Sha'ir
Zakhara — the Land of Fate. According to the archives left by the ancient loregivers, Zakhara is harsh; arid; and magical, with cities and communities as ancient as the desert that surrounds them. Although very little is known to those who resides in the Sword Coast and other northern part of Faerun, its tales are still sung by bards and minstrels. Often, a tale would depict a magical entities known as genies; the primordial being that are as brilliant as they are might, as proud as they are majestic.
Sha'ir is a collective terminology that refers to individuals who can speak to, communicate with, and even bargain with such mystic figures. By striking a pact with a genie, a sha'ir is bestowed with right and power to wield a gen, a lesser elemental, whose existence serves as the evidence of the pact and the magical capabilities that a sha'ir wields.
Restriction: Al-Qadim
In the world of Faerun, all sha'ir hail from Zakhara, where a sha'ir would strike a pact with a genie to gain their magical expertises. It is very rare to see a sha'ir wanders outside of the Land of Fate, which is like a home ground to them.
Consort of Genies serves as the generic name for this class if you use it in other campaign settings or to model other character of the similar theme.
Variation: Elementalist
At the DM's discretion, sha'ir can be used to simulate other characters that does not strike a pact with a genie for their magical capabilities. Rather, an individual may contact the wild, primordial world of Elemental Planes, and learn to tap into a fragment of its vast magic.
Creating a Sha'ir
When you create a sha'ir character, the most important aspect for yoru character should be your relationship with genies and your gen. What has driven you into striking a pact in the first place? A sha'ir may contact with a genie because of a simple, personal goals, like knowledge and power, much like warlocks. However, a sha'ir could be a family heritage; a mutual deal; or even a reward from the genie by saving their life or gains.
Unlike the warlock's otherworldly patron, who are mostly remote and would contact a warlock when they need to, a sha'ir's gen is almost always among their companionship. Unlike wizard's familiar, which does anything that its summoner desires, a gen identifies itself as its wielder's partner, and will demand any rights that it has as a companion. As such, a sha'ir's attitude toward their gen would greatly reflect their characteristics, perspectives, and behaviors.
Quick Build
You can make a sha'ir quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. (Som sha'irs who prefer martial capabilities make Dexterity higher than Constitution.) Second, choose the outlander background.
Table: The Sha'ir
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Sha'ir Boon |
Features | Cantrips Known |
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | 2 | Gen, Sha'ir Boon, Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2nd | +2 | 2 | Zakharan Dungeoneering | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 3rd | +2 | 3 | — | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | 3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | 4 | — | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | 4 | Sha'ir Boon feature | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | 4 | — | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | 4 | — | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | 4 | Zakharan Dungeoneering, Sha'ir Boon feature | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | 5 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | 5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | 5 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | +5 | 5 | Gen Ascendant | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | +5 | 5 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 16th | +5 | 5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | +6 | 6 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | 6 | Mystic Longevity, Sha'ir Boon feature | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | 6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | 6 | Sha'ir Kabir | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Class Features
As a sha'ir, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d6 per sha'ir level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per each sha'ir level above 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: None
- Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, shortbows
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
- Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, History, Insight, Intimidation, Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a scimitar, (b) a shortsword, or (c) a simple weapon
- (a) a shortbow and 20 arrows or (b) a simple weapon
- (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a scholar's pack
- Leather armor, component pouch and two daggers
Gen
A sha'ir is never seen without their gen, an elemental companion that serves as a living evidence of the sha'ir's connection to supernatural power and contracts.
A gen assumes an animal form of your choice: bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, lizard, octopus, poisonous snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, sea horse, spider, or weasel. The gen uses the chosen beast's game statistics, except the following modifications:
- It is an elemental instead of a beast.
- If it has an Intelligence of 5 or less, its Intelligence becomes 6.
- It can have any alignment of your choice.
- It has immunity against poison damage.
- It cannot be paralyzed, petrified or poisoned.
- It gains darkvision out to a range of 60 feet, if it does not have it already.
- It understands Primordial plus any language you can speak, and can telepathically communicate with you within the range of 100 feet.
Your gen acts independently of you, but it obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you can determine its action, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your gen acts on its own.
When the gen drops to 0 hit points, it dissipates, leaving behind no physical form. When your gen dissipates, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to resummon it. The ritual can be performed during a short rest or long rest, and costs 25 gp worth of charcoal, incesne and herbs. At the end of the ritual, your gen reappears in an unoccupied space you can see within 10 feet of you.
