The Elements

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IGTN
Knight-Baron
Posts: 729
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:13 am

The Elements

Post by IGTN »

The Genie class seems like it's just sitting there, unattached to anything. I'm going to try to rectify this problem.

Races:
Genasi
Genasi are the descendents of mortals and genies of various kinds. Mortals with minor infusions of elemental essense before birth, or descended from those with stronger infusions, also appear as Genasi. Their physical traits are influenced by the elements they are descended from.

Depending on their elemental influences, Genasi are likely to become every kind of adventurer.

Genasi have the following racial traits
  • Medium Size Genasi fall into the human height and weight ranges, although Earth Genasi tend to be squat and Air Genasi willowy.
  • 30' movement
  • Outsider Type (Native and Human subtypes)
  • Elemental Subtype of the appropriate element: (Air), (Earth), (Fire), or (Water).
  • Darkvision 60'
  • +2 Strength
  • +1 to the DC to save against any spells or spell-like abilities cast by the Genasi with a descriptor matching the Genasi's elemental subtype.
  • Favored Class: Genie and by element: Air: Thief-Acrobat. Earth: Knight. Fire: Elementalist. Water: Monk.
  • Automatic Languages: Common
  • Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Formian, Ignan, Infernal, Slaad, Terran
Genasi also gain another ability that reflects their elemental origin:
  • Air: Fly speed of 10' with Good maneuverability
  • Earth: Burrow speed of 10'
  • Fire: Produce Flame as a spell-like ability three times per day, cast at the Genasi's character level.
  • Water: Swim speed of 30' and ability to breathe water as easily as air.
Fire Genasi Genie Substitution Class Feature:
Instead of getting Immunity to Fire as a Genie at 1st level, the Fire Genasi instead loses Cold Vulnerability.

Material and Shadow Genasi:
Material Genasi are the descendents of Jann and mortals. A Material Genasi does not get an elemental subtype, but gets +1 to the DC to save against all spells of any elemental subtype. Their favored classes are Druid and Genie.

Shadow Genasi are the descendents of Khayal Genies (see the Tome of Magic) with mortals. A Shadow Genasi gains a bonus to Constitution instead of Strength, no elemental subtype, Spell Focus (Illusion) as a bonus feat, which also applies to any spell-like abilities it may have, and the ability to cast Invisibility once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level equal to character level). Their favored classes are Beguiler and Genie.
Elemental-Bodied
Elemental-Bodied are humanoid figures born from the essense of one of the elemental planes, solidified into something fleshlike. While not entirely bright, Elemental-Bodied are more than capable of becoming both powerful creatures and adventurers.

Elemental-Bodied is a general term; an Elemental-Bodied character with the (Earth) subtype, for instance, is called an Earthbodied.

Elemental-Bodied have the following racial traits
  • Medium Size Elemental-bodied average about 6' tall. They have no sex or gender.
  • 20' movement, plus additional movement depending on type.
  • Outsider Type, appropriate subtype (Air, Earth, Fire, or Water). Elemental-Bodied are native to the appropriate elemental plane, and are (Extraplanar) on the Material Plane.
  • Elemental Flesh: Elemental-Bodied are counted as Elementals, not Outsiders, for effects that target specific creature types.
  • +2 Str (Earth, Water), +2 Dex (Air, Fire), -2 Int
  • Darkvision 60'
  • Elemental-Bodied do not sleep, and are immune to magic sleep effects.
  • +4 to saves against Poison, Disease, and Paralysis. Elemental-Bodied have an unusual physiology that is not subject to the same constraints as mortals.
  • Light Fortification
Elemental-Bodied gain more abilities, dependent on their specific type
  • Airbodied gain a 15' Fly speed with Perfect maneuverability, a 30' base land speed, and a +2 bonus on Athletics checks.
  • Earthbodied gain a 20' Burrow speed, and a +2 bonus on Survival checks.
  • Firebodied have a 20 Climb speed. They also shed light, brightly illuminating between up 40', and shedding shadowy illumination over twice that distance, or a minimum of 5'. They may change brightness or douse thesmelves to smoulder (5' shadow illumination) as a swift action. They also gain a +2 bonus on Acrobatics checks (Balance and Tumble, under PHB skills).
  • Waterbodied gain a 60' Swim Speed and breathe both water and air. They also gain a +2 bonus on Escape Artist checks.
  • Favored Class: Elemental Brute and Elemental Weird
  • Automatic Languages: Appropriate elemental language
  • Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Formian, Ignan, Infernal, Slaad, Terran.
Classes:
Elemental Brute
Elemental Brute
"Wind etches cliff walls.
A landslide falls to the sea.
Raindrops douse spring fires."


The powers of the elements are more than just a source for mages to tap, but the building blocks out of which everything else is made. By combining more of the elements onto one's self, an elemental can become a being of immense physical power. Elemental Brutes not only grow this power, but also use it to control the battlefield around them.

Making an Elemental Brute
Abilities: Elemental Brutes are heavy hitters in melee, and use their abilities to make the battlefield a more difficult place for their opponents and to protect their allies.

Races: Only Outsiders and Elementals from the Elemental Planes may take levels in Elemental Brute. Those from the Material plane whose ancestors come from the Elemental Planes may take levels in Elemental Brute, but they must have the Outsider or Elemental type.

Alignment: Elemental Brutes can be any alignment, and often are.

Starting Gold: 4d4x10 GP

Starting Age: As Rogue.

Game Rule Information
Hit Die: d10
Base Attack Bonus: Medium (as Cleric)
Saving Throws: Good Fortitude and either Reflex (Air, Fire) or Will (Earth, Water)
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Nice Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Con), Jump (Str), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Stealth (Dex)
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int Mod (x4 at 1st level)

Special Abilities by Level:
1 Elemental Origin, Natural Armor, Natural Weapon, Bonus Feat, Combat Talent +1
2 Attribute Boost
3 Elemental Mastery
4 Attribute Boost
5 Bonus Feat, Combat Talent +2
6 Attribute Boost
7 Horde Breaker
8 Attribute Boost
9 Bonus Feat, Combat Talent +3
10 Attribute Boost

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Elemental Brutes are proficient only with their natural weapons, and with no armor.

Elemental Origin: An Elemental Brute grows from the material of one of the elemental planes. It has the most obvious connection available (Genasi (except Material Genasi) and Elemental-Bodied all indicate a connection with one of the planes, as do all elemental monsters in the Monster Manual). If none suggests itself, such as for a Material Genasi, the Elemental Brute gets to pick one of the four elemental planes. Certain abilities come in different forms depending on elemental origin. Air, Fire, and Shadow Brutes gain the General Feat version of Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.

Natural Weapon: An Elemental Brute gains a Slam attack for 1d8 damage (if medium), plus strength and a half.

Natural Armor: Elemental Brutes gain a natural armor bonus to AC equal to their level,

Bonus Feat: At 1st, 5th, and 9th level, the Elemental Brute gains a bonus [ Elemental ], [ Monstrous ], or [ General ] feat that it qualifies for. At 7th level it gains Horde Breaker. If it already has Horde Breaker, it may gain another bonus feat, or another Combat feat that it qualifies for.

