A Comprehensive Guide to D&D 5e Genasi

There are several playable fantasy races in Dungeons & Dragons, ranging from elves to dwarves to halflings. However, players frequently become fixated on the game’s more iconic races and fail to examine the less conventional alternatives. This is especially true for races included in the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion, a free supplement for Fifth Edition that many players may have never heard of. The Player’s Companion included a slew of additional options for players. The Genasi is one of these choices.

What is Genasi?

Infused with the power of elemental planes, genasi are human-derived planes touched. Genasi are a diverse race with skills that vary based on their ancestry and individual experience.

Those who contemplate other planes perceive them to be remote, faraway regions, although the planar impact may be felt all across the earth. As a result of birth, certain beings are infused with the power of the realms. A group of people descended from both genies and mortals, the genasi, is one example.

The Elemental Planes are frequently hostile to Material Plane residents: crushing earth, scorching fires, limitless sky, and eternal oceans make visiting these regions dangerous even for a short period. On the other hand, the strong genies do not encounter similar difficulties while entering into the mortal realm. They adapt well to the Material Plane’s mixed components, and they occasionally visit—whether of their own desire or driven by magic. Some genies can disguise themselves as mortals and move invisibly.

During these trips, a mortal may capture the attention of a genie. Friendships blossom, romance blossoms, and children are born. These youngsters are genasi: people who have links to two realms but belong to neither. Some genasi are the result of mortal–genie couplings. In contrast, others have two genasi as parents, and a select handful has a genie farther up their family tree, revealing an elemental ancestry that has remained dormant for millennia.

Occasionally, genasi are formed through being exposed to a rush of elemental power, such as an explosion from the Inner Planes or a planar convergence. Elemental energy saturates all animals in the region, changing their nature to the point that their kids with other mortals are born as genasi.

Genasi Features

• Increase in Ability Score: Your Constitution score rises by 2.
• Lifespan: The average lifespan of a Genasi is 72–110 years.
• Languages: You can read, speak, and write in both regular and primitive languages. Primitive is a rough language with harsh syllables and difficult consonants.
• Genasi Age: Genasi matures roughly the same rate as humans, reaching Esparenthood in their late teens. They may live up to 120 years longer than humans.
• Alignment: Genasi advances toward a neutral alignment, autonomous and self-determinative.
• Size: Genasi is as varied as their earthly guardians, although they are usually built like people, standing between 5 and 6 feet tall. The Genasi is of medium size.
• D&D 5e Genasi Subraces include the Air Genasi, Fire Genasi, Earth Genasi, and Water Genasi, among others.
• Genesis’ walking speed is 30 feet per minute.

Characteristics of Genasi

Genasi inherited characteristics from both sides of their dual nature. They seem like humans but have unique skin colors (red, green, blue, or grey) and something strange about them. The elemental blood coursing through their veins appears differently in each genasi, frequently manifesting as magical ability.

When seen in silhouette, a genasi can often be mistaken for a human. Those descended from the earth or water are heavier, while those descended from the air or fire are lighter. A given genasi may have certain characteristics like the mortal parent (pointed ears from an elf, a stockier build and thick hair from a dwarf, tiny hands and feet from a halfling, extremely big eyes from a gnome, and so on).

Genasi have practically little interaction with their elemental parents. Genies show little interest in their mortal progeny, viewing them as an accident. Many parents have no feelings for their genasi offspring.

Some genasi live as exiles, exiled because of their disturbing looks and unusual magic, or as leaders of feral humanoids and bizarre cults in wild areas. Others rise to positions of power, particularly when elemental entities are respected. Several genasi flee the Material Plane to seek shelter in the homes of their genie parents.

Wild and self-assured

Genasi rarely lacks confidence, believing that they are up to nearly any task that comes their way. In one genasi, this conviction may express as elegant self-assurance, while in another, it may emerge as arrogance. Such self-assurance may often blind genasi to danger, and their grand intentions frequently bring them and others into trouble.

A genasi’s sense of self may be eroded by too much failure; therefore, they continuously push themselves to better, polishing their abilities and mastering their profession.

