elemental mages (race/class help)

[j_spencer93]

Ok I am creating a group of stereotypical "elemental" mages and am wondering if there are any races that that fluff wise fit the elements below. I am using spells from numerous Dragon Magazines (will end up being all when done). I think the gensai fit fluff wise for most (but am willing to change for another race i might have missed).
EDIT: ok on second thought i would like some class ideas too. These are going to be the main minions for a BBEG. They also are made in the old fashion "master" of their element trope, also i know ice and water are the same people, but using the DM allows for far more water spells and even a class that is an underwater ranger so i split them apart.

Acid- Ooze-para gensai? (/ooze master)
Sonic- Buomman (sorcerer 8/prestige bard 2 & master of the secret sound 10)
Fire- fire gensai? (wizard (evocation specilist)/ element savant?)
Ice- [Dark Ice fey/Ice para-elemental/orglash] Uldra (wizard 10/frost mage 10)
Water- [Accantus/Child of the Sea] Aventi (druid 10/darkwater knight 10)
Wind- air gensai? (monk 4, wizard 6/master of the east wind 5 (or 10) if 5 then 5 levels in another)
monk abilities (eh), but advances casting full and may not be bad with the ascetic feat.
Earth- Urdunnir Dwarf (wu jen 5/earth dreamer 5 & deep diviner 10)
Electricity- (/stormlord)

[Troacctid]

Cold should be combined with Water, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to combine Electricity and Sonic (thunder and lightning) with Air.

[j_spencer93]

I thought about that except in the DM there are spell devoted to both element, plus i have an elemental template planned for both. I think i can fill in their spell list good enough to separate them too but depending on how they start to build i might change them. Sonic on the other hand is going to be master of the secret sound so it is going to be a different NPC, also planning of Cold to be going frost mage.

[Eonir]

Don't forget about our very own Avatar D20 (https://sites.google.com/site/avatard20/home), which was created on here on gitp. It's a quite solid homebrew of the Avatar: The Last Airbender setting.

The main point being the four elemental bender class. They are kind of likes monks, but with a bit of refluffing I could see them as elemental specific mages.

Check it out!

[Troacctid]

Well Stormsinger uses air, sonic, and electricity. So does Stormcaster. The Born of the Three Thunders feat even changes spells that use one energy type into a combination of both. And ice is, literally, water.

[j_spencer93]

wind will be master or the east, south, west, or north wind. Just have to decide which. Btw i will edit the top the show the changes.
Opps forgot to mention, ya i know of that feat. Also cold isnt water all the time. I could post several water spells that are not cold. I plan on having cold use ice spells (maybe i should have called it ice to begin with) while the water mage is going to use water spells.

The mages are kind of needed from a story stand point, has to do with a group of magi trying to claim the elemental corresponding to them. Kinda hard to explain exactly why but imagine something like the first final fantasy or bravely default.

[Deadline]

Are you using the word "elemental" to refer to the elements as laid out via the monster type, Elemental? (There are four elements, in that case, Air, Fire, Earth, Water). Or are you using the wu-jen categories or energy types as your basis? (In which case there are 7-9, Acid, Air?, Cold, Fire, Earth, Electricity, Metal, Sonic, Water).

[Waker]

Are these meant to be NPCs facing a party? If so, having some idea of their expected levels might help. Also do they need to use magic specifically, or could they duplicate it through psionics and other systems?

Acid- Ooze-para gensai? (/ooze master)
You could make the race a standard one, like Human or Dwarf and make it weirder by tacking on some Aberrant feats from Lords of Madness. That way, you could end up with a slightly amorphous creature with an acidic touch.

Sonic- (bard or wizard/)
Bard would be your best bet. Some people might make suggestions on how to get a bunch of Sonic spells, but I would recommend going a subtler route. Grab Subsonics (CAdv) so now your Bardic Music can affect targets without them realizing it. Bardic performances like Inspire Awe, Chord of Distraction, Doomspeak and Sound of Silence can hamper the party while some mooks do all the heavy lifting.

Fire- fire gensai?
Pyrokineticist could fit the bill.

Cold- ice para-gensai? (/frost mage)
Uldra would be a good race for a frost user. As for a class you could go with Frost Mage, Winterhaunt of Iborighu, Cryokineticist.

Water- (/sea witch)
Aventi could be fine. The Sea Witch would work or you could try the Wavekeeper.

Wind- air gensai? (/storm singer or one of the four winds classes from DM)
Raptoran with the Skypledged PrC.

Earth- earth gensai (/earth dreamer)
Earth Dreamer works fine, but you might also like Sand Shaper.

Of course you could sub in Elemental Savant for meeting the theme for spellcasting as well.