Combat Talent (ex): You may add the listed number to your base attack bonus for purposes of unlocking abilities of [ Combat ] Feats. If playing with fractional BAB, instead count the Elemental Brute as providing full BAB for purposes of unlocking [ Combat ] Feat abilities

Attribute Boost: At 2nd level and every even numbered level afterward, the Elemental Brute's physical attributes improve, as if it had gained several character levels. Every time the Elemental Brute gains an attribute boost, its Constitution and one other physycial attribute dependent on Elemental Origin irrevocably increase by 1.
Strength: Earth, Water, Ice, Magma, Wood
Dexterity: Air, Fire, Shadow

Elemental Mastery (ex): An Elemental Brute of 3rd level or higher gains The Edge against opponents in its element.
Air: An Air Brute gains The Edge against flying opponents.
Earth: An Earth Brute gains The Edge as long as its weight and its opponent's weight are both on the ground.
Fire: A Fire Brute gains The Edge against any opponent that is presently on fire or otherwise taking continuous fire damage when it makes its attack.
Water: A Water Brute gains The Edge against any opponent immersed at least halfway in water.
Exotic elemental types also gain this ability:
Ice: An Ice Brute gains The Edge against any opponent standing on ice.
Magma: A Magma Brute behaves like a Fire Brute.
Shadow: A Shadow Brute gains The Edge against any opponent against whose attacks it has concealment or total concealment.
Wood: A Wood Brute gains The Edge against any opponent who ended their last turn adjacent to it without attacking it.

Campaign Information
Playing an Elemental Brute
Religion: Elemental Brutes are seldom particularly religious, although they may follow an Elemental deity of their appropriate kind. Recently, a cult of evil Elemental Brutes was found worshipping the Elder Elemental Eye.

Other Classes: Elemental Brutes get along well with Elemental Weirds of like element, as their abilities complement eachother well. They do not necessarily get along well with Genies, as many Genies expect to be lords over the Elemental Brutes. Elemental Brutes get along well with Druids, and with properly respectful Elementalists, whose magic complements the Elemental Brute's physical power. Stealthy types often appreciate the distraction that an Elemental Brute can provide, and warriors may appreciate having an Elemental Brute to spar with. Casters may view an Elemental Brute as little higher than their summoned minion, earning the Brute's wariness.

Combat: Elemental Brutes are effective at controlling the battlefield to force enemies into melee with them. Air Brutes often take an air superiority role, tripping flying opponents to cause them to stall and drop them to where their allies can reach them, while Earth and Water Brutes control a section of battlefield with their bulk. Fire Brutes make effective skirmishers, especially with the Whirlwind feat to allow them to attack several creatures at once, and Burn to allow them the Edge against any creature they've already hit. Exotic Brutes gain other abilities to match.

Advancement: An Elemental Brute, after completing the class, may take levels in Elemental Weird, or in another combat-focused class, or may become a Genie. A few levels of Elemental Brute can add quite a bit to many melee Genasi or Elemental-Bodied builds, especially to gain the Large Size and Huge Size feats, granting the character a greater reach and the ability to use bigger weapons. Other melee classes grant the Elemental Brute the ability to use better weapons and shields, and multiclassing into Monk would give the Brute the ability to use fighting styles with its elemental Slams.
Elemental Weird
Elemental Weird
"The guardian of the Temple of the Seas shall not allow you to pass"

The Elements are known as one of the many primal sources of magic. Mortal mages and even beings of the outer planes draw on the energies of the Inner Planes to fuel their magic, but Elemental Weirds, as beings of the elements themselves, surpass them all at drawing on raw elemental power. For an elemental to become an Elemental Weird is to drink deep from the wellspring of magic, soar on the winds of fate, cast sorceries as the roots of the mountains, and burn with the fires of power, fully seizing their birthright as elementals. Those Elementals and Genasi who walk this path gain a terrifying mastery of the magics of the elements.

Making an Elemental Weird
Abilities: An Elemental Weird primarily uses the Spheres mechanic to cast magic. Charisma is therefore their most important attribute, as it makes their spells harder to resist.

Races: Only Outsiders and Elementals from the Elemental Planes may take levels in Elemental Weird. Those from the Material Plane whose ancestors come from the Elemental Planes may take levels in Elemental Weird, but they must have the Outsider or Elemental type.

Alignment: Most Elemental Weirds tend toward at least some form of Neutrality, but it takes all kinds.

Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10 GP (100 GP)

Starting Age: Complex (as Wizard)

Game Rule Information
Hit Die: d6
Base Attack Bonus: Bad (1/2 levels)
Saving Throws: Good Will
Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (All skills, taken individually) (Int), Spellcraft (Int)
Nice Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Spellcraft (Int)
Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int Mod (x4 at 1st level)

Special Abilities by Level:
1 Elemental Origin, Sphere
2 Enhanced Sphere Access
3 Sphere
4 Hardiness of the Elements
5 Sphere
6 Elemental Skills
7 Sphere
8 Unstoppable Force
9 Sphere
10 Magical Training

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Elemental Weird is proficient with all Simple weapons, and a martial weapon dependent on Elemental Origin, and Light armor, but not with shields of any kind.
Origin Proficiency:
Air - Bolas, Throwing Axe
Earth - Light and Heavy pick
Water - Trident, Net
Fire - Spiked Chain
Exotic origins also grant a weapon proficiency:
Ice - Handaxe, Battleaxe
Magma - Light Hammer, Warhammer
Shadow - Shortsword, Kukri
Wood - Glaive, Greatclub

Elemental Origin: An Elemental Weird's power originates with one of the elemental planes, typically one of the four classical planes. They have the most obvious connection available (Genasi (except Material Genasi) and Elemental-Bodied all indicate a connection with one of the planes, as do all elemental monsters in the Monster Manual). If none suggests itself, such as for a Material Genasi, the Elemental Brute gets to pick one of the four elemental planes. The Elemental Weird's origin determines the Spheres to which it gains access.

Sphere: The Elemental Weird gains basic access to a Sphere at every odd numbered level. If the Elemental Weird selects a sphere that it already has basic access to, it upgrades its access to advanced access. If it already had advanced access, it gains expert access.

Enhanced Sphere Access: At 2nd level, the Elemental Weird gains extra uses of the spell-like abilities that it gains from it Spheres. The Elemental Weird gains a number of extra uses of any spell-like ability equal to half the number by which its character level exceeds the minimum character level to use the spell-like ability (rounded up). So if the Elemental Weird has a character level of 4, it would gain 1 extra use of a spell-like ability that is granted by one of it spheres at character level 3 and 2 extra uses of any spell-like from one of its spheres with a minimum level of 1. The Elemental Weird gains a +1 bonus to caster level for all spell-like abilities cast from Spheres to which it has Expert acess, and saving throws against such abilities are made against a DC of 11 + 1/2 the Weird's character level (rounded up) + the Weird's charisma modifier (the highest save DC it would have, plus one).

Bonus Feats: An Elemental Weird gains the Hardiness of the Elements feat as a bonus feat at level 4, and Unstoppable Force as a bonus feat at level 8. If it already has Hardiness of the Elements at level 4, it gains Unstoppable Force then instead. If it already has Unstoppable Force when it is given that as a bonus feat, it gains its choice of any [ Elemental ] or [ Item Creation ] feat instead.

Elemental Skills: An Elemental Weird gains a +10 Competence bonus to a skill depending on their elemental origin:
Air - Tumble
Earth - Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
Fire - Jump
Water - Escape Artist
Exotic origins gain the following:
Ice - Sense Motive
Magma - Intimidate
Shadow - Sleight of Hand
Wood - Search

Magical Training: An Elemental Weird of 10th level is able to cast magic in a more traditional fashion. It has the Spells per day and spells known (including Advanced Learning) of a 6th level Elementalist, and a caster level of 10. At its option, it may use Charisma instead of Intelligence to determine the highest level of spells it may cast and its bonus spells per day, or instead of Wisdom to determine spell save DCs, but not both. It may take classes that improve spellcasting of existing classes in order to advance its spellcasting ability.
Spheres and Feats:
Feats:
Feats
Only Elementals and Outsiders from the Elemental Planes, and other creatures with ancestry on the Elemental Planes or a close affinity for an elemental plane, may take Elemental Feats.

