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Aryalómë
Senior Scribe
USA
666 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Sep 2012 : 02:53:06
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The Genasi are one of my favourite racial groups in all of D&D, the Air Genasi especially. They've been a constant most of the time and, as far as I know, a fan favourite. I'm going to list some things that I really like about the Genasi as well as post some questions about them as well.
What I've liked-
-That they are humanoid elementals
-They are very different from other PC races
-The way they look in 2e-3.5e
-Their different origins: In 4e, they can be of non humanoid/elemtenal mating and be of a more pure origin, but also that they can be of humanoid/elemtental origins
-Akanul is a rather interesting new addition to FR in 4e (one of the few things I liked about 4e Realms; I could probably count the things I liked of 4e Realms on one hand..)
Now, for question time:
-Do you think it would be feasible for an actual stable group of Genasi to live together and work together? Air Genasi are said to sometimes form cabals and groups, but usually those disperse after awhile.
-In that same statement, it mentions Air Genasi kidnapping Air Genasi children to raise them among their own kind. That makes me wonder; in pre-4e Realms, would it have been possible for two Genasi to have children and have them be Genasi? If so, could that have given a rise to a Genasi settlement?
-Would you like to see Akanul in 5e Realms? I most certainly would. I think it is a very interesting place and has a lot of potential.
-What do you think about the Stormsoul Genasi? Would you like to see them just melded with the Air Genasi? I definitely would. I think the concept was okay-ish, but overall, but I didn't care for it. I prefer the Air Genasi to have all of the powers of the sky and not just over wind.
-What do you think of the Genasis' look in 4e? I personally dislike it. I want a reversion back to the old Genasi. I'm not very fond of these crystals on the heads of "Windsoul" Genasi. I much prefer hair that's seems like it's caught in a breeze or is actually suspended in air.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36910 Posts |
Posted - 15 Sep 2012 : 04:26:40
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I don't see why genasi couldn't form groups, though it'd be unlikely.
I'd say that two genasi would have a greater chance of having a genasi child, but there would also be the possible of a normal human child.
As for 4E genasi, I was turned off by their looks -- I can't stand the 4E appearance. Because of that, I've no idea what a "stormsoul" is. And really, I don't care. As long as I've got my air, water, fire, and earth genasi, I'm set. |
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sfdragon
Great Reader
2285 Posts |
Posted - 15 Sep 2012 : 04:34:29
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stormsoul is an off shoot of what was one the air gensai......
I hate the look of the 4e gensai, I could do without the lay lines on their flesh and their hair. |
why is being a wizard like being a drow? both are likely to find a dagger in the back from a rival or one looking to further his own goals, fame and power
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 15 Sep 2012 : 16:54:30
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| The 4e ones technically shouldn't even exist. It's always been the main 4 plus offshoots from mixing (the para-genasi). |
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Aryalómë
Senior Scribe
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - 15 Sep 2012 : 18:36:52
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| I think it would be interesting if we had Genasi that were actually a race with a culture and a civilization but also could be produced by Elementals mixing with humans. What do you all think? |
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Shemmy
Senior Scribe
USA
492 Posts |
Posted - 15 Sep 2012 : 22:46:07
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I don't really care for the appearance of 4e genasi, they're just too different from what they'd been in 2e-3.x, and it was an abrupt change, and so I'd greatly prefer a return to the variable appearance of the classic genasi. Variety is a wonderful thing.
And genasi bloodlines worked similarly to tiefling and aasimar descent. Planar blood was fickle and tended to manifest generations removed from any initial coupling with a genie/elemental/mephit/magical infusion of elemental energy/etc and genasi of a similar element could have children that were likewise gifted. Mixing genasi bloodlines would probably produce one or the other, but more rarely might produce something like a quasi or paraelemental genasi. |
Shemeska the Marauder, King of the Crosstrade; voted #1 best Arcanaloth in Sigil two hundred years running by the people who know what's best for them; chant broker; prospective Sigil council member next election; and official travel agent for Chamada Holiday specials LLC.
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2012 : 01:09:51
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| LOL - they're different in 4e? I have no idea what 4e genasi look like, then. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12094 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2012 : 01:19:12
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| Personally - I like them as an option for someone who wants to play one, but I don't want to see them become so common that they have their own society, etc.... they should be the rare thing that happens, because there's not tons of humans mating with elemental beings. Same for tieflings, aasimars, etc... I'd go so far as to almost say same for half-elves and half-orcs, but I'd be lying because I do see more of that kind of inter-breeding happening, just because those individuals are more common and on the same plane (and in the case of half-orcs, orcs are more prone to rape). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2012 : 04:19:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
LOL - they're different in 4e? I have no idea what 4e genasi look like, then.