Your gen can use its action to temporarily disappears into a pocket dimension. While your gen is temporarily dismissed, you can use an action to cause it to reappear in any unoccupied you can see within 10 feet of you.
Your gen has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your gen uses your proficiency bonus rater than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, your gen also adds its proficiency bonus to its Armor Class and its damage rolls.
Your gen gains proficiency in two skills of your choice from a list of skills you are proficient in. Your gen also gains proficiency in saving throws that you are proficient in.
For each level you gain after 1st, your gen gains an additional Hit Die and increases its hit points accordingly.
Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your gen's abilities also improve. Your gen can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your gen cannot increase an ability score above 20 with this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.
Your gen has a personality trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables on the right. Your gen shares your ideal, and its bond is always, "The sha'ir with whom I have struck a pact is at least trustworthy. Mostly."
Sha'ir Boon
As a part of your contract, you are bestowed upon a boon of your choice: Boon of Might or Boon of Mystery. Your choice grants you features at 1st level, and again at 6th, 10th, and 18th level.
Some features require you to expend one use of your Sha'ir Boon. At 1st level, you have two uses of your Sha'ir Boon. You gain additional uses of your Sha'ir Boon, as stated on the Sha'ir Boon column of the Sha'ir table. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Additional, you can speak, read and write Primordial.
Table: Gen Personality Traits and Flaws
| d6 | Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | Those who dare threatens my sha'ir, are my enemies. |
| 2 | I have an impeccable taste of poetry and songs. |
| 3 | Sometimes I confuse myself as a human instead of an elemental being. |
| 4 | Wherever that is cold, shady, and comfortable, I am the first to sneak in and roll around. |
| 5 | I will speak, speak, and speak, and no one can dare stop me from doing so. Even my sha'ir. |
| 6 | I always have a plan. Always. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have an insatiable cravings for treats; pipeweed, wine, or crystallized fruits. |
| 2 | I never respond to anyone who dare speak to me without a proper courtesy. Especially my sha'ir. |
| 3 | I am quick to believe even the most outrageous hoaxes and bluffs. |
| 4 | Whoever feeds me is my friend. Whoever forgets to feed is my enemy. Even my sha'ir. |
| 5 | All that glitter is gold. Even if it is not, it should be. |
| 6 | In the face of danger, I would turn back and run away. |
You can cast spells by channeling the elemental power from your gen. Cantrips. At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the sha'ir spell list. You learn additional sha'ir cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Sha'ir table. Preparing and Casting Spells. The Sha'ir table shows how many spell slots you have. To cast one of your sha'ir spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of sha'ir spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the sha'ir spell list at the end of the class description. When you do so, choose a number of sha'ir spells equal to your Charisma modifier + your sha'ir level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. To prepare a list of sha'ir spells, you must perform a short ritual that channel mystic power from your gen. For each spell on your list, the ritual takes 1 minute per spell level, and your gen must be within 10 feet of you for the duration of the ritual. Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your sha'ir spells, so you use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma when setting the saving throw DC for a sha'ir spell you cast or when making an attack roll with one.Spellcasting
Spell save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier
Spellcasting Focus. If your gen is within 5 feet if you when you cast a sha'ir spell, you can use your gen as a spellcasting focus for your sha'ir spells.
Zakharan Dungeoneering
At 3rd level, you adopt a set of skills necessary for adventures in the Land of Fate. Choose one of the options below. When you reach 10th level, you can choose another option of your choice.
Some options grant you a fighting style. You cannot take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you get to choose again.
Advisor's Profession
Choose one skill you are proficient in. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen skill.
Fighting Style: Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Magical Insight
You learn the detect magic and identify spells and cast them, but only as rituals. These spells are sha'ir spells for you.
Scholar's Passion
You gain proficiency in two skills or tools of your choice. Alternatively, you can forgo one skill or tool proficiency to learn one language of your choice.
Skullduggery
You gain proficiency in thieves' tools, if you do not have it already. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the thieves' tools.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Gen Ascendant
When you reach 14th level, you can temporarily channel an immense amount of mystic energy from the Elemental Chaos through your gen, causing it to transform into a powerful elemental.
