Large elemental (genie), chaotic neutral
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 229 (17d10 + 136)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 90 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +4
Proficiency Bonus +7 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 (+6) | 12 (+1) | 26 (+8) | 18 (+4) | 17 (+3) | 18 (+4) |
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +7, Cha +8
Damage Resistances acid, cold, lightning
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Aquan
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)
Amphibious. The marid can breathe air and water.
Elemental Demise. If the marid dies, its body disintegrates into a burst of water and foam , leaving behind only equipment the marid was wearing or carrying.
Innate Spellcasting. The marid’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
- At will: create or destroy water, detect evil and good, detect magic, fog cloud, purify food and drink
- 3/day each: tongues, water breathing, water walk
- 1/day each: conjure elemental (water elemental only), control water, gaseous form, invisibility, plane shift
Innate Spellcasting (suggested). The marid’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
- At will:
- 7/day each: gaseous form, control water, wall of fog, water breathing (duration 24 hours)
- 2/day each: detect evil and good, detect magic, invisibility, liquid form (see gaseous form), polymorph (self only), purify water, see invisibility
- 1/year: alter reality
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The marid makes two trident attacks.
- Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to Hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) piercing damage, or 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.
- Water jet. The marid magically shoots water in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and, if it is Huge or smaller, is pushed up to 20 feet away from the marid and knocked prone. On a success, a target takes half the bludgeoning damage, but is neither pushed nor knocked prone.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
Marids are powerful and majestic genies that inhabit the Elemental Plane of Water. They are also known as the water genies, and they are revered by many as the most wondrous and mighty of all genie-kind. Marids have a towering stature, standing between 16 and 18 feet (5 to 5.5 meters) tall, and they have skin that changes color according to their mood, usually ranging from shades of blue to white. Their hair is also varied, often matching their skin tone or contrasting it with darker hues. Marids have a preference for scant clothing or none at all when in water, but they wear colorful and flowing garments when on land. They are proud of their impressive physiques and like to show them off.
The marids are said to be born of the ocean, having currents for muscles and pearls for teeth. These genies from the elemental plane of Water are the most powerful of all genies. They are also the most individualistic and chaotic of the elemental races, and only rarely deign to serve others. On their own plane they are rare: marids travel so seldom to the Prime Material plane that many consider marids to be creatures of legend only.
Marids have a natural affinity for water and can manipulate it in almost any way they desire. They can create water, purify it, shape it, freeze it, or boil it with a mere thought. They can also communicate telepathically and speak several languages, including Aquan, Jannti, and Midani.
COMBAT
Marids are formidable foes in combat, as they can wield both physical and magical power. They are very strong and agile, and they can use their tridents to inflict piercing damage on their enemies. They can also use their water jet ability to shoot a stream of water at a target, dealing bludgeoning damage and possibly knocking them prone. Marids have a variety of spell-like abilities that they can use at will, such as invisibility, polymorph self, detect magic, and detect evil or good. They can also cast more powerful spells, such as control water, cone of cold, gaseous form, ice storm, and wall of ice. Marids are resistant to acid, cold, and lightning damage, and they have blindsight and darkvision. They are not afraid to fight, but they prefer to avoid unnecessary conflicts or negotiate with their opponents.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Marids live in the Elemental Plane of Water, where they have built magnificent palaces and cities under the sea. They also travel to other planes, especially the Prime Material Plane, where they seek out sources of fresh water or exotic locations. Marids are very curious and adventurous, and they enjoy exploring new lands and cultures. They are also very proud and arrogant, and they consider themselves superior to all other beings. They often demand tribute or service from those they encounter, and they can be very generous or cruel depending on their whims.
Marids live in a loose empire ruled by a padisha. Each marid lays some claim to royalty; they are all shahs, atabegs, beglerbegs, or mufti at the very least. There have often been several simultaneous “single true heirs” to the padisha’s throne through the eons.
A marid household numbers 2d10 and is located around loosely grouped elemental pockets containing the necessities for marid life. Larger groups of marids gather for hunts and tournaments, where individual effort is heavily emphasized. Marids are champion tale-tellers, although most of their tales emphasize their own prowess, and belittle others.
When communicating with a marid, one must attempt to keep the conversation going without continual digression for one tale or another, while not offending the marid. Marids consider it a capital offense for a lesser being to offend a marid. Marids are both fiercely independent and extremely egoistical.
They are not easily forced to perform actions; even if convinced through flattery and bribery to obey, they often stray from their intended course to seek some other adventure that promises greater glory, or to instruct lesser creatures on the glories of the marids.
Most mages skilled in summoning and conjuration consider marids to be more trouble than they are worth, which accounts for the great lack of items of marid control (as opposed to those affecting efreet and djinn). Marids can travel the Ethereal plane, in addition to those planes to which all genies can travel.
ECOLOGY
Marids are omnivorous creatures that can eat almost anything that is edible. They prefer seafood and fruits, but they also enjoy exotic delicacies from other planes. Marids do not need to sleep or breathe air, but they do need to rest occasionally to regain their magical energy. Marids reproduce sexually by mating with other marids or sometimes with other races that can produce viable offspring with them. Marid offspring inherit some traits from both parents, but they usually resemble marids more than the other parent’s race. Marids have a long lifespan that can span centuries or even millennia.
Marids tolerate their genie relatives, putting up with jann and djinn like poor cousins, while they have an aversion to efreet and dao. Their attitude toward the rest of the world is similar; most creatures from other planes are considered lesser beings, not fit to be bothered with unless one lands in the feast hall at an inopportune time.
Marids have few natural enemies or predators in their native plane, but they sometimes clash with other genies or elemental creatures over territory or resources. Marids also have a long-standing rivalry with efreeti (fire genies), who represent the opposite element of water.