Genasi Guide 5e

Published on August 2, 2021, Last modified on May 2nd, 2022

Magali Villeneuve - Wizards of the Coast - Chandra, Torch of Defiance

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What is this guide?

This guide is meant to give you an idea of whether or not the genasi will be right for your 5e character build.

The color code below has been implemented to help you identify, at a glance, how good that option will be for your genasi. This color coding isn’t a hard and fast rule; there are plenty of sub-optimized options out there that will be viable to your party and will be fun to play.

Black is a trait shared by many races and or will not impact the effectiveness of your character build
Red isn’t going to contribute to the effectiveness of your character build at all
Orange Situationally good, but a below-average option otherwise
Green is a good option
Blue is a great option, you should strongly consider this option for your character
Sky Blue is an amazing option. If you do not take this option your character would not be optimized

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Update

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything has added the "Customizing Your Origin" option that may affect the ability score increases, languages, and proficiencies in this guide. To read more about this, visit our D&D Race Guide.

What are Genasi in 5e?

Source: Elemental Evil Player’s Companion

It is said that sometimes powerful genies from the Elemental Planes travel to the Material Plane and disguise themselves as mortals. On occasion, romances form between disguised genies and mortals, the resulting offspring of which are known as the genasi.

Due to their lineage, genasi are infused with elemental power. These elements play a role in all parts of a genasi’s personality and looks. An earth genasi is slow and deliberate, with dark features and skin reminiscent of precious earth metals, while a fire genasi may have writhing, fiery red hair and a volatile temperament.

Genasi 5e Traits

Ability Score Increase: The base genasi race only gets +2 CON, the rest of which is filled in by your choice of subrace. CON is useful to every class.

Size: Medium is the typical size of most races, and is neither good nor bad.

Speed: Genasi have a standard walking speed of 30 feet.

Genasi 5e Subraces

Air

Air genasi are intended for DEX builds that need that extra bit of survivability. For a look at the updated air genasi from Monsters of the Multiverse, check out our Air Genasi 5e Guide.

Ability Score Increase: +1 DEX rounds out the air genasi to create a good ability score spread for martial DEX users.

Unending Breath: Useful for exploring environments without any air. Unfortunately, if you enter an environment with poisonous air, you’ll still be affected even if you’re holding your breath.

Mingle with the Wind: Levitate is a good spell to get up high or to completely remove a melee attacker from combat. Unfortunately you can only use this once per long rest, making it a rather weak spellcasting ability compared to the other genasi.

Earth

Earth genasi are a robust choice for STR builds and come with an unusual set of racial traits. For a look at the updated earth genasi from Monsters of the Multiverse, check out our Earth Genasi 5e Guide.

Ability Score Increase: A +1 STR increase pairs very well with the innate +2 CON the genasi gets. Classes that want STR often also look for CON.

Earth Walk: Unrestricted movement across difficult terrain is really strong, although here it is limited to terrain made of earth or stone. This will likely be the most common terrain you encounter, but all too often terrain will be made difficult by other means.

Merge with Stone: A free cast of pass without trace once per long rest is fantastic. The spell has a 1 hour duration, so you should probably be able to get your sneaking done for the day in that amount of time. STR-based builds also rarely get access to this spell making it quite unique. Pass without trace also helps alleviate some of the disadvantage that STR builds have with heavy armor.

Fire

Fire genasi are designed for the INT-based spellcasters and are packaged with very useful racial traits. For a look at the updated fire genasi from Monsters of the Multiverse, check out our Fire Genasi 5e Guide.

Ability Score Increase: INT and CON go well together. The artificer and especially the wizard need plenty of CON to compensate for their weak hit dice.

Darkvision: Darkvision is always great, but its advantage can be ruined if your party members do not also have it. Additional points for flavor as the fire genasi sees everything in the dark in a shade of red.

Fire Resistance: Fire damage is extremely common, whether from enemy spellcasters or monster abilities. Having fire resistance baked into the fire genasi works wonders for survivability.

Reach to the Blaze: Produce flame is a cantrip, so it won’t be restricted to once per long rest. It offers great utility by being a light source but also a solid source of damage for low levels. At 3rd level you get one use of burning hands per long rest, which, when used right, can do damage to a bunch of enemies at once. The damage won’t scale as you level up, but the spell will serve you well for at least a few levels.

