Genasi
Those who think of other planes at all consider them remote, distant realms, but planar influence can be felt throughout the world. It sometimes manifests in beings who, through an accident of birth, carry the power of the planes in their blood. The genasi are one such people, the offspring of genies and mortals.
The Elemental Planes are often inhospitable to natives of the Material Plane: crushing earth, searing flames, boundless skies, and endless seas make visiting these places dangerous for even a short time. The powerful genies, however, do not face such troubles when venturing into the mortal world. They adapt well to the mingled elements of the Material Plane, and they sometimes visit whether of their own volition or compelled by magic. Some genies can adopt mortal guise and travel incognito.
During these visits, a mortal might catch a genies eye. Friendship forms, romance blooms, and sometimes children result. These children are genasi: individuals with ties to two worlds, yet belonging to neither. Some genasi are born of mortal-genie unions, others have two genasi as parents, and a rare few have a genie further up their family tree, manifesting an elemental heritage that's lain dormant for generations.
Occasionally, genasi result from exposure to a surge of elemental power, through phenomena such as an eruption from the Inner Planes or a planar convergence. Elemental energy saturates any creatures in the area and might alter their nature enough that their offspring with other mortals are born as genasi.
Heirs to Elemental Power
Genasi inherit something from both sides of their dual nature. They resemble humans but have unusual skin color (red, green, blue, or gray), and there is something odd about them. The elemental blood flowing through their veins manifests differently in each genasi, often as magical power. Seen in silhouette, a genasi can usually pass for human. Those of earth or water descent tend to be heavier, while those of air or fire tend to be lighter. A given genasi might have some features reminiscent of the mortal parent (pointed ears from an elf, a stockier frame and thick hair from a dwarf, small hands and feet from a halfling, exceedingly large eyes from a gnome, and so on). Genasi almost never have contact with their elemental parents. Genies seldom have interest in their mortal offspring, seeing them as accidents. Many feel nothing for their genasi children at all. Some genasi live as outcasts, driven into exile for their unsettling appearance and strange magic, or assuming leadership of savage humanoids and weird cults in untamed lands. Others gain positions of great influence, especially where elemental beings are revered. A few genasi leave the Material Plane to find refuge in the households of their genie parents.Wild and Confident
Genasi rarely lack confidence, seeing themselves as equal to almost any challenge in their path. This certainty might manifest as graceful self-assurance in one genasi and as arrogance in another. Such self-confidence can sometimes blind genasi to risk, and their great plans often get them and others into trouble. Too much failure can chip away at even a genasis sense of self, so they constantly push themselves to improve, honing their talents and perfecting their craft.Genasi Lands
As rare beings, genasi might go their entire lives without encountering another one of their kind. There are no great genasi cities or empires. Genasi seldom have communities of their own and typically adopt the cultures and societies into which they are born. The more strange their appearance, the harder time they have. Many genasi lose themselves in teeming cities, where their distinctiveness hardly raises an eyebrow in places accustomed to a variety of different people. Those living on the frontier, though, have a much harder time. People there tend to be less accepting of differences. Sometimes a cold shoulder and a suspicious glare are the best genasi can hope for; in more backward places, they face ostracism and even violence from people who mistake them for fiends. Facing a hard life, these genasi seek isolation in the wilds, making their homes in mountains or forests, near lakes, or underground. Tracing their ancestry to the genies of the Elemental Planes, each genasi can tap into the power of one of the elements. Air, earth, fire, and water—these are the four pillars of the Material Plane and the four types of genasi. Some genasi are direct descendants of a genie, while others were born to non-genasi parents who lived near a place suffused by a genie's magic. A typical genasi has a life span of 120 years.Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Genasi
ability score increase:
Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) choose three different +1
age:
Genasi mature at about the same rate as humans and reach adulthood in their late teens. They live somewhat longer than humans do, up to 120 years.
alignment:
Independent and self-reliant, genasi tend toward a neutral alignment
Size:
Medium
speed:
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages:
You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial. Primordial is a guttural language, filled with harsh syllables and hard consonants.
race features:
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Air Genasi
ability score increase:
Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) choose three different +1
age:
Genasi mature at about the same rate as humans and reach adulthood in their late teens. They live somewhat longer than humans do, up to 120 years.
