By Alan McCoy from Dungeons & Dragons: Fundamentals
How to build challenging encounters against a Marid
Note: This has been prepared utilizing only the 5E Core Rules. The Genie can be found in the Monster Manual pages 141-146.
Marid are creatures out of story and legend. A Marid is created when a mortal’s spiritual energy merges with the primordial matter of the Elemental Plane of Water. The transformation is complete, the only vestige of the spirits previous existence is a physical resemblance that includes gender and one or two remnant personality traits.
Marid believe that they are the epitome of the elemental stuff from which they were created. They are haughty and arrogant with a profound sense of entitlement that comes from knowing that they have the kind of power that few can rival. All Marid claim to be members of the nobility, thus the race is awash in Shahs, Sultans, Muftis, and Khedives. While the legitimacy of their claim on nobility might be questionable, challenging the legitimacy of the right to the title is sure to cause great insult. In their palaces on their home planes, the Marid are served by legions of willing slaves that cater to their every whim.
Marids go out of their way to acquire slaves that are accomplished artists and artisans, apparently just so that they can show off their new acquisitions. Marid have been known to kidnap talented artists, entertainers and storytellers to round out or expand their “collections”.
In arcane circles it is well known that genies are masters of the element from which they are drawn, and that a rare few possess the power to grant wishes. For these reasons, Wizards and other spell-casters have been to attempt to bind these creatures into service, using them as the focal point in the creation of bottles, shells, decanters and powerful rings.
The mortal who desires the service of a Marid must entreat it with fine gifts or use flattery to gain its compliance. Marid consider all others to be inferiors of various grades, Humanoids especially. Thus, the more obsequious the mortal is, the better it knows its place and the more likely they are to grant it’s petitions.
Marids love stories, and tell especially good tales, while based on some facts, their tales are often so fanciful and laced with deceit that the true telling is totally missed. Marid are not bothered by such, it is a better tale their way.
Marid are large and have a distinct fishy quality to their appearance. If fish were to wear clothing, such as finely stitched vests and colorful pantaloons. Their voice can vary from as soft as a sea breeze to as sonorous as storm waves breaking against a rocky cliff. When flying, their lower body transforms into a column of foamy water. Marid carry a huge trident when they feel the need for a weapon.
While individual exceptions are possible, most Marid are Chaotic Neutral in Alignment.
Step 1) Let’s review what we know about the Marid
Impressive Strength and Constitution, Very high Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma, Above Average Dexterity.
Amazingly fast in the Swimmers (90 feet/round), Exceptionally Fast flyers (60 feet/round) Walk (30 feet).
Half damage from Acid, Cold and Lighting.
Blindsight 30 feet, Darkvision 120 feet, Passive Perception (recalculated 15, 13 RAW).
Powerful Spellcasters using Charisma as a spellcasting ability.
Powerful in Melee, it can use its Trident to attack twice each round. The trident can be used as a one- or two-handed weapon.
Can create a water jet that shoots water in a 60-foot line, the jet does both bludgeoning damage and causes knockback.
Step 2) Determine the probable Strategy
Strategy is always about determining the goals and desires of the creature in question and determining how far they will go to accomplish their goal and attain their desires. As the various genies have vastly different outlooks and highly developed individual personalities and intellects, trying to determine what an individual’s strategy will be is nearly impossible.
An Encounter with a Marid, provided they are approached with gifts and flattery need not degenerate into violence. Unfortunately, Marid are chaotic and will often react differently based solely upon their mood at the moment.
I will limit myself to the following situation, a Marid has resisted an attempt by a Wizard to imprison it in a magical ring, it is very angry at the betrayal and is attempting to punish and kill.
Scenario: The Marid has escaped the confines of the Wizard’s Tower and is taking his vengeance upon the wizard and anyone in proximity. The tower is located on the outskirts of a seaside village, it stands on the edge of a cliff with dungeons below it leading to a sea-cave harbor.
Step 3) Determine Tactics
The Marid will Conjure a Water Elemental to attack the party, while it flies above the party. It will cast Tongues to ensure that it understands the language used. It will also utilize Detect Good and Evil and Detect Magic to identify the strongest foes and spellcasters.
The Marid will direct the Water Elemental to wash as many people off the cliff as possible, sending them to the waters below. Those not killed outright will then be within the Marid’s element.
The Marid will help this effort by utilizing its Water Jet to assist.
If the Marid detects concern for the bystanders or ‘innocent civilians’ it will utilize its fog cloud ability to mask the situation on the water below from sight.
Should the survivors of the fall begin to climb out of the water, it will utilize its control water ability to flood the area, or to create a whirlpool to suck them down into the depths.
After it has washed down as many as it can, the Marid will begin attacking with its trident. Following up its water jet to attack prone targets first. The Water Jets knockback makes for a powerful ‘offensive disengage’ as well should it be needed.
Once it begins to deal with those targets in the water, it will continue to control water probably using a whirlpool to drown as many victims as possible, while utilizing fog cloud to mask the shore from sight to confuse its disoriented victims.
Of course, it will be helped in these tasks by its water elemental minion.
Finally, the Marid can banish a truly pesky foe by using its plane shift ability.