Genasi 5e on Athas

Although the whole world may have one or more sorts of elemental places that may easily be based on Genasi, the entire expedition contains deep suns that set in the world. These powerful elemental forces hold enormous heights. And they typically do not wish to visit other worlds.

Those who have come into contact with and touched the elemental force are known as watchers, and they are typically selected, super-powerful humans. D&D 5e Genasi can be born as slaves, aristocrats, or members of any desert tribe.

It is typically regarded as an auspicious event that is a way of Genasi and is considered the best and highest family. There are many sorts of Air Genasi and Fire Genasi in the situation, and they are typically the Wizard dynasty that can only govern Calimshan.

When this sort of leader can have a kid, he is impacted by the planet and spreads throughout the universe. Over 1000 years, D&D 5e Genasi bloodlessness has feasted in many nations.

The farm may be located in the western area, which is generally near the shore, due to normal wind and fire. Some of these Genasi may have been the first birthplaces.

Habitat of Genasi

As rare beings, genasi may spend their whole lives without meeting another of their kind. There are no big genasi cities or empires to speak of. Genasi seldom has their communities and usually embrace the cultures and societies into which they are born. The more unusual their appearance, the more difficult their situation. Many genasi go lost in crowded cities, where their uniqueness barely raises an eyebrow in regions used to a diverse range of individuals.

Those who live on the border, on the other hand, have it much tougher. People there are less tolerant of diversity. Sometimes the best genasi may expect a cold shoulder and a suspicious glance; in more backward areas, they risk ostracism and even violence from humans who mistake them for friends.

Faced with a difficult life, these genasi seek refuge in the wilds, settling in mountains, woods, near lakes, or underground.

The Genasi Sub-Races

In D&D 5e, there are four sub-races of Genasi: Air Genasi, Earth Genasi, Fire Genasi, and Water Genasi. One for each of the Forgotten Realms’ Elemental Planes.

Each Genasi sub-race symbolizes one of the four major Elemental Planes. Thus they each have their distinct flavor and characteristics.

While their appearance varies depending on their bloodline, all Genasi have the same vaguely humanoid characteristics. They could pass for any other human or humanoid species if it weren’t for their more unique physical traits (strange skin, eye, and hair colors) and environmental phenomena like a continuous breeze or smell like brimstone.

However, any Genasi, regardless of subrace, may appear more humanoid than otherwise, with just faint clues to their elemental heritage.

A genasi is generally the humanoid product having a child with one of the elemental genies, such as djinn, dao, efreet, or marid. They may, however, be able to trace their elemental ancestors further back in their family tree. They may also result from being exposed to powerful elemental energies.

Air Genasi

Air genasi are extremely proud of their ancestry, to the point of arrogance. They might be showy and like having an audience. These genasi rarely stay in one place for long, constantly searching for a new sky to observe and breathe in. Air genasi prefer open places like plains, deserts, and high mountains above cities. Charlatan, performer, and aristocrat are all appropriate backgrounds.

Air Genasi’s complexion, hair, and eyes might all be hues of sky blue. They’re also frequently accompanied by a gentle breeze that gently pulls their hair and apparel.

Air genasi’s tremendous desire and strong-willed temperament make them good leaders in select instances. These charismatic people create mercenary companies, esoteric cabals, or mercantile groupings. Some of these all-air genasi communities even remove air genasi from human parents and raise them among their kind. Because many such groups disband after a year, these youngsters frequently end up living with just one or two members of the band and acquire a feeling of community that, previous to the transfer of Akanûl during the Spellplague, was very uncommon among genasi.

Some air genasi talk with breathy voices, characterized by a slight echo. A few people have strange patterns in their skin or crystals growing from their scalps.

Traits of Air Genasi

• Increase in Ability Score. Your Dexterity score rises by one.
• Never-ending Breath. While you are not disabled, you can hold your breath indefinitely.
• Mingle with the wind. With this feature, you can cast the Levitate spell once with no material components, and you recover the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. For this spell, your spellcasting ability is Constitution.
• Mingle With the Wind (Homebrew Alternate). You’ve heard of the Gust cantrip. Once you reach the 3rd level, you can use this feature to cast the Levitate spell once with no material components, and you recover the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. For this spell, your spellcasting ability is Constitution.