[j_spencer93]

Well they are going to be in Greyhawk, so i would like actual magic in some shape of form. Also in another world, think its eberron, a PC of mine created an order of psionic monks (broke off from the tashlatora) using the kineticist class (wotc update of cyrp/pyro kineticist combing them and allowing more elemental variants) so avoiding psionics right now. Also sea witch has been trader for Darkwater Knight and ranger. If you do not know the class it is out of Dragon Magazine.
For your other suggestions....i like them.
Also NPCs, level 20 each. Its going to be the common anime trope of heroes breaking into villians fortress, defeating their minions before confronting the villian himself. These NPCs are supposed to be distinct masters of their own elements, who plan on trying to take their own respective element planes.

[j_spencer93]

ok. Need some help on the water build. Decided ranger to build into Darkwater Knight, who can fight under water and gain bonuses while fighting underwater. He is going to be hit in run, trying to fit in tidal wave, tsunami, and other spells but they are cleric/wiz only.
Child of the sea/accantus is a cool idea but think it would fit a wizard, so maybe Aventi is a better choice.


Went with bard for sonic since it fits better with master of the secret sound

[Phelix-Mu]

I made a Water Shaper based on the Sand Shaper PrC from Sandstorm, which is an awesome and very useful PrC. Might be worth a gander. The main work is in changing the free spells earned in the early levels of the PrC, since the list is quite long. But there are a good number of [water] spells and effects out there to poach. Most of the other abilities can be fixed by just changing "sand" to "water" and a bit of moderate tweaking besides.

[j_spencer93]

That actually sounds very interesting. I might try that out later, but right now staying with classes premade. But seriously...that might be interesting later.

[Phelix-Mu]

For races, I have always been fond of mephlings, from Planar Handbook. There is one for each elemental plane, so select whichever one you are short of given what you have already decided.

[Tarlek Flamehai]

Acid - Slyth
Sonic - Sirine Soreceress/Siren
Fire - Celadrin Wilder/Pyrokinetic
Cold - seconding Uldra
Water - Aquatic Elf
Wind - Air Mephling
Earth - Urdunnir Dwarf
Electricity - Mechanatrix

[ShurikVch]

Also:

Ghaunadan (MoF)
http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/mof_gallery/MonFaePG49.jpg
Slime Lord (PGF)
http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/pgtf_gallery/78904.jpg

Stormlord (F&P)
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090324180345/forgottenrealms/images/a/a5/Stormlord.jpg
Storm Disciple (CPsi)
http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/cpsi_gallery/96350.jpg

Dragon #297 have Ice Para-Genasi
Unapproachable East have Orglash template
http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/ue_gallery/49895.jpg
(Air + Cold = Blizzard?)
Icesinger from Dr#314 - Bard PrC 10/10

Do you aware - in Savage Species Elementals had LA

[j_spencer93]

Wow thanks for the help. Ill update this after going over everything. My players are really loving the idea of fighting these guys (everyone is playing as a specialist mage actually). Have the mission made to where they should fight these 1 on 1 but we will see how it comes out.

[j_spencer93]

Ok update are done and finished the water build. Looking into the sonic build now and still can not decide on a race. Really wouldnt want anything to monstrous for this build

[Phelix-Mu]

Ok update are done and finished the water build. Looking into the sonic build now and still can not decide on a race. Really wouldnt want anything to monstrous for this build

Uh. Buomman would be flavorful. As I recall they can sing, but not talk or something. Make one that has some kind of quirk that allows it to talk, or expand the feat designed specifically for them to work for conversational stuff too. Planar Handbook.

Otherwise, maybe Maenad. They have a scream ability that is sonic, if I recall correctly. Psionic flavor, but not deeply so. Expanded Psionic Handbook. Flavorful race, if nothing else.

[j_spencer93]

I have never heard of that race but it sounds perfect. Maenad is interesting too though.
EDIT: Wow just read them. They are perfect for what i wanted.

Above someone mention Slyth for acid? May i ask why? i am unfamiliar with them?

[Phelix-Mu]

I believe the feat for Buomman spellcasters is called Nonverbal Spell. Same book, I think. That might be an area of some dysfunction in the RAW, though, as there are often complications with specific exceptions to big important rules (like "many spells have verbal components"). Anyway, whatever the feat is called, it should be in the same book, and is supposed to make Buomman spellcasters RAW-possible.

[j_spencer93]

Well if they can only sing i see not problem with a bard (actually it makes it even a little cooler) btw lol is that HunterXHunter.
Do you have an idea why Slyth is good for acid?

[Phelix-Mu]

Well if they can only sing i see not problem with a bard (actually it makes it even a little cooler) btw lol is that HunterXHunter.
Do you have an idea why Slyth is good for acid?

Yes, it's Killua.

Slyth are humanoids with some ooze-like traits. Oozes are often tied to acidic stuff, since many deal acid damage or otherwise digest their enemies.

[j_spencer93]

Oh may check those out too. Well having to redo sonic character since it requires level 5 spells but the bard doesnt get them until after level 10

[j_spencer93]

OK the Urdunnir dwarf is a wu jen 5, deep diviner 10, earth dreamer 5. He lacks alot of cool spells but i like his build, plus using giant size he can utilize the mattock of titans and has the staff of earthen might.

Moving onto the bard build once more, can get into it using some cheese