Make a splash: Find out what a Water Genasi could bring to your party
What are the Water Genasi?
The Water Genasi are most often the child of a Marid (water djinn) and one of the mortal races of Faerun. They inherit innate magical potential and a connection to water from their Djinn parent, with the physical features and limitations of their mortal parent.
While many Water Genasi do live in their cities in the elemental plane of water, some do venture into the mortal plane. These Genasi tend to live in the larger Human cities where unusual races are a little more common and where they’ll draw less attention.
Is a Water Genasi the right character for me?
Dungeons and Dragons lets you take a flexible approach to building a character, but if you’re going to stick to typical culture and the best-optimised build for a Water Genasi you might consider the following:
Choose a Water Genasi if you like…
- Characters who lean towards spellcasting
- A race suited to a seafaring or coastal campaign setting
- A fish out of water character looking to belong
A Water Genasi might not be for you if…
- You prefer a more grounded character race
- You are looking for a race best suited to melee combat
- You don’t want a character that draws the attention of the public
If you think a Water Genasi isn’t for you, not to worry, there are dozens of playable races for you to pick from, just check out our races guide to find out about all of them. For an alternative sea-faring race, you could consider a Sea-Elf or a Triton.
Racial features
| 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 (walking and swimming) |
| Languages | Common and one other |
| Traits | Acid Resistance, Amphibious, Call to the Wave, Darkvision |
| Resistances | Acid |
| Proficiencies | None |
| Darkvision | Yes |
| Innate Spellcasting | Acid Splash, Create or Destroy Water and Water Walk |
| Book found in | Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse |
Tactics
Utilise Environmental Advantage: With the ability to breathe air and water, take advantage of aquatic environments whenever possible. Create water-based obstacles or drag enemies into combat where only your character can breathe.
Acid Splash as a Ranged Option: Use Acid Splash, your innate cantrip, to deal ranged acid damage to multiple enemies within range. This can be particularly effective against swarms of smaller enemies with low hit points.
Strategic Use of Create or Destroy Water: Create or Destroy Water can be a versatile tool in combat. Use it to extinguish fires, create difficult terrain by flooding areas, or even create cover by conjuring water walls. Your DM may allow more creative uses, like stifling the flames in a firebreather’s mouth or creating difficult terrain to wade through. Think creatively and adapt your tactics based on the battlefield conditions.
Water Walk for Mobility: Water Walk can grant you and your allies increased mobility on water surfaces. Use this spell to manoeuvre swiftly across bodies of water, escape from aquatic threats, or surprise enemies by approaching from unexpected angles.
Which classes are good for a Water Genasi?
With Monsters of the Multiverse allowing playable races to choose any ability score to improve, the benefits of playing an Water Genasi come down to its traits. While Acid Resistance and Darkvision are decent allowing you to see in the dark and take less acid damage (though acid damage is rare), the innate spellcasting options are fairly poor.
Acid Splash is a decent cantrip, but if you’re a spellcaster, there are better spells available. Water Walk and Create and Destroy Water are very situational and maybe decent in those situations, but aren’t going to get used a lot unless you’re playing in an aquatic themed adventure.
Below I’ve put together a score for how well each class works with a Water Genasi based on how well the racial traits work with each class:
Artificer⭐⭐
Barbarian ⭐
Bard ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cleric ⭐⭐⭐
Druid ⭐
Fighter ⭐⭐
Monk ⭐⭐⭐
Paladin ⭐⭐⭐
Ranger ⭐⭐
Rogue ⭐⭐
Sorcerer ⭐⭐⭐
Warlock ⭐⭐⭐
Wizard ⭐⭐
*Star ratings scored out of 5
Best classes for Water Genasi
Bard
A bard is probably your best option for the Water Genasi. They get very little in the way of attack spells so Acid Splash may be valuable to them and the other 2 spells don’t appear on their spell list so they could be useful if playing in a seafaring or coastal campaign.
Paladin
Paladins also gain a decent bit from the spells available as Acid Splash gives them a ranged option and if at sea, the other spells are useful too. As a melee character, you’ll also benefit from Acid Resistance more than most (but maybe not a huge amount) and Darkvision is universally handy.
Warlock
With limited spells available and gaining spells not on your spell list, Warlocks stand to gain a decent amount from being a Water Genasi. You might argue that Acid Splash is a little redundant with Eldritch Blast available, but it adds some variation if needed. Darkvision and Acid Resistance should provide as much benefit to you as to other classes.
Worst classes for Water Genasi
Most other classes gain little from a Water Genasi’s abilities with there being so many other races with Darkvision and a bunch with better resistance than acid resistance (it comes 6th out of the 10 damage types for how commonly used it is by monsters). Classes that do poorly with innate spellcasting (like barbarians) or that can replicate a Water Genasi’s traits and spells with their own traits and spells (like a druid) do poorly as Water Genasi. Unless you’re keen on the Water Genasi for thematic reasons, we’d suggest that there are better options for a well-optimised character build.
About Water Genasi
Appearance
Water Genasi skin hues range from shades of blue to green, while their hair flows like water, often appearing damp and glistening. Facial features tend towards angular or graceful, with high cheekbones and chiselled jawlines, occasionally exhibiting subtle aquatic elements such as fin-like ears or delicate patterns resembling ripples on their skin. Occasionally, minor elemental manifestations like droplets of water forming around their fingertips or mist rising from their skin may occur, further emphasising their connection to the water.
Personality
Water Genasi are adaptable individuals, capable of easily flowing through any difficult situation, just like water. Many possess a serene demeanour, maintaining composure in the face of adversity. Their independence is cherished, and they may resist attempts to control or confine them. While emotionally reserved, they are fiercely protective of those they care about, able to be as calm or roiling as the ocean at a moment’s notice. Their approach to life is fluid and flexible, embracing uncertainty with grace and resilience.
Roleplaying a Water Genasi
Embrace Fluidity: Water Genasi are highly adaptable. They could be eager peacemakers deftly navigating tense negotiations between two rival factions. Instead of taking a rigid stance, they adapt their approach based on the shifting dynamics of conversation, flowing smoothly between diplomacy and coercion for the best outcome.
Stay Calm and Serene: Water Genasi are often serene, even in the face of overwhelming odds. While others may panic or lose their cool, Water Genasi remain composed, their movements fluid and deliberate as they anticipate their opponent’s every move with confidence.
Express Empathy and Understanding: Water Genasi navigate emotional crisis with the same grace as physical ones. You could encounter a distraught NPC mourning the loss of a loved one. Instead of offering platitudes, your character listens with genuine empathy offering comfort through quiet understanding.
Value Independence: Water Genasi might actually lose their cool if their freedom is compromised. They will find themselves at odds with controlling authority figures attempting to dictate their actions, in or out of the party. Rather than bowing to authority, they will assert independence, refusing to be bound by others’ expectations.
Protective Instincts: Water Genasi embody the fury of an ocean storm standing steadfastly between their allies and an encroaching threat, protective instincts kicking into overdrive as they shield their companions from harm.
