Communities of water elementaari form wherever water can be found in abundance: near quiet lagoons on tropical islands, along coastal sand dunes where ocean waves continually crash, atop arctic ice flows, or about large, natural waterfalls. Though these disparate climes can sometimes bring about striking differences, waterflow peoples share a healthy respect for both the life-giving and life-taking power of water.

Characters raised in the waterflow culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Born Sailor. You have proficiency with navigator’s tools and water vehicles. If you are already proficient, you instead gain an expertise die .

Water Affinity. You have adapted to the watery challenges of your home. Choose one of the following:

Aquatic Athleticism: You gain a swim speed of 30 feet, are proficient in Athletics, gain the swimming skill specialty, and add double your proficiency bonus to the number of minutes you can hold your breath before suffocating. If you already have a swim speed, it increases by 15 feet.

Frost-Tempered: You have resistance to cold damage. In addition, you automatically succeed on saving throws caused by an environment of extreme cold and gain an expertise die to Survival checks in such environments.

Water’s Bounty. You gain an expertise die on checks to perform the Hunt and Gather journey activity if you undertake it on or near a body of water, such as a lake, river, or ocean.

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common and Aquan

Small groups of air elementaari are often drawn to wide open spaces such as plains, buttes, and mountaintops, relishing the freedom from worldly concerns they offer. Such settlements value mental and physical discipline paired with simple living. They also claim a special connection to creatures of the air, such as birds, griffins, hippogriffs, and, most especially, rocs. In the spirit of this kinship, most settlements of this culture practice sky burial—a tradition where the bodies of the deceased are placed on mountain crags or other open areas to be eaten by such creatures.

Characters raised in the open-air ascetic culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Mind Over Flesh. Your austere way of life enables you to push your body’s limits. Choose one of the following:

Trained Fortitude: Your training enables you to temporarily ignore your hunger. You can go a number of days equal to your Constitution modifier without suffering any fatigue from lack of Supply . Afterwards you require twice as much Supply for as many days as you went without.

Trance: You don’t need to sleep. Instead, you meditate deeply, remaining conscious. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion. When you take a long rest , you spend 4 hours in your trance state (instead of sleeping for 6 hours). During the trance you suffer no penalty to passive Perception. A long rest remains 8 hours for you as normal, and the remainder of the time must be filled only with light activity.

Mobility Training. You gain proficiency in Athletics. Additionally, you add 5 feet to the distance or height you can jump with a running start. Finally, on your turn you can double your speed without using the Dash action. You can’t use this feature again until you have spent at least one turn without expending movement.

Tranquil Artistry. You have cultivated skills to focus and calm your mind. You are proficient with one musical instrument and one set of artisan’s tools.

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common, Auran, and two other languages of your choice.

Elementaari with a connection to the earth are natural builders and craftsfolk, finding joy in the construction (and sometimes destruction and reconstruction) of individual dwellings and communal working spaces. Mud bricks, field or quarry stones, and mined metals are their preferred mediums. They gather in places where these materials are plentiful and easily accessed.

Characters raised in the earthen artisan culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Constructive Instruction. You are proficient in Engineering, as well as with two from jeweler’s tools, mason’s tools, or potter’s tools. You can also use a bonus action to identify the weight-bearing wall or pillars of a structure, dealing double damage against it with your next weapon attack. Alternatively, you can double the hit points a structure regains from the next action you or an ally take to repair it.

Grounded. You gain an expertise die on saving throws against the knockdown and shove basic maneuvers.

Crafter’s Weapon Training. You are proficient with light hammers and warhammers.

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common and Terran, as well as your choice of Dwarven or Undercommon.

Fire has fascinated creatures since time immemorial, and fire elementaari in particular delight in the exciting and volatile nature of their inborn element. Raised near active volcanos or other such fiery hazards, where danger is a constant companion, individuals from this culture often seek out danger and thrills when venturing forth into the world.

Characters raised in the cinder chaser culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Cinder Chaser Weapon Training. Your people specialize in weaponry that evokes the flashing, crackling flames. You have proficiency with scimitars and whips.

Fire Crafter. You are proficient with glassblower’s tools and smith’s tools

Heat Tolerance. You have resistance to fire damage; if you already have fire resistance, you are instead immune to the effects of environments of extreme heat and gain a expertise die to Survival checks in such environments.

Thrillseeker. Your tendency to take risks has given you great skill and nerves of steel. You have proficiency in Acrobatics and Athletics, as well as an expertise die on saving throws to resist being frightened .

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common and Ignan.

Planetouched Traits

Characters with planetouched heritage share the following traits. 

Age. Planetouched typically mature at the same rate as humans but have slightly longer lifespans. Planetouched born to non-planetouched parents' lifespans tend to mirror that of their parents’ heritage. 

