Aasimar (As-em-mar)

A Step Near the Divine

"I'm looking for an individual. Description? Yes, they have flawless skin, beautiful red hair, this unique tone to their voice...No, I am not some forlorn fool, I assure you. I am seeking them for...What do you mean I don't have a chance with them?" —Member of the Stone Tome Archives, interviewing a tavern owner.

The aasimar can be born of the gods, their father an angel and their mother a mortal. It is also possible they are born through blessings or miracles during times of great importance; a gift from the gods themselves. An aasimar matures at the same rate as the mortal lineage they originate from, though they are typically born within human bloodlines as a human lineage is more accepting of different types of bloodlines. As they continue to grow, many young aasimar are standardly guided by divine mentors to find their true purpose until their spiritual goal has been reached. Usually, the aasimar are gifted with such a mentor upon their birth. These mentors try to push an aasimar in one particular direction in order to try and defy fate for the better in ways the gods are unable to themselves.
However, some are not so lucky. Many may be outright ignored by the divines that gave them life and so they are forced to go on a journey of self-discovery to find their purpose in the world. Aasimar can go their entire lives without discovering their purpose or having failed whatever duty was bestowed upon them. Sometimes, especially among the impressionable and child-like youth of an aasimar, they fall into a path of darkness and create a dire circumstance for themselves and those around them. These cases know the aasimar specifically as Fallen Aasimar. While not explicitly turning to a life of evil, they are often wrought with hardships brought on by their isolation from the gods or their own hubris. Fallen Aasimar not consumed by evil can seek redemption from the gods for their betrayal. They may even find the solace they seek through acceptance of a more welcoming deity.
An aasimar that has received redemption are a rarity, but after the harsh experiences brought on as a fallen aasimar, their hubris giving way to wisdom, they find themselves far more resolute than before. They are not as graced as they once were in their purest form, but a redeemed aasimar's renewed sense of purpose gives them a better understanding of their existence as a whole. Often, they will seek out others that have lost their way or direction in life so they can be mentored properly and not fall to the darkness.
As aasimar are born from a mortal mother, they are typically given names fit for their native culture before the mother realizes the true nature of her child. If the newborn is recognized as an aasimar, they may be given a different name to reflect their celestial heritage.

Protector and Scourge Aasimar

Shining brightly in times of darkness, the aasimar can be the light of an entire civilization, their names etched into epitaphs describing their duties in cemeteries across the world. Most people, however, are not taught how similar an aasimar is to any other mortal being acting as a knight on a battlefield or healer in a temple. The protector and scourge aasimars are ones with great promise and a light they hope to shine across those on their side.

Fallen Aasimar

While aasimar are expected to uphold a righteous and valiant duty, many fail to live up to those expectations. Just like any other mortal, they can be susceptible to manipulation or act in malevolence from their own hubris. In either case, an aasimar can be struck down by their god, dismissed and abandoned to follow a path of shadow and evil. These fallen aasimar lose their radiant spirits, replaced instead with a void of darkness. Fallen aasimar are not entirely evil, however, as some come to realize their errors and take a neutral path in hopes to restore their light.

Redemption

Through trial and tribulation, a fallen aasimar determined enough to restore their light can find the forgiveness from a deity who need not be of their own, and through atonement, they are redeemed. Those redeemed tend to devote their lives in continuing their path of redemption by acting as mentors for those who find themselves lost.
While becoming redeemed is a herculean effort on its own, it is not unheard of for a redeemed aasimar to slip back into darkness, permanently becoming a fallen aasimar. These fallen aasimar, sometimes referred to as "shattered aasimar," can no longer be redeemed in the eyes of the gods. Most are typically shunned by all communication by the gods while others often become the subject of concern among deities of justice. There are even cases where they are hunted relentlessly by servants to those gods. As aasimar are born with the gods, even when they fall into the hands of darkness, there is always a deity to back up their beliefs and remind them of their goals. This deity, whether one of the primary gods, lesser deity, or a false god, makes its presence and influence known to an aasimar. Aasimar of all classes usually worship a patron of some kind, and their patron's alignment directly affects their own alignment.