While your gen is within 10 feet of you, you can spend two uses of your Sha'ir Boon to cause your gen to transform into an air elemental, an earth elemental, a fire elemental, or a water elemental. The gen maintains its elemental shape for 1 minute, after which it revers to its normal form. The gen automatically reverts if it drops to 0 hit points or die.
While the gen is transformed, the following rules apply:
- The gen's game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the elemental, but it retains its alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma score. It also retains all of its skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the elemental. The gen still uses your proficiency bonus instead of the elemental's proficiency bonus.
- The gen retains the benefit of any features from your sha'ir class features.
- When the gen transforms, it assumes the elemental's hit points and Hit Dice. When it reverts to its normal form, it returns to the number of hit points it had before it transformed. However, if it reverts as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to its normal form. As long as the excess damage does not reduce the gen's normal form to 0 hit points, it is not knocked unconscious.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Mystic Longevity
By 18th level, your connection to the Elemental Planes grant you supernatural longevity. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year.
Sha'ir Kabir
At 20th level, you walk the thin line between the Material Plane and the Elemental Planes, and your gen becomes a seemingly bottomless font of elemental magic. Your gen's ability scores each increase by 2, and its maximum for all ability scores becomes 22.
Additionally, if your gen is within 10 feet of you, you gain a +1 bonus to all ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.
Finally, whenever you finish a short rest with your gen within 10 feet of you during the rest, you regain two expended uses of your Sha'ir Boon.
Sha'ir Boons
By striking a pact with a genie, a sha'ir gains access to a number of boons from their supernatural sponsor. Apart from the vast knowledge and immense wealth that a genie would normally offer to the sha'ir, two notable boons are available for the sha'ir: the Boon of Might and the Boon of Mysteries.
Boon of Might
The Boon of Might represents the martial power of the genie. Like the sandstorm and tempest that strikes upon the unprepared in the Land of Fate, a sha'ir who wields the Boon of Might can perform a flurry of fierce blows that slashes down their enemies.
Bonus Proficiencies
Starting at 1st level when you choose this boon, you gain proficiency in light armors, scimitars, and shortswords.
Warrior of the Land of Fate
Also starting at 1st level, you can make strikes as wild and powerful as a tempest in the desert.
Martial Gen. Your gen's hit point maximum is increased by 2, and again by 2 whenever you gain a level in this class.
Additionally, your gen gains proficiency in all saving throws.
Coordinated Attacks. When you hit a creature with an attack or targets a creature with a sha'ir spell on your turn, if your gen is within 5 feet of the creature, you can spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon use to allow your gen to make one attack against the same creature with its reaction.
When your gen hits a creature with an attack on its attack, if you are within 5 feet of the creature, you can spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon use to make one weapon attack against the same creature with your reaction.
Martial Elementalist. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon to make one weapon attack as a bonus action. If you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can instead make two attacks with the offhand weapon with this feature.
Zakharan Maneuver
When you reach 6th level, when you use your action to cast a sha'ir cantrip, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action, or spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon to make two weapon attacks as a bonus action.
Additionally, your gen's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity against nonmagical attacks and damage.
Advanced Martial Gen
Starting at 10th level, your gen has resistance against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
Additionally, as long as your gen is within 10 feet of you, you gain resistance against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
Improved Zakharan Maneuver
At 18th level, when you use your action to cast a sha'ir spell, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action, or spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon to make two weapon attacks as a bonus action.
Boon of Mysteries
The Boon of Mysteries represents the magical power of the genie. By essence a visitor from the Elemental Planes, genies possess a vast font of mystic energy. By channeling this energy with your boon, a sha'ir can control a greater list of magical wonders.
Mage of the Land of Fate
Starting at 1st level when you choose this boon, you strengthen your bond to your gen to tap into more immense font of magic.
Magical Gen. While your gen is within 100 feet of you, you can spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon to cause your gen to turn invisible with its action. The gen remains invisible for 1 hour or until it attacks or its concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell).
Coordinated Spellcasting. When you cast a sha'ir spell with a range of touch, your gen can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your gen must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll.
Additionally, when you cast a sha'ir spell that affects other creatures, if your gen is among the affected creatures, you can spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon to allow your gen to automatically succeed on its saving throws against the spell, and it takes no damage if it would normally take half damage on a successful save.
Finally, when you cast a sha'ir spell that targets only you, if your gen is within 10 feet of you, you can spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon use to cause the spell also targets your gen.
