This power allows a sha'ir to summon a small elemental familiar, called a gen, which becomes a permanent and willing servant. The sha'ir is allowed to choose which type of gen appears (air, fire, water, or earth).
Whatever its origin, the gen happily becomes an agent for its master in all the elemental planes, seeking out and retrieving magic that its master would otherwise be unable to cast.
The act of summoning and binding a gen lasts ld20 hours. If a sha'ir spends the required time fasting and communing with the "nature" of the elemental planes—while uninterrupted—then no proficiency check is required. Success is automatic.
Gens can tap into a network of other geniekind, conferring with creatures of any element. This allows gens to retrieve spells for their masters. A sha'ir simply states the spell which he or she desires, and the loyal gen rushes off to the appropriate elemental plane to find it (locating even spells in the universal province).
Sha'irs can only request spells which they know exist. All 1st- and 2nd-level wizard spells shown in Appendix A are considered common knowledge; any sha'ir can request them. Otherwise, sha'irs must have actually seen a spell. If a sha'ir sees an ajami casting a strange spell (or sees its effects), then that spell can be requested, too. Priest spells are also available. Spell- like abilities of other creatures and characters cannot be gained in this fashion, however.
Gens require time and effort to find spells for their masters. The higher the spell's level, the longer a gen must search, and the greater the chance that its efforts will be for naught. In fact, for more powerful spells, the gen may not return at all—or perhaps worse, may return with a powerful personage in tow, who is very curious to see who is seeking such magic.
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