Our version:
Warlock: Sha’ir
Originating in Zakhara, otherwise known as the Land of Fate to the far south of the Forgotten Realms, Sha’irs have since began to appear in Calimsham and Durpar—anywhere that genie-kind are active. Sha’ir, like other warlocks, establish a pact with a genie-lord of one of the four great races (dijinn, effreet, dao, or marid) and seal that pact with the servitude of a familiar-type of creature known as a gen that appears to a miniature genie. The exact nature of gen and their relation to genies is uncertain; some believe them to be immature genies, others believe them to a self-aware shard of a genie lords’ spirit. Regardless, as part of the pact made between the sha’ir and his patron he gains a mystical servant that is also a conduit of power for the spellcaster.
The Genie Lord
You have made a pact with a mysterious and powerful member of the Genie race who, in return for knowledge of some of the mystical secrets of his or her race asks that you help promote the goals and culture of his house, people, and Genie-kind in general on Al-Toril among mortal races. Genies are practical in that they generally don’t require a sha’ir to adhere completely to the same alignment as they do, so long as the sha’ir has at least one of the alignment descriptors in common. For example, an Efreet Pasha is more apt to prefer to make a pact with a Lawful Evil sha’ir, but will accept one with a sha’ir who is Chaotic Evil or Lawful Neutral. While it is highly unlikely that a Lawful Good sha’ir would be willing to form a pact with an Efreet, the Pasha might consider it from a Public Relations point of view to promote Law, to perhaps subvert the sha’ir and his associates, and because it might be amusing to see where this might go (most genies have a tremendous sense of humor, although it is not always pleasant). As part of your pact, you gain knowledge of the Primordial (Genie) Language.
Genies, being elemental beings, are willing to teach you spells associated with their element not available from the regular Warlock Spell List. The spell available depends on which type of genie lord you have formed a pact with.
Spell Level Djinn Efreet Dao Marid
1st Feather Fall Burning Hands Stone Dagger* Float*
Fog Cloud Heat Metal Hail of Thorns Grease
2nd Silence Continual Flame Sand Sword* Ice Dagger*
Gust of Wind Flaming Sphere Spike Growth Misty Step
3rd Phantom Steed Fireball Stonefist* Sleet Storm
Wind Wall Flame Arrow* Meld into Stone Water Breathing
4th Wind Blade* Fire Shield Stone Shape Ice Storm
Greater Invisibility Wall of Fire Stone Skin Control Water
5th Cloud Kill Flame Strike Wall of Stone Cone of Cold
-----Conjure Elemental (All)---
*denotes new spells
Elemental Attunement
As part of your attunement to the elemental forces of your master, you gain a bonus to resist elemental attacks equal to your Charisma Modifier (minimum of +1). These damage resistances and the associate resistance are Air (Lighting), Fire (Fire), Earth (Force), and Water (Cold). You also gain the ability to recognize Genie made objects and enchantments.
Pact of the Gen and Spellbinding
The one major hindrance that a Sha’ir has when beginning his career is that upon reaching 2nd level he gets only 1 invocation, not receiving his second warlock invocation until receiving a Pact Boon at 3rd level. Also, unlike other warlocks, at you can only receive a specialized version of the Pact of the Chain, no other pact. However it is a particularly potent familiar: the Gen. Gen are miniature genies, Tiny to Small in size (most are only a foot tall, though Earth Gen are taller and qualify as Small creatures). They can move between the Prime Material Plane and their native Elemental Plane at will, using their plane shifting abilities to avoid combat and acting as servants and messengers for their sha’ir and genie-lord. They can also meld into their native element. Djinnlings, aloof and moralistic like the djinn, can become gaseous and fly at 30 feet/round. Fiery ebony ifrits produce Burning Hands, and can be malicious and judgmental as efreets. Blue and playful maridans can breathe underwater and also swim at 60 feet/round; they enjoy doing so whenever the opportunity is given. The largest of the gen, the daolanin, can meld into stone and bpunch for d6 damage; like dao, they are often crude and tactless.
