Learn all about the fire genasi
The genasi are descendants of genies that have reproduced with a mortal. Not all genasi have a genie as a parent, some will have been born from 2 genasi parents, others will have dormant genie genes (which is quite a mouthful) from some ancestor that has only materialised with their birth. Whatever the circumstances though, the genasi are art mortal and part genie creatures.
But just as there are different types of genies, there are also different types of genasi depending on their lineage. In the case of the Fire Genasi, they are descended from the efreeti. With this comes a resilience and an affinity with the element of fire; powers they can harness to their own benefit.
What are the Fire Genasi?
The Fire Genasi are individuals with the blood of the efreeti flowing through their veins as well as that of mortals. In some rare circumstances, an Fire Genasi can be created through a phenomenon of air elemental power that might affect a mortal offspring, transforming them into a genasi.
With their mixed lineage, the Fire Genasi are born with aspects relating to both their lineages. From their efreeti aspects, they gain attributes of the elements of fire such as red skin, glowing lines on their body or smoky hair. Fire genasi tend to be proportionally lighter than most other mortals too. A Fire Genasi also gains powers related to their efreti lineage such as fire resistance and the ability to innately cast fire related spells such as burning hands and flame blade.
From their mortal parents, a Fire Genasi may acquire all sorts of features depending on what kind of mortal the efreeti mated with. The genasi child of a an elf might have pointed ears while the genasi child of a halfling might appear shorter. While not common creatures, the genasi that do exist tend to be hugely varied in appearance for this reason.
Like many half-breeds, the Fire Genasi often live their lives as outcasts having no true home and with the efreeti generally uninterested in raising their own children. Often, the Fire Genasi find themselves living on the edges of society, particularly those with more unusual appearances. There are, however, throughout the planes, those that revere creatures of elemental powers and some genasi can find themselves in high regard in such societies. Others do go to their efreeti parents to live in the elemental plane of air to serve within a efreeti household, though this tends to be rare.
Despite the usual habitations of the Fire Genasi, some do find there way into communities of genasi while others live within the large cities where many with an unusual nature are largely not eschewed due to the more cosmopolitan nature of such cities.
Playing D&D as a Fire Genasi
As with any race, the Fire Genasi have a wide variety of personalities and attributes meaning you can play an Fire Genasi however you like. You may however, want to consider aspects of your past and your lineage that shape who you are such as:
- Who are your family? – Are you the offspring of 2 genasi or the child of an efreeti. If you’re the child of an efreeti, how do you feel about your powerful, but likely uncaring efreeti parent?
- How do you feel about your differences? – Chances are, you know few creatures that are similar to you, and even if you came from a community of genasi, you may find yourself among many other creatures that are not like you. How do you view your differences to others? Are you proud of your heritage? Ashamed perhaps?
- How has society treated you? – Where you’ve grown up may affect how you’ve been treated and may impact your personality. Did you grow up among other genasi or were you the only one for miles? How did other people treat you? Did they shun you or admire your differences, or were they indifferent? How did these things impact your outlook on life and your personality? Do you hide who you are or have you overcompensated with a brashness to your personality?
Fire Genasi Features in 5e
| Ability Scores | +2 to one ability score and +1 to another or +1 to 3 different ability scores |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Size | Medium or Small |
| Speed | 30ft |
| Traits | Darkvision, Fire Resistance, Reach to the Blaze |
| Book found in | Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse |
If you want to play as a fire genasi, your character will have the following traits and abilities:
Fire Genasi Traits
Darkvision – You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can only see colours in darkness as shades of grey though.
Fire Resistance – You have resistance to fire damage.
Reach to the Blaze – You know the produce flame cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands spell and at 5th level, can cast the flame blade spell, both without requiring material components. You can only do this once until you’ve completed a long rest. You can also cast this spell using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher. You can use intelligence, wisdom or charisma as your spellcasting modifier (you choose when you create your character).
Which classes are good for Fire Genasi?
With Monsters of the Multiverse allowing playable races to choose any ability score to improve, the benefits of playing an Fire Genasi come down to its traits. While Fire Resistance and Darkvision are decent allowing you to see in the dark and take reduced damage from fire damage, it’s a Fire Genasi’s innate spellcasting that help it out most.
Produce flame and burning hands are both decent, low level spells. Unfortunately, flame blade is a poor option that takes up your concentration and accomplishing what other cantrips can accomplish. This does make the Fire Genasi one of the weaker of the Genasi races. You may still want to choose them for thematic reason and if you want to ensure you get benefit out of the race, you might suggest to your DM an alternative innate spell to Flame Blade like Scorching Rays or Aganazar’s Scorcher.
Best classes for Fire Genasi
Bard
Bards gain the most out of a Fire Genasi’s abilities as they have few offensive spell options making Produce Flame and Burning Hands valuable spells. Because bards are full spellcasters as well, they can benefit from repeat uses of these spells (and more uses than the other classes on this list). On top of this, Darkvision is handy and Fire Resistance is a great resistance to have.
Paladin
The main benefits for a paladin are that they get a ranged spell attack and an area of effect spell as well, plus they have their own spell slots allowing for repeat castings. As with other classes, Darkvision and Fire Resistance are universally useful.
Ranger
Rangers won’t get much from Produce Flame but Burning Hands is the best a ranger can get for area of effect spells making it very handy. A ranger stands to gain more from something like Darkvision as they like to sneak around at night, in caves and other dark places. Fire Resistance is also universally helpful.
Worst classes for Fire Genasi
Most other classes aren’t particularly well served by the Fire Genasi’s traits. Innate spellcasting is generally poor for barbarians and while it provides some extra options for martials like fighters, tends to be less useful for non-spellcasters as they don’t benefit from repeat uses using spell slots. As a general rule though, even the spells gained tend to be inferior for most spellcasters than other options they’d have chosen anyway from their spell list. This is particularly problematic for Warlocks and Artificers who have limited spell slots and known spells. Rogues gain little too as in combat, they benefit most from using sneak attack rather than an attack spell.
