Jann - Genie-Kin

The least powerful Genie are found through-out in both the cold and the desert wastelands of Nyssa, building relationships with savage and adventurer alike. They are a key group with their trade and social connections.

 Jann: Genie-Kin

CR 2

N         Medium outsider (native)

Init +2; Perception +5

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 18, flat-footed 18 (+2 natural AC, +2 dexterity)

hp 11 (2d8+4)

Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft, Flight 20 ft (1/day)

Melee Short sword +3 (1d6)

Special Elemental Blast (1d6, 3/day)

TACTICS

Jann are quiet, reclusive people that watch dangerous foes and magical sites. When they do approach an enemy, they are usually well prepared and ready to make a sacrifice but they do this only if absolutely required. 

Morale 11 (Skittish, they are easy to break ranks and run for cover)

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10

Base Atk +1; CMB +1 CMD 13

Feats Combat Reflexes

Skills Appraise +3, Perception +5, Craft (Armor or Weapons) +4, Diplomacy +5, Survival +6, Fly +6

Languages Base Elemental, Common & Giant

SQ Favored Element, Resist Element (10), Telepathy 10 ft

Languages: Phastian & Phaetox; Common, Elven, Giant & Dwarf  ae also often spoken

Location: Primarily Oromos Wood, Spirelands or Northern Reaches

Organization: Pair, Patrol (3-9) or Tribe (15 – 100)

Class Options: By Racial HD or Class

Jann are the descendants of genies, considered lesser elementals by their kin, due to their need to reside on the prime planes and they lack permanent protection from the elements at lower HD levels. Not typical adventurers - they usually seek both knowledge and allies, to maintain their place in both their adopted home and the elemental planes. Looked down upon by genies and humanoids for their weaker abilities, yet they often become brokers, using their knowledge, connections and expertise for a price. 

They often disguise themselves, trying not to openly promote who they are as they can be sometimes forced into providing services. Appear as a dark skinned humanoid, their eyes radiate brightly, and their hands often sparkle with the colour of one of the elements. They always try to build allegiances especially to clerics and wizards but any high ranking soldier or thief can also be quite useful,

A Jann will sell their services for favors when needed. Many times when reached out to for help, the Jann call upon friends upon friends, they will often know someone that can help for a reasonable price. Tend to stay away from most cities, as they can be caught for servitude by both primal and planar adversaries. Get along very well with Phaetox, many wealthy Jann seek to buy nobility or title in these quiet, safe, lawfully-bound communities. Many Elven lords have strong alliances with them, not necessarily for trade but to share information.

Every Jann has a favored element, usually their parental type, with it they are able to use to inflict extra damage. They have no problems working with any type of elemental regardless of the type, it is only the higher HD genie-kin with prejudices. They stay away from summoning creatures, Jann have seen a lifetime of forced servitude - they seek allies not servants, to their cause.

By Racial Levels: All levels gain +5 skill points, Gain new Feat every 2 levels 

3 HD +2 to any ability, Invisibility to Animals, Create Food and Water (2/day); +1 AC

4 HD +2 to any ability, Change Size (2/day) & Element Blast (2d6 - 3/day)

5 HD +2 to any ability, Speak with Animals and Elements, Flight 50 ft (3/day); +1 AC

6 HD +2 to any ability, Telepathy 100 ft, Resist Elements (20)

7 HD +2 to any ability, Invisibility (3/day), Element Blast (3d8 dmg 2 / day); +1 AC

8 HD +2 to any ability, Enter Ethereal Plane (2/day), SR 15, Flight (Good) at will

9 HD +2 to any ability, Full Elemental Resistance, +1 AC

10 HD + 4 Dex & +2 to three others; Gain +2 AC, Element Blast (4d10, 5 /day)

11 HD Plane Shift (3/day), SR 25

+1 HD or Level: Gain +1 on SR by HD or level

Jann usually stay on this advancement path but if they choose to take other classes, they are unable to return to improve their HD any further.