As with familiars of the The Pact of the Chain, when you take an Attack action, you can have your Gen take the attack instead of you with its reaction. Gen have an elemental attack equal to a d4+Charisma modifier of their master. They also gain additional abilities based on their type. For example, Air Gens have +2 to their AC, Fire Gens add a +2 Fire Damage to their attacks, Earth Gen have a Strength of 14, and Water Gen are resistant to Acid as well as Cold.
The special power that gens give their master is a special Invocation: Spellbinding. If you have seen a spell or make a successful Arcane skill check to know of it, and it is of a level of spell you can cast, you can dispatch your gen to find it. Once the Gen locates the spell, and returns with it, that spell becomes bound to you as an additional spell to your spell list you cast it or chose to replace it with another by dispatching your Gen again. Casting the spell takes a small physical toll on your Gen and your Gen cannot carry or find another spell until the both of you take a Short or Long Rest.
It takes a d6 turns for a gen to find a spell from the Warlock, Sorcerer, or Wizard Spell lists plus 1 turns for a spell of an element other than your own, but 1 turn less for a spell of your element. Gen can also retrieve spells from Bard, Ranger, Cleric, and Druid spell lists though it may take double the amount of time to retrieve it. There is a chance, however, that in fetching a 4th or 5th level Cleric or Druid Spell that the Gen may attract the attention of an Outsider who may show up in person to demand to know what the Sha’ir wants it for.
Sanctuary of the Genie
Starting at 6th level, you can call upon your patron to gain you protection against an attack by genie-kind or by an elemental creature. That creature must make a Will save in order to attack you; if it fails it cannot attack you unless you attack it first.
Alternatively, if you are near a region populated by Jann (such as one of the Great Deserts of Calimsham or Zakhara), you can dispatch your Gen to contact them in order to gain their aid. Jann can be asked to help transport the sha’ir and his party to a preset destination, provide needed water and supplies, or to help protect the party from hostiles. Depending on the circumstances, the Jann may ask for assistance or compensation from the Sha’ir for their assistance: they are not bound to assist you but do so to repay a favor to your patron or to bank a favor from you at a later time. Refusing to agree to the terms ends the deal and results in the Jann in leaving; breaking a promise to the Jann will cause them to no longer head your call unless proper restitution is made and the insult is forgiven with tribute and apologies.
Once you use either of these features, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Elemental Resistance
Starting at 10th level , you gain resistance to the element of your patron and on a natural 20 on your save against an elemental spell of your chosen element you can hurl back the spell upon its caster. The rebound is not automatic; if a roll to hit with the spell is required, you must roll to attack as if it was your spell. Likewise, if the spell is allowed a saving throw to take half damage or avoid damage altogether, then the original caster is allowed a saving throw. You also gain protection when travelling on the Elemental plane of your Patron.
Genie Binding
Starting at 14th level you can attempt to summon genies and build genie prisons.
Once per week you may attempt to summon a genie and bargain with it for its services. The genie is under no obligation to heed your summons but may do so if you make a successful Charisma + Proficiency check against the DC of its Will. If it appears you can bargain with it to procure its aid. Again, it is under no obligation to agree but may do so if it is in its own best wishes or in line with its alignment values. Monetary awards, your reputation, the reputation of your master, and a great deal of flattery all go a long way in getting a genie to agree to do something for you. Dealing fairly with summoned genies will increase the chance that they will agree to a task as will being generous.
You still need to know the appropriate artisan skills to construct prison and gather the costly materials to build it. It can be used to imprison a genie as punishment for wrong doing or to force a genie into your service. Building a genie prison costs hundreds or even thousands of gold pieces to build (250 gp per hit die of the genie) and takes d20 days and a Dexterity + Proficiency check to craft it successfully. Once built, the genie, if brought within 30 feet of it, must make a Will saving throw or be drawn in and trapped within the prison. Once trapped, you can set the conditions of the genie’s release:
These are:
● Imprisonment for 100 days to 100 years.
● The genie becomes an indentured servant to whomever releases him next from the prison—without negotiation—for 100 days to 1000 days.
● To grant the wish to whomever releases him
● To be imprisoned until a specific event or condition has been met, such as the crowning of a particular individual or the opening of a certain tomb.
