Noble Genasi Racial Archetypes

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Decendants of the geniekin, purer of blood than many of the elemental planetouched known in other realms outside of Toril, the noble genasi are paragons of their ancestral kin. Many of these are the product of the peoples of Calimshan, from when the geniekin ruled over mortalkind, taking many of them as their concubines and having these bloodlines persist over generations. This is not to say that all noble genasi trace their lineage to the Calimshan, or other regions listed below; in fact some trace their lineage beyond Toril entirely. But the age when the genii dwelt upon the prime is the main source of these bloodlines in Faerun today.

Types of Genasi: There are four distinct subraces of the noble genasi, depending upon their elemental lineage. Each of these uses the Pathfinder race linked as its base to which the additional traits are attached.

  • Air Genasi are the descendants of the Djinni, particularly prevalent in regions of the Calim such as Calimport where the air genii ruled over mortal men. A few rare air genasi derive from djinn summoned in other parts of the world, and even fewer are said to be born of a line founded by a powerful air mephit sorcerer that lived on the Great Glacier hundreds of years ago. Some may be descended from the servants of air deities such as Akadi, Auril, and Shaundakul but likely a very small number. These genasi are referred to as Sylphs in other realms, in an obvious lack of academic knowledge of an air planar dwelling outsider of the very same name.
  • Earth Genasi are the descendants of the Shaitan. Most of the elemental bloodlines originate in the North, particularly near the Spine of the World, as natural portals to the Elemental Plane of Earth form there, allowing meetings between natives of both planes. The bloodlines spring up wherever worship of earth deities is common. It is thought that the Ludwakazar clan of shield dwarves deep in the Earthspurs in Impiltur and the Tobarin family of rock gnomes in the Great Dale have elemental blood, but both are mute on the question. In other realms these genasi are referred to as Oreads.
  • Fire Genasi are the descendants of the Efreeti, particularly prevalent in regions of Calimshan such as Memnon, where the fire genii ruled supreme. Chult, the Lake of Steam, and Unther also have a small number of fire genasi, for those lands bear volcanos that sometimes act as natural portals to the Elemental Plane of Fire, allowing efreeti to make contact with humans. These are known as Ifrit in other crystal spheres, which confuses them with their pure blooded progenitor.
  • Water Genasi are the descendants of the Marids, which were common along the shorelines and coastal settlements of Calimshan. A rare few are born to outsider servants of the evil water goddess Umberlee (although it is not known why these matings eventually produce water genasi instead of tieflings). Sea elves tell of a lost line of sea elf planetouched descended from minions of Deep Sashelas, but they were thought to have been wiped out by an army of sahuagin over 500 years ago. Other crystal spheres may refer to these genasi as Undines.

Additional Traits

The Noble Genasi adds/modifies the following traits to their base paizo equivalent race:

  • Additional Traits: Pick an additional racial trait from your race entry’s alternate traits list. This cannot be an alternate trait that trades off more than one base racial trait, but you gain this additional trait without trading off the original racial trait. (+2-4 RP)

Elemental Magic: At 8th level, a Noble Genasi with a Charisma score of 8 or greater gains the following spell-like ability usable once per day at a caster level equal to her character level. The save DC (if any) for this spell like ability is Charisma-based (4 RP):

  • Air: Air Walk
  • Earth: Earth Glide
  • Fire: Elemental Body I (fire only)
  • Water: Water Breathing, Communal

Total Additional Race Points: +6-8 RP

Variant Genasi

Genasi that come from the fringes bordering the elemental planes may have variant characteristics from their base element. This may be due to lineage from paraelemental creatures like mephits, or from mixed lineage from diverse geniekin, and as a result these variants have features that differ from their pure elemental kin. These variants supercede those in the base pathfinder race entries, with each one’s base element indicated. If a racial feature replacement isn’t listed for a particular variant, then it is the same as the base element.

Dust Genasi (Earth) Dust is where Earth is tainted from the Negative Energy Plane. As a result, dust genasi tend to be morbid and somewhat fatalistic. They are pale and gaunt, with hollow cheeks and dark circles under their eyes, always looking on the verge of death. They usually have at least one or two traits that hint at their ancestry, such as perpetually dry skin or a cloud of dust that clings to them wherever they go. They almost always dress in black, and more often than not they wear funeral garb, even when such garb would be highly inappropriate.

  • Ability Modifiers +4 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Dust para-genasi are surprisingly nimble and sharp, but they are often sickly, and their morbid fascination with death or decay is off-putting.
  • Alternate Spell-Like Ability can cast chill touch as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Elemental Magic At 8th level, an ice genasi with a Charisma of 8 or higher can cast death ward (self only) as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Resistance Breathless (Ex): Dust para-genasi do not breathe, so they are immune to drowning, suffocation, and attacks that require inhalation (such as some types of poison).
  • Dust Affinity Replaces water affinity, and instead benefits sorcerers with the Undead bloodline and spellcasters with the Death domain.
  • Recommended Alternate Traits: Earth Insight, Isolated, Treacherous Earth.