Typical Skills: Appraise, Craft, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Fly, Heal, Knowledge (nature, geography, religion), Perception, Ride, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival

Elemental Blast: DC 10+ Con Bonus + HD (+2 for favored element) - Half Damage; Range 60 ft

2 HD – 1d6 dmg; 1/HD, until 5 HD and then at will (Any Element)

4 HD – 2d6 dmg; 3/ Day (Any Element); Range 100 ft

7 HD – 3d8 dmg; 2/Day (Any Element)

10 HD – 4d10 dmg; 5/day (Favored Element only); Changed to Elemental Blast, Range 150 ft

Flight
2 HD: Gain Flight 20 ft (Clumsy) 1 / day plus 1 for HD; +6 on Fly Skill
5 HD: Gain  Flight 40 ft (Average) 3/day; gain +6 on Fly skill
8 HD: Gain Flight 80 ft (Good) at will; gain +6 on fly skill

Note: Elementals in my game world are sentient. While not incredibly wise, they know a few things about what is around them and the things they interact with. If summoned they must obey the Summoner. If not summoned, they cam be reasoned with to follow instructions. Assume their intelligence, wisdom and charisma is equal to their HD number up until 16 HD unless the stat for the actual beast is higher in the standard rules.

Aether Mist

This is inspired by a famous monster in a storybook that I love. I've never used it in a game, as a feared legend. They have a weakness but you need to have read the story...or if you haven't read the story, just make up your own.  

Aether Mist

Large Sized Outsider
Hit Dice: 20d10 (150 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: Fly 50 ft (perfect)
AC: 42 (+30 natural, +2 Dex), 42 touch, 40 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +19 / +0 (Can not be grappled or tripped)
Attack: Automatic Hit (40-AC dmg)
Full Attack: Automatic Hit (40-AC dmg) or +33 Penetrating Attack (5-50)
Special Attacks: Automatic Damage, Double Damage
Special Qualities: Astral Jaunt, Immunities, Dmg Reduction 20/Adamantite, SR 35
Saves: Fort: -, Ref: +14, Wis: -
Skills: Knowledge (Astral, Magic, Religion) +20, Perception +40
Abilities: Str 28, Dex: 14, Con: -, Int: 10, Wis: 10, Cha: 10
Environment: Deep Ethereal, Aether Domains
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: 25 - 50 HD (Huge)

An immense sized, deeply coloured mist.

These living clouds are approximately 30 feet in radius and 10 feet high. Their origin is somewhere in the deep ethereal. They come to prime worlds when summoned by spell casters using a Monster Summoning VII or greater spell. Spell casters must sacrifice a single magical item worth at least 75,000 g.p.  which is consumed in the casting.

The only other time they can be recruited, is in the minutes after they have successfully completed a mission, they can be requested to stay and complete another mission if a Diplomacy check of DC 30 is made along with the offering of a magic item or gem worth at least 25,000 g.p.

The Ether Mist has never communicated with any other creature. When summoned their instructions must be exactingly precise, or they will interpret it sometimes with dangerous effects. If they have a weakness, it is unknown to scholars.

The colour of its mist determines purpose, when they have a new mission, they change colour.
Grey - guards an item for ten years; they pursue if the item is stolen
Red - Executioner, summoned to execute one creature on that same plane.
Purple - guards a location for ten years unless password is spoken

Combat

An ether mist doesn’t attack, just like a swarm, anytime creatures are in it’s radius, they are automatically crushed.

Swarming: An Ether Mist automatically hits all creatures that is within their radius. They inflict 40 - Victim’s Touch AC every round acting as a +4 weapon. All creatures affected must make a winded check (Fort DC = dmg taken) to remain fully active. If they fail, they are winded and are able to take partial actions for that round and any round they fail their save when in the misty cloud.

Penetrating Attack: This is a focused attack on a single creature, doing 5-50 crushing damage, acting as a +4 weapon. They can take this attack action even if they are using their swarming action, but only one creature is attacked in this manner. Victims cannot be the target of both the penetrating and double damage attack on the same round. A penetrating attack is most done on the second round, if a particular foe seems to have taken less damage than the others,

Double Damage: The Ether Mist on any round can designate any one creature that has taken damage from its swarming as it's primary target. This primary target must save vs a Fort DC 25, or take double damage from its swarming affect. A Red Ether Mist will always use this special attack on their target. They do not stop their crushing until the target is a blood smear.

Astral Jaunt: Ether Mist can re-enter the astral plane as a free action from anywhere. Any creature in the mist at this time must make a Will DC 33 or be transported to the ethereal plane at the same time. Creatures transported do not take swarming damage in the ethereal. It takes one hour for the Ether Mist to come from the astral plane to a material world, and can only be done in specific locations, such as a wizards lab or church with an active obelisk,, etc.

Immunities: Immune to mind-affecting spells, elemental effects, energy effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy spells or any fortitude or wisdom save unless it affects objects. They are not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain or massive damage.

