Planar Undead: The Heroic Dead of Ysgard

Ysgard is a plane of the joy of battle - great heroes from all over the Multiverse come here, either when they die, or make it here still living to join the never-ending battles that take place here. It is a place of glory, honourable combat, and great heroes, both living and dead.

Sometimes, this never-ending battle can have strange effects on those who fall. The Plane has a slight bias towards Positive Energy - even the direst injuries are healed with great speed, and those who die are simply reconstituted the morning after their death (as if under the effects of a True Ressurection spell). Those who die many, many times may find themselves returning as one of the Heroic Dead - a strange form of Undeath, bestowed by the Plane to those who have proved their valour and glory time and time again.

They appear as themselves, wearing the armour and weapons they used in life (and still just as skilled, too), though they posess a shining, radiant quality. They appear "more" - they are taller, faster, more muscular, a shining example of their species. Their voices echo with power, and their will is unbreakable.

Consider this a "template", to apply to any humanoid (and a few distinctly less so), though other creatures like Dragons might also qualify, if they have proved themselves worthy.

AC - 18, regardless of armour
HD/HP - 8HD/Max HP per die (or more, if the base creature posesses more HD)
Attacks - 2, Favoured Weapon, +4 to hit
Alignment - CG
Special Attacks - the Heroic Dead can exude Positive Energy to Turn Undead as a Cleric of their HD. The Heroic Dead are also resistant to the level draining effects of other Undead, though other Negative Energy attacks may harm them as normal. Heroic Undead also have all other Undead qualities (immune to Charm and Illusion spells, etc).

An Awesome Free Resource (That I Forgot About Until Now)

Wizards of The Coast has kept its D&D 3.5 Archive online, HERE. My personal favourite set of resources are the Art Galleries from the various books, showing a good sample of the artists who worked on the line.

There are also a huge selection of PC Portraits for your perusal, most of which make great NPCs, Hirelings, and inspiration as well.

Here's my favourites!

 

Clearly, this one comes from the "Let's Trace A Fashion Magazine" School.

















This chick exudes a sense of confidence and kick-ass-ness that you just can't beat in a lady adventurer.

Eberron's Changelings were an interesting addition to a cool setting. The artwork simply made them all the more interesting to me.











This guy could be a villain, a hero, or just another town guard - the helm could go either way. Even better - he's a masked vigilante! The Helm could go either way...

 

This guy would make a great Warrior Chief, or maybe a pit-fighter or Gladiator.

 This Half-Dragon could be a great NPC for a more "varied" campaigns, like a Planescape game - he has a look of the merchant about him, to me.

Another Changeling - a Wizard this time. There's something about his expression of disdain and boredom that makes me love this picture so much.

Planar Undead: The Flame-Wreathed

Another little Planescape goody: a series of Planar Undead creatures, starting with the Flame-Wreathed.

Originating from the pockets of Negative Energy that hover near the border of Fire and Ash, the Flame-Wreathed are horrid, flame-covered corpses, shedding ash as they walk, animated by some horrendous primal force of destruction.

Roughly as intelligent as a zombie, these Undead creatures find themselves drawn onto the Prime Material Plane by Necromancers looking for truly terrifying Undead to cause destruction. On the Planes, the constant supply of Negative Enegry and Elemental Fire preserve their bodies, leaving them somewhat immortal, and highly resistant to the effects of time. On the Prime Material, however, their forms start to burn out (slowly), with those specimens summoned for extended periods of time slowly becoming skeletons, blackened bones visible through the pure flames.

Some believe this is the fate that befalls Ash and Fire Genasi when they are subjected to large amounts of Negative Energy, though no proof has so far been found.

Frequency: Rare 
No. Appearing: 1d2
Size: Medium (or as base creature)
Armour Class: 4
Hit Dice: 2+2
Movement: 50’
Attacks: 2 (1d8)
Morale: -
Intelligence: Low
Alignment: Neutral Evil
 

Flame-Wreathed share the same immunities as most Undead creatures, as well as being immune to the effects of fire and fire-based spells, taking no damage. They do, however, take double damage from cold-based spells, and quadruple damage from Holy Water.

When attacked by a Flame-Wreathed, make a Save vs. Spells or be set on fire.

Burn The Soul: as beings of Death and Elemental Fire, their flames will still cause half-damage to those who are immune or resistant to fire. Their touch also burns victims through to the soul, causing them to lose an Experience level when struck unless they make a Save vs. Death Magic.

The Adepts of Mechanus - a Planescape Sect

On the Planes, many people find their personal philosophies align with those of a particular group or Plane. Or perhaps, that the Planes align with them. Such chicken-and-egg pedantry is practically Sigil's national past time, after all.

The Cult of the Machine are no different - their desire for pure unfettered Law links them strongly to the Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus, the Plane of Law and home to the Modrons.