Ice Genasi (Water) Like the ice that forms where Air and Water meet, genasi are usually cold and emotionally hard. They appear mostly human, but their features are often sharper and more chiseled than normal, and their skin is paler than the norm for their race, often nearly white or ice blue. In addition, they have one or two minor supernatural traits that hint at their heritage, such as breath that frosts in even the hottest weather or frost-caked hair. They prefer loose, light clothing in whites and pale blues, even in cool climates.

  • Ability Modifiers +4 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma: Ice para-genasi are hearty and observant, but are a sluggish as an ice floe, and just as cold.
  • Alternate Spell-Like Ability can cast chill metal as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Elemental Magic At 8th level, an ice genasi with a Charisma of 8 or higher can cast wall of ice as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Resistance Ice genasi do not suffer adverse effects from extremely cold climates. In addition, they gain a +1 racial bonus on saving throws against cold effects. This bonus increases by +1 for every five character levels the para-genasi attains.
  • Ice Affinity Replaces water affinity, and instead benefits sorcerers with the Boreal bloodline and spellcasters with the Cold, Ice, or Winter domain.
  • Recommended Alternate Traits: Crystalline Form (from Oread, but it works), Flesh Chamelion, Hydrated Vitality, Secretive, Weather Savvy.

Lightning Genasi (Air) Where Air and Positive energy meet, these genasi have an abundance of confidence and a shortage of patience, lightning genasi are electric personalities who cannot be ignored. When a stormsoul moves, either in word or in action, the world notices. Unafraid to speak their minds, they are both direct and unsubtle, and they make fierce allies. A lightning genasi has hair that always seems to move, even when there is no breeze, and acts with a sudden intensity that can seem out of control. Their eyes are the color of stormy water or lightning-lit skies, and even a casual glance from a stormsoul can seem severe.

  • Ability Modifiers +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Wisdom. Lightning genasi are lighting quick, with electric personalities, but they act far quicker than they think.
  • Alternate Spell-Like Ability can cast shocking grasp as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Elemental Magic At 8th level, a lightning gensasi with a Charisma of 8 or higher can transport himself 1/day as an instantaneous bolt of lightning; this functions as the dimension door spell of a wizard equal to his level, except that he can only transport himself and anything he carries.
  • Lightning Affinity Replaces air affinity, and instead benefits sorcerers with the Stormborn bloodline and spellcasters with the Weather domain.
  • Recommended Alternate Traits: Air Insight, Like the Wind, Storm in the Blood, Thunderous Resilience, Weather Savvy.

Magma Genasi (Fire) Like molten rock where Earth and Fire meet, magma genasi are both fluid and fixed, alternating between stability and violent alteration. Mutable and intense. They are usually short and stocky, sometimes to the point of resembling tall dwarves. They usually have dark skin, and they typically possess waits that mark them as unusual. They might have a reddish glow to their skin or eyes, feel unusually hot to the touch, or have hair that ripples like fire. They tend toward simple, utilitarian clothes, which often seem disturbingly close to smoldering.

  • Ability Modifiers +2 Constitution, +2 Strength, –2 Intelligence: Magma genasi are strong and tough, but tend to be slow of wit.
  • Alternate Spell-Like Ability Can cast heat metal as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Elemental Magic At 8th level, a magma genasi with a Charisma of 8 or higher can cast warp metal as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Magma Affinity This racial trait replaces fire affinity, and instead benefits sorcerers with the Forgeborn bloodline and spellcasters with the Fire domain.
  • Recommended Alternate Traits: Brazen Flame, Earth Insight, Ferrous Growth, Fire Insight, Fire in the Blood, Forge-Hardened,

Ooze Genasi (Water) Water meets Earth. Ooze genasi are slimy — both physically and in personality. They are usually heavyset, with flabby bodies and sallow skin. Most exhibit a small number of traits that hint at their ancestry, such as greasy skin or unusually flexible limbs. They wear dark earth tones, and their clothing is often soiled and/or foul smelling.

  • Ability Modifiers +4 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Ooze genasi are hardy and resilient, but many other races find them off-putting.
  • Alternate Spell-Like Ability Can cast grease as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Elemental Magic At 8th level, an ooze genasi with a Charisma of 8 or higher can cast earth glide as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Resistance An ooze genasi gains acid resistance 5, and can ignore difficult terrain caused by unmanipulated mud and marsh.
  • Ooze Affinity This racial trait replaces water affinity, and instead benefits sorcerers with the Ooze bloodline and spellcasters with the Slime domain.
  • Recommended Alternate Traits: Acid Breath, Earth Affinity, Flesh Chamelion, Isolated, Ooze Breath, Stone in the Blood.