Size. Planetouched are usually of similar build and size to humans, though those born to non-human parents more closely resemble the heritage of their parents. Your size is Medium, but can be Small with approval from your Narrator. 

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet. 

Darkvision. Thanks to your supernatural ancestors, your vision is not impeded by darkened conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Immortal Blessing. Your connection with the source of your bloodline allows you to cheat death. When you would ordinarily be reduced to zero hit points, you are instead reduced to one hit point. You cannot use this feature again until you have finished a long rest .

Variant Planetouched Gifts: Elementaari

Infused at birth with the basic building blocks of the universe, elementaari have a variety of ways to access these powerful elements. In addition to the traits found in your planetouched heritage, select one of the following gifts.

Airborn

Connected to the Elemental Plane of Air, these planetouched may have skin and hair the color of a sky on a sunny day, that of a cluster of stormclouds, or other light, cool tones. Some, on the other hand, may have a more avian aspect, with feathers instead of hair or the eyes of a bird of prey. You have the following traits:

Feather on the Wind. When you fall, you can use your reaction to slow your rate of descent and land from a height of up to 60 feet without taking falling damage; you take half damage if falling from heights higher than that.

Light on Your Feet. You can use a bonus action to make a leap of a distance up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks . This distance increases by 5 feet each time your proficiency bonus increases. Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, you can’t use it again until you have finished a long rest . Additionally, when you would be knocked prone , you can use your reaction to instead move 5 feet in a direction you choose. This movement does not provoke an opportunity attack.

Earthborn

As diverse as any planeborn people, earthborn elementaari may have eyes the clear purple of a crystal or the deep brown-black of a rich field. Some among them are more obvious in their affinity, chunks of crystalline growths along their arms and skin the color of any soil one can imagine. You have the following traits:

Fists of Stone. Your hands can become hard and rocky, perhaps even jagged and spiked. Causing this change or ending it requires no action. Your hands are hard as rock and serve as natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. Each time you use this feature, choose piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage. Your natural weapons deal damage of the chosen type equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.

Craggy Skin. While you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Constitution modifier.

Fireborn

A fireborn’s connection to their elemental plane almost always manifests in warm-hued hair and skin, to the point that some are mistaken for comparatively subtle tieflings and aasimar. Those with more flashy manifestations might have hair that undulates like a flame, or eyes the color of shifting embers. You have the following traits:

Fevered Blood. You have resistance to fire damage.

Flame On. When a creature touches you or successfully hits you with a melee attack while within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to briefly set your skin aflame. The creature makes a Dexterity saving throw . The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. The creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed saving throw or half damage on a success. The damage increases to 3d6 at 4th level, 4d6 at 9th level, 5d6 at 14th level, and 6d6 at 19th level. Once you have used this ability a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest .

Waterborn

The waterborn planetouched, true to their nature, often have aquatic features, though these can be as subtle as bright blue eyes or small patches of scales to needle-like teeth, prominent fins, and colorful skin in tones of blue, green, or even those of tropical fish. You have the following traits:

Gentle Ministrations. Leveraging water’s power as a natural healing agent, you can use an action to touch a willing creature and restore a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you must finish a long rest before doing so again.

Liquid Undulation. Your fluid movement grants you an expertise die to resist attempts to grapple you and to escape grapples.

Piscine Aspect. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet and you can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.

Variant Planetouched Paragon: Elementaari

When you reach 10th level, you become an exemplar among elementaari and gain one paragon gift from the following list. Your chosen paragon gift must be of the same element as your chosen elemental gift.

Dominion of the Core (Earth)

You gain a climb speed equal to your Speed. Additionally, if the surface you are climbing is unworked stone, you can walk on walls and upside down on ceilings. You also gain a burrowing speed equal to your Speed. You can use your burrowing speed to move through nonmagical unworked earth and stone without disturbing it. Finally, your natural weapon attacks deal double damage to objects and structures.

Dominon of the Flame (Fire)

You gain immunity to fire damage.

Dominion of the Sky (Air)

You gain a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor or using a heavy shield unless these items have the lightweight property and you can’t be encumbered. If your movement speed is reduced to 0, you fall but take half as much falling damage as normal. While using this speed, your carrying capacity is reduced to twice your Strength score, and flying for more than a minute may require a Constitution saving throw for a forced march.

Additionally, you gain an expertise die to your maneuver DC attempting the Grapple and Knockdown maneuvers against flying creatures.

Dominion of the Sea (Water)

Between long rests you gain the following ability a number of times equal to the sum of your Charisma and Constitution modifiers (minimum 1).

As an action, you can take on an even more prominent piscine aspect, growing fins, gills, and perhaps even changing the color or texture of your skin. Your swim speed increases by 30 feet, you can breathe underwater normally, and while underwater you gain darkvision to a distance of 120 feet and can take the Dodge and Hide actions as a bonus action. This is not a magical effect and does not change what clothes you are wearing or their appearance. You may end these changes as a bonus action.

