Smoke Genasi

Smoke Genasi — the Pythia

Silent, stealthy, and comfortable in shadows, pythias are the most comfortable in urban settings of all the genasi. This isn’t because the para-elemental plane of Smoke is particularly populated with cities—Slaan notwithstanding—but rather because once a smoke genasi leaves the plane of Smoke, they discover that they’re uncomfortable in wide-open spaces, where a berk can see for miles and miles. This isn’t to say that a smoke genasi can’t function out in the open; they just don’t like it much. A smoke genasi on a mountain top on a clear day is a miserable berk indeed. Cities (and the bigger, the better) provide pythias with a measure of psychological security due to the closed-in nature of most cities. And if the city has a lot of smoke or smog, so much the better. Small wonder, then, that Sigil, and especially the Lower Ward, has the greatest concentration of smoke genasi outside of the plane of Smoke itself.

Genasi are notoriously curious about the multiverse, and pythias are no exception. Their curiosity leads them to want to visit and explore cities across the planes—smoke genasi are dedicated and enthusiastic city dwellers. This doesn’t mean they’re always happy and cheerful about their lot in life. They’ve got the same problems as regular berks, after all. But pythias are fascinated by city life like almost no other race in the multiverse. They can watch the endless ebb and flow of traffic on
a city streetfor hours, as the intricate patterns of life play themselves out on the cobblestones. Indeed, many smoke genasi end up becoming merchants or
innkeepers precisely so they can more fully innerse themselves in the life of the burg. And while it’s less common, some smoke genasi planewalker travel from city to city in an effort to compare, contrast, and explore the different urban settings of the multiverse.

Pythia arise from a pairing of a smoke elemental race and a humanoid race. Much like steam gensai, they aren’t well thought of on their home plane. Grudgingly, the more natural inhabitants let them roam the plane and set up their case there. Most of the time though, a pythia grows tired of the endless fumes, and set out to roam the Planes.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Smoke genasi always have a faint odour of woodsmoke about them, and this odour can often indicate their mood. The pleasant odour of smoked cedar, for instance, may indicate that the cutteris in a generous mood, while a sharp and acrimoniously smoky odour might indicate anger or jealousy.

Additionally, Smoke Genasi will have one or more of the following:

• Dark gray hair that moves of its own accord like smoke coming off a fire
• Mottled gray skin which seems to change colouring and pattern from moment to moment
• A choking, wheezing or coughing quality to their speech

AD&D 2e RACIAL ADJUSTMENTS: Smoke Genasi receive a +1 bonus to Dexterity and Intelligence, and a -1 penalty to Strength and Constitution. They’re immune to the effects of normal flame, but take normal damage from magical flames. They receive a +1 bonus to their saving throws vs. magical fire every 5 experience levels. They can also breathe smoke without penalty and suffer only half-damage from magical clouds (like stinking cloud). Note that this only applies to those magical clouds which require inhalation before the detrimental effects occur. Spells like cloudkill work by contact, not inhalation, and thus smoke genasi aren’t any more resistant to these spells than anybody else. Finally, smoke genasi can create a wall of smoke once per day. This is identical to the wizard spell wall of fog, except that a barrier of smoke is created. Creatures within this barrier suffer no damage, but must spend the same number of rounds recovering (clearing their eyesight, regaining their breath, and so forth) that they spent inside the wall, unless they prepared for it (by holding their breath, perhaps, or breathing through a wet rag).

Shadows of the Vapors can be fighters, mages, thieves, fighter/thieves, or mage/thieves. They can be of any alignment.

ABILITY REQUIREMENTS: (before ability adjustments are added or subtracted)

STRENGTH	DEXTERITY	CONSTITUTION	INTELLIGENCE	WISDOM	CHARISMA
3/18	7/18	3/18	7/18	3/18	3/18

ABILITY ADJUSTMENTS:

STRENGTH	DEXTERITY	CONSTITUTION	INTELLIGENCE	WISDOM	CHARISMA
–1	+1	–1	+1	–	–

AVERAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT:

HEIGHT*		WEIGHT*
BASE	MODIFIER	BASE	MODIFIER
58/57	1d8	130/80	4d10

AGE:

STARTING AGE		MAXIMUM AGE
BASE	MODIFIER	BASE	MODIFIER
20	1d20	120	6d10

AGEING EFFECTS:

MIDDLE AGE*	OLD AGE**	VENERABLE***
60	80	120

LEVEL LIMITS:

FIGHTER	WIZARD	THIEF
11	13	16

MOVE SILENTLY	HIDE IN SHADOWS
+10%	+15%

Source: Afterburner