Abode of Earth [ Elemental ]
You are at home within the earth.
Prerequisites: (Earth) subtype, Burrow speed, Character level 3+
Benefits: Your Burrow speed improves by 10' or to a minimum of 30', and you may burrow through rock. You may leave a tunnel or leave the earth behind you undisturbed, as you choose. If you leave the earth undisturbed, there is no sign of your passage unless you are in a square adjacent to a surface, except to creatures with Tremorsense or who make the Perception check to hear you. The Perception check is not made more difficult by the earth you are in, just by distance through it. Other rocks and earthen walls do interfere as normal.

Adept Flyer [ Elemental ]
You are a natural flyer.
Prerequisites: (Air) subtype, Fly speed, Character level 5+
Benefits: Your Fly speed improves to twice your base land speed (minimum 60'), or increases by +10', whichever is greater, and your maneuverability improves to Perfect. Your Fly speed improves by 20' for every five character levels you gain beyond 5th.

Binding Growth [ Elemental ]
You grow on people.
Prerequisite: Wood Elemental Creature (e.g., Psuedoelemental Being (Wood) feat)
Benefit: After pinning or lifting a creature for a round, you may attempt to grow a Binding Growth on them with another grapple check against a DC of 10 + their Grapple modifier. Once you do so, they are bound, losing their Dexterity bonus to AC and their ability to take physical actions other than try to escape, until they break the bonds. The bonds can be broken by others with a slashing melee weapon capable of doing 5+your hit dice points of damage against AC 5+your Constitution modifier, but a miss hurts the bound creature, or by a Strength check (DC 15 + your Constitution modifier) or Escape Artist check (DC 10 + your hit dice + your Constitution modifier). Even once broken, they remain on for 1d4 rounds, entangling the bound creature.

Blazing Speed [ Elemental, Racial ]
You streak across the battlefield like a flaming meteor.
Prerequisites: Burn, Firebodied
Benefits: Your base land speed improves to 50', and your base Climb speed improves to 30'. You gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity provoked due to your movement through a threatened area. You may also take a full round action to move twice your speed in any movement mode in a straight line. When you do so, you may move through any number of enemies equal to or less than the number of attacks you would be allowed in a full attack. You may not move through enemies more than one size larger than you. When you do so, follow the following steps:
1) Opponent chooses to let you by? Yes, go to 2. No, go to 3.
2) Opponent makes Reflex save against your Burn ability. You continue moving and may pick a new target. End.
3) Opponent makes an attack of opportunity provoked by your entering their space. Go to 4.
4) You make a Trip attack. You do not need to make an initial touch attack. Your opponent is affected by your Burn ability as though by a failed save. Did you trip them? No: Go to 5. Yes: Go to 6
5) Opponent makes attack of opportunity on you unless you have the Edge. Did they hit you and either apply damage or make a successful combat maneuver (Disarm, Trip, Grapple, etc)? Yes: You fall prone in the last space you were in before entering theirs. No: You continue moving; this attack is completed. End.
6) If you have the edge, you may make an attack of opportunity against them for falling (note that they are already on fire). Regardless, you continue moving; this attack is resolved. End.

Breath of the Elements [ Elemental ]
You have a breath weapon.
Prerequisites: Resistance 10+ or immunity to an energy type.
Benefits: Select an energy type that you meet this feat's prerequisite for and that you do not have a special vulnerability to (either the Vulnerability "ability," or an ability weakened/negated by taking that damage type, such as taking real damage through Regeneration). You gain a Breath Weapon usable every 5 rounds that inflicts 1d6 damage per hit die you have of that energy type in a 30' cone. Your Breath Weapon allows a reflex save for half damage, DC 10 + 1/2 your hit dice + your Constitution modifier.

Burn [ Elemental ]
You're hot. You're on fire. You like to burn things.
Prerequisites: (Fire) Subtype
Benefits: Anything you hit with your natural weapons or unarmed strikes must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 your hit dice + your Constitution modifier) or catch fire until it is put out, taking 1d6 damage per round, plus 1d6 damage per round for five hit dice you have. Creatures hitting you with natural weapons suffer the same effect. Any creature grappling you, or that you grapple, is automatically on fire, and cannot be put out until it is no longer grappling you. Any creature that fails a saving throw against one of your abilities that does fire damage suffers the same effect.

Double Strike [ Elemental ]
You can strike twice as fast.
Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +4 or higher, one Slam natural weapon.
Benefit: You gain a second Slam natural weapon, identical to the one you already have. This feat has no effect if you already have two. Your strength bonus to damage for your slam adjusts to be normal for the new situation.

Drench [ Elemental ]
Your body puts out fires.
Prerequisites: (Water) Subtype
Benefits: You can put out fires by touching them. A nonmagical fire at least two size categories smaller than you can be put out automatically as a free action. A nonmagical fire your size or smaller takes a standard action. A magical fire is no action (if instantaneous), or a standard action (if it has a duration of one round or more), and requires a Dispel check (1d20 + your Character level against DC 11 + caster level). Successfully drenching a fire ends it as a Dispel Magic spell (counterspell, if instantaneous, otherwise targeted). If the source of the magical fire has multiple distinct parts (such as a Meteor Swarm's multiple meteors), you only put out the part touching you. You take no damage from any fire you successfully put out. Fire creatures are not subject to this effect unless summoned, in which case they behave as magical fires.

Drowning Grasp [ Elemental ]
You drown your enemies in your watery embrace.
Prerequisites: (Water) Subtype, Character level 3+
Benefits: You gain the Vortex ability of a Water Elemental. You gain Improved Grab on one type of natural weapon that you have, such as Slam or Claw, which can only be used for the Hold Down grapple option; if you have no natural weapons, but gain them at a later level, this applies to the first natural weapon you gain and any alike to it. Also, any creature you have Held Down or Lifted, or any creature Grabbing On to you, is considered to be underwater, and must breathe or hold its breath appropriately.

Elemental Aura [ Elemental ]
As the Fiend feat with the same name.

Elemental Resistance [ Elemental ]
Your elemental heritage gives you the ability to resist energy attacks.
Benefit: You gain Resistance 2 * Character level to one or two energy types, depending on your elemental subtype.
Air: Electricity and Cold.
Earth: Acid and Cold
Fire: Cold. This applies before your Cold Vulnerability is taken into account.
Water:[/b] Acid and Electricity
Special: If you have multiple elemental subtypes, pick two subtypes and then one energy type from each of those subtypes' list. If you have the Psuedoelemental Being feat and none of the above Subtypes, instead pick from the list below:
Ice: Fire. This applies before your Fire Vulnerability is taken into account.
Shadow: Cold and Fire.
Wood: Acid and Fire.

Elemental Whirlwind [ Elemental ]
You gain the signature ability of Air Elementals to transform into a Whirlwind.
Prerequisites: (Air) Subtype, Character Level 5+
Benefits: You gain the Air Elemental's Whirlwind ability. It is sized, and does damage, as one of your size, but uses your hit dice for its duration.

Extra Arms [ Elemental ]
As the Fiend feat of the same name except as noted below.
Prerequsites: Character Level 9+, 15+ for 2nd pair.

Extra Legs [ Elemental ]
You are quadrupedal.
Benefits: You gain +20' to your land speed, and Swim speed if you have one. This does not affect other movement modes. You also gain all of the benefits of being quadrupedal (stability and increased carrying capacity), and a +2 bonus on all checks to Trip or Bull Rush enemies.