Man, you really did almost completely avoided all 4E Realms didn't ya? LOL
Ever since the forcing of the 4E Core Cosmology into the Realms, the genasi race had undergone a complete metamorphosis. Just like Aasimar are suddenly called Devas and have also suddenly become Indian-mythos based beings that reincarnate over and over and access to ancestral memories instead of being celestial-touched beings with no explanation whatsoever.
That change mirrored the change to the Inner Planes, where they suddenly jumbled together into an exact mirror of the former Outer Plane of Limbo and became known as the Elemental Chaos. The genasi of 4E Realms are now an amalgamation of elements, with one element more dominant than the others, but there were genasi who did manage to access the other elements as well (via feats). The Stormsoul genasi ended up being a new genasi to mirror 4E's energy-based rules (since the energy went from Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Sonic to Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Thunder).
So, yeah, that's pretty much what happened. And I feel necessary to point out how the mangling of what became the Elemental Chaos mirrors the mangling of D&D/FR lore in 4E in general. |
Edited by - Razz on 16 Sep 2012 04:20:31 |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2012 : 18:35:06
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IMO, the standard 4e genasi are Abeiran genasi, where genasi have had the evolutionary time to settle into a general genetic baseline. The FR genasi from 3e are still around--they're just what genasi look like when they emerge from a mix of elemental creatures and humans. They're basically two different species of genasi that evolve separately on two different worlds.
You might still come across a 3e genasi--they're as rare as ever, which is even rarer than Abeiran genasi.
Also, I don't think devas and aasimar are meant to be the same thing. D&D could have gone that way, but they didn't. If anything, devas might be a TYPE of aasimar, but even that's iffy, since deva don't come from humans as aasimar do. They seem to be more of an expansion of the rakshasa as a creature, and represent an attempt to make D&D not "all-Western fantasy all the time." All in all, while devas are the closest thing 4e gives us to an aasimar, I'd recommend we not take the deva/aasimar parallel as canonical or even intentional.
I do think one could reflavor a deva as an aasimar if you wanted to play an aasimar. In that case, the deva's abilities become a question of divine favor and fortune, like a 3e aasimar.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4470 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2012 : 18:50:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Shemmy
I don't really care for the appearance of 4e genasi, they're just too different from what they'd been in 2e-3.x, and it was an abrupt change, and so I'd greatly prefer a return to the variable appearance of the classic genasi. Variety is a wonderful thing.
And genasi bloodlines worked similarly to tiefling and aasimar descent. Planar blood was fickle and tended to manifest generations removed from any initial coupling with a genie/elemental/mephit/magical infusion of elemental energy/etc and genasi of a similar element could have children that were likewise gifted. Mixing genasi bloodlines would probably produce one or the other, but more rarely might produce something like a quasi or paraelemental genasi.
I have a 4E Air Genasi that looks like they did in 3E (blueish-white hair, pearly skin, ice-blue eyes with dark tattoos) and I don't see a big deal.
I too am ALL for variety of looks and hopefully they'll include both 2e, 3e, and 4e styles of Genasi in D&D:next. Hopefully with little distinction mechanically speaking. |
Diffan's NPG Generator: FR NPC Generator |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2012 : 19:22:12
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Thanks for the heads-up, Razz... and that all sounds terrible.
I like Erik's take - I think we could call those amalgam Genasi 'Primordial Genasi', to keep with the Abeiran theme. They aren't as 'evolved' as the later Genasi (who were all created after the separation of the maelstrom into separate planes). The current (Abeirran) Genasi would not be the actual ones from the Days of Thunder - they'd just be the descendants of those maelstrom-formed genasi that were stuck on Abeir (and probably revered the Primordials). I also think those types of Genasi should tend to congregate, if not have their own land (because they would have been used to working closely together back on Abeir). Maybe just have some Genasi ghettos in major cities.
And of course, in 5eFR, gamers should have a choice of which ones they want to use (if not both) - 5e should be about choices. Do we have separate names for the different types? That would help distinguish the older types from the newer. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 16 Sep 2012 19:24:17 |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2012 : 20:28:53
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Right. I don't think Abeiran genasi are related to humans at all, or if they are, it's a "common ancestor"/"missing link"--an ancient progenitor that gave rise to both races. Genasi are amazingly plentiful on Abeir, and they're much more of a coherent/unique species than genasi that originated on Toril.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2012 : 23:23:06
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So if Tieflings are descended from Demons (half of them, anyway), and demons in 4e are corrupted Elementals, doesn't that mean the old-school Genasi are type of Tiefling?
And if so, then giving then some of those 'type templates' being discussed in the Tielfing thread may work for them as well. In other words, old-school Genasi become elemental Tieflings.
Only problem is, we also have two types of Tiefling - old & new- so that might further convolute things. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Genasi; Past, Present, Future
