Genie (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, genies are outsiders
composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.
(1974).
(1977). The word "genie" was not yet used to classify them, although it is mentioned under each race's entry that they are each other's enemies. The dao, the jann and the marid first appeared in Dragon
#66 (October 1982). "Featured Creatures" was an ongoing series of articles where Gary Gygax
released information on official creatures before their release in the upcoming "Monster Manual II". The dao and marid then appeared in the adventure module The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1982), and the dao, jann, and marid appeared in the original Monster Manual II (1983). The Pasha of the Efreet, Vizier of the Fire Sultan appeared in the adventure module Pharaoh (1982), and appeared with Aeraldoth, Vizier to the Caliph of the Djinn in Oasis of the White Palm (1983).
(1977), and appeared with the efreet in the D&D Expert Set
(1981, 1983), the Companion Rules
set (1984), and the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
(1991).
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix (1992). The dao, djinni, efreeti, janni, and marid appeared under the genie of Zakhara heading in the Land of Fate
boxed set (1992). The deceiver tasked genie and the oathbinder tasked genie appeared in Assassin Mountain
(1993), and the administrator tasked genie and the harim servant tasked genie appeared in City of Delights (1993), and the messenger tasked genie and the miner tasked genie appeared in Secrets of the Lamp
(1993); these six tasked genie types appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994).
(2001). The djinni, efreeti, and janni appear as player character
races in Savage Species
(2003). The janni appears again as a player character race in the Planar Handbook
(2004). The qorrashi appears in Frostburn
(2004). The khayal appears in Tome of Magic
(2006).
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game, genies are outsiders
Outsider (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, an outsider is a type of creature, or "creature type". Outsiders are at least partially composed of the essence of a plane other than the Prime Material Plane....
composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The djinn and the efreet first appeared in the original Dungeons & Dragons "white box" setDungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1974).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The djinn and efreet appeared in first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the original Monster ManualMonster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
(1977). The word "genie" was not yet used to classify them, although it is mentioned under each race's entry that they are each other's enemies. The dao, the jann and the marid first appeared in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#66 (October 1982). "Featured Creatures" was an ongoing series of articles where Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
released information on official creatures before their release in the upcoming "Monster Manual II". The dao and marid then appeared in the adventure module The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1982), and the dao, jann, and marid appeared in the original Monster Manual II (1983). The Pasha of the Efreet, Vizier of the Fire Sultan appeared in the adventure module Pharaoh (1982), and appeared with Aeraldoth, Vizier to the Caliph of the Djinn in Oasis of the White Palm (1983).
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)
The djinn appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic SetDungeons & Dragons Basic Set
The original Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set boxed set was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1977, and comprised a separate edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, distinct from the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, which was initially published in the same...
(1977), and appeared with the efreet in the D&D Expert Set
Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set
The Expert Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-1981 printing:The D&D Basic Set saw a major revision in 1981 by Tom Moldvay...
(1981, 1983), the Companion Rules
Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set
The Companion Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1984 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
set (1984), and the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
The Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia was published by TSR, Inc. in 1991, as a continuation of the basic edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which ran concurrently with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Its product designation was TSR 1071...
(1991).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The dao, the djinn, and the efreeti appeared in second edition in Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and the jann and the marid appeared in Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), all under the "genie" heading. All five of these genie types appeared in the Monstrous Manual (1993). The noble dao, the Great Khan of the dao, the noble djinni, the Great Caliph of the djinn, the noble efreeti, the Sultan of the efreet, the noble marid, the Great Padisha of the marids, the architect/builder tasked genie, the artist tasked genie, the guardian tasked genie, the herdsman tasked genie, the slayer tasked genie, the warmonger tasked genie, and the winemaker tasked genie appeared for the Al-QadimAl-Qadim
Al-Qadim is an Arabian Nights-themed campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The setting was developed by Jeff Grubb for TSR, Inc., and was first released in 1992. Al-Qadim is set in the land of Zakhara, called the Land of Fate...
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix (1992). The dao, djinni, efreeti, janni, and marid appeared under the genie of Zakhara heading in the Land of Fate
Land of Fate
Land of Fate is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1992....
boxed set (1992). The deceiver tasked genie and the oathbinder tasked genie appeared in Assassin Mountain
Assassin Mountain
Assassin Mountain is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993....
(1993), and the administrator tasked genie and the harim servant tasked genie appeared in City of Delights (1993), and the messenger tasked genie and the miner tasked genie appeared in Secrets of the Lamp
Secrets of the Lamp
Secrets of the Lamp is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993....
(1993); these six tasked genie types appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994).
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
The djinni and the efreeti appeared in the third edition Monster Manual (2000), and appear with the janni in the 3.5 revised Monster Manual (2003). The dao and the marid appear in the third edition Manual of the PlanesManual of the Planes
The Manual of the Planes is a manual for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. This text addresses the planar cosmology of the game universe....
(2001). The djinni, efreeti, and janni appear as player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
races in Savage Species
Savage Species
Savage Species is a sourcebook for use as a supplement in the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game, detailing the use of monstrous races as PC races.-Contents:...
(2003). The janni appears again as a player character race in the Planar Handbook
Planar Handbook
Planar Handbook is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.-Contents:...
(2004). The qorrashi appears in Frostburn
Frostburn
Frostburn is a supplemental book to the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Frostburn provides rules for adventuring in a cold environment as well as an environment known as frostfell, which is a sort of arctic environment with extreme cold.The book contains...
(2004). The khayal appears in Tome of Magic
Tome of Magic
The title was reused for a 3.5 Edition supplement published in 2006. The new Tome of Magic is devoted to new forms and styles of magic as a path to power...
(2006).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The djinn appeared in the fourth edition in Monster Manual 2 (2009).Description
Genies appear as humanoids with bodies that have external physical characteristics that evoke their elemental nature, though some varieties are capable of shape-shifting into another form. They form their own distinctive societies in their native planes. Because they have powerful supernatural or magical abilities, genies are sometimes called upon or summoned by spellcasters to grant wishes or perform services for them. The individual varieties have differing attitudes towards humanoid races native to the Material Plane.Types of Genies
- Dao - Genies from the Elemental Plane of Earth, dao often run gem-mining operations there or on the Material Plane.
- Djinni - Genies from the Elemental Plane of Air.
- Efreeti - Genies from the Elemental Plane of Fire, said to be made of basalt, bronze, and congealed flames.
- Janni - The weakest of the genies, Jann are formed out of all four elements and must spend time on the Material Plane.
- Khayal - Genies from the Plane of Shadow.
- Marid - Genies from the Elemental Plane of Water.
- Qorrashi - Distant relatives of the djinn, qorrash are elemental spirits of cold and ice.
Additional reading
- Cook, MonteMonte CookMonte Cook is a professional table-top role-playing game designer and writer. He is married to Sue Weinlein Cook.-Roleplaying:Cook has been a professional game designer since 1988, working primarily on role-playing games. Much of his early work was for Iron Crown Enterprises as an editor and writer...
. Monstrous Compendium Planescape Compendium III (TSR, 1998).
- Cook, Monte and William W. Connors. The Inner Planes (TSR, 1998).