Genasi Homebrew

Hello adventurers, I wanted to submit my attempt at reworking the Genasi species for 5.5e, as I adore them but find their features to be very lackluster conpared to other options. I've reworked them specifically within a campaign I'm planning where all genies are the offspring of the Goddess of Fortune, so I've played up this aspect of the Genasi sharing this heritage of fortune in addition to beefing up their elemental abilities. Looking for any feedback about balance or adjustments that could/should be made. Some of it is borrowed from the existing features for Genasi in 5e as well as some other homebrew I've found online.

Features for all Genasi

- Darkvision 60ft

- Elemental Gift: at Level 1 you learn the Elementalism cantrip, but are limited to either Bestow Air, Earth, Fire, or Water depending on your Genasi heritage, using Constitution as your spellcasting ability.

- Fortune's Favour: once a day, if you fail a d20 Skill Test, Attack Roll, or Saving Throw, you may make the roll again with Advantage.

Air Genasi

- Speed 35ft

- Resistance to Lightning Damage

- Unending Breath: you can hold your breath indefinitely unless you have the Incapacitated condition.

- Djinni Step: once a day you may use a Bonus Action to give yourself a flying speed equal to your walking speed for 10 minutes

Earth Genasi

- Speed 30ft, Climbing Speed 30ft, Burrowing Speed 10ft

- Resistance to Poison Damage

- Earthen Armour: +1 Bonus to AC

- Dao Grit: once a day you may use a Bonus Action to gain temporary hit points equal to 5 times your Proficiency Bonus, and gain one of the following effects for 10 minutes - a +2 bonus to Strength, a +2 bonus to Constitution, or a +1 bonus to both Strength and Constitution.

Fire Genasi

- Speed 30ft

- Resistance to Fire Damage

- Blazing Grasp: your unarmed strikes deal an additional 1d6 Fire Damage.

- Efreeti Flare: once a day you may use a Bonus Action to surround yourself in flames, dealing 1d6 Fire Damage to any creature within 5ft of you at the end of your turn or that ends their turn within 5ft of you. As a Magic Action you can cast either the Firebolt cantrip or Fireball as a 3rd level spell, using Constitution as your spellcasting ability. If you cast Fireball using this feature your transformation immediately ends.

Water Genasi

- Speed 30ft, Swimming Speed 40ft

- Resistance to Cold Damage

- Amphibious: you can breathe in both air and water.

- Marid Flux: once a day you may use a Bonus Action to take on a semi-liquid form for 10 minutes, granting you the following benefits - you can occupy the space of other creatures, can fit through openings as small as 1 inch, gain resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing Damage from non-magical weapons, and have Advantage on all Dexterity Skill Tests and Dexterity Saving Throws.

Let me know what you think, and if you have any questions about my reasoning or choices feel free to ask!

You definitely want the Fire Genasi Fireball spell cast to be available from level 5 onwards. Having a level 1 character with access to Fireball is a bit too much.

I would also swap the Elementalism cantrip to the following (or something similar, I didn't balance check these):

• Shape Water for Water Genasi
• Control Flames for Fire Genasi
• Mold Earth for Earth Genasi
• Gust for Air Genasi

And I've also considered homebrewing the genasi species to my campaign. One player is already playing a homebrew water genasi, although they use the Elemental Evil Player's Companion version of water genasi and is just titled differently. But in my considerations I'm thinking of adding clearer environmental benefits to each genasi, such as fire genasi not suffering any effects from extreme heat and air genasi isn't affected by high altitudes etc.

That is an excellent point, Fireball would be a lot for Level 1. I was thinking about adding some type of level progression to the fearures and that's a good place to start.