alignment:
Independent and self-reliant, genasi tend toward a neutral alignment
Size:
Medium
speed:
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages:
You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial. Primordial is a guttural language, filled with harsh syllables and hard consonants.
parent race:
Genasi
race features:
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray. Unending Breath. You can hold your breath indefinitely while you're not incapacitated. Lightning Resistance. You have resistance to lightning damage. Mingle with the Wind. You know the shocking grasp cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the feather fall spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Starting 5th level, you can also cast the levitate spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast feather fall or levitate with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray. Unending Breath. You can hold your breath indefinitely while you're not incapacitated. Lightning Resistance. You have resistance to lightning damage. Mingle with the Wind. You know the shocking grasp cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the feather fall spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Starting 5th level, you can also cast the levitate spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast feather fall or levitate with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Earth Genasi
ability score increase:
Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) choose three different +1
age:
Genasi mature at about the same rate as humans and reach adulthood in their late teens. They live somewhat longer than humans do, up to 120 years.
alignment:
Independent and self-reliant, genasi tend toward a neutral alignment
Size:
Medium
speed:
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages:
You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial. Primordial is a guttural language, filled with harsh syllables and hard consonants.
parent race:
Genasi
race features:
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray. Earth Walk. You can move across difficult terrain without expending extra movement if you are using your walking speed on the ground or a floor. Merge with Stone. You know the blade ward cantrip. You can cast it as normal, and you can also cast it as a bonus action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Starting at 5th level, you can cast the pass without trace spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast that spell with this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast it using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray. Earth Walk. You can move across difficult terrain without expending extra movement if you are using your walking speed on the ground or a floor. Merge with Stone. You know the blade ward cantrip. You can cast it as normal, and you can also cast it as a bonus action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Starting at 5th level, you can cast the pass without trace spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast that spell with this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast it using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).
Volo's Complete Subrace Handbook
Storm Genasi
ability score increase:
Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) choose three different +1
age:
Genasi mature at about the same rate as humans and reach adulthood in their late teens. They live somewhat longer than humans do, up to 120 years.
alignment:
Independent and self-reliant, genasi tend toward a neutral alignment
Size:
Medium
speed:
Your base walking speed is 35 feet. Whenever you use your action to take the Dash action, your walking speed becomes 45 feet until the end of your turn
Languages:
You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial. Primordial is a guttural language, filled with harsh syllables and hard consonants.
parent race:
Genasi
race features:
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray. Lightning Resistance. Electric energy flows through your body without you being shocked. You have resistance to lightning damage. Predict Weather. Once per day you can create a tiny, harmless sensory effect that predicts what the weather will be at your location for the next 24 hours. This effect persists for 1 round. Fury of the Storm. You know the thunderclap cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the witch bolt spell once with this trait as a lst-level spell, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray. Lightning Resistance. Electric energy flows through your body without you being shocked. You have resistance to lightning damage. Predict Weather. Once per day you can create a tiny, harmless sensory effect that predicts what the weather will be at your location for the next 24 hours. This effect persists for 1 round. Fury of the Storm. You know the thunderclap cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the witch bolt spell once with this trait as a lst-level spell, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Water Genasi
ability score increase:
Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) choose three different +1
age:
Genasi mature at about the same rate as humans and reach adulthood in their late teens. They live somewhat longer than humans do, up to 120 years.
alignment:
Independent and self-reliant, genasi tend toward a neutral alignment
Size:
Medium
speed:
Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
Languages:
You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial. Primordial is a guttural language, filled with harsh syllables and hard consonants.
parent race:
Genasi
race features:
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray. Acid Resistance. You have resistance to acid damage. Amphibious. You breathe air and water. Call to the Wave. You know the acid splash cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the create or destroy water spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the water walk spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast create or destroy water or water walk with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray. Acid Resistance. You have resistance to acid damage. Amphibious. You breathe air and water. Call to the Wave. You know the acid splash cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the create or destroy water spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the water walk spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast create or destroy water or water walk with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Genasi use the naming conventions of the people among whom they were raised. They might later assume distinctive names to capture their heritage, such as Flame, Ember, Wave, or Onyx.
Related Organizations
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