Appearance

Aasimar look nearly identical to the mortal parent's heritage, though appearances may differ slightly depending on which deity is their patron. For example, an aasimar that is a patron of the God of Light, Pelor, may have glowing pale or overly tanned skin tone, yellow eyes, and hair color ranging from blond to auburn. Then, an aasimar of the Goddess of the Moon, Selurne, might have a light or dark complexion, eyes of deep blue or light purple, and raven black hair. The intensity of these physical appearances varies seemingly at random, and some aasimar features are more subtle than others. When an aasimar becomes fallen, they gradually change physically over the course of a week or maybe during the span of a month. Their skin tone becomes ghostly and pale, their hair turns jet black, and their eyes turn to dark or pale muted colors with dark spots forming under their eyes. Fallen aasimar, despite their initial physicality, may appear gaunt and almost corpse-like.
A fallen aasimar that redeems themselves finds that their appearance changes at a rapid pace, often returning to what it originally was. Though their eye and hair color may shift with the likeness of the deity that accepted them. Redeemed aasimar also lose ten years off their life; a toll for their atonement.
Most aasimar aren't worried about hiding their identities, as they can easily blend into a crowd. But for aasimar who look particularly different, an aasimar with snow white hair, bright purple eyes, nearly copper skin, they may find themselves hiding their features so that others may not be suspicious. An aasimar never feels embarrassed or disturbed for what they are, but in a region of religious conflict or pressure, or in circumstances where they would rather not be recognized for what they are, they may feel that their safety is compromised.

Champions and Wanderers

Aasimar are born into the world to act as guardians of fate, acting for the gods in attempts to keep the worst from happening. These missions can appear at an early age, informing a young aasimar in what the divine expect from them. This is normally received from their patron deity via dreams. These dreams may shape an aasimar's childhood, granting a sense of destiny and a desire for righteousness. Although, these can also build up the aasimar's pride, and so they are, in most circumstances, given a celestial entity to act as a mentor and offer them guidance. These mentors come in the form of typically a deva; an angel that acts as a messenger to the mortal world. Other celestial entities may take on more abstract or literal forms, wholly dependent on the god that sent forth this guide. Examples include spiritual animals from deities of nature or sentient weapons gifted by gods of law and order.
While some aasimar present themselves openly towards others, many prefer to keep a low profile. An aasimar may draw the attention of cultists, fiends, or other enemies of good, but that isn't all. Aasimar are also sought out by the Stone Tome Archives who seek to keep them out of the hands of any who would seek their natural abilities. They do this in the form of protecting them in their massive library, either as permanent guests or arcane keepers. This, coupled with the occasional church that would wish to see them closely guarded as well, make aasimar somewhat distrusting of certain groups.
When traveling, cautious aasimar prefer hoods, closed helms, and other gear that allows them to conceal their identities. They nevertheless have no compunction about striking openly at what they oppose, and may feel compelled to drop their cover to put an end to a follower of darkness, risking not only their own lives, but the lives of others, to carry out their goal.

Conflicted Souls

Despite their celestial origins, aasimar possess free will. And while most follow their ordained path, some grow to see their abilities as a curse. These disaffected Aasimar are content to turn away from the world, even becoming agents of evil. In their minds, their exposure to celestial powers amounted to little more than brainwashing and their connection to the gods might leave them feeling conflicted as they are frequently placed above the mortal races. Evil aasimar make for deadly foes, the radiant power they once commanded becoming corrupted into this horrid, draining magic. After falling prey to dark temptations or insatiable blood lust, their angelic guides abandon them, and they are left for the slaughter. A fallen aasimar that becomes the villain is a threat not only to mortals, but to the gods themselves, as they have both divine ability and the chance to manipulate fate.
Even aasimar wholly dedicated to good sometimes feel torn between two worlds. The angels guiding them see the world from a distant perch. An aasimar wishing to stop and help a town recover from a drought might be told by an angelic guide to focus on the greater good. This shows an aasimar's guide is wise but not infallible. An aasimar, except for one who has turned to evil, has a link to an angelic being. That being provides guidance to the aasimar but the guidance is not normally a direct command or a simple spoken word. The angelic being is far from omniscient. Its guidance is based on its understanding of the tenets of law and good, and it might have insight into combating especially powerful evils that it knows about. Some aasimar possibly never receives a guide or mentor in this fashion, though their dreams are still filled with fragments of the destiny that lay before them.

Aasimar (VGtM p.104-105)

• Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma score increases by 2.
• Age: Aasimar mature at the same rate as humans, but they can live up to 160 years.
• Alignment: Imbued with celestial power, most aasimar are good. Outcast aasimar are most often neutral or even evil.
• Size: Aasimar have the same range of height and weight as humans. Your size is Medium.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Blessed with a radiant soul, your vision can easily cut through darkness. 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 can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• Celestial Resistance: You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage.
• Healing Hands: As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your lvl. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
• Light Bearer: You know the Light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
• Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial.

Protector Aasimar

• Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
• Radiant Soul: Starting at 3rd lvl, use your action to unleash divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glimmer as two luminous, incorporeal wings sprout from your back. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you have a fly speed of 30ft, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your lvl. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Scourge Aasimar

• Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 1.
• Radiant Consumption: Starting at 3rd lvl, use your action to unleash divine energy within yourself, causing a