They are generally thought to be an offshoot of the Guvnors, another Lawful Faction within Sigil. Where the Guvnors attempt to codify the Multiverse, however, the Adepts attempt to codify themselves - masters of anatomy and biology, as well as clockworking and machinery, they believe that to know is to control - and they are voracious in their devouring of sacred knowledges. Many worship Primus, The First Modron, as their patron Power. Primus seems nonplussed by this behaviour, at best.

Their true philosophy is one of transcendence - past flesh and into pure Law. There are many paths to this, according to their teachings - from replacing their flesh with machinery, to gaining knowledge of the inner workings of the body, to understand how it works in the hope of improving it. They hope to reach a state of purity within their own lifetime, but many will settle with passing on their knowledge to others with similar beliefs.

They are identifiable through their code of dress and appearance - many wear bright red robes, and bear stylised cogs and gears as part of their get-up. They are also fond of adapting their bodies using bizarre alchemical methods - while some treat themselves with unguents and potions to improve their bodies and minds, some use clockwork and machinery to improve their "base flesh". These transhumans (and demi-humans) are still a rare sight outside of Mechanus itself, but some will enter Sigil to spread the good word, and to buy reagents and materials for superior constructions.

There are rumours, however, that not all of their members are as kindly as you might expect - even that they have been hunting Rogue Modrons, so as to harvest their parts, ritually consecrate them back to Law, and use them to upgrade themselves.

Their current leader is Dar Anis (F/Planar/Zenthyri/MU8), a woman who has replaced both her arms and one of her legs with strange, clockwork prosthetics. She has been pushing for the Sect to set up a large presence in Sigil, but the current level of membership is a little too small to think about branching too far from Mechanus.

Should you ever want to improve yourself, or replace a missing limb, hunt down these Machine Cultists - you won't regret it! Unless you're a Rogue Modron, in which case - skip out!

Abyssal Genasi - 4e

So, another Planetouched post this time focusing on the Abyssal Genasi, versions of the other Elemental Souls corrupted by the touch of The Abyss.

Now, a little bit of background - 4e doesn't have set Elemental Planes. What it does have is The Elemental Chaos - a place where all elements are free to create, destroy, and generally do their own thing. While there are large swathes dedicated to one particular element (like the Fire-dominated City of Brass), it is for the most part unrestrained mixing of all the classical elements and their combinations.

This is where the Demons were spawned - creatures of pure Chaos. At some point, they were sealed away deep in the Elemental Chaos - the Abyss forming their prison.

Now their influence can be felt even outside their prison - sometimes on the Material Plane, and sometimes within the Elemental Chaos itself. Like the corruptions they might visit upon the Genasi, rendering them as mockeries of the elements they once were.

Cindersoul are the corruption of Fire - and seem to be a straight lift of Ash Genasi from older editions. They are resistant to Fire damage, and can suck the energy out of an attack (reducing damage rolled when they are hit).

Causticsoul are Acid - the corruption of Water, harming where water gives life. They can breathe in water, and can turn into a wave of acid, attacking up to 2 enemies with a move action. Pretty cool. I can see it being useful for a Rogue.

Plaguesoul are the corruption of Earth - a weak link, if you ask me. They seem to be closest to Dust Genasi from older editions, but with none of their cool fluff. Shame. They also have a Poison attack, which would be good if it wasn't the second most resisted form of damage in the game (poor, poor Fire...)

Voidsoul are the edgy, militant nihilists of the bunch - corrupted Air, leaving nothing where there was once life. They only technically exist (and their Racial Power allows them to stop existing for a moment - a pretty cool way to avoid retribution form the monster you just stabbed, and especially useful for Strikers!).

No stormsoul corruption. I guess Storm/Lightning is already a pretty chaotic, destructive kinda concept...

There is also mentions of a Gravesoul manifestation, but methinks that might be a typo for Cindersoul.

All in all, not as exciting as the older ones. Less fluff, some pretty good abilities, but just no oomph like the Para- and Quasi- Elemental Genasi had.

Next, an unusual group: Athasian Genasi, from the new Dark Sun setting! This one I'm looking forward to...

MORE Genasi - 4E's Take

I know, I really spoil you with all these Planetouched posts. But, they're on of my favourite elements of D&D cosmologies (no, it has nothing to with the fact my pageview count and membership jumps with each one I post...)

