Aasimar

Overview

Aasimars are humans with a significant amount of celestial or other good outsider blood in their ancestry. While not always benevolent, aasimars are more inclined toward acts of kindness rather than evil, and they gravitate toward faiths or organizations associated with celestials. Aasimar heritage can lie dormant for generations, only to appear suddenly in the child of two apparently human parents. Most societies interpret aasimar births as good omens, though it must be acknowledged that some aasimars take advantage of the reputation of their kind, brutally subverting the expectations of others with acts of terrifying cruelty or abject venality.
Most aasimar grew up cautious around others and, like tieflings, were sometimes misunderstood, though never to the hateful extent many of the fiendish bloodlines were. Even those raised by understanding parents could not escape their strangeness, or the curiosity (or even fear) that their unique nature sometimes provoked. Many aasimar even suffered slavery, something that deeply hurt the soul of the aasimar in question since most had an inherent bent towards empathy for others.

Physical Description

Aasimar bore the mark of their celestial touch through many different physical features that often varied from individual to individual. Most commonly, aasimar were very similar to humans, like tieflings and other planetouched. Nearly all aasimar were uncommonly beautiful and still, and they were often significantly taller than humans as well.
While several aasimar were immediately identifiable as such, others were even less distinguishable than tieflings from their human ancestors, commonly standing out with only one unusual feature. Most aasimar had pupil-less pale white, gray, or golden eyes and silver hair, but those descended from planetars could also have emerald skin, while those descended from avoral celestials might have feathers mixed in with their hair. Those descended from ghaeles often had pearly opalescent eyes. Solar-descended aasimars often had brilliant topaz eyes instead or silvery or golden skin and those with couatl or lillend lineage most commonly had small, iridescent scales. Many aasimar also had a light covering of feathers on their shoulders, where an angel's wings might sprout. As in tieflings, aasimar bloodlines could sometimes run dormant for generations, reemerging after being hidden for some time.

Society

Aasimars cannot truly be said to have an independent society of their own. As an offshoot of humanity, they adopt the societal norms around them, though most find themselves drawn to those elements of society that work for the redress of injustice and the assuagement of suffering. This sometimes puts them on the wrong side of the law in more tyrannical societies, but aasimars can be careful and cunning when necessary, able to put on a dissembling guise to divert the attention of oppressors elsewhere. While corrupt aasimars may be loners or may establish secret societies to conceal their involvement in crime, righteous aasimars are often found congregating in numbers as part of good-aligned organizations, especially (though not always) churches and religious orders.
Very few aasimar had siblings who were also aasimar, in large part due to the rarity of a celestial or god mating with a human but also due to the fact that aasimar who sprang from ancient bloodlines long left dormant were even rarer. As a result, not many aasimar met others of their kind, though such meetings were more common in Damara, owing to the relatively larger number of aasimar there. On the rare occasions where two aasimar did meet, they often felt a kind of kinship and unspoken understanding with one another. Most aasimar were likely to take the side of another instinctively, regardless of personal feeling and there was a strong bond between aasimar of all stripes.

Race Relations

Aasimars are most common and most comfortable in human communities. This is especially true of those whose lineage is more distant and who bear only faint marks of their heavenly ancestry. It is unclear why the touch of the celestial is felt so much more strongly in humanity than other races, though it may be that humanity’s inherent adaptability and affinity for change is responsible for the evolution of aasimars as a distinct race. Perhaps the racial traits of other races are too deeply bred, too strongly present, and too resistant to change. Whatever incompatibilities other races may have had with the denizens of the upper planes, the children of such couplings are vanishingly rare to be non-human. However, even if they generally tend toward human societies, aasimars can become comfortable in virtually any environment. They have an easy social grace and are disarmingly personable. Elven courtiers sometimes dismiss aasimars as unsophisticated, and criticize them for relying on natural charm to overcome faux pas. Perhaps of all the known races, gnomes find aasimars most fascinating, and have an intense appreciation for their varied appearances as well as the mystique surrounding their celestial heritage.

Race Stats and Meta Information

Ability Score Modifiers: Aasimars are insightful, confident, and personable. They gain +2 Wisdom and +2 Charisma.
Type: Aasimars are outsiders with the native subtype.
Size: Aasimars are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Non-Human Aasimar are instead the height of their mothers race with the normal bonus and penalties of that size.
Base Speed: Aasimars have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Aasimars begin play speaking Common and Celestial. Aasimars with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, and Sylvan.
Celestial Resistance: Aasimars have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5
Skilled: Aasimar have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Perception checks.
Spell-Like Ability (Sp): Aasimars can use daylight once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level equal to the aasimar’s class level).
Darkvision: Aasimar have darkvision 60 ft. (they can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.)

ALTERNATE HERITAGES

Agathion-Blooded (Idyllkin)

Idyllkin possess bestial aspects and calm dispositions, and often act as peaceful intermediaries between lawful and chaotic agents of good.
Ancestry: Agathion
Typical Alignment NG
Ability Modifiers +2 Con, +2 Cha
Alternate Skill Modifiers Handle Animal, Survival
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Idyllkin gain summon nature’s ally II as a spell-like ability.
Like their agathion ancestors, idyllkin seek to spread good in its purest form, unconcerned with the trivialities of chaos and law. They often travel from place to place to spread their righteous wisdom, and recruit both intelligent creatures and animals to their cause.
Idyllkin often possess bestial qualities such as dragon scales, fish scales, fur, manes, or talons. Slit pupils, pronounced canines, and furry ears are all common indicators of an aasimar’s agathion background. Just as agathions take on different traits depending on their animal aspect, so too do idyllkin. Descendants of avorals often possess feathery hair and enjoy wide-open areas such as plains, while the progeny of leonals are aggressive and often have sharp, clawlike fingernails. Many idyllkin, regardless of their animal aspect, feel called to walk the path of the druid, and idyllkin are among the most likely aasimars to become such protectors of nature.

