Arcana from the Genie Realms (5e)
A lightning bolt snaked out towards a cloaked man. But rather than obliterating him¸ the lightning swirled around him¸ and then merged with his entire lower body as it transformed into a column of churning wind and crackling energy. As he rose into the air he threw back his hood¸ and then threw the harnessed lightning bolt back towards his attacker. A finely dressed young man placed a handful of small gems and coins into a bowl before him and performed a lengthy speech for the onlooking crowd¸ declaring the greatness of his genie patron. At the end of his oration¸ the gems and coins disappeared and new arcane knowledge formed in his mind. The bride looked up as the doors flew off their hinges and a troop of orcs dared to interrupt her wedding. The candles in the hall briefly flickered before their flames rushed towards her waiting hands. She cradled the fire briefly¸ and then unleashed a mighty fireball. Author's Note Ever since Al Qadim came out for AD&D 2nd Edition¸ I've been fascinated by the way the setting used the Sha'ir to fearlessly modify the magic system to be more evocative and drive the story of the region. I didn't feel it was very playable at the time¸ but have always wanted to revisit it and lean into the themes of decadence and bargaining. The sorcerer was driven from a line from the Genie entry in the 5th edition Monster Manual: *"the soul of a sentient living creature melds with the primordial matter of an elemental plane"*¸ which seemed like the perfect story hook for a sorcerer's power. The wizard that learns how to manipulate the raw elemental power is a classic trope of fantasy and this subclass aims to reward the type of player that pays tactical attention to the environment. It is my hope that I've layered some mechanics that are at the same time evocative¸ fun to play at the table¸ and consistent with the power levels of other character options. If I have or haven't¸ I welcome your feedback. - Mike Cullingham