4e's Genasi are similar to their previous incarnations, though painted in somewhat more generic terms (presumably to help integrate them into different settings). Instead of being imbued with the essence of a particular Elemental Plane, they have been touched by the Elemental Chaos - a mashup of all the Inner Planes, with a touch of The Abyss thown in. While each comes with a distinct manifestation (referred to as (Element)soul, like Firesoul, Watersoul etc.), they are less tied to their element, so much as they are elemental in nature. The extension of this is a selection of feats, and the Elemental Tempest Paragon Path, which allows a Genasi to pick up an extra Elemental Manifestation (or to use two simultaneously) - and I'm torn on this one. It seems pretty cool, and can make for an awesome character concept, but I feel it doesn't fit with the Genasi at all. Each is touched by their element - it affects their personality, outlook on life, everything - and picking up an extra one seems a little schizophrenic in my book. But, fluffwise, it fits - they are touched by a chaotic, ever-changing Plane of the Elements, from which all life sprung - so, sure, they can find a way to branch out.

Fire, Earth, Air and Water are all accounted for - each with some pretty groovy racial Powers - Fire is extra damage (meh), Earth is a little Burst power, which knocks enemies prone (nice), but Air and Water stand out - Water Genasi can shift through any space small enough to allow water to pass, and Air can (kinda) fly - both are pretty handy, and add a lot of flavour and utility to any class. Also added in this incarnation are Storm Genasi - similar to Lightning Genasi (barring those weird crystalline hair-growth thingies), and presumably added for the fact that 4e lumped Electrical and Sonic damage into Thunder damage (a nice little move). Their encounter power is another "adds extra damage to powers with the Thunder Keyword", which is pretty meh, aside from the fact that fewer creatures are immune to it.

In terms of mechanics, all Genasi gain a +2 bonus to Intelligence and Strength - an odd combo, but one which makes them perfect (indeed, the best) candidates for the Swordmage class (also presented in the book). A sort of gish-style Warrior Mage, Swordmages are a lot of fun in play (lots of teleporting, forced movement, marking, and fun elemental effects). They also make good Wizards due to the Intelligence bonus, or Warlords who can throw out a few extra hits.

Their new artwork (and attached fluff) makes out they are all pierced, tattooed, and bear unique skin markings they just love to show off. While I understand 4e's default assumption is TITS AHOY! (see: Hot Half-Orcs, Breasts on Dragonborn, Breasts on LIVING CRYSTAL PEOPLE), it's kinda annoying that all Genasi are marked the same. I would have assumed that Fire (passionate, fun-loving), maybe Air (wearing lightweight clothing anyway), might do so - but an Earth Genasi strikes me as quite well-covered, for example.

All in all - a nice little race (or set thereof), with some interesting options and abilities. Shame about the fluff, but hey - that's what DMs are for!

Next, the Abyssal Genasi - corrupted, warped counterparts to the normal manifestations!

Mechanicus-Touched

The appeal of the Clockwork Nirvana is easy to see, to some - a place of true order, a stunning vista of cogs, each containing a set of the unusual denizens of the Plane. Those who dedicate their lives to upholding the Law (whether lawmen, Guvnors, or scientists/wizards/sciencewizards) find the rhythmic grinding of the Cogs to be the most peaceful noise in the Multiverse. Many migrate to Mechanus before they shuffle of the mortal coil (and onto an immortal Cog), settling themselves on one of the outer cogs. The essence of the Plane can affect them, and their descendants, leading to the Mechanus-Touched.

Mechanus-Touched are strange beings. While many (to start) simply look like "perfect" version of their parent species (no blemishes, perfectly symmetrical features), there are a few things that set them apart. Firstly, their skin has an odd, metallic sheen to it - rendering it anything from pure porcelain white to deep, dark burnished copper (there are even a few rare Mechanus-Touched goblins, whose skin resembles verdigris). Few have any hair - those who do tend to keep it short and practical, though those with long hair have been noted to look like they were growing wiring or coiled springs from their heads and faces. They have angular features and a "solemn" caste to their features.

However, their natural appearance is nothing compared to the steps many take upon reaching adulthood. In order to feel a greater connection to their "home" Plane, many begin replacing parts of themselves with machinery, animated through magic. These are crafted to perfectly fit with their individual colouration and shape, meaning that they might even go unnoticed aside from close scrutiny. However, for every hand that could pass as natural, there are those with great Modron-like legs, or sections of their torso replaced with open clockwork. While such sights are somewhat accepted on the Planes, it is advisable to disguise such variances when on the Prime Material Plane - Primes can be a little jumpy over those who are so heavily modified.

While physically, they may end up divergent, in personality, they are incredibly similar - so similar, in fact, that many theorise they may have some link to the Modron "collective consciousness" or "Hive Mind" (or perhaps have formed one for themselves). They are polite to a fault, Lawful to a tee, and very hesitant to act rashly. Some have been known to spend days planning for a small decision, pouring over figures and models, devouring as much information as they can before finally managing to make their mind up. Most end up in positions of accountancy, where their skills and natural talent with numbers can be put to good use.