Hardiness of the Elements [ Elemental, Racial ]
You have astounding physical fortitude due to your elemental nature.
Prerequisites: Elemental-Bodied
Benefits: You gain a +4 racial bonus to all saves against Stunning, are immune to Poison and Disease, and your racial bonus to saves against Paralysis improves by +4. You also gain a 50% chance to negate any critical hit or sneak attack made against you, instead of a 25% chance due to your inherent Light Fortification.

Huge Size [ Elemental ]
As the Fiend feat of the same name, except that, optionally, if your element is Air, Fire, or Shadow, two points of the Strength boost and one point of the natural armor increase for the size increase may be traded to remove the reduction to Dexterity. You may do this trade twice, giving a final total of STR +4, DEX +2, Natural Armor +1.

Ice Trail [ Elemental ]
You leave a trail of ice where-ever you go.
Prerequisite: Character Level 3+, (Cold) Subtype
Benefit: Your square counts as if it had the Grease spell cast on it, except that the slick is made of ice and has the (Cold) descriptor. Any square you leave has this effect on it, lasting until the end of your next turn. You never slip on ice, making you immune to this effect.

Infusion of Elemental Essence
You have been infused with the power of one of the elemental planes, granting you an affinity for that element and a small degree of magical power.
Benefit: You may take any feat with the [ Elemental ] subtype that you qualify for, and may choose an element (Air, Earth, Fire, or Water), and take [ Elemental ] feats as though you had that subtype. You also gain Resistance 10 to an energy type dependent on your element: Air or Earth: Acid or Electricity. Fire: Fire. Water: Acid or Cold. You may select this feat only once.

Large Size [ Elemental ]
As the Fiend feat of the same name, except that, optionally, two points of the Strength boost and one point of the Natural Armor increase for the size increase may be traded to remove the reduction to Dexterity. You may do this trade twice, for a final total of STR +4, Dex +2, Natural Armor +0

Primal Armor [ Elemental ]
Your body deflects blows off of itself.
Benefit: You gain impenetrable Damage Reduction equal to half your character level, rounded up (1/- at first level, 2/- at 3rd, 5/- at 9th, 10/- at 19th).

Primal Fortification [ Elemental, Racial ]
Your body has become even more impenetrable.
Prerequisite: Elemental-Bodied, Hardiness of the Elements
Benefit: You gain immunity to Critical Hits. You also cannot be flanked, as your undiffentiated body has no clear front or bag.

Psuedoelemental Being [ Racial ]
You are a psuedoelemental being, with rare and unique powers.
Prerequisite: Elemental-Bodied.
Benefits: Instead of picking a normal elemental type as an elemental-bodied, select one of the following other planes: Ice, Magma, Shadow, or Wood. You gain benefits as follows for the type you've picked:
Ice: You gain the (Cold) subtype, a 30' base land speed, a 30' swim speed, and +2 to Str. Your melee attacks do 1d6 bonus Cold damage. You speak Aquan and Auran.
Magma: You gain both the (Earth) and (Fire) subtypes. Your base land speed is 20', and you gain +2 Str. Otherwise you gain the full benefits of both elements.
Shadow: You have a 30' base land speed and a Fly speed of 10', with good maneuverability, and gain +2 Dex. You are invisible in any lighting less than bright light. You speak Common. Despite your affiliation to the Plane of Shadow instead of to the Inner Planes, you still qualify for [ Elemental ] feats.
Wood: You have no elemental subtype, and gain +2 Con and a 10' Climb speed. You gain Regeneration 0, penetrable by Fire and Slashing weapons, which improves to Regeneration equal to your level in areas of natural daylight or equivalent brightness (such as a Daylight spell). You only gain natural healing if you spend at least 8 hours/day in such brightness. You count as a Plant, in addition to an Elemental, for all effects relating to type. You speak your choice of Sylvan or Treant, and any Elemental language.
Other Dual-element types than Magma, such as Ooze (Water and Earth), Smoke (Air and Fire), Vapor (Water and Air), and so on are possible.
Special: This feat can only be taken at 1st level.

Sphere Focus [ Monstrous ]
You can draw on the power of a specific Sphere more easily.
Prerequisite: Access to at least one Sphere
Benefit: Select a Sphere that you know. The DC of any saving throw against spells from that Sphere increases by 1.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a different Sphere.

Stolen Breath [ Elemental ]
As the [ Fiend ] feat of the same name, except where noted below.
Prerequisites: (Air) Subtype or Drowning Grasp, Character level 3+

Tremorsense [ Elemental ]
Your close connection to your home element gives you Tremorsense.
Prerequisites: (Earth) or (Water) Subtype, Character level 6+
Benefits: You gain Tremorsense out to 120'. You gain Blindsight out to 30' against any creature you can Tremorsense. If you have the (Water) subtype and not the (Earth) subtype, your Tremorsense works at its full range in liquids, but only to half range and you do not gain Blindsight through solids.

Touch of Shadow [ Elemental ]
Your shadowy touch can bypass armor.
Prerequisite: Shadow Elemental Creature (Psuedoelemental Being (Shadow), Shadow Genasi, or similar), Natural weapon, Character Level 3+
Benefit: You may choose to make natural weapon attacks as touch attacks. Such attacks use your Dexterity bonus to hit, instead of Strength, and do not gain Strength to damage.

Uncanny Flexibility [ Elemental, Racial ]
Your body, being made of a material other than flesh, bends in directions and places that flesh neither can nor should.
Prerequisite: Airbodied, Firebodied, or Waterbodied; or Psuedoelemental Being (Magma or Shadow).
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to Escape Artist checks, and Esc
ape Artist is always a class skill for you. You can compress your head to about half area for purposes of slipping through tight spaces, and may attempt to slip manacles, ropes, webs, nets, grapplers, and similar bonds as a free action.

Unstoppable Force [ Elemental, Racial ]
You cannot be stopped.
Prerequisites: Elemental-Bodied, Hardiness of the Elements
Benefit: You become immune to paralysis and stunning.


Spheres:
Elemental Spheres
Elemental Spheres function like Fiendish Spheres, except that each one is associated with one or more of the Elements. An Elemental Weird taking an Elemental Sphere must be a Weird of the same element as the Sphere. It is reccomended that Genies follow these same rules (yes, this is a nerf, to keep them thematically appropriate. While it is a cute trick to take the Cold sphere on your Efreeti to gain immunity to Cold and offset your Vulnerability with already being immune, it's not really thematically appropriate to have an Efreeti better at Cone of Cold than it is at Fireball). Note that Magma has no spheres listed for it. This is intentional; it can draw Spheres from both the Earth and Fire lists. Spheres listed with Fiend as an element are new, and can be taken by Fiends.

Any unlisted parts of a Sphere (such as its granted ability or spell list) use the Fiendish Sphere of the same name.