Elder World - Local Outer Plane

Long ago for my gaming, I decided the planar stuff was a little convoluted. I liked the ideas though, and came up with a linked outer planar world that would be the base of most planar excursions. Essentially, this was home to my own version of the Titans or Elders, who were like little gods. They each had their own realm and were in between everything. Mortals came seeking knowledge and equipment, gods came for recruits and magic, and the dead came both as free and bound petitioners.
Each Elder realm was independent with specific rules and rites.

From Scroll Vitae Laenum Nem Xl IIV  -  Elderworld History

The home plane of the Elders (once referred to as Titans) the original offspring of the gods. These immortal beings are feared for being able to tap directly into mystical energies found in every plane. Some scholars call these energies arcane or even divine sources, but for the Elders it is all the same, and is used to power their personal abilities. Even more than the gods, these creatures are spurred by their own personal direction - not a particular idea, religion, faith or view. Thus it is incredibly difficult to gauge them except as individuals. Like the gods, their alignment varies, but, they usually don't interfere with each others plans unless they directly contradict.

It is believed humans were their spawn, and originally lived on the Elderworld. How long mortals were underlings is unknown, but how it changed is recognised due to the actions of one person, a human named Hamja. While perhaps not the first one to discover how to escape, he was the first known individual that left via the magical planar gates.to travel to the lower mortal worlds. Upon realising they could escape, many mortals began the treacherous act of running away from their cruel masters. This enraged the Elders, many began limiting their servant's activities as well as hunting down and destroying the rebellious offspring in the mortal world.

Knowing he was to blame for their suffering, Hamja returned to the Elderworld, demanding to be put on trial for his actions. The Elders tried to immediately attack him, but couldn't, as he was protected by the gods, a singularly rare event on the Elderworld. Agreeing to terms, a trial was held, witnessed by Casna, Lord of Justice.

The trial was quick. Hamja was found guilty of sedition but not for escaping. The humans who escaped were free and the Elders couldn't, by divine decree, recapture them by using force. The gods essentially shut down the planar gates, so the Elders couldn't travel to the lower world. This had a treacherous side-affect,while the knowledge was now recognised, the mortals lost their chance to escape.  (*For Hamja`s fate see Scroll Vitae Laenum Nem XX V ven Q*)

The Elders didn't realise the gods were intending to use the mortals as free and willing servants instead of the slaves as the Elders were using them. Within less than a century after their escape, the humans numbers had exploded and they had found a magical energy that they could utilise, that of the divine faith in the gods.

For their part, Elders, never organised a mass retrieval of the mortals. Some clamped down on their personal servants, others put up more elaborate traps to keep their servants in line and just as many to keep others out. A few learned other lessons, and begin to give their mortal children more freedoms to serve both themselves and their masters equally.

(Linked to Scroll Vitae Laenum Nem OV ven ii*) Most scholars know the Elder World as the mid-level between the Heavens and Mortal Planes. It is now understood that all mortal souls must return to this realm for a mere moment, as they travel to their final destination to the heavens or hells. What is not fully understood is the small number of souls that don`t leave the Elder World but are reborn as petitioners, destined to live a new life here in service to the plane and its needs without memories of their previous mortal existence.

Each individual Elder rules their own realm. Most are the size of a small mortal town; the largest are enormous counties with various races and beasts from across the planes. The spaces between the Elder Realms are wild, with shifting physical features causing near constant danger - while physical travel is possible, usually it is done via linked portals, indirectly from realm to another, often using multiple linked portals,

Many of these communities trade with Outer Planar groups, contact with the mortal realms is rare but a few have connections with High Level Wizards or Clerics. Portals to the High Planes are common and often permanent in the Elders communities. Those to the Lower Mortal Planes are rarer and seemingly uncontrolled, when they appear it is usually in remote areas and are open for short periods of time.

Elder World Random Encounter Table

02  High Petitioner (8th level or higher)
03  Githzen
04  Kyton
05  Reave
06  Yugoloth (Usually Mezzoloth or Nycaloth)
07  Nightmare
08  Night Hag
09  Astral Giant
10  Mortal Travellers (3-18, Levels 3+)
11  Imp (# 2-12)
12  Nightmare
13  Bladeling
14  Einheriar
15  Jackalla
16  Angel
17  Lower Level Elder Petitioner (1-3)
18   Quashi
19  Maelephant
20  Manticore
21  Yeth Hounds
22  Sphinx
23  Lillend
24  Coatl

Elemental Options - Pick Your Own: Plug and Play Beasts

Have long liked the idea of heroes facing elemental threats...not just a blob of  the elemental. This enables you to face any variant of elemental, an animal, a four legged beast or even a humanoid
made of the element. This is mix and match, enabling the DM to create on the fly.