Optional Paragon Gift

At the Narrator’s discretion, the following paragon gift option may be available:

Wishful Thinker

As an action, you can call upon a genie noble (perhaps even an ancestor or cousin) who will cast the wish spell once on your behalf or on the behalf of a creature you designate. You can request a second wish to be cast in this way at 16th level and a third (and final) casting at 20th level.

While the genie in question is friendly towards you, it may refuse to fulfill the request if it is against its own interest, such as acting violently against a genie of its own kind or an ally. In this case, the spell is not expended, though if you can’t come to an agreement the genie will disappear and you will be unable to use this feature again for 24 hours.

Planetouched Culture 

Planetouched are a rare heritage and many of their kind find themselves in a culture with very few people quite like them. This is particularly the case for planetouched with infernal bloodlines. Still, planetouched have organized to form cultures of their own—in fact on some worlds there are entire human cultures that became planetouched en masse. 

As the origins of planetouched are diverse so too are their lifestyles. Planetouched are much more likely than any other heritage to adopt another culture, since planetouched are often diaspora communities. Integration and assimilation into another culture is not always easy for planetouched, and they typically opt to form enclaves so they can define themselves on their own terms. 

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your planetouched character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage : circusfolk , forsaken , lone wanderer , steamforged .
 

Tiny beast
Mundane; hazard
Speed 15 ft.

Regions: Country Shire, Feywood, Tangled Forest (gardens, hedgerows, forests)

This small pink and green hedgehog is often found hiding in loamy forest floors and quaint country gardens. Resolutely nocturnal, they spend the majority of the day curled up asleep. If startled or tripped over, the rosy spinehog reacts defensively, ejecting its spines to ward off predators. Adventurers within 10 feet of a frightened spinehog must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw , taking 1d4 piercing damage on a failure. After firing its spines, a rosy spinehog flees. Rosy spinehogs have yet to be successfully tamed on account of their anxious natures.

Tiny dragon
Mundane; boon
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft

Regions: Country Shire, Feywood, Lofty Mountains, Tangled Forest, Unrelenting Marsh Urban Township (caves, rooftops, treetops)

Noted for their superior mimicry, wyverkeets are tiny, brightly-feathered wyverns that can mimic almost any sound, from a person’s voice to a bowstring’s twang. They are unaware of the words and noises they are repeating, and will often string together various sounds in a seemingly unending cavalcade. A successful Nature check (DC 14) reveals that noises that they hear often are the ones most frequently repeated, and astute adventurers may be able to glean potential dangers from a wyverkeet’s chaotic song.

While some find them charming, wyverkeets are true to their draconic nature, reacting viciously to captivity. Nevertheless, some brave—or, more likely, foolish—souls attempt to sell them for 250 gold, usually to disastrous results.

Tiny fey
Magical; boon
Speed 10 ft., fly 50 ft.

Regions: Feywoods, Tangled Forest (ancient woodlands, the Dreaming)

Resembling a green barn owl covered in moss and tiny flowering plants, verdant owls are rare denizens of the deepest forests. Their small stature and emerald plumage means that they often blend in with the dense boughs of the ancient trees that make up their habitat. Druids who frequent these forests say that simply seeing one of these birds is a boon from the gods. Adventurers who succeed on a Perception check (DC 17) to spot a verdant owl in a nearby tree may reroll one ability check of their choosing in the next 24 hours. A creature can only benefit from this effect once every 24 hours.

Tiny beast
Mundane; boon, hazard
Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.

Regions: Restless Sea, Underland Realms, Cave, (caves, beaches, ruins, shipwrecks)

Often brilliantly colored, these Tiny hermit crab-like creatures are found in and near large collections of treasure, where they piece together their shells from tiny trinkets they find. Seeing them in the area almost certainly means that treasure is nearby. But, because these crabs are drawn to items that are shiny and colorful, unaware adventurers may find wayward trinket crabs absconding with some of their loot. Adventurers who succeed on a DC 12 Perception check notice a trinket crab or two fleeing with 1d4 gold pieces from their pouch or bag.

Tiny beast
Mundane; boon
Speed 20 ft.

Regions: Frozen Wastes, Lofty Mountains (caves, ice fields)

Naturally warm-blooded and covered in soft, fur-like feathers instead of scales, snowflake boas have adapted to life in cold, snowy climates where other snakes could not survive. Docile and slow-moving outside of a hunt, these snakes are often content to be draped across a person’s shoulders or around their necks like a scarf. Adventurers who succeed on an Animal Handling check (DC 13) gain resistance to cold damage from environmental hazards so long as the boa remains on their person.

While they can’t live outside of cold environments, snowflake boas are occasionally sold to those heading into frigid areas for 100 gold.