Air:
Elements: Air, Fiend
Ability: Elemental: Your Fly speed improves by one maneuverability class and 10'. If already perfect, it improves by 20'. Fiend: You gain the (Air) Subtype and the above ability. If you have no Fly speed, you instead gain a Fly speed of 15' (Good).
1 Expeditious Retreat (Also applies to Fly speed)
3 Gaseous Form
5 Wind Wall
7 Control Winds
9 Overland Flight
11 Summon Nature's Ally VI (Cast as [Air] spell only)
13 Control Weather
15 Whirlwind
17 Telekinesis, Quickened (Violent thrust only)
19 Summon Elemental Monolith ([Air] only, no need to concentrate) (CArc)

Arctic:
Elements: Ice, Fiend
Ability: Your spell-like abilities with the [Cold] descriptor leave a frozen slick over all surfaces in their areas or touched by their Effects. This slick functions as a Grease spell, and lasts for two rounds.
1 Chill Metal
3 Icy Sphere (as Flaming Sphere, but Cold)
5 Sleet Storm
7 Polar Ray
9 Fire Shield (Chill shield only)
11 Transmute Mud to Rock (new rock is frozen and gets ice slick)
13 Prismatic Spray (has [Cold] descriptor for no reason)
15 Flesh to Ice, Quickened (Frostburn) (Substitute: Temporal Stasis)
17 Comet Swarm (as Meteor Swarm, but Cold)
19 Earthquake with added Ice Storm (covers entire area of Earthquake for full duration)

Cold:
Elements: Air, Water, Ice

Creation:
Elements: All, Fiend
Ability: You gain a bonus [Item Creation] feat.
1 Unseen Servant
3 Make Whole
5 Minor Creation
7 Stone Shape
9 Major Creation
11 Fabricate
13 Wall of Iron
15 Magnificent Mansion
17 Wish (Wealth and Magic Item only for free, spend for Raise the Dead and Increase power of item only)
19 Genesis (SpC)

Dominion:
Elements: All

Dust:
Elements: Air, Earth, Shadow, Fiend
Ability: Your area spell-like abilities may, at your option, stir up a stinging dust cloud, inflicting a -2 penalty to Perception checks and a -1 penalty to attack rolls for one minute to any creature that does not successfully save against the spell. The cloud lasts one round, and its effects last one minute after the affected creature takes its last increase.
1 Gust of Wind
3 Glitterdust
5 Sleet Storm ([Air], not [Cold], descriptor. Fine dust has same effect as ice)
7 Disintegrate
9 Cloudkill
11 Mass Blindness (as Blindness/Deafness, but Blindness only, 1 creature/level)
13 Creeping Doom
15 Horrid Wilting
17 Summon Golem (Clay Only) (PHB2)
19 Disintegrate (You may use this ability as an immediate action)

Electricity:
Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Fiend
Ability: You gain Immunity to Electricity.
1 Lightning Bolt
3 Shocking Ray (as Scorching Ray, but electric)
5 Orb of Electricity
7 Chain Lightning
9 Electric Shield (PHB2 Sonic Shield, but Electric)
11 Thunder Field (PHB2)
13 Power Word: Stun
15 Greater Shout, Electric-Substituted
17 Lightning Bolt, Maximized and Uncapped
19 Chain Lightning, Quickened

Ether:
Elements: All except Shadow
Abilities: Your equipment all gains the Ghost Touch property.
1 Alarm
3 See Invisibility
5 Blink
7 Baleful Blink (PHB2)
9 Mage's Faithful Hound
11 Ethereal Jaunt
13 Greater Arcane Sight
15 Maze
17 Etherealness
19 Gate (Travel version only)

Fire:
Elements: Fire

Frostbite:
Elements: Water, Ice, Shadow

Metal:
Elements: Earth, Fire, Fiend
Ability: You may burrow through metal using any existing Burrow speed.
1 Magic Vestment
3 Chill Metal (special bonus: Heat Metal, uses same slots)
5 Keen Edge
7 Rusting Grasp
9 Major Creation (metals only)
11 Wall of Iron
13 Blade Barrier
15 Iron Body
17 Binding
19 Summon Golem (Iron Only)

Oracle:
Elements: All
Ability: Roll all chances for a divination you cast to work or backfire twice, and take the more advantageous result.
1 Identify
3 Augury
5 Tongues
7 Divination
9 Commune
11 True Seeing
13 Vision
15 Discern Location
17 Metafaculty (Psionic power)
19 Wish (Undo Misfortune and Turn Back Time only, no EXP cost for Undo Misfortune if you don't undo the same round more than once)

Plant:
Elements: Wood
Ability: You gain the Druid's Wilderness Stride ability.
1 Entangle
3 Wood Shape (bonus: Warp Wood)
5 Plant Growth
7 Command Plants
9 Wall of Thorns
11 Liveoak
13 Animate Plants
15 Control Plants
17 Shambler
19 Mass Awaken (Trees only)

Pyre:
Elements: Fire

Quicksand:
Elements: Earth, Water, Fiend
Ability: You can walk and stand on soft or sticky ground, even quicksand, as if it was firm.
1 Soften Earth and Stone
3 Earthen Grasp (CArc)
5 Water Walk
7 Stony Grasp (CArc)
9 Transmute Rock to Mud
11 Acid Fog
13 Flesh to Stone
15 Sympathy
17 Gate (Travel only)
19 Imprisonment

Roots:
Elements: Earth, Wood
Ability: You can heal yourself by one hit point per spell-like ability this Sphere has granted you as a standard action as long as you are in either light as bright as natural sunlight or standing on earth (stone if you can burrow into it).
1 Pass without Trace
3 Barkskin
5 Poison
7 Antiplant Shell
9 Transport via Plants
11 Ironwood
13 Transmute Metal to Wood
15 Regenerate
17 Clone (Self only, must grow in earth)
19 Soul Bind (Uses a seed to hold the soul)

Shadow:
Elements: Shadow, Fiend
Ability: You can see in any kind of darkness, even magical darkness, out to 60', or 30' more than you normally could, whichever is more.
1 Darkness
3 Mirror Image
5 Displacement
7 Shadow Conjuration
9 Shadow Evocation
11 Shadow Walk
13 Project Image
15 Greater Shadow Conjuration (specical bonus: Greater Shadow Evocation)
17 Simulacrum
19 Shades

Smoke:
Elements: Air, Fire, Shadow, Fiend
Ability: Any [Fire] spell-like ability you cast that affects an area may, at your option, produce a smoke cloud that provides concealment to any creature more than 5' away through it, and total concealment to any creature more than 10' away through it. This smoke cloud lasts for one round per caster level.
1 Heat Metal
3 Pyrotechnics
5 Stinking Cloud
7 Flame Blade, Quickened
9 Cloudkill
11 Mirage Arcana
13 Delayed Blast Fireball
15 Horrid Wilting
17 Implosion
19 Summon Efreeti (as Summon Monster IX, but summons and Efreeti)

Stone:
Elements: Earth

Trickery
Elements: Shadow

Water:
Elements: Water, Fiend
Ability: You gain the (Water) subtype and a Swim speed equal to your base land speed. If you already have those, your Swim speed improves by 10'
1 Grease ([Water] descriptor)
3 Quench
5 Control Water
7 Freedom of Movement
9 Transmute Rock to Mud
11 Acid Fog
13 Telekinetic Sphere (the Sphere is filled with water, water weighs nothing for your telekinesis)
15 Arctic Cloud (as Incendiary Cloud, but Cold damage)
17 Summon Elemental Monolith ([Water] only)
19 Crushing Hand

Weather:
Elements: Air, Water, Fiend
Ability: You suffer no penalties due to weather conditions
1 Obscuring Mist
3 Sleet Storm
5 Call Lightning Storm
7 Solid Fog
9 Control Winds
11 Control Weather
13 Acid Fog
15 Horrid Wilting
17 Meteor Swarm
19 Storm of Vengeance

Next will come Classes (Elemental Brute and Elemental Weird), and then probably Spheres & Feats. The Elemental Brute is going to be modeled on the Fiendish Brute, and the Weird on the Conduit.