Earth Genasi

Earth genasi are more reclusive, and their connection to the earth prevents them from feeling at ease in most cities. However, their unusual stature and strength make them ideal soldiers, and their stoic temperament allows them to inspire others and become outstanding leaders. Many earth genasi prefer to dwell underground, where they can be in their element. When they come out of their caves, they may explore the hills and mountains or lay claim to ancient sites.

Some earth genasi have dust dropping from their body and muck sticking to their garments all the time, never becoming clean no matter how frequently they bathe. Others are as gleaming and polished as jewels, with deep brown or black skin tones and agate-like eyes. Earth genasi can have smooth metallic flesh, dull iron skin with rust spots, a pebbled and rough hide, or even a covering of tiny embedded crystals. The most captivating have cracks in their skin through which a faint light glows.

Traits of Earth Genasi

• Increase in Ability Score. Your Strength score rises by one point
• Earth Walk. You can navigate through tough terrain consisting of soil or stone without exerting additional effort.
• Combine with Stone. With this characteristic, you can cast the Pass without Trace spell once with no material components, and you recover the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. For this spell, your spellcasting ability is Constitution.
• Merge with Stone (Homebrew Alternate). You’ve heard of the Mold Earth cantrip. Once you reach the 3rd level, you can use this feature to cast the Pass Without Trace spell once with no material components, and you recover the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. For this spell, your spellcasting ability is Constitution.

Fire Genasi

Because of their burning tempers, fire genasi frequently find themselves in trouble. They, like their air genasi relatives, occasionally display their apparent superiority over ordinary people. However, they also want others to share their high view of themselves, so they work hard to improve their reputations.

The skin tones of nearly all fire genasi are fiery red, coal-black, or ash-gray, giving the appearance that they are frantically heated on the inside. The more human-like individuals have flaming red hair that writhes under great emotion, whilst more exotic specimens have real flames dancing on their heads. When enraged, fire genasi’s speech can sound like crackling flames, and their eyes flash. A slight brimstone odor accompanies some.

Traits of Fire Genasi

• Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence score rises by one point.
• Darkvision: With it, you can see in dim light as if it were brilliant light within 60 feet, and in darkness as if it were dim light. Because of their links to the Elemental Plane of Fire, their darkvision is unusual: everything they perceive in the dark is a shade of red.
• Resistance to fire. You are immune to fire damage.
• Reach to the Blaze. You’ve heard of the Produce Flame cantrip. After you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Burning Hands spell as a 1st-level spell once, and you recover the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. For these spells, your spellcasting ability is Constitution.

Water Genasi

Almost all water genasi have some experience on or around maritime boats. They make great sailors and fishermen. Water genasi, like earth genasi, love calm and isolation; their natural habitats are the vast beaches. They travel wherever they want, do whatever they want, and are rarely restricted by anything.

The lapping of the waves, the spray of sea foam on the breeze, of the ocean—all of these things speak to their hearts. They roam freely and take delight in their freedom, even though others may think you’re selfish.

Most water genasi appear to have just completed bathing, with beads of moisture on their skin and hair. They have the aroma of fresh rain and pure water. Blue or green skin is prevalent, and most have somewhat enlarged blue-black eyes. The hair of a water genasi may float freely, swinging and floating as though underwater. Some have voices that have undertones similar to whale singing or trickling streams.

Traits of Water Genasi

• Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom score rises by one.
• Resistance to acid. You are immune to acid harm.
• This helps you breathe in  both air and water.
• You can swim 30 feet in 30 seconds.
• Call to the wave: Destroy Water spell as a 2nd-level spell once you reach 3rd level, and you recover the ability to cast it this way after you finish a long rest. For these spells, your spellcasting ability is Constitution.

In 5e, genasi are the closest thing to elemental player characters (albeit they aren’t elementals). Each of the sub-races has thematic features. However, a handful appears to have received greater consideration. With their many subraces, Genasi fits into the majority of D&D 5e classes.

Don’t let anyone tell you that since the characters are “unoptimized,” you can’t play them.

Gustav, or Gust for short, is an Air Genasi Ranger who is one of our favorites. Let us tell you; Levitate does not appear to be a fantastic spell until it is used. And it feels nice to hold your breath indefinitely to avoid a dungeon full of toxic gas.

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