Water

Water genasi don’t have the most versatile ability score increases, but WIS-based characters can find some fun in the swim speed and interesting innate spells. For a look at the updated water genasi from Monsters of the Multiverse, check out our Water Genasi 5e Guide.

Ability Score Increase: +2 CON and +1 WIS is really only good for a select few classes, and some would rather see DEX combined with WIS.

Acid Resistance: Acid damage isn’t that common, but it isn’t that rare either. This trait is nice to have but won’t come into play all too often.

Amphibious: Being able to breathe underwater makes certain scenarios much easier, especially if nobody in the party has access to the water breathing spell.

Swim: Having a swimming speed can be extremely useful, especially when playing in an aquatic-focused campaign.

Call to the Wave: Shape water can be really handy and its a cantrip so you can cast it as often as you like. You can use it to shape an air bubble underwater so your friends can breathe, or even drop an ice spike on an unsuspecting foe. A singular cast of create or destroy water may also provide some mileage if you need drinking water or to put out a fire, though you can only create up to ten gallons.

Which 5e Classes Work With Genasi?

Each genasi subrace comes with a different ASI, so it’ll be pretty obvious which classes they work for. +2 CON means none of the subraces come with +2 to a main stat, though this isn’t too much of a disadvantage considering CON is universally useful and each genasi subrace offers some potent racial traits.

Artificer:

Fire: Ideally the artificer would like to see +2 INT. The fire genasi gets us most of the way there, plus increased survivability from the CON bonus and Fire Resistance, darkvision, and a useful cantrip to boot.

Barbarian:

Earth: The earth genasi provides the perfect ability scores, improved movement options, and a reliable way to be stealthy as a barbarian.

Bard: Bards need CHA to be effective.

Cleric:

Water: The water genasi provides the WIS Clerics need, and CON and Acid Resistance help for assuming a tanking role.

Druid:

Water: Even though the water genasi provides the WIS druids need, as well as CON, most of their relatively niche abilities are easily replicated by Wild Shape, which can make this choice redundant.

Fighter:

Earth: The earth genasi provides great ability score increases for a STR fighter, improved movement options, and a reliable way to be stealthy as a fighter, even in heavy armor.

Monk:

Air: Air genasi do get some DEX, but levitate will only be useful to use on your enemies or out of combat because monks need to be in melee range.
Water: The water genasi provides CON and WIS, but without DEX the monk will be at a serious disadvantage.

Paladin:

Earth: The earth genasi provides great ability score increases for a STR paladin, improved movement options, and a reliable way to be stealthy as a paladin, even in heavy armor.

Ranger:

Air: The air genasi provides DEX and levitate can be used to shoot enemies safely from the air.
Earth: STR-based rangers could try the earth genasi, though pass without trace is already available to the class and Earth Walk is also redundant due to access to the freedom of movement spell.
Water: The water genasi is a consideration for the WIS, but rangers typically prefer DEX.

Rogue:

Air: The air genasi has a moderate DEX boost, but nothing else is exciting as a rogue.
Fire: Arcane Tricksters could consider the fire genasi for the INT and a host of tempting racial traits, though a lack of DEX could prove to be too much of a roadblock to overcome.

Sorcerer: Sorcerers need CHA to be effective.

Warlock: Warlocks need CHA to be effective.

Wizard:

Fire: Ideally the wizard would like to see +2 INT, but there is plenty here to make up for that. Increased survivability from the CON bonus and Fire Resistance that the wizard desperately needs, Darkvision, and a useful cantrip to boot.

Sources Used in This Guide

BR: Basic Rules
GotG: Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
SotDQ: Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
ERLW: Eberron: Rising from the Last War
EEPC: Elemental Evil Player’s Companion
EGtW: Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
FToD: Fizban's Treasury of Dragon
GGtR: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica
MotM: Monsters of the Multiverse
MToF: Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
MOoT: Mythic Odyessys of Theros
PAitM: Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse
PHB: Player's Handbook
SAiS: Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
SCoC: Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
SCAG: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
TCoE: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
TTP: The Tortle Package
WBtW: The Wild Beyond The Witchlight
VRGtR: Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
VGtM: Volo's Guide to Monsters
XGtE: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Roland Drews

Roland Drews is a content creator and editor at Arcane Eye. When he isn't watching basketball or noodling on his guitar, you can find Roland reading, writing, or playing D&D. He currently lives in Bonn, Germany with his girlfriend Jess.