Races are up and pretty well fixed. Elemental Brute and Feats are up. Spheres and Elemental Weird are up.
Last edited by IGTN on Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:01 am, edited 13 times in total.
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Post by schpeelah »

Automatic Languages: Common
I'd change it to "Common and Aquan, Auran, Ignan or Terran, by plane of origin"
Ability Scores: Water: +2 Con, +2 Wis
All others have a -2, must have forgotten to add one here as well.
Spell-like ability: Feather Fall 3/day (Air)
OK, useful even on Plane of Air. However I think all of these spell-likes should be at-will (Light 1/day? come on!).
Earth Glide 1/day (Earth)
I'm not aware of any Earth Glide spell, only Ex ability that does't have a duration or any actual effect without a burrow speed, which they need to have to live on Plane of Earth (Air and Fire Genasi can exist just fine on their planes, why shouldn't Earth Genasi)
Water Breathing at will (Water)
SRD wrote:Creatures with the water subtype always have swim speeds and can move in water without making Swim checks. A water creature can breathe underwater and usually can breathe air as well.
Elementoid
Weird name. What's wrong with "Elemental", "Half-Elemental" and "Elemental Creature" or maybe "Humanoid Elemental"?
Variable Size
You should not that listed ability score adjustments are for Medium Size.
Immune to Poison, Sleep, Paralysis. Does not sleep. Can be flanked, stunned, and critically hit, unlike a monstrous elemental. Light Fortification
Either make an Unliving equivalent subtype or change type to Outsider (Elemental and Air/Water/Fire/Earth Subtypes)
Unable to cross opposed element
Air and Earth are nonsensical, Air is also vague. Fire and Water should just take damage, that's what happens to Fire elementals on the Plane of Water.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

This is an excellent idea, thanks IGTN. My personal preference, however, is that genasi are more in line with Aasimar. The highest attribute of all genies is strength, so for attribute modifiers I'd just give +2 to that. I think it's warranted to give air genasi (genie genasi) the air subtype, which automagically comes with a fly speed. My first through is to make it 10' (good), which allows hovering and breaking certain challenges in interesting ways. Similarly, fire (efrit) genasi should have the fire subtype, water (marid) genasi the water type, and earth (dao) genasi the earth.

That's all pretty strong (especially the fire subtype), but not quite interesting enough. The fire guys should get produce flame at least 1/day, because that's what artists will always have them doing. Gust of wind 1/day probably isn't overpowered for air genasi, but still gives them a method of rocket propulsion and cloud dispersion that remains useful even at higher levels. You could give earth genasi the dao's "push" ability (something like improved bull rush). I have no idea what to give marid. Create water at will might be a little too silly.

All genasi tend to be attractive and muscular, with cosmetic details that give away their heritage.
Last edited by CatharzGodfoot on Sun Sep 06, 2009 3:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by IGTN »

Right, right. This stuff's a first draft, and I wasn't happy with a lot of it, like the Elementoid name, either. "Elemental" is also the name of the type and the name of a bunch of monsters in the MM, so I didn't want to add another Elemental to things to make it more difficult. Basically, I need a short-ish name that conveys that this race builds into being the MM elementals.

I'm not entirely sure if I agree with giving all of them +STR, but since all three MM genies have it, I guess it goes on, in exchange for one of the other increases. Air needs a -something else, though, maybe Wis or Con.

It's in the variable traits section, but Genasi do get the appropriate elemental subtype. I completely forgot about Produce Flame when assigning Genasi their SLAs. When I revise these Genasi, Fire will have Produce Flame instead of Pyrotechnics (basically, I was giving a shitty SLA in exchange for a subtype that does stuff in combat, but, on the other hand, sticking the Fire subtype on something is probably a net zero, or even negative). Air might get Gust of Wind, or Levitate, or something, although I kinda like them having Feather Fall, and if they want more they can get it granted in Sphere form.

Schpeelah:
I'm following the precedent set by Aasimar and Tieflings here; they don't speak planar languages by default because they're far from their planar lineage, Genasi don't speak Elemental languages for the same reason. Genasi who embrace their ancestry are likely to learn their Genie side's language, but the average Genasi on the street is probably 4th-generation Material.

The Earth Glide spell is from Races of Stone, according to the Spheres list.

I think I meant for Small Elementoids to get the same adjustments as Medium, although maybe I should stack Halfling adjustments onto the Small Elementoids as well. I might take off the Variable Size instead and just make them Medium.

I'll do the type changes. I'm not sure which way, yet, but I'll fix it.

Unable to Cross opposed element was added, basically, because I was worried that piling on the elemental immunities was overpowered. Taking those away, though, they might not need the nerf, so I can take it away.

For it, though, Air was meant to reference the Squeezing heading here. Basically, if the constraints its trying to squeeze past are earth, stone, and metal on all sides, then the Air Elemental simply cannot enter. The Earth Elemental, in exchange, gets trouble if it tries to fly.

That said, movement penalties like this just act to exclude a player from parts of the adventure. It's probably best to just take them off and replace them with actually balanced combat abilities.

Time for a major revision.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

IGTN wrote: I'm not entirely sure if I agree with giving all of them +STR, but since all three MM genies have it, I guess it goes on, in exchange for one of the other increases. Air needs a -something else, though, maybe Wis or Con.
Why does Air need a boost?
IGTN wrote:It's in the variable traits section, but Genasi do get the appropriate elemental subtype. I completely forgot about Produce Flame when assigning Genasi their SLAs. When I revise these Genasi, Fire will have Produce Flame instead of Pyrotechnics (basically, I was giving a shitty SLA in exchange for a subtype that does stuff in combat, but, on the other hand, sticking the Fire subtype on something is probably a net zero, or even negative). Air might get Gust of Wind, or Levitate, or something, although I kinda like them having Feather Fall, and if they want more they can get it granted in Sphere form.
My bad, I didn't read well enough. The fact that the air subtype comes with free flight, however, makes feather fall a bit superfluous. Also, pyrotechnics is by no means a shitty spell.

On the favored classes front, they should really all get genie. I mean, why would the child of an efrit be more likely to follow the path of her ancestors than a marid? Not that having genie as a favored class does anything...
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Post by IGTN »

Air has -Str right now. If that's changing to +Str, their -Stat has to go somewhere else.

I forgot that I didn't give Fire Pyrotechnics. An earlier prewrite had something like Pyrotechnics 1/week instead of Light 1/day.

But Fire is the weakest subtype here, so they need a good SLA.
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Post by schpeelah »

Re: Languages: Yeah, my bad, I was reading "with minor infusions of elemental essense before birth" as "born on Elemental Planes" (I had the idea stuck in my head for some time already). I was also going by the fact that most non-human races have Common + some other language.

Unable to cross opposed element: considering the kind of crowd that posts here you'd eventually have a 5-page discussion about how much wood an Air Genasi has to stick into a hole in the ground before he can crawl into it. It's easier to just give them claustrophobia.
Relevant text in Heroes of Horror wrote:When a character with a mild
phobia encounters the object of her phobia, she must make
a successful Will save or become shaken. The DC of the save
equals 12 + the CR of the challenge that is the object of the
phobia. (Treat CRs of less than 1 as 0.)
A moderate phobia requires the character to succeed on
a Will save (DC 14 + the CR of the challenge) or become
frightened.
A severe phobia requires the character to succeed on a Will
save (DC 16 + the CR of the challenge) or become panicked.
Cramped Quarters: This phobia can by activated by any
situation that calls for an Escape Artist check, including
grappling. It also applies whenever the character is paralyzed.
The effective CR equals the CR of the creature grapplling
the character, or 1 for every 5 points by which the DC of the
Escape Artist check exceeds 10, or the saving throw DC of
the paralysis effect –10. A character with this phobia can
never initiate a grapple.
Come to think of it, phobias are possibly the way to go if you decide to keep some form of this "ability".
Also, most forms of flight do not actually care how heavy you are. I'd give a couple suggestions for a better mechanic, but that's still nerfing something an Earth genasi is even necessarily ever going to have.
Edit: Oh, and I checked the Earth Glide spell. The spell just grants the ability for 1 minute/level and, unless there is some extra clarification somewhere, the ability still doesn't do anything. It doesn't say how fast you can glide, gliding isn't anywhere in the movement rules and Earth Glide doesn't grant you a burrowing speed (also missing from the Earth Elemental entry, meaning it can't use it either) or a "Swim through Ground" speed.
Last edited by schpeelah on Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

IGTN wrote:Air has -Str right now. If that's changing to +Str, their -Stat has to go somewhere else.

