Jinnborn

Native people from the deepest deserts, the jinnborn claim they were the first mortals to walk the world. They say that in the beginning, all the world was a vast desert beneath a fiery sun; in those times, the jinnborn wandered where they willed, and ruled over all they saw. They refer to themselves as the sab siraat, or “people of the path.” Descended from powerful elemental creatures call jinn (singular jinni), the jinnborn manifest gifts through their lineage that help them survive their harsh home environment. Passionate people, the jinnborn seek wealth when they can, revel in revenge when they must, and cherish close companionship always. Outsiders label them as capricious or even savage, never fully aware of the veil that hides the jinnborn’s true nature.

Jinnborn Traits

Your jinnborn character has certain characteristics in common with all other jinnborn.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
• Age. Jinnborn reach maturity at age 16 and can live to be over 150.
• Alignment. There is no single alignment among the jinnborn that typifies them all.
• Size. Jinnborn are as tall as humans with stout, well-muscled builds. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision. Thanks to your jinn blood, you can see in dim light within 60 feet as though it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• Desert Descendent. You cannot get lost in the desert except by magical means. You also cant gain negative effects from extreme heat.
• Negotiator. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.
• Siraati. All jinnborn have an affinity for mystic paths, depending on the jinn patron of their tribe. Choose one of the following siraati: air, earth, fire, or water, each corresponds with a specific damage type (lightning for air, acid for earth, fire for fire, cold for water). You have resistance to that damage type.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Southern Tongue

• Subrace. Jinnborn are divided into subraces depending on the innate touch of the jinn. Choose one of the following subraces.

Speaker Jinnborn

Speaker jinnborn bear the mark of their jinni patron, and the world must stand up and take notice. They are the guides, elders, and leaders of their tribes, as well as scouts and seekers of paths.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
• Favor of the Jinn. You can call upon your jinn patron to gain advantage on a saving throw or ability check, or to impose disadvantage on an attack roll against you. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Walker. You have advantage on saving throws against being stunned and extreme environments, and on ability checks made to navigate the wilderness and avoid losing your way.

Shaper Jinnborn

The shaper jinnborn channel the elemental power of their tribe’s siraati. Shapers form the majority of a tribe’s warriors and protectors, and they ensure the safety of their charges with deadly dedication.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
• Elemental Strike. Once on your turn when you hit with a melee attack, you can deal an additional 1d6 damage. The damage type corresponds to your siraati (lightning for air, acid for earth, fire for fire, cold for water). You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1), and you regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest.
• Protection of the Jinn. You have advantage on saving throws against an effect that deals the same type of damage as your siraati.

Touch of the Jinn

Jinnborn are somewhat shorter than humans, rarely growing taller than 6 feet. Their shorter stature leaves them stocky of build, and their frames are muscular and hardy— adults can easily weigh in excess of 170 pounds. Jinnborn skin tone comes in a wide range of colors from sky blue to light violet and from golden to brick red. Secondary features such as nub horns, pointed teeth, or elemental gleams flickering deep within their eyes all mark the otherworldly heritage of the jinnborn. Nearly all jinnborn sport pointed ears, and they are fond of decorating themselves with precious metal and stone jewelry. They prefer brightly colored, loose and flowing clothing, appropriate to the burning desert days and brisk nights.

Paths to Plenty

The core philosophy that drives all jinnborn regardless of their station is siraati—a mystical path that jinnborn believe is their spiritual and cultural guide. Intrinsic to being sab siraat is the belief that the jinni who created the tribes set them on a path that would lead ultimately to the Hidden World, a place beyond the toil of normal existence. The Hidden World is a land of plenty and fulfilled desire, free of the harsh realities of the desert and unspoiled by the plots and greed of the pathless. Sab siraat are divided along elemental lines, like the jinn themselves, and tribes tend to adhere to a single elemental path. Although every jinnborn tribe holds these paths sacred, no two agree on the specifics. Some common elements persist between siraati of different tribes, however, based on the elemental nature of the paths themselves. Air sab siraat are proud and aloof. Fire-based sab siraat are vicious and draconian. Water sab siraat are carefree but mercurial, and earth sab siraat are stoic and driven. Even with these tendencies, tribes exhibit great diversity in customs, laws, stories, and mannerisms. Some tribes boast multiple patron jinn and might therefore represent multiple forms of the siraati. Other tribes absorb members through conquest or marriage, and likewise have access to more than one elemental path. Once a jinnborn sets his or her mind upon a siraati, however, only the patron jinni’s intervention can change it.

Life on the Path

Tribes of jinnborn take the concept of mystical paths very seriously, and they follow a nomadic lifestyle in accordance with those paths. Whether a given tribe herds camels or other livestock and follows the supply of fresh water from oasis to river, or another tribe rides as a family caravan seeking wealth through trade, literal and philosophical paths govern all. The tribes follow the physical paths their elders set down, knowing that these safe routes will lead them around dangerous sands, past beguiling mirages, and to safety and sustenance. Other jinnborn tribes make their way as mercenaries, selling their spells and blades as guards, soldiers-for-hire, or even turning to banditry. This is their path to the Hidden World. Few jinnborn turn their back on the paths that lead them through the desert, and with good reasons. Outsiders frequently misread the jinnborn, though that is not entirely their fault. The jinnborn keep their word meticulously between themselves, but when dealing with the pathless outsiders, the line between what is said and what is meant blurs like the desert horizon at noon. The jinnborn rarely lie outright, but they speak in terms that allow them to twist their meaning. Also, the jinnborn who leave the open sands of the desert lose part of themselves. The longer they dwell in cities, they more they take on strange quirks and mannerisms.