Marid (CR 9)
Large Outsider (Chaotic and Water)
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Initiative: +3 (Dex); Senses: Listen +16 and Spot +16
Languages: Telepathy 100 ft.
AC: 19 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +7 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 16
Hit Dice: 11d8+22 (71 hp)
Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +9
Speed: 20 ft., swim 60 ft.
Space: 5 ft./10 ft.
Base Attack +11; Grapple +11
Attack: Slam +16/+11 melee
Full Attack: Slam +16/+11 melee
Damage: Slam 1d8+9
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, water mastery, drench, vortex
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 15
Special Qualities: SR 27, plane shift
Feats: Cleave; Great Cleave; Power Attack
Skills: Craft (any two) +17, Escape Artist +12, Intimidate +16, Listen +16, Move Silently +17, Sense Motive +16, Spellcraft +17, and Spot +16
Advancement: 12-15 HD (Large); 16-33 HD (Huge)
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary company (2-4), or band (6-15)
Treasure/Possessions: Double standard
Source:
Manual of the Planes
Of all the creatures that inhabit the Elemental Planes, genies interact the most closely with the Material Plane. Some genies live in bored opulence, but many are drawn to variety and danger.
In their natural form, genies are generally humanlike but betray some hint of their true nature. A marid's skin often has a bluish tint. All genies are masters of illusion magic, so their appearance can rarely be taken at face value.
Their behavior also mimics an aspect of whatever plane they call home. Marids can change their moods as capriciously as a calm sea becomes stormy. All genies share an inquisitive temperament, though, often leaving their vast elemental palaces to get caught up in the many agendas and conflicts of the Material Plane.
Marids are fiercely independent genies as hard to control as the ocean itself. Whether in their palaces on the Elemental Plane of Water or in the seas of the Material Plane, marids love to hunt for sport through the depths and gather pearls and other treasures from the sea floor. Those on the Material Plane have another pastime capsizing ships and drowning sailors.
Marids look like 16-foot-tall, blue-skinned humans. When they deign to wear clothing at all, it's something that won't impede swimming. Some marids dress in finery woven entirely from seaweed, with a brocade of coral and pearls.
As a group, marids have a much looser social structure than other genies. On the Elemental Plane of Water, there is a loose empire ruled by a padishah, but many marids don't recognize its authority. At any one time, there are a number of heirs vying for the Coral Throne - and many are unwilling to wait for the current padishah's reign to end naturally.
Combat
With their wide array of spell-like abilities, genies have a number of ways they can approach a fight. They tend to consider combat as a puzzle, trying different techniques and probing for weaknesses.
Every marid knows that it's much safer in the water, so it rarely fights outside its element. But within the waves, the marid is a terror. Its tactics often entail capsizing any enemy ships, then sucking swimmers into a vortex.
Change Shape (Su): A marid can assume the form of any Small, Medium, or Large humanoid or giant.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will - create water, detect evil, detect good, detect magic, invisibility, purify food and drink (water only), see invisibility; 5/day - control water, gaseous form, solid fog, water breathing; 1/year - limited wish (to non-genies only).
Water Mastery (Ex): A marid gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its opponent touch water. If the opponent or the marid is landbound, the marid suffers a -4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)
A marid can be a serious threat to a ship that crosses its path. It can easily overturn craft less than 55 feet long and stop vessels of up to 110 feet in length. Even ships as long as 220 feet can be slowed to half speed.
Drench (Ex): The marid's touch puts out torches, campfires, exposed lanterns, and other open flames of non-magical origin if these are of Large size or smaller. The marid can dispel magical fire it touches as dispel magic cast by an 11th-level sorcerer.
Vortex (Su): The marid can transform itself into a whirlpool once every 10 minutes, provided it is underwater, and remain in that form for up to 5 rounds. In vortex form, the marid can move through the water or along the bottom at its swim speed. The vortex is 5 feet wide at the base, up to 30 feet wide at the top, and 10 feet to 40 feet tall. The marid sets the height of the vortex within that range. Creatures smaller than Large might take damage when caught in the vortex and may be swept up by it. An affected creature must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 19) when it comes into contact with the vortex or take 2d6 points of damage. It must also succeed at a second Reflex save or be picked up bodily and held suspended in the powerful currents, automatically taking damage each round. A creature that can swim is allowed a Reflex save each round to escape the vortex. The creature still takes damage but can leave if the save is successful. The marid can eject any carried creatures whenever it wishes, depositing them wherever the vortex happens to be.
If the vortex's base touches the bottom, it creates a swirling cloud of debris. This cloud is centered on the marid and has a diameter of half the vortex's height. The cloud obscures all vision, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have one-half concealment, while those farther away have total concealment (see Concealment, page 133 of the Player's Handbook). Those caught in the cloud must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 19) to cast a spell.
Plane shift (Sp): A genie can enter any of the Elemental Planes, the Astral Plane, or the Material Plane. This ability transports the genie and up to six other creatures, provided they all link hands with the genie. It is otherwise similar to the spell of the same name.
Telepathy (Su): A genie can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.