I forgot that I didn't give Fire Pyrotechnics. An earlier prewrite had something like Pyrotechnics 1/week instead of Light 1/day.

But Fire is the weakest subtype here, so they need a good SLA.
My reccomendation was that Strength +2 by the only attribute modifier that any genasi get. Produce flame is a fairly kickass SLA for rogue-types, being generally better and less expensive than acid flasks. The fire subtype allows a number of fun and antisocial exploits, like lighting yourself on fire or creating interesting 'terrain effects' that you're mostly immune to like burning inns. Fire immunity outweighs cold vulnerability in a PC, because covering up your weakness is always an option.

If you really think that fire genasi would be underpowered as written, making produce flame an at-will would be an even greater boost for the right character types.
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Post by IGTN »

Alright, +2 STR as their only adjustment it is. Also makes Favored Class selection easier, since now I don't have to play to ability bonuses and penalties.

They do run into a bit of a risk of overshadowing half-orcs if they do this, but as long as they don't share its favored classes and have some points weaker, they should still be good. Also, the Half-orc is underpowered. Overall, they come out looking like a Tiefling.

Yeah, Produce Flame is a good SLA for the right builds. I'm not concerned about the choice there. I'm also not really concerned about subtype power; it's just that (Air): You can fly from level 1 on. (Earth): You can burrow. (Water): You can swim. (Fire): You're immune to fire and take extra damage from cold. Fire is the only one that comes with a weakness. But, yes, PCs are good at covering weaknesses, so (Fire) is an awesome choice of subtype.

What kind of schedule should they be on? Right now, in the revision I'm working on, I have their SLAs at 1/day Gust of Wind, or 3/day Pass w/o Trace, Produce Flame, or Obscuring Mist. I'm not entirely happy about Obscuring Mist as the Water Genasi power, though; I might replace it with something like Grease. Pass without Trace is, likewise, a kinda weak selection for Earth; I was also considering 1/day Soften Earth and Stone. As it is, though, this is as good or better than the Tiefling, who gets a spell that ranges between 2nd and 0th level 1/day.

Fundamentally, there just aren't very many good low-level (meaning 1st level) Earth or Water spells.

E: also, has anyone noticed that the MM genies are pretty clearly made of something much denser than human flesh? I mean, the Djinni has a BMI of 44 and the Efreeti of 66.
Last edited by IGTN on Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

IGTN wrote:Alright, +2 STR as their only adjustment it is. Also makes Favored Class selection easier, since now I don't have to play to ability bonuses and penalties.

They do run into a bit of a risk of overshadowing half-orcs if they do this, but as long as they don't share its favored classes and have some points weaker, they should still be good. Also, the Half-orc is underpowered. Overall, they come out looking like a Tiefling.
Yeah, they pretty much wipe the floor with the half-orc, but are probably on par with aasimar and tieflings (which get boosts to kickass attributes, but have weaker subtypes & movement). Depending on what you choose to do with the other abilities, attribute adjustments could simply be dropped altogether.
IGTN wrote:Yeah, Produce Flame is a good SLA for the right builds. I'm not concerned about the choice there. I'm also not really concerned about subtype power; it's just that (Air): You can fly from level 1 on. (Earth): You can burrow. (Water): You can swim. (Fire): You're immune to fire and take extra damage from cold. Fire is the only one that comes with a weakness. But, yes, PCs are good at covering weaknesses, so (Fire) is an awesome choice of subtype.

What kind of schedule should they be on? Right now, in the revision I'm working on, I have their SLAs at 1/day Gust of Wind, or 3/day Pass w/o Trace, Produce Flame, or Obscuring Mist. I'm not entirely happy about Obscuring Mist as the Water Genasi power, though; I might replace it with something like Grease. Pass without Trace is, likewise, a kinda weak selection for Earth; I was also considering 1/day Soften Earth and Stone. As it is, though, this is as good or better than the Tiefling, who gets a spell that ranges between 2nd and 0th level 1/day.

Fundamentally, there just aren't very many good low-level (meaning 1st level) Earth or Water spells.
They don't need to have spell-likes. An earth genasi would be perfectly serviceable with a +1 natural armor bonus or something. Control water could make a fun spell-like for marid genasi. It's 4th level, and has the potential to cause wide-scale damage, but doesn't have general combat applications. And it's very fitting.

The one problem I'm seeing with the abilities is that they have a natural tendency to overlap with True Genie rather than synergize. As it stands, a genasi is almost always best off not following her heritage when she becomes a True Genie.

A Janni genasi would also be interesting. At the moment all I can think of giving them is the ability to choose which track they get their abilities from at each level of True Genie.


An aasimar (or tiefling) can be the descendant of a genie and take the True Genie class. Given the choice, I'd probably try something like an aasimar (efrit-descended) True Genie 1/Monk X over a fire genasi.
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Post by IGTN »

With what you just said in mind, I have a revision of the Genasi that I'm vaguely happy with:
Genasi are the descendents of mortals and genies of various kinds. Mortals with minor infusions of elemental essense before birth, or descended from those with stronger infusions, also appear as Genasi. Their physical traits are influenced by the elements they are descended from.

Depending on their elemental influences, Genasi are likely to become every kind of adventurer.

Genasi have the following racial traits
  • Medium Size Genasi fall into the human height and weight ranges, although Earth Genasi tend to be squat and Air Genasi willowy.
  • 30' movement
  • Outsider Type (Native and Human subtypes)
  • Darkvision 60'
  • +2 Strength
  • Elemental Subtype of the appropriate element: (Air), (Earth), (Fire), or (Water).
  • +1 to the DC of any spells or spell-like abilities with a descriptor matching the Genasi's elemental subtype.
  • Favored Class: Genie and by element: Air: Thief-Acrobat. Earth: Knight. Fire: Elementalist. Water: Monk.
  • Automatic Languages: Common
  • Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Formian, Ignan, Infernal, Slaad, Terran
Genasi also gain another ability that reflects their elemental origin:
  • Air: Fly speed of 10' with Good maneuverability
  • Earth: Burrow speed of 10'
  • Fire: Produce Flame as a spell-like ability three times per day, cast at the Genasi's character level.
  • Water: Swim speed of 30' and ability to breathe water as easily as air.
Fire Genasi Genie Substitution Class Feature:
Instead of getting Immunity to Fire as a Genie at 1st level, the Fire Genasi instead loses Cold Vulnerability.
Spell-likes are gone, except for the Fire Genasi, which makes the overlap problem smaller.

I'm not sure what to do about a Janni Genasi's racial traits either; what you suggested sounds like it could work.

Elementoid is going on the back burner for now. Also, the first time I tried to write up the Elemental Brute I ran into a snag in that elementals don't fight like Fiends, so modeling it closely on the Fiendish Brute won't help. I'll probably back-burner that project and do the Weird first, since there isn't a whole lot to do for its Spheres.
Last edited by IGTN on Mon Sep 07, 2009 12:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

Yeah, that looks sufficiently kickass without being too good. Maybe giving janni genasi the DC boost to all elemental spells would do it? Actually, both DC & caster level +1 (for all genasi) might make it more generally useful without pushing it too far.
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Post by IGTN »

Alright. I've made a few minor tweaks, mostly formatting, and put the Genasi in the first post. I added notes on Material and Shadow Genasi.