Radiance Genasi (Fire) The brightness of the radiance genasi comes both from their affinity for positive energy, and their own luminous attitudes. Where others despair, they labor on, striving to lead with passionate ethos, drawing them toward powerful or crusading religions. Sunsouls cannot easily hide their presence, and most would never try. Most sunsouls tend to have fair hair, often nearly white, and eyes that glow with a twinkle all their own. Some seem to glow from within, as if lit from inside by an inner sunlight. Unafraid to be seen, they dress in whatever styles please them, even when it means they stand out among populations either more daring or more conservative.

  • Ability Modifiers +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Dexterity: Radiance genasi are resilient in both mind and body, but often turn a blind eye to dangers about them.
  • Alternate Spell-Like Ability Can cast flare burst as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Elemental Magic At 8th level, a radiance genasi with a Charisma of 8 or higher can cast daylight as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Resistance A radiance genasi is immune to the dazzled condition.
  • Magma Affinity This racial trait replaces fire affinity, and instead benefits sorcerers with the Solar bloodline and spellcasters with the Sun domain.
  • Recommended Alternate Traits: Brazen Flame, Firestarter, Hypnotic, Wildfire Heart.

Smoke Genasi (Air) Where Air and Fire meet, there is smoke. Veiled and surreptitious, and often seen as languid and lazy. They tend to have dark skin and hair, and like other genasi have one or two unusual traits, such as hair that billows like clouds of smoke or the faint whiff of something burning clinging to them.

  • Ability Modifiers +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma. Smoke genasi are naturally quick and intelligent but are often unpleasant.
  • Alternate Spell-Like Ability Can create a smoke cloud effect identical to the pyrotechnics spell of a wizard equal to his character level.
  • Alternate Elemental Magic At 8th level, a smoke genasi with a Charisma of 8 or higher can cast solid fog as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Resistance A smoke genasi does not suffer adverse affects from breathing mundane smoke. Further they receive a +1 racial bonus on saving throws against smoke and cloud-type effects (such as stinking cloud and cloudkill); this bonus increases by +1 for every five character levels the genasi attains.
  • Smoke Affinity This racial trait replaces air affinity, and instead benefits sorcerers with either the Air or Fire bloodline, or spellcasters with either the Air or Fire domain.
  • Recommended Alternate Traits:  Air Insight, Breeze-Kissed, Desert Mirage, Efreeti Magic, Whispering Wind.

Steam Genasi (Water) Where Water meets Fire, things begin to boil. These genasi are bossy and egotistical, and they often see themselves as inherently superior to other creatures, including other genasi. Steam genasi are usually tall and slim, and often weigh less than their appearance suggests. Like other genasi, they have one or two unusual traits, such as wisps of mist constantly clinging to them or a grey tone to their skin or hair.

  • Ability Modifiers +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma. Steam genasi are nimble and sharp, but they tend to be bossy and have oversized egos.
  • Alternate Spell-Like Ability Steam genasi can cast obscuring mist as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Elemental Magic At 8th level, a steam genasi with a Charisma of 8 or higher can cast wall of mist as a spell-like ability 1/day.
  • Alternate Resistances Steam genasi can see through smoke, fog, and other atmospheric effects unusually well; reduce the miss chance due to concealment by 10% when the target’s concealment results from such effects. Further they do not suffer adverse effects from hot climates.
  • Steam Affinity This racial trait replaces water affinity, and instead benefits sorcerers with either the Air or Water bloodline, or spellcasters with either the Air or Water domain.
  • Recommended Alternate Traits: Desert Morage, Flesh Chamelion, Hydrated Vitality, Hypnotic, Wildfire Heart.

Noble Genasi Feats

Noble Genasi may also qualify for the following racial feats, in addition to any feats in the core listings for elemental planetouched:

Elemental Bloodline Development (Racial)
You have taken additional aspects of the type of element that infuses your flesh.
Prerequisite: Base Fortitude save +4, noble genasi
Benefit: You gain a +4 saving throw bonus on saving throws against poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning. You also have a 25% chance to turn a critical hit or a sneak attack against you into a normal hit, as if you were wearing light fortification armor. This does not stack with the fortification property if you have it on your armor.

Elemental Immunity (Racial)
Your elemental resistance is near that of your forebear.
Prerequisite: Noble genasi, Elemental Magic racial trait
Benefit: You gain immunity to the energy type to which you had a racial energy resistance.

Genie Magic (Racial)
You have developed latent magic from the bloodline of your ancestors.
Prerequisite: Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma 12+, noble genasi
Benefit: You may cast a the following spell based on your elemental heritage as a spell like ability 1/day, using your character level as your caster level. The save DC of this spell (if any) is Charisma based: Air – Wind Wall, Earth – Soften Earth and Stone, Fire – Produce Flame, Water – Fog Cloud.

Genie Magic, Major (Racial)
You have further tapped into the magic from the bloodline of your ancestors.
Prerequisite: Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma 14+, Genie Magic
Benefit: You may cast a the following spell based on your elemental heritage as a spell like ability 1/day, using your character level as your caster level. The save DC of this spell (if any) is Charisma based: Air – Gaseous Form, Earth – Stone Shape, Fire – Flaming Sphere, Water – Aqueous Orb.