Homebrew Avatar Species Details

Those who think of other planes at all consider them remote, distant realms, but planar influence can be felt throughout the world. It sometimes manifests in beings who, through an accident of birth, carry the power of the planes in their blood. The Avatar are one such people, the offspring of genies and mortals.

The Elemental Planes are often inhospitable to natives of the Material Plane: crushing earth, searing flames, boundless skies, and endless seas make visiting these places dangerous for even a short time. The powerful genies, however, don’t face such troubles when venturing into the mortal world. They adapt well to the mingled elements of the Material Plane, and they sometimes visit—whether of their own volition or compelled by magic. Some genies can adopt mortal guise and travel incognito.

During these visits, a mortal might catch a genie’s eye. Friendship forms, romance blooms, and sometimes children result. These children are Avatar: individuals with ties to two worlds, yet belonging to neither. Some Avatar are born of mortal–genie unions, others have two Avatar as parents, and a rare few have a genie further up their family tree, manifesting an elemental heritage that’s lain dormant for generations.

Occasionally, Avatar result from exposure to a surge of elemental power, through phenomena such as an eruption from the Inner Planes or a planar convergence. Elemental energy saturates any creatures in the area and might alter their nature enough that their offspring with other mortals are born as Avatar.

Heirs to Elemental Power

Avatar inherit something from both sides of their dual nature. They resemble humans but have unusual skin color (red, green, blue, or gray), and there is something odd about them. The elemental blood flowing through their veins manifests differently in each Avatar, often as magical power.

Seen in silhouette, an Avatar can usually pass for human. Those of earth or water descent tend to be heavier, while those of air or fire tend to be lighter. A given Avatar might have some features reminiscent of the mortal parent (pointed ears from an elf, a stockier frame and thick hair from a dwarf, small hands and feet from a halfling, exceedingly large eyes from a gnome, and so on).

Avatar almost never have contact with their elemental parents. Genies seldom have interest in their mortal offspring, seeing them as accidents. Many feel nothing for their Avatar children at all.

Some Avatar live as outcasts, driven into exile for their unsettling appearance and strange magic, or assuming leadership of savage humanoids and weird cults in untamed lands. Others gain positions of great influence, especially where elemental beings are revered. A few Avatar leave the Material Plane to find refuge in the households of their genie parents.

 

AVATAR BACKGROUNDS

Each Avatar subrace has its own temperament, which might make some backgrounds more suitable than others.

Air Avatar are proud of their heritage, sometimes to the point of haughtiness. They can be flamboyant, and are keen to have an audience. They rarely stay in one place for long, always looking for a new sky to see and breathe. Air Avatar who don’t live in cities favor open lands such as plains, deserts, and high mountains. Fitting backgrounds include charlatan, entertainer, and noble.

Earth Avatar are more withdrawn, and their connection to the earth keeps them from being comfortable in most cities. Their uncommon size and strength makes them natural soldiers, though, and with their stoic demeanor, they can encourage others and become great leaders. Many earth Avatar live underground, where they can be in their favored element. When they emerge from their caves, they might roam the hills and mountains or lay claim to old ruins.

Appropriate backgrounds for earth Avatar include hermit, outlander, and soldier.

Fire Avatar often get themselves into difficulty with their fiery tempers. Like their air Avatar cousins, they sometimes flaunt their perceived superiority over common folk. But they also want others to share their high opinion of themselves, so they constantly seek to enhance their reputations.

Likely backgrounds for a fire Avatar include criminal, folk hero, and noble.

Water Avatar almost all have some experience aboard or around sea vessels. They make excellent mariners and fishers. Like earth Avatar, though, water Avatar prefer quiet and solitude; the wide shores are their natural homes. They go where they want, do what they want, and rarely feel bound to anything. Good backgrounds for water Avatar include hermit and sailor.

 

Subraces

Four major subraces of Avatar are found among the worlds of D&D: air Avatar, earth Avatar, fire Avatar, and water Avatar. Choose one of these subraces.

Avatar Traits

Your Avatar character has certain characteristics in common with all other Avatar.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial. Primordial is a guttural language, filled with harsh syllables and hard consonants.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age

Genasi mature at about the same rate as humans and reach adulthood in their late teens. They live somewhat longer than humans do, up to 120 years.

Alignment

Independent and self-reliant, genasi tend toward a neutral alignment.

Size

Genasi are as varied as their mortal parents but are generally built like humans, standing anywhere from 5 feet to over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.