Several Mechanus-Touched hold down lives in Sigil - mostly as Guvnors or lawyers. One in particular who is well known is Alus Alpha-Six, a Mechanus-Touched Gnome who controls the day-to-day comings and goings of the City Court or The Courthouse, the Fraternity of Order's headquarters in Sigil. Alus Alpha-Six (he politely requests you use his full designation) acts as a mix of secretary and PDA for the current Factol (and has served in this role to a few factols over the past two-hundred and ninety-two years, five months and twelve days). He is small, with skin the colour of very well-kept copper, with perfectly Gnomish features. His left hand had been replaced with a mechanical contraption that can act as either a hand or (with a flick of the wrist) a quill (pre-inked), a dagger, or a wand (he'll pick one or two useful spells each morning to prepare).

More Planetouched: Ysgard-Touched

Ysgard-Touched are the heroes and villains of great sagas and epic tales - whether they want to be or not. Ysgard is a place of eternal battle, where the mightiest of men prove their valour and courage forevermore.

Many settlers here come to be closer to their Gods, though some find themselves here for the challenge of proving themselves to the locals. As usual, Ysgard-Touched are mainly human, though Orcs, Half-Orcs, Dwarves, Goliaths, and other "barbaric" humanoids (of Good or Neutral alignment) frequently settle here.

Your average Ysgard-Touched is tall, strappingly-built, and damn handsome (or pretty, for the females - though there are a higher amount of masculine-looking Ysgard-Touched than in most populations). They normally grown their hair long, and it comes in shades of red, black or brown, frequently in wild curls and braids. They hold the Plane's sense of heroism in their hearts - they are friendly (if boisterous), stoic (if prone to manic periods of happiness), and valorous (if occasionally prone to great rages).

Many are adept on one particular field, to almost superhuman levels - where one is "the strongest in the land", another is smart, some are fast, or wise, etc. - much in the manner of great heroes of folk-tales. Some are just plain all-rounders - not as great as their fellows, but pretty decent in all areas of application. These are frequently achieved through perseverance and hard work - though equally, the man who does nothing but drink and whore can find himself easily the strongest of his fellows.

Personality-wise, your average Ysgard-Touched can vary - from the great stoic warrior, taciturn and reserved until he hits the battlefield, to the great charmers, expert storytellers and Skalds. Most sit somewhere between these two extremes - they are mostly personable, happy people, always wanting for competition and a chance to prove themselves. They follow a strong oral tradition, and can often be heard reciting great epics, or quoting the deeds and sayings of great heroes past.

Most will, at some point in their life, become adventurers - the chance to prove themselves as great heroes is too strong to ignore. Most are trained from an early age to swing a blade, move well in armour, and shoot a bow - indeed, by the time they reach their teens, they are expected to have taken part in a hunt and bloodied a beast. Many will take very physical paths, such as athletes and warriors, and will be as competitive as they can be about their chosen pursuit. Few, however, take to magic with any great focus - it is seen as "untrustworthy" for mortals to wield, and generally the provenance of Powers and their Proxies to be flinging magic around.

Beastlands-Touched

A slightly less common form of Planetouched, Beastlands-Touched are usually wild animals - bigger, stronger, more intelligent, more... real than others of their kind. However, some humanoid creatures wish to feel more in touch with Nature, and decide to move out to the Beastlands. Mainly, it's Humans, Elves, Gnomes, and Orcs, but really, any creature may become Beastlands-Touched.

These Beastlands-Touched are animalistic, atavistic, and can vary right through from kind-hearted souls to savage hunters. Oddly, while the Plane itself is considered Good, many of its inhabitants come closer to Neutral, but then again, it's somewhat less strict than other Planes, and leans towards the Chaotic side more than anything else.

Physically, some are simply more than human - they adorn themselves with the spirits and shades of a totem animal, taking their features. So, the Leopard Totems are fast, cunning creatures, while Bear Totems are strong, tough and fearless. Some take this farther, taking physical aspects of their Totem - from animalistic features (we've all seen that dude who looks like an eagle, etc.) right through to the odd man/animal hybrids (though these are exceedingly rare, requiring sacrificing a large chunk of humanity to join so thoroughly with their Totem). Most will take at least a behaviour of their totem animal (so, Wolf Totems will be cunning and territorial, Snake Totems will be inclined towards stealth, and striking at just the right moment, etc).

Mentally, many are concerned with the upholding of Nature's order, and feel only a slight compulsion towards aspects of "Good" and "Evil". They don't have a "standard" mindset like many other Planetouched - there are simply too many animals to follow, and too many viewpoints to see the world.

Some Beastlands-Touched end up in service to the Animal Lords of their Totem, held aloft as powerful warriors and champions of their species. Some are sent on missions of great import to other Planes by their Lords, while others are possessed of a natural wanderlust, finding their way across the Planes in search of adventure. Regardless, despite their rarity, they can turn up just about anywhere.

