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Warlock’s Apprentice: Jann of the Burnished City

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The genies of the Elemental Planes keep slaves, but they also need servants—individuals powerful enough to run their petty citadels and elemental empires but not rise to become rivals to their power. These are the jann, beings made of multiple primal elements. A beautiful people of striking appearance and demeanor, they suffer the egos of their masters and keep such great metropolises as the City of Brass in some sense of order.

Made of Many Elements. While the genies represent a purity of their elemental types, the jann are the grand sultan’s middlemen:

  • The House of Ooze is made up of those jann for whom primordial water and earth are dominant. Its people have oily, supple skin and tend toward green eyes. They rarely speak in certitudes and serve as the dealers, healers, and alchemists for their genie masters.
  • The House of Smoke is made up of those jann for whom primordial fire and air are dominant. Its members have dry skin and hair, which breaks up as a cloud behind them. They tend toward grey eyes, and their changeable nature makes them excellent diplomats and entertainers.
  • The House of Magma is made up of those jann for whom primordial fire and earth are dominant. They have red eyes and often a shock of red hair among the dark strands. They are the soldiers and raiders of domains, such as the City of Brass, and often venture into the Prime Material with slave-catching parties.
  • The House of Ice is made up of those jann for whom primordial water and air are dominant. They have blue eyes and white hair, sometimes only a few strands but often their entire head is covered with ivory locks. They are considered patient and serve as guards, jailors, and collectors.

A Para-Elemental Parliament. The jann within the City of Brass and in other great genie domains operate as a second government, a bureaucracy that keeps matters on an even keel and keeps any one faction or personality from upsetting the status quo and demanding the attention of the great sultan—may his people always prosper. This Para-Elemental Parliament does not seek power for itself but will balance one group against the others to keep the peace.

Free People of the Desert. Not all jann are pleased with the serving of more powerful genies, and some flee to form their own societies in the barren and arid places of the world. Gathering mortals in their wake, they form large caravans and dominate desert oases with their opulent tent cities. Some go further, encouraging rebellion against their former masters and freeing slaves that have been unjustly captured. Their ability to shift among the elemental planes makes them hard to catch, and their relationship (familial or social) with members of the Para-Elemental Parliament makes the city-bound jann sympathetic to their cause.

Jann

Medium elemental, neutral
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 95 (10d8 + 50)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 16 (+3) 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Int +5 Wis +5 Cha +7
Condition Immunities See Para-elemental Nature below.
Senses Darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 13
Languages Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Terran
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Breathless. Jann have no need to breathe, though do so out of courtesy or in order to speak. They cannot drown or be victims of poisonous gas or other attacks that require breathing.

Elemental Demise. If the jann dies, their body disintegrates into its elemental parts (a puddle of ooze, a wisp of smoke, the embers of magma, or melting shards of ice), leaving behind only the equipment the jann was wearing or carrying.

Innate Spellcasting. The jann’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, + 8 to hit with spell attacks). They can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

  • 3/day: invisibility
  • 2/day each: enlarge/reduce, speak with animals
  • 1/day each: create food/water, etherealness, planeshift (Material and Elemental Planes only)

Para-elemental Nature. Jann are made of a mixture of all primordial elements but fall into one of four houses or kingdoms, each with differing abilities:

  • House of Ooze—Damage resistance to piercing weapons.
  • House of Smoke—Damage resistance to slashing weapons.
  • House of Magma—Immunity to fire.
  • House of Ice—Immunity to cold.
ACTIONS

Multiattack. The jann makes two great scimitar attacks or two longbow attacks. If armed with two scimitars, they may make two scimitar attacks and one bonus scimitar attack.

Great Scimitar (Treat as Greatsword). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 damage (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 damage (1d6 + 4) slashing damage. The bonus attack, if it hits, deals only 3 (1d6) slashing damage.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 damage (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.

REACTION

Parry. The jann adds +3 to their AC against one melee attack that would hit them. To do so, the jann must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

Read more on the jann and the City of Brass—and read other great articles—in Warlock, only on Patreon!

 

 

 


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