Elemarns - Sean's Alternate to the Genasi

Elemarns--Sean's Alternate to the Genasi

There has been some discussion of the elemarns as a race and whether or not they stack up to their +1 level adjustment. In the course of that discussion I decided to make a variant of the genasi, something not tied to existing 2E AD&D material and therefore might be a better approach from a holistic standpoint. The result are the elemarns--elemental-based planetouched. Feel free to use them in place of the genasi, and if you have any feats, prestige classes, or whatever that only certain genasi can qualify for, elemarns qualify if they are of the same elemental type.

Air Elemarn
Air elemarns are the descendants of air elemental beings and humans. They are often chaotic neutral. They appear human but for one or two traits that show their air elemental heritage: hair that constantly moves as if in the wind, a light blue or light gray skin tone, unnaturally cool flesh, and so on. They are often disheveled and have mercurial tempers.
Racial Abilities: Air elemarns have the following traits:

+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom: Air elemarns are nimble and sharp-minded, but often unfocused.
Medium-size.
Air elemarn base speed is 30 feet.
Low-light vision.
Air elemarns have the spell-like ability to levitate once per day (caster level = character level). They may invoke this ability as a free action and (like feather fall spell) may invoke it in response to falling.
Cold and electricity resistance 5.
Lasting air: An air elemarns may hold his breath twice as long as a human (normally a human can hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to twice his Constitution score, so an air elemarns can hold his breath for four times his Constitution score).
Outsider: Air elemarns are native outsiders.
Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Auran.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Level Adjustment +1.
Air elemarns have the same life expectancy and age categories as a human. They use the human height and elven weight tables.

Earth Elemarn
Earth elemarns are the descendants of earth elemental beings and humans. They are often neutral. They appear human but for one or two traits that show their earth elemental heritage: earth-colored skin, iron-colored hair, gemlike eyes, and so on. They tend to acquire dirt or rock dust on their clothes and skin despite their bathing habits.
Racial Abilities: Earth elemarns have the following racial traits:

+2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom: Earth elemarns are tough like stone itself.
Medium-size.
Earth elemarn base speed is 30 feet.
Low-light vision.
Earth elemarns have the spell-like ability to use barkskin once per day (caster level = character level). Earth elemarns call this ability "rockskin," feeling superior to ordinary bark.
Acid resistance 5.
Stonehands: Earth elemarns have a +8 bonus to Climb checks made to climb earth, rock, or stone (even worked stone).
Earth Cushion: When falling onto a stone surface, they automatically treat the fall as if they had intentionally jumped down (treat the distance as 10 feet less than the actual fall).
Outsider: Earth elemarns are native outsiders.
Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Terran.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Level Adjustment +1.
Earth elemarns have the same life expectancy and age categories as a human. They use the human height and half-orc weight tables.

Fire Elemarn
Fire elemarns are the descendants of fire elemental beings and humans. They are often lawful evil. They appear human but for one or two traits that show their fire elemental heritage: ruddy skin, a constant smell of smoke, flamelike hair, and so on. They tend to dress as if in warm weather and prefer colorful clothing.
Racial Abilities: Fire elemarns have the following racial traits:

+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom: Fire elemarns have fast hands and sharp minds, but are reckless.
Medium-size.
Fire elemarn base speed is 30 feet.
Low-light vision.
Fire elemarns have the spell-like ability to heat metal by touch once per day (caster level = character level). Using this ability requires a touch attack, which does not provoke at attack of opportunity.
Fire resistance 5.
Firesight: Fire elemarns can see through raging fires as if they were transparent. For example, a fire elemarns can see through a wall of fire as if it were not there.
Outsider: Fire elemarns are native outsiders.
Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Ignan.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Level Adjustment +1.
Fire elemarns have the same life expectancy and age categories as a human. They use the human height and half-elf weight tables.

Water Elemarn
Water elemarns are the descendants of water elemental beings and humans. They are often neutral. They appear human but for one or two trains that show their water elemental heritage: clammy skin, hair that moves as if underwater, large fishlike eyes, and so on. They prefer unconstrictive clothing and seem to perspire a lot.
Racial Abilities: Water elemarns have the following traits:

+2 Constitution: Water elemarns have the high endurance needed to swim all day.
Medium-size.
Water elemarn base speed is 30 feet. They swim at a speed of 30 feet and can breathe water or air.
Low-light vision.
Water elemarns have the spell-like ability to create a fog cloud once per day (caster level = character level). Underwater this is an ink cloud but otherwise is identical to the spell (and is still a magical ability).
Cold and electricity resistance 5.
Life From Water: Once per day, a water elemarns may drink at least a gallon of water (taking 1 minute to do so) or submerse himself for one minute in water and regain hit points as if he had rested under the care of someone with the Heal skill. This does not count as resting for any other purpose, and the elemarns can still rest normally that day. Fresh or salt water is sufficient for this ability.
Liquid Sense: Water elemarns have a +10 bonus to Spellcraft or Alchemy checks made to identify potions, and may make such checks untrained.
Outsider: Water elemarnss are native outsiders.
Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Aquan.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Level Adjustment +1.
Water elemarns have the same life expectancy and age categories as a human. They use the human height and weight tables.

You'll notice that I tried to standardize them as much as possible: size, speed, low-light vision (we give out darkvision too often in D&D), ability score mods (either two pluses and one minus, or one plus and another special ability to balance out the lack of another plus), one spell-like ability, one other special ability.

You'll also notice that I have some of these creatures tied to two elements. That's because Tome & Blood corresponds certain elements to certain energies:

    air: electricity (because lightning comes from the sky, I guess)
    earth: acid
    fire: fire
    water: cold (because water is associated with ice, I guess)

Whereas in Magic of Faerûn I set them up slightly differently:

air: cold (after experiencing -30 degrees F wind chill in Wisconsin, I know air can be responsible for a lot of cold)
water:electricity (because water conducts electricity much better than air does)

Now, in the errata for Magic of Faerûn it changes the energies to match up with Tome & Blood (I didn't want conflicting info to appear in different D&D books), but I've always been partial to my explanation for it. As a compromise, the air elemarns and the water elemarns have resistances to two energies appropriate to their element, both what T&B says they should have and what MoF originally says they should have.