Angel-Blooded (Angelkin)

Angelkin are mortal paragons of exceptional beauty, and they serve as exemplars of good and light regardless of the myriad forms they may take.
Ancestry: Angel
Typical Alignment Any good
Ability Modifiers +2 Str, +2 Cha
Alternate Skill Modifiers Heal, Knowledge (planes)
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Angelkin gain alter self as a spell-like ability.
Angel-blooded aasimars—called angelkin by many—follow the righteous paths their celestial ancestors walked, and are as varied as angels in how they go about their virtuous duties, split evenly among those who embrace law, neutrality, or chaos.
Of all the aasimars, angelkin are the type who perhaps most often clash with tieflings. Angelkin have difficulty embracing the idea of harmony when it comes to their corrupt cousins, and most see tieflings as embodiments of evil that can never be trusted. It takes extraordinary circumstances for most angelkin to cooperate with tieflings, and even then, alliances are rarely more than fleeting.

Archon-Blooded (Lawbringers)

Lawbringers are champions of justice and of doling out punishment to the wicked, and often believe chaos is the cause of all mortal suffering.
Ancestry Archon
Typical Alignment LG
Ability Modifiers +2 Con, +2 Wis
Alternate Skill Modifiers Intimidate, Sense Motive
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Lawbringers gain continual flame as a spell-like ability.
Lawbringers reflect the patience of their archon ancestors in their daily lives; they understand the need for rules and routines, and use their inherent discipline to train in their chosen field as they seek to do good. They develop their talents faster than most of their peers and show exceptional skill at whatever they focus their attention on.
Lawbringers feel most comfortable in regions where a clear hierarchy and system of justice exists, preferably alongside good people and honest rulers.

Azata-Blooded (Musetouched)

The musetouched epitomize freedom and joy, and travel the world to liberate less fortunate individuals.
Ancestry Azata
Typical Alignment CG
Ability Modifiers +2 Dex, +2 Cha
Alternate Skill Modifiers Diplomacy, Perform
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Musetouched gain glitterdust as a spell-like ability.
The capricious aasimars known as musetouched are the most likely of their kind to be found adventuring throughout lands both civilized and remote. Imbued with an undeniable spirit of wanderlust, musetouched feel the constant urge to explore new places, meet new people, and ferret out evil and corruption wherever they lurk.
Of all the aasimars, musetouched tend to be among the most beautiful by most humans’ standards. They possess features with an unearthly charm, such as long, thick hair of a seemingly impossible hue and limpid, jeweltoned eyes. Musetouched are commonly possessed of innate musical talent and a love for melodies, and many train as bards while they wander.

Garuda-Blooded (Plumekith)

Their shimmering avian features make plumekith instantly recognizable. Though they can act rashly, plumekith never shirk their duty after making a commitment.
Ancestry Garuda
Typical Alignment CG
Ability Modifiers +2 Dex, +2 Wis
Alternate Skill Modifiers Acrobatics, Fly
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Plumekith gain see invisibility as a spell-like ability.
Garudas are noble but impetuous birdlike celestials, and most garuda-blooded aasimars grow graceful feathers during puberty. The majority of these aasimars have shimmering wings; the wings can be of virtually any shade, ranging from metallic colors to muted hues to pure white, or rarely, glossy black. Plumekith are sometimes born with taloned fingers or toes, and occasionally amber eyes like those of an eagle.
Like their celestial ancestors, plumekith tend to take action at the spur of the moment when their abilities seem needed. Plumekith rush into the heat of battle to face off against evildoers, only stopping to ask questions afterward. Plumekith often have an extreme hatred for nagas and other snakelike creatures, a racial disdain no doubt stemming back to their garuda forebears.

Peri-Blooded (Emberkin)

Masters of fire magic, emberkin feel the dual pull of their peri forebear as well as that of a fallen angel further down their ancestry, and wrestle with their urges to do both good and evil.
Ancestry Peri
Typical Alignment NG
Ability Modifiers +2 Int, +2 Cha
Alternate Skill Modifiers Knowledge (planes), Spellcraft
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Emberkin gain pyrotechnics as a spell-like ability.
Emberkin reveal their divine heritage through their skill with fire-based magic and their desire to repent for others’ sins. Many emberkin suffer from frequent nightmares and strange impulses to commit spontaneous acts of evil. They typically have igneous features such as wispy auburn hair and bright yellow eyes, and a rare few are born with albino skin. emberkin often feel an insatiable need to continually perform acts of good. Some are content to perform small acts of kindness at home, though they may feel driven to travel regularly in order to find pockets of true evil that they can eradicate.
Like all aasimars, emberkin are not necessarily compelled to embrace good and justice. Perhaps more so than most of their celestial kith, emberkin have a propensity to revolt against their benevolent predisposition and instead follow a darker path. Perhaps these emberkin are evil by nature, or perhaps it is a remnant of their fallen angel ancestry. Either way, such wicked individuals are often dangerous, and are both pitied and hunted down by their aasimar brethren.

Lifespan

250 years

Average Height

Average for Race

Average Weight

Average for Race