In Sigil, one of the most well-known Beastlands-Touched is Shaasi Lightfoot, a Cat-Totem dancer (and part-time burglar) who works out of several of the local taverns, singing and dancing for coin (and then taking a few valuables in the dead of night). Lesser known outside of "urban legend" is Ithaliel, an Elf who was taken in by Ananzi, the Spider Lord, and has slowly but surely taken on aspects of his Totem. He managed to escape, disgusted by what he had become (on his Prime, Elves had maintained a thousand-year all-out war with the Spider-worshipping Drow). Now, this half-spider creature lurks in the darkest corners of the Hive Ward, scraping out survival in the hopes that he can find a way to reverse his condition.

Carceri-Touched

The Tarterian Depths are a soulless place, where Evil is the main driving force. Few (bar The Revolutionary League) would ever choose to live on Carceri, but some have no choice - whether they were accidentally Plane Shifted, or fell through the wrong colour pool at the wrong time. Some even came in large enough numbers to have children, even attempt to settle down - though they soon learned to regret their mistake.

Physically, many appear slight and even weak by average standards - but they have an avaricious cunning that more than makes up for it. Most often, they have a cruel caste to their features - a permanent "smirk" like they're going to fuck someone over, but they just haven't decided who yet. Thin mouths filled with teeth that are far too sharp , eyes which seem to glow with the tiniest hint of inner red light, grey-ish or chalk-like skin and minor disfigurements (such as claw-like hands or nails, forked tongues, vestigial tails, heterochromia, warped bodily proportions) are also all features commonly found on Carceri-Touched.

Carceri-Touched are driven by their greed and selfishness. While many people believe they are the centre of the multiverse, your average Carceri-Touched takes this to heart - believing themselves to be the most important as well (after all, how could the Multiverse exist without him?). They don't see other people as "real" - just further aspects of the rest of the universe as it revolves around them. As such, they have no qualms about killing or stealing from people - but believe heartily in revenge upon those who would dare think do the same to them. They are, to their core, Neutral Evil - the exemplars of greed. Many are also somewhat convinced that their existence is defined by suffering - whether feeling it, or sharing it with others.

In Sigil, many join The Fated, abusing the philosophies of their brothers to no end, while some become Doomguard or join the Bleak Cabal. Where they can, they will try and get themselves into positions of power, so that they might gain as much for themselves as they can, and to better cause suffering for it. Many become adventurers out of sheer avarice. or some cruel desire to spread the suffering of their existence out to others.

In Sigil, there is one Carceri-Touched of some importance - Talath Blacktooth, a Carceri-Touched Halfling who has (apparently) just made himself the first Cleric of... himself. He teaches a form of Enlightened Self Interest to those he finds interesting (or wants to rip off later), and encourages the local Barmies to worship him where he can.

Planetouched: Limbo-Touched

So, previously, I looked at some of the Lesser Planetouched (like Tieflings and Aasimar), but one of the ideas that kinda stuck with me was those who were more touched by the essence of a Plane (similarly to Genasi) than having interbred with its inhabitants.

Take Limbo - a place of pure madness, creation, and weirdo giant frog-things.

Purple Bicycle Nfllarg!

The Limbo-Touched are an odd lot. You might mistake them for random Barmies or Xaositects, from a distance - but up close, you can see some of the tell-tale signs. They are somewhat mutable in apperance - their features shift and reform ever so slightly when they react. Many have some unusual characteristic, like one eye larger than the other, unnatural skin or hair colours, or a generally misshapen apperance. Often, these will change without any real warning - though some Limbo-Touched are apparently capable of doing so using raw willpower. Even this subconscious shapeshifting leaves them tough - more often than not, wounds just don't phase the Limbo-Touched, or at least they're to batshit crazy to notice them.

Most come from Human stock, though as with all Planetouched, there is some variation - mainly Halflings, Gnomes, and Elves, although nearly any race may be affected by their stay in Limbo.

In terms of personality, they're a mixed bunch. Of course, it doesn't help that this applies to individuals as well - while one minute, they're kissing your mother, next minute they'll punch your baby. You can never truly predict what a Limbo-Touched will do next, and often, they will do everyhting within their power to ensure that their next movement is totally unexpected (learn to be fucking terrified of Limbo-Touched Sorcerers).

In Sigil, many join the ranks of the Xaositects, where their nature makes them very popular. A few join the Indeps, or just don't join a Faction at all. Most cannot hold down jobs or any form of secure arrangements - so a fair few become adventurers, brigands and thieves.

