Genies are humanlike beings who dwell on the elemental planes. They are famous for their strength, guile, and skill with illusion magic. Most mortals who hear of genies know that (at least some) genies grant wishes. They are well-traveled, rarely staying in one place for long.

Uncommon Knowledge

There are many different races of genie, including Abasheen (air), Djinn (air), Dao (earth), Efreet (fire), Hawanar (air/ fire), Jann (mixed), Khayal (negative), and Marid (water). They are as resourceful as humans, audacious as halflings, and proud as dragons. They often hold positions of power, or at least pomp, in the planes.

Genies do not appear to have a language unique to their kind. Genie races with strong elemental affinities prefer the corresponding elemental languages, though they often converse among their kind in the strange patois of the Drifters’ Cant. They regularly employ incongruous combinations of language and script for their correspondence.

In addition to their formidable physical presence, personal charm, and illusion magic, genies travel the planes with abandon. When trouble comes, they ride the planes like a bird takes to the air.

The genie races harbor a great entrepreneurial spirit, leading many of their clever kin to become merchant-princes who ply the planes. Though many such merchant-princes are ruthless in business, they adhere to strict (if nuanced) codes of honor.

Noble genies can typically grant wishes to non-genies, subject to limitations that vary by race.

Some genie races are indistinguishable from humans, while others are obviously otherworldly. Janni, in particular, can pass for (exotic) humans without relying on disguises.

Genies are consummate liars, with an innate flair for storytelling. While they have a deep sense of honor, they typically see other peoples as beneath them, and unworthy of the full extent of their honor. To a genie, all non-genies (or non-members of the genie’s race) are toys and pets.

Obscure Knowledge

All adult genies have planeshift as a spell-like ability, usable at will. They can use this ability to travel to many planes, including the material, elemental, astral, and entropic planes. They cannot use it to travel to a divine realm without the god’s consent (given as a free action). Transit from the plane of entropy takes 1d6 turns of concentration, but all other crossings are a full-round action.

Genies also gain Attunement to Axis Mundi as a bonus feat (see New Feats). When planeshifting, a genie appears within medium range of an access point, unless it chooses not to.

Genies would appear to share a common origin, some god or power from the early days of the cosmos. Stories vary wildly, but it appears that their progenitor and source of their powers is gone. They may have killed their old master and took scraps of his power for themselves, or their abilities may have been gifts from a loving creator before he slipped into a long sleep.

Genies tell stories among themselves of their role as the “chosen people,” blessed with great ability and great destiny, and perhaps great duty. Perhaps because of their oversized destiny, their truenames are easier to research (-2 to research DCs), and they are more susceptible to magic item traps (hence rings of djinni calling and efreeti bottles).