Not all sha’ir engage in building genie prisons—some in fact make it a habit of destroying them wherever they find them and freeing the genies within. Releasing a genie from its imprisonment or giving it its freedom prematurely garners you (and your master) great prestige among genie kind as a friend and powerful patron. That being said, foolishly releasing a powerful and destructive genie (such as a tasked slayer genie) doesn’t gain you any favor with mortals.
New Spells from the East
Flame Arrow
3rd-level Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 20 feet radius
Components: V, S, M (a fire source plus a pinch of sand and a teardrop)
Duration: Instantaneous
You cause a campfire, torch, or other source of fire to explode outward in a blast, striking targets up to thirty feet away. The only requisites are that there is a source of flame and that you can see it. When Flame Arrow is cast, the fire extinguishes itself instantly in a near-blinding flash, exploding into fiery missiles. For each level of the caster one arrow is created that can be directed at a target. You must make a spell attack roll for each missile to see if it hits the target. If the target is struck, it takes 2d4 Fire Damage from the bolt.
Float
Transmutation Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Self or Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: 8 Hours
This spell can be cast upon yourself or another target, including inanimate objects. If cast upon an object, it becomes more buoyant—each level of the caster can make 10 pounds float during the duration of the spell. For example a third level caster can make a 3 lbs long sword float on the surface of water instead of sinking. If cast upon yourself or another, it will make you more buoyant and reduce your chance of drowning: the recipient gains Advantage to swimming Athletic rolls and Exhaustion rolls to avoid drowning.
Ice Dagger
1st level Evocation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You create three daggers of ice that leap from your fingers and strike up to three creatures you can see in range. An ice dagger deals a 1d4 +1 Frost damage to its target.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level, each dagger becomes a javelin that does a d6+2 Frost damage.
Sand Sword
2nd-level Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (two pounds of sand or dirt)
Duration: 1 Hour
You create a metallic scimitar out of sand and dirt. It has all the same properties of a regular scimitar but it is considered a +0 magical weapon for attacking creatures that have resistance against non-magical weapons. Also, the sword’s damage increases by +1 when you reach 6th level, 12th level (+2), and 18th level (+3); spellcasters that receive a bonus for damage when attacking with a spell can stack their attack damage with the damage of the blade. If the blade is knocked from your hand, as a Free Action, you can will it to turn into a blowing stream of sand and reform in your hand. After the spell ends or if the spell caster wills it, the blade crumbles back into sand and dirt.
Stone Dagger
Transmutation Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a rock or pile of sand)
Duration: One Hour
You create a dagger out of stone and sand. It has all the properties of a normal dagger for purposes of combat and can be wielded or thrown. The one major difference is that the Stone Dagger is treated as a magical weapon (albeit one with no bonuses) for attacking creatures that have resistance against non-magical weapons. Also, the dagger’s damage increases by +1 when you reach 5th level, 11th level (+2), and 17th level (+3); spellcasters that receive a bonus for damage when attacking with a spell can stack their attack damage with the damage of the dagger. After the spell ends or if the spell caster wills it, the dagger crumbles back into sand and dirt.
Stonefist
3rd-level Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Sight
Components: V, S, M (fist filled with sand or dirt)
Duration: 1 round
You create a giant fist of stone that erupts out of the earth up to fifteen feet into the air that pummels your opponent for 4d4 points of damage and causing him to make a Strength check or be knocked back 15 feet.
Wind Blade
4th-level Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Sight
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round/level
You create an invisible sword of roaring wind that you control with a gesture of your hands to strike at your opponents as if it were a regular two-handed sword. While you wield the Wind Blade you cannot wield any other weapon in your hands though you can still use a magic item or cast any spell that is available as a Free Action. A strike by the blade does 4d4 Force damage per strike but not a magical attack for creatures that have resistance to non-magical attacks. The spell is dispelled if you cast a spell requiring a normal action or if you are knocked unconscious.
Wind Compass
Divination Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (an iron needle)
Duration: 8 Hours
By casting this spell, you create a tiny compass of wind that you alone can feel that gives you bearings as to your intended direction. This bearing comes in the form of a faint howling of wing in your ear to either (a) when you face True North or (b) if you veer off-course; you set the conditions of the spell when you cast it to either one. The howling can be faintly heard above normal conversations but can still be heard above all but the loudest of noises. The spell is rendered useless by a Deafened condition.