Mutable Alignment
If you use with the classic 9-point Alignment Chart, Limbo-Touched are Always Chaotic Neutral. However, each morning (or hour, or whenever the hell you please), roll on this chart:

Limbo-Touched Alignment
1 - Lawful Good
2 - Neutral Good
3 - Chaotic Good
4 - Lawful Neutral
5 - True Neutral
6 - Chaotic Neutral
7 - Lawful Evil
8 - Neutral Evil
9 - Chaotic Evil
0 - Reroll

This will be how the Limbo-Touched feels like acting. Note, this does not mean their alignment changes - just that that's what they want to do at that particular point. Remember these are closer to guidlines - they will do their best to stick to them, but could just as easily get bored and try something new.

I was gonna put up some more "crunch" for this, but in the end, I realised - I'll be using these for Risus - and if I want any other system, I can convert them as needed. Plus, I think it would really cramp their style, hooking them into any system. They're generic enough that you can re-make them for any system you might wish!

Quasi-Elemental Genasi Part II: This Time It's Personal

So, now we get to some of my favourites - the Negative Quasi-Elemental Planes. All of them are touched by entropy, darkness or death - thus making them perfect fodder for inexperienced adventurers!

"Oooh, the Plane of Ash sounds exotic... uuuurgh*hackcoughsplutterdead*"

Speaking of Ash, the Scions of the Dying Embers (as they call themselves) are a quiet, solitary race. Where possible, they carve out their own little lives on Ash, away from everyone (or rarely, in small groups). Those rare few who head to the Planes do so to really get away from everyone - mostly hermits, or lone farmers. Not particularly conductive to long-term PC play, but good as very rare NPCs.

Dust Genasi are my favourite. On Dust, everything fades - buildings crumble, people desiccate, and items rust. Nothing lasts bar memories and history - and those are a Dust Genasi's bread and butter. Many who take to wandering the Planes do so to hunt out interesting histories - whether its magic items (their creation, ownership, uses in certain battles, etc.), places (many choose a nice ruin or other ancient structure and spend their time researching, investigating, and generally spending a few years settled down into the task), or even people (immortal races and individual creatures can be a fountain of interesting information). Many will travel with other adventurers, and can even be quite social (if a little somber).

Salt Genasi are explorers of rivers and great lakes. While many Planes have their own bodies of water (or, are made of water), they actually prefer the Prime worlds - there, rivers are more changeable, they interact more with their settings, and they can look at the cultures that each river supports - all in all, they're more interesting. As they are quite likely to be visiting a Prime at any given point, they make a great way to introduce players on single-world settings to the wonders of the Multiverse. Kinda dull for PC use, but great if you want to do a specific concept.

And, finally, Vacuum Genasi - Air, with all the life (and everything else) sucked out. While you might expect this to make them dull nihilists (as D&D4e made the "Voidsoul" Genasi), they are in fact simply ridiculously naive about how the universe works. After all, when you come from a Plane where literally nothing happens, you're just as likely to stand in fear of a swooping dragon as you are to marvel at the wonders of a dog peeing in the street. I mean, you thought the Clueless were bad? They've got nothing on these guys. Weirdly, a very handy race to hand to a first-time player - just give them the direction "Everything is new" and watch them go! Also make for interesting NPCs, but only in small doses (and part of the fun is watching them "learn" about the rest of the Multiverse, one experience at a time.

So - final thoughts time. There's a lot of Genasi, and other Planetouched and for the most part? They're pretty cool. They add a lot of flavour and consistency to a campaign, but be careful not to overuse them - after all, a dude made of pure elemental Salt is pretty awesome, but when every other character is Planetouched, it starts to lose some of its effect. Of course, you can use this to really hammer a point home about just how weird the Planes are when players head home (if they ever do) - after all, most people will be the usual races, and it might seem drab and boring to see so many baseline humans all in one place. Just be careful with their use, and Genasi can add a lot to your game.

Quasi-Elemental Planetouched Part 1 - Bwah?

So, to further expand on the Planes and their inhabitants, I bring you the Quasi-Elemental Genasi.

Quasi-Elemental Planes exist where the Elemental Planes meet the Positive and Negative Energy Planes (go check out the map in the last post). These are the Light and Dark sides of the relatively Neutral Elements - let's start with the Positives (mainly because the Negatives are far more interesting).

The Radiance Genasi are what happens when Fire gets Positively charged - bright, happy, shiny people. Their Plane is a place of colour and beauty, and they tend to find the Multiverse... a little underwhelming. Many take to the arts in an attempt to bring some of the brilliance of their home to the rest of the Planes - but when you are used to unlimited shades and colours that don't even exist outside of Radiance, it's kinda hard. Being very positive in their outlook, few are deterred by this.

Mineral is Positive/Earth - The Earth takes on qualities of beauty and radiance, becoming precious gemstones. The Mineral Genasi are kind, generous people, who just so happen to be huge, walking collections of gemstones and crystals. Pretty cool NPCs, especially as traders, salesmen and maybe hireable miners or appraisers (who would know gemstones better than a gemstone?). They are also known for their generous nature -  when you live amongst gemstones, they lose some of their value, and money holds little appeal to them. You might see one working in a free clinic, healing the less fortunate, or otherwise helping the needy.

