Pathfinder Air Genasi

4 posts / 0 new
Last post
Tim4488's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2010-01-19
Pathfinder Air Genasi

Considering the power boost the base races got in PF, it's not hard to make Genasi balanced against them with no level adjustment or anything. Here's my attempt at such...

Air Genasi
+2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Wis
Medium-Sized
Base Speed 30 ft
Electricity Resistance 3
Breathless
+1 racial bonus on saving throws against all air spells and effects, increasing by +1 every five levels
Darkvision 60 ft
Automatic Languages: Planar Trade, home region
Bonus Languages: Any (except secret)

Basically I just dropped the -2 Cha (dropping the -2 Wis would work equally well, but my player wants a Sorcerer, so), reduced the electricity resistance, and droppedi the Gust of Wind SLA. I debated Gust of Wind, it might be balanced even if it were included, not sure yet. Breathless is powerful, I'll admit, but I think it's situational enough that the Air Genasi isn't overpowered compared to a PF Human or Elf.

What do you think? Please critique it as harshly as needed, since I'll be using this in an actual game. I plan to write up other planar races in Pathfinder as I get around to them. Thanks.

Jem
Jem's picture
Offline
Factor
Joined: 2006-05-10
Re: Pathfinder Air Genasi

I've never been a fan of giving darkvision to everything under the sun and see no reason for an air genasi to have it; they don't come from a dark plane, after all. If you want a sense power, how about blindsense, instead? The genasi is sensitive to vibrations in the air, though not quite as precisely as blindsight would allow (though with later racial levels perhaps it could be upgraded).

I see you've also dropped levitation, or, as 2e put it, mingling with the wind. Perhaps this could become available later? A sorcerer might enjoy the ability to pick up a new spell-like, perhaps with options for gaseous form or even fly, later. Evocative if his genasi heritage is djinn, especially.

I'm playing an air genasi now. Breathless is mostly fluff unless you travel to an underwater plane. I've only used it for swimming so far (and avoiding having to smell /stinking cloud/s :^) ). It's nice, though I could equally well see (non-canonical) air genasi who went the other way and got closer to breath as a mode of life, picking up the scent special ability. (Maybe an advanced air genasi who breathes and is descended from a blue dragon or another creature with a breath weapon might develop gust of wind or a lightning attack!)

Kobold Avenger's picture
Offline
factotums
Joined: 2005-11-18
Re: Pathfinder Air Genasi

I'd give Air Genasi a racial bonus to the Fly skill, a skill I never put ranks into at all, for the entire time I've played Pathfinder.

Tim4488's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2010-01-19
Re: Pathfinder Air Genasi

The reasoning behind darkvision was to change as little as possible from the PSCS 3.0/3.5 versions. I'm guessing the logic in the original creation was because elementals all have darkvision, and pass it to their offspring. That said, they can probably stand to lose it.

I'm thinking drop Darkvision and give them a +2 to Fly. I'm not opposed to giving them SLAs at higher levels, excepting that I am trying to use some of the PF design philosophy in doing this, and I don't think any races in PF right now have abilities gained at higher levels. (I haven't read the entire Bestiary, could be wrong.) I might add in one, though.

Planescape, Dungeons & Dragons, their logos, Wizards of the Coast, and the Wizards of the Coast logo are ©2008, Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc. and used with permission.