exposed to the energies may have their natures altered resulting in offspring with elemental power flowing through their veins.
Description
Being the offspring of mortals, genasi appear humanoid anatomically and physiologically but with unusual additions.
Genasi have unusual skin colors such as red, blue, and grey, odd physical alterations such as gemstones in their skin, hardened rocky exteriors, flames dancing in their hair, etc. which are consistent with the element of their heritage. Air genasi are typically lighter than their humanoid counterparts and earth genasi tend to be heavier. They also possess attributes from their mortal parents such as pointed ears from elves, short stocky stature from their dwarven side, etc.
As a people, genasi are often the objects of discrimination due to their unusual looks among their mortal relatives. Most never actually encounter their genie parents as the genie rarely concern themselves with their mortal offspring. As such many genasi are social outcasts, driven out of their communities and fending for themselves alone. In some places, however, where genies are venerated, they have much better lives often taking leadership positions or becoming religious figures. Some can also be found in very populated melting-pots as their unusual appearance blends in with that of the many other races of these cities.
Behavior
Genasi rarely lack self-confidence. A lot of it comes from an acknowledgment of their abilities which they believe makes them always equal to the task at hand.
Their behaviors differ from person to person but many genasi share similar behaviors across elemental lines thanks to their inherited temperament, as well as historical circumstances. An example of this variation is seen in air and fire genasi who find it easier to trace their origins back to the djinn and efreet who once ruled Calimshan. These genasi tend to have a high level of self-esteem as opposed to water or earth genasi who have little heritage to take pride in and are thus more withdrawn people.
Culture and Society
Genasi are a rare race of people scattered among many races and cultures due to how they originate. They have no shared culture or communities and mostly adopt the cultures of the peoples they were born into. Depending on how unusual they are and their societies, they may have good satisfying lives or become outcasts to the point of even being exiled.
Genasi outcasts tend to take residence in locations in the wild complementary to their elements and temperament. They could be found settled near lakes, mountains, or underground. A few genasi even leave the material plane to seek refuge in the households of their genie parents.
Genasi also choose occupations based on their elements and temperaments.
Genasi Subraces
There are 4 major sub-races of genasi in the worlds of D&D. These are Fire, Air, Earth, and Water Genasi. All genasi can speak common and primordial. Their heights and appearances vary depending on their mortal parents but are generally built like humans with heights ranging from 5-7ft. They also age at the same rate as humans but have a higher constitution (CON +2). This means they live longer than humans, much living up to 120 years.
Their alignment is Neutral and they are independent and self-reliant.
Air Genasi
Descendants of the Djinn, Air genasi have the element of air flowing through their veins. They have light blue skin, hair, and eyes and are accompanied by a lingering breeze that blows on their hair and clothes. Their moods shift like the wind going from calm to violence, excitement, and then calm again with no warning or predictability.
The voices of some may be breathy with faint echoes and a very few of them might have clear crystals growing from their skin and scalps.
Air genasi are lighter than average (DEX +1), can hold their breaths indefinitely, and can also cast the levitate spell.
Air Genasi are proud of their heritage. They are often arrogant, haughty, and flamboyant people who value the adulation of others. They can be found in professions such as entertainers, nobles, and charlatans. They are rarely settled in a single place and love to travel often, to experience new skies and breathe new air.
Earth Genasi
Descendants of the Dao, Earth genasi inherit the power of control over the earth as well as increased strength and physical resilience. Their physical appearance differs as much as the elements in the earth differ. Their physical appearance can be from rich muddy brown with an earthy texture to refractive skin similar to polished gemstones and black eyes that sheen like onyx. Some may even have rust-colored skin marked with fissures that expose luminescent crystals.
Earth genasi are strong and resilient (STR +1). Their ability to mingle with the earth gives them the ability to walk across any solid terrain without movement penalties. They can also cast the spell, Pass without a trace, which allows them to blend with their environment and avoid detection by enemies.
Like the earth, these genasi have a withdrawn and composed temperament. They prefer to live close to mountains, underground, and sometimes old ruins. Many can be found as hermits and soldiers.
Fire Genasi
Descendants of the Efreet, Fire genasi are hotheaded and volatile tempered people more inclined to celebrate their unusual appearance instead of hiding it. Like the air genasi, they take pride in their heritage and have a high opinion of themselves. However, unlike their air cousins, they often seek to have others share that high opinion of themselves so they act in ways that can help them enhance their public reputation. Many fire genasi can be found as infamous criminals, heroic adventurers, and nobles.
Fire genasi can have flaming red, coal-black, or ash-gray skin tones. Their bodies also give off a lot of heat. Their hair can be flaming red and might be observed to dance like flames under extreme emotion. Some exotic species can even have lingering little cloves of fire scattered between their hairs. Their voices may also crackle like fire and their breath may give off a tone like sulfur and brimstone.
Fire genasi have a bonus to intelligence (INT+1) and are resistant to fire damage.
They can use a type of night vision with the twist being that the vision has a shade of red. They also can use the produce flames cantrip which grants them the ability to produce and manipulate fire, and burning hands spell.
Water Genasi
Water genasi are descended from the Marid genies. They typically have blue or green skin tones, blue-black eyes, and always look wet with beads of water hanging from their skin, hair, and clothes all the time. The hair of some water genasi flows freely in the air as though they are perpetually submerged in water. They wander freely and value their independence.
Water genasi have increased wisdom stats (WIS+1), can swim and breathe underwater indefinitely, and have resistance to acid damage.
They can use the shape water cantrip which grants them the ability to manipulate water for utility and even for attacking. They also can cast create and destroy water spells which give them the ability to create or destroy up to 10 gallons of water in a given space.
Water genasi prefer quiet and solitude. Many of them spend most of their lives at sea as mariners, fishers, or sea hands in marine vessels. Or in their hideaways near wide shores.