Steam are described as "The Lanterns in The Mists" - and are a race determined to get to the bottom of things. Skilled in deductive reasoning and grunt work, they make for perfect private eyes. I feel that this is too focused for a race - a single character, fine, but a whole race of detectives? Meh.

Lightning Genasi come from a Plane of storms, static and energy. When Air gets supercharged with energy, it starts sparking - and Lightning comes with it. For a cool twist, Lightning Genasi are obsessed with a particular facet of the Multiverse - Gods and Powers. The reasoning being, well, your Gods of Water love to go for a swim, Gods of Fire enjoy an inferno, but Powers of Thunder, Storms, and Lightning tend to really revel in the joys of a good storm - so why not go visit The Storm? Many Lightning Genasi have encountered a Power on the Plane, and they find them fascinating. Many who then go on to become Planewalkers will then spend their time investigating other religions, mythologies, and Powers to see what they do. Many even simply travel from temple to temple, learning as much as they can about Gods of all stripes. Make good Clerics, obviously, but I can also see a cool "Religious polymath" - one who knows a million and one little prayers or holy symbols to help out in a specific situation. Picture the party being faced with some very specific Undead: the Gensasi holding up holy symbol after holy symbol, reciting words of Power, hymns and litanies, until finding just the right one to dispatch the terror. Very cool.

Next, The Negative Quasi-Elemental Genasi. Confused yet? I am.

More Planetouched: The Weird and Wonderful Genasi

The Inner Planes are the basic forces of the Multiverse - primal building blocks of Fire, Earth, Water and Air. You also have the Positive and Negative Energy Planes - the forces of Creation and Destruction, Life and Entropy, etc.

Each Elemental Plane is technically infinite, but there are some conterminous points - sections where they touch. But not all of them - it's like a 4-part ring arrangement. It's... pretty fucking complicated, truth be told. Look:

...yeah, something like that...

You can probably make out the touching points - like between Earth and Fire, you have Magma, or Dust between Earth and Negative.

Each of these Para-Elemental (between the elements) or Quasi-Elemental (between the elements and Positive/Negative planes) Planes has its own inhabitants - including more Genasi! I'll stick with the Para-Elementals for now - 4 in all.

Again, some are pretty cool, some are kinda weak. Smoke are pretty cool - Air meets Fire, passion and though combining into a cultured appreciation of all things, and a love of enclosed spaces. Due to the fact that beings from both Air and Fire can easily live here, it's a pretty busy place - in fact, when they come to the Prime Material, they tend towards bustling cities, and are a fairly common sight in Sigil. Very cool as NPCs - the hacking, continually raspy voiced merchant, selling curios and oddities from his back-room, continually giving off the scent of burnt cinnamon and opium...

Ice Genasi are surprisingly sensitive and emotional - a far cry from Ice's usual "cold and uncaring" demeanor. While the other inhabitants of Ice are somewhat "muted", the human side of Ice Genasi yearns for some show of emotion - and those who get themselves out onto the Planes are eager to make up for lost time. Quite cool as PCs - their emotional "edginess" leads them to be prime adventuring material.

Magma Genasi are explorers at heart - very curious about the Planes, and mostly travel to see the Multiverse. A bit weak (all Para-Elemental Genasi share the curiosity angle), but cool for their looks and the possibility of combining the solid, unshakable nature of Earth with the wild, passionate fury of Fire. Would make for a pretty good PC race, maybe a bit too generic as NPCs.

Ooze are the rejects of the pile. Being between Water and Earth, they're pretty much Mud Elementals. Not very well received, all things considered. But they're eager to shrug off this disrespect by being the best they can be - super-competitive, friendly to everyone they can be, the works. They're also commonly found
as Paladins and protectors, attempting to "out-hero" everyone else. Quite cool, good as a pretty much pre-built PC backstory, or good as an NPC/Cohort or Hireling.

As you might guess, "opposing" elements don't touch - so no Fire/Water plane, or Earth/Air. Which is a good thing, really - some of the concepts are stretched thin as is, and I can't imagine much about them beyond "conflicted and confused".

Next, the Quasi-Elementals - beings formed of the union of an Element and Positive or Negative Energy.

Planetouched Races - Some Awesome, Some Not So Much

One of the main elements of the Planescape setting is (funnily enough) the Planes. It's also well known that they can influence people, and change them in unexpected ways, or otherwise suffuse their substance into a living being. These beings are referred to as the Planetouched, and are a fairly common sight on the streets of Sigil.

Genasi

Touched (possibly innapropriately) by the Inner Planes, the Genasi have the power of raw elements flowing through their blood.

