Genasi

Genasi are creatures in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

Publication history

The air genasi, the earth genasi, the fire genasi, and the water genasi first appeared in second edition as player character races for the Planescape setting in the Planewalker's Handbook (1996).^[1]

The air genasi, the earth genasi, the fire genasi, and the water genasi appeared in the third edition for the Forgotten Realms setting in Monsters of Faerûn (2001), under the "planetouched" entry.^[2] The four genasi types appeared as player character races in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001), Dragon #293 (March 2002),^[3] and Races of Faerûn (2003). The dust para-genasi, the ice para-genasi, the magma para-genasi, the ooze para-genasi, the smoke para-genasi, the steam para-genasi appeared in Dragon #297 (July 2002).^[4]

In 4th edition, genasi appear in Monster Manual 2 (2009) and in Forgotten Realms Players' Guide as a player race. Their role in the default Dungeons & Dragons setting is detailed in Ecology of the Genasi in Dragon #367, and Abyssal Genasi are introduced in Dragon #380.

Description

Genasi are planetouched (mortal creatures who have in their veins some blood of creatures from an alternate plane), who in their case are humans with an elemental in their ancestry.

The most common genasi by far are the ones who are related to the four classical elements - air, earth, fire and water - though para-elemental genasi also exist. Genasi resemble humans only with one or two unusual features which correspond to their element, such as wispy hair for Air Genasi or red skin for Fire Genasi. Genasi also have special abilities which correspond to their element.

In the Planescape campaign setting, Genasi are available as a race for player characters. Genasi are also featured as a character race in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.

4th edition

In 4th edition, Genasi are a single race rather than a group of related races. Genasi have five elemental manifestations corresponding to the four classical elements and lightning: Firesoul, Watersoul, Earthsoul, Windsoul, and Stormsoul. Each manifestation provides a passive defensive bonus and a racial power. One manifestation must be chosen during character creation, and additional manifestations may be acquired through feats, allowing the player to switch manifestations between encounters, and the Elemental Tempest paragon path allows Genasi to use two manifestations simultaneously.

Abyssal genasi are genasi whose elemental nature has been twisted by the Abyss, introduced in Dragon #380. Their corrupted manifestations are inversions of four of the regular elements genasi manifest. These manifestations are Cindersoul, Causticsoul, Plaguesoul, and Voidsoul.

The genasi of Athas can have one of four different manifestations that match the setting introduced in Dragon #396. These manifestations are Sunsoul, Magmasoul, Sandsoul, and Embersoul.

References