Elemental-Base

AC           14 (+1 / 3 additional HD)
Base Int: 6, Con 14, Wis 10, Str 16, Dex 14, Cha 6
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Base Damage: 1d6 / 1d8 / 1d12 / 2d8/ 2d12
Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility
Traits: Darkvision 60 ft., Elemental Traits
Skill Points 16 points at base, 4 points per HD higher than 2nd*
Most common Skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Fly, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana, elemental, nature), Perception, Spellcraft, Stealth, Survival
Alignment               Neutral
 
*Gain Knowledge (Own elemental Type) free the same as their HD

TYPE
Aether Gain Non-Detection, Gain Elemental Resistance to any one type for 24 hours
Air Gain Elemental Traits, Whirlwind
Earth Gain Elemental Traits, Forceful Blow
Fire Gain Elemental Traits, Enflame
Water Gain Elemental Traits, Whirlpool,

SIZE:
Small 2 HD +6 Int, +4 Con, +6 Wis, -2 Str, -2 Con, +8 Dex
Medium 6 HD +4 Int, +4 Con, +4 Wis, +2 Str, +2 Con, +6 Dex
Large 10 HD +0 Int, +4 Con, +2 Wis, +4 Str, +4 Con, +2 Dex
Huge 14 HD -2 Int, +4 Con, +0 Wis, +6 Str, +6 Con, +-2 Dex
Gigantic 18 HD -4 Int, +4 Con, +0 Wis, +10 Str, +8 Con, -  4 Dex
Titanic 24 HD -6 Int, +8 Con,  +0 Wis, +16 Str, +10 Con, -6 Dex

ANIMAL FORM
Bestial         +2 Str, +4 Dex, Scent, Light "Fur"
Quadraped         +4 Con, +4 Wis; 4 legs, +20 movement, +2 HD, Heavy Fur
Multiple-Headed +4 Con, +4 Wis, -2 Cha, +1 HD / extra head (Rarely more than ten heads)
Avian         +4 Con,  + 6 Dex for thin body, Fly: Good (Never bigger than large)
Spider         +8 Dex, Climb & Balance+20, Spray Poison (Weakness DC 14 / Dc 16  / DC 20 /                                 DC 22  / DC 30)
Whale        +40 Swim, +8 Con, +4 Str, 10 HD (Min)

HUMANOID FORM
Watcher +4 Int, +4 Cha, Read Surface Thoughts, Distant Viewing, Mind-Link,  Mind-Blast
Basher + 4 Str, +4 Con,  Base Dmg, (+1d8 / +1d10 / +2d8 / +2d12 / +3d10)
Archer +4 Dex, +4 Wis, Gain two Elemental Arrow (Dmg 1d4 / 1d6 / 1d8/ 1d10 / 2d8)
Tripper         +4 Str, +4 Dex, Trip Attack DC (DC 14 / Dc 16  / DC 20 / DC 22  / DC 30)
Breath weapon +4 Cha, +4 Dex, +6 HD, (Dmg: 3d6 / 6d6 / 9d6 / 15d6 / 25d6) (As dragon for ranges)

Elementals are a variety of beings that have communities in pocket universes that border on both the elemental planes and the mortal worlds. Their existence is much the same as humans, creating products for external use, raising mindless livestock and flora as well as raising armies to defend themselves. Unlike other communities, they do not consider only humanoids intelligent - all elementals of a certain awareness are considered citizens. Generally elemental communities are
closed, they contain only creatures of the one shared elemental type. Individuals of other species may be found there if they have become allies with individuals elemental beings, but it is never of a another elemental type.

Water is the most commonly found element on prime worlds, deep in the ocean and little known by outsiders. Aether is the next most common, often found in cities with a native citizenry barely if at all aware of their existence; they often make allies in libraries and temples. Air and Earth elementals are uncommon but always there, there are a few on any given prime world, found by the experts in their fields.  The most rare is the Fire Pocket Universes, they are sometimes portals are created spontaneously during forest fires or other extraordinary events, but closed as soon as the fire closes.

What is the most understood by non-elementals is that elemental beings are not bound by one form. Individuals can switch between animal or humanoid forms when needed. It is not a quick or simple process, they can go to their Essence Temple and undergo a cerement to switch from forms. The only thing that doesn't change is their HD, feats and skills; their personality and memories always remain intact.