Fire Genasi are your bog-standard "man with a flaming head". Fairly uninspiring, I feel. They're quick to anger, passionate, etc. So why not mix it up a little and have one who is more about cold fury and rage, less a naked flame and more a blue-hot flamethrower? They also have some minor fire-based abilities (like fire-affecting, or even a version of the Burning Hands spell) - in Risus, you can stretch these to be as varied as you want (say, you can affect fires, or shoot fire, or walk unharmed through an inferno) - whatever you and the GM agree is appropriate (no, there isn't a "Nuclear Holocaust" setting on your personal flamethrower!). Good for hot-blooded Warrior characters, and can make some very thematically-focused Fire Wizards (though something like Sorcerer, with the whole "magic in the blood" feel might be more appropriate

Water Genasi are also a bit hard to pin down - appropriately enough, for an element which flows and adapts. Not much exciting here, sadly. I tend to see them as just as passionate as Fire, slightly tempered by a nicer nature. But when the chips are down, you could face a torrent of pain. "Flexible" would be a good word for them - in fact, in the standard D&D race lineup, where Dwarves are Earth-like, Elves are Air, etc. I see humanity as closest to Water - not just adaptable and mutable, but prone to quick change, and never safe to predict. Awesome Monks, fair warriors, might make an interesting Wizard...

Air are a personal favourite - they are flighty, artistic, philosophical... another recurring NPC of mine is Sadia Windstrider, a warrior-poet with an acrobatic combat style. Most of the cliches you would use for Elves are a great fit for the Wind Dukes. Good as more skill-based characters, rather than straight up Warriors - thieves, Bards, maybe the odd Cleric.

Earth Genasi are big, ponderous, and stoic. Again, pretty much normal-height Dwarves - they make good Warriors and Defenders, being tough as nails and strong as oxen. They would also make for interesting lawyers - a well-thought defense, which might take hours to formulate, and an unshakeable nature make them surprisingly handy in planned-out social situations.

The Good, The Bad, and The Not-So Ugly
Then you have Tieflings and Aasimar - descendants of Devils/Demons and Angels, respectively. They are very generic in their stance - Aasimar are happy, beautiful, shiny people, and Tieflings are sullen, cloven-footed and horned folk. I think I'd keep these generic models as distant relatives of other Celestial/Fiendish entities - so, a Half-Fiends great great grandson, for example. I'd much rather see some variety based on the particular Planar Being in the bloodline - so, you have Planetar Aasimar, with a slight greenish hue and a warrior bent, or an Ice Devil Tiefling, with blueish skin and odd, insectoid features. Of course, each of these would require a lot of conversoin work and balancing to be done in D&D - but one of the joys of Risus is that they would be as useful as you wanted (having Planetar Aasimar as a cliche might give you an advantage when talking to Celestials or superstitious common folk, make you a kind and gentle person or a righteous holy warrior, give you a commonly-attributed ability of Planetars - but for the love of the Gods, not Gate).

Pretty much pick an interesting Celestial or Fiend, and run through what you want out of the deal with the GM. Simple.

Lawful, Neutral, And Chaotic Planetouched
So, here you have the Zenthyri (beings descended from pure Law), who are surprisingly interesting - they are Lawful to a tee, and might seem aloof and uninterested to most. But they are simply very good at controlling their emotions, to the point that, when faced in battle, they maintain a "tranquil fury" that is terrifying. They also give some great roleplay options - while they are a natural fit as Guvnors, imagine a Zenthyri Sensate - wanting to experience everything, and recording and studying each sensation, making notes and comparisons.

"Well, that Burning Hands spell did hurt, but it was nothing like the Fireball last week... I'd say a 3.8 pain rating, as opposed to the 7.9 Fireball..."

You ever wanted to play a blue Vulcan, they're your guys.

Chaonds are those poor sods touched by Chaos - misshapen, dour, and altogether mad. Very useful as NPCs, they make for great not-evil bad guys, or as suspicious characters who turn out to be not as evil as they seem... as characters, they sadly have a tendancy to be picked by what the internet terms as the "lolrandom" player - the guy who takes Chaotic Neutral as an alignment, then makes a character who could kiss you or punch your baby - you'll never know till it's too late. Can be good, but I'd keep an eye on it...

But then, we have the Rilmani. Those touched by Neutrality.

Sadly, yes, they look pretty much like these guys - faces like runny cheese, no specific tone of voice or action... Seriously, why bother? Again, much better as NPCs, maybe as perfectly neutral judges in contests or, in the rare case of a Lawful Neutral one, a perfect Guvnor to track down your player's resident lawbreakers. Really, dull enough that they kinda slip into the background (and as such, perfect NPCs!).

Next, the Para- and Quasi-Elemental Genasi - Obscure and Weird, here we come!