Gen Spells
Your connection to your gen grants you a list of spells available to you. At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, you gain access to gen spells connected to your gen's nature.
Your gen has one of the four nature, depending on its inclination to the Elemental Planes. Choose that nature: Daolanin, Djinnling, Efreetkin, Maridan. You gain the list of spells associated with that nature, as stated on the table at the next page.
Once you gain access to a gen spell, you always have it prepared, and it does not count against the number of spells you can prepare. If you gain access to a spell that does not appear on the sha'ir spell list, the spell is nonetheless a sha'ir spell for you.
Zakharian Incantation
Beginning at 6th level, when you cast a sha'ir spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effect, if your gen is within 5 feet of one of the target, you can spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon to impose disadvantage to that target's first saving throw made against the spell.
Additionally, as long as your gen is within 10 feet of you, you can add your Charisma modifier to one damage roll of any sha'ir spell you cast.
Table: Daolanin
| Sha'ir Level | Gen Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | earth tremor, snare |
| 3rd | Maximilian's earthen grasp, shatter |
| 5th | erupting earth, wall of sand |
| 7th | stone shape, vitriolic sphere |
| 9th | transmute rock, wall of stone |
Table: Djinnling
| Sha'ir Level | Gen Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | thunderwave, witch bolt |
| 3rd | dust devil, gust of wind |
| 5th | call lightning, thunder step |
| 7th | freedom of movement, storm sphere |
| 9th | control winds, steel wind strike |
Table: Efreetkin
| Sha'ir Level | Gen Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | burning hands, faerie fire |
| 3rd | flame blade, pyrotechnics |
| 5th | daylight, fireball |
| 7th | fire shield, wall of fire |
| 9th | flame strike, immolation |
Table: Maridan
| Sha'ir Level | Gen Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | create or destroy water, ice knife |
| 3rd | Melf's acid arrow, Snilloc's snowball swarm |
| 5th | tidal wave, wall of water |
| 7th | control water, watery sphere |
| 9th | cone of cold, maelstrom |
When you reach 10th level, your gen has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects. Additionally, as long as your gen is within 10 feet of you, you have advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects. By 18th level, when you cast a sha'ir spell that deals damage to other creatures, if your gen is within 5 feet of one of the targe,t you can spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon to deal maximum damage with that spell against that target. Additionally, when you cast a sha'ir spell that has a casting time of 1 action, if your gen is within 10 feet of you, you can spend one use of your Sha'ir Boon to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting. All contents are created by Weirdo Whoever unless noted otherwise. Special thanks to D&D Wiki, NaturalCrit Homebrewery tool, and GM Binder for providing the templates for my imaginations. Based on the Sha'ir class from oh so many past editions, one of which tracks back to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (2nd edition). I had to search through the Internet to gain a glimpse of the class' concept. Special thanks to the members of Laughing Goblin for previews and feedback on the brew. Artwork. Credit for the awesome art goes to the following artists: Watercolor. Credit for the clever watercolor goes to Full Page Watercolor Stains by fellow GM Binder users.Advanced Magical Gen
Improved Zakharian Incantation
Credits
Sha'ir Spells
Cantrip
- create bonfire
- dancing lights
- frostbite
- gust
- lightning lure
- minor illusion
- mold earth
- shape water
- thaumaturgy
1st Level
- absorb elements
- charm person
- command
- comprehend languages
- disguise self
- expeditious retreat
- inflict wounds
- protection from evil and good
- sanctuary
- silent image
2nd Level
- blur
- darkness
- earthbind
- enthrall
- hold person
- mirror image
- misty step
- suggestion
3rd Level
- bestow curse
- clairvoyance
- counterspell
- dispel magic
- fear
- fly
- gaseous form
- magic circle
- slow
- water walk
4th Level
- charm monster
- conjure minor elementals
- dominate beast
- elemental bane
- freedom of movement
- hallucinatory terrain
- polymorph
5th Level
- conjure elemental
- contact other plane
- dominate person
- hold monster
- planar binding
- scrying
6th Level
- find the path
- investiture of flame
- investiture of ice
- investiture of stone
- investiture of wind
- primordial ward
- true seeing
7th Level
- mirage arcane
- plane shift
- reverse gravity
- whirlwind
8th Level
- control weather
- demiplane
- earthquake
- tsunami
9th Level
- astral projection
- foresight
- power word kill
- true polymorph
- wish