I'm not sure about putting in a caster level boost; the DC boost was there to make up for not getting any increases to their casting stats. While it's in there it wouldn't be too bad to give a caster level bonus, but it's not in this revision; it doesn't seem particularly necessary. They get nifty things if they go basher or caster.

Now time for the Elementoids fix. I'm going to start with the name, as soon as inspiration strikes me.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

The problem with giving someone +1 to the DC of water spells is that it's beneficial with 1, maybe 2 spells in the entire game. At least a CL boost improves the duration of elemental summons.

The shadow genasi look cool. Basically medium sized gnomes.
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Post by Prak »

IGTN wrote:Right, right. This stuff's a first draft, and I wasn't happy with a lot of it, like the Elementoid name, either. "Elemental" is also the name of the type and the name of a bunch of monsters in the MM, so I didn't want to add another Elemental to things to make it more difficult. Basically, I need a short-ish name that conveys that this race builds into being the MM elementals.
the fact that it's supposed to build into the MM elementals actually makes my first thought for a name for them work: Elementolem, a portmanteau of Element[al] and golem, golem means "incomplete being" so, that makes it work.

and, just to make sure I understand, the decision to leave genasi at +2 str and no other ability mods was made so as to not over shadow the other races once all the other abilities are added on, right?
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Post by IGTN »

Catharz: Alright, I'm convinced on the caster level boost. I don't know if there are any [Water] spells that allow non-harmless saves in the SRD; going to the spell filter says that casting Control Water on a Water Elemental allows one. That's esoteric enough that the CL boost is necessary.

Prak: Genasi were left at +2 Str because that's the thing all genies (except the Khayal) have in common, with no other ability mods because they make them messy and specialized, and I was having trouble coming up with thematic changes (+2/-2 pairs) that 1) didn't step on each others' toes, 2) allowed the favored classes I wanted, and 3) were thematically justifiable for the element.

The -olem suffix, or something like it, seems good. Elementals and Golems as D&D creatures are pretty connected, but it might be just what I needed. I was talking to someone else about this project, and we hit on the idea of stripping the word "Mephit" for parts, too.

So something like Mephelom, maybe. If I still like it in the morning and don't see anything better, that'll probably be the new working title.

I have it. They're going up as the Elemental-Bodied, which also nicely shortens down for use in actual play.
Last edited by IGTN on Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by IGTN »

Double-posting because progress has been made.

A draft of the Elemental Bodied is up, and now the Elemental Brute, and its feats, have a draft up. It's a bit stronger, in terms of raw numbers, than the Fiendish Brute, since it gets Cleric BAB, but it gets fewer natural weapons (one, and a feat for one more), and Elementals lack the versatility Fiends do, in terms of weaponry (seriously, no spines, no poison sacks, no pincers, no stinger, just a pair of slams). The Elemental Brute is meant to be a bit more like a Fighter (is supposed to ideally be) than a Barbarian, using special combat maneuvers to get battlefield control, instead of wailing for damage.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

A character grappled by someone with Drowning Grasp should be considered "underwater". This forces characters without water breathing to hold their breath; this results in a nice combination of 'if you're aquatic I vortex you, if you're a land-lubber I drown you'. I'd remove the Edge case. In fact, you could combine this with Drench (which is rather weak).

So: you can vortex, anyone you grapple with is underwater (this includes you being grappled), and you can put out fires.
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Post by IGTN »

Alright, I'll change Drowning Grasp that way in the next draft. That makes it grant Edge easier if you're a 3rd level Brute, anyway, since Water Mastery gives you Edge over anyone immersed in water.

I'm not entirely sure about adding Drench to it, since Drench includes a 50% chance (essentially) to negate any Fireball or similar effect that hits you. Still, if Drench looks that bad, then it goes in.

Also, I'm thinking about combining Solid Body onto Primal Fortification, since the former may be a bit weak on its own. That makes full elemental traits into three feats (Hardiness, Primal Fort, and Unstoppable Force), which even then might be a bit high of a price.
Last edited by IGTN on Tue Sep 08, 2009 5:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

Yeah, Solid Body + Primal Fort makes a lot of sense. For Elemental Resistance, you might consider swapping earth and water for the resistances: water can still freeze, but it will harmlessly conduct or disperse electricity. Yeah, I know that the whole 'grounded' thing is hilarious, but in this case I think that it's better to say that rocks are less likely to freeze than water.
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Post by schpeelah »

Your work is rounding up nicely. Congrats.

And now it's time for another portion of my usual complaining.

Abode of Earth: I feel it should give the option to get +x bonus to burrow speed instead. In previous editions there were more things that set your stats to Y and these are not present now because this kind of thing was deemed a bad idea.

Breath of the Elements: Breath weapons usually have a cooldown instead of limited uses per day. I think 5 rounds would be okay, it's a (relatively) low-damage area attack you want to use to kill large numbers of mooks, not something you save up for the boss fight.

Burn & Drench are really cool, I love them.
You can transform into the signature Whirlwind of the Air Elementals.
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Primal Armor is IMO underpowered. Better choices would be:
a) DR 1/2 levels
b) Energy Resistance equal to level to two types of energy + DR 1/3 levels round up
c) Enhancement Bonus to AC 1/3 levels.
But I'm not too sure about that.

Infusion of Elemental Essence and Psuedoelemental Being should note that they can only be taken at 1st character level

Solid Body: "You also gain +2 to Perception checks" You mean Escape Artist checks, right? I'd also add the ability to squeeze through narrow spaces. And possibly a second feat that gives Freedom of Movement to non-Earth Elementals (you can't really grab, shackle or tie up a living mass of air or water).
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Post by IGTN »

Catharz: Dao get Electricity Immunity; I was matching it to the Genies. Still, elementals aren't genies. That change goes in.

Schpeelah:
I'll give Abode of Earth a speed increase option. Probably +10' if you're already faster than 20'.

Breath of the Elements will get a cooldown, sure.

Whirlwind will be rephrased as you suggested.

Primal Armor will be raised to 1/2 rounded up. I put it as low as I did because I was worried that, if you grabbed it and went, say, Knight or Barbarian you can get ridiculous damage reduction. If I'm the only one worried there, then it's probably not dangerous; besides, resisting your level in damage every attack isn't really broken except against death by 1000 cuts people, and it's fine if Genasi Knight > 1000 cuts, always.

Psuedoelemental Being does in my notes; if it doesn't I'll fix it. Infusion of Elemental Essence I was half-considering allowing people to get infused with elemental essence after they adventure, but that might be a time to rebuild your character.

Escape Artist would be good on Solid Body, yes. I had Perception to go with can't be flanked, but it doesn't go with the justification I gave. I'll probably be taking the skill bonus out altogether when I merge it with the other one, though. Can't be flanked or critically hit doesn't need a skill bonus to be awesome.
(E: The Escape Artist feat is in as Uncanny Flexibility. Immunity to flanking got moved to Primal Fortification)
Last edited by IGTN on Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by IGTN »

The other half of the progression is up, and with it 15 new Spheres, almost as many as were in the Tome of Fiends.
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Post by CatharzGodfoot »

Looks great. Just a few minor things: Roots should perhaps give entangle, there's still some Conduit text under "Enhanced Sphere Access", and IMO fire creatures should generally have climb speeds.
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Post by IGTN »

Yeah, Roots should probably give Entangle, but then I'd have to take it off Plant, and I'm not sure what to put there. I could just swap the level 1 spells from each of them, leaving Plants as a utility sphere and Roots as a combat sphere. Alternately, I can give Plants Shillelagh or Snare.

I'm not entirely sure how I would give Fire a climb speed at this point in the project, although I could change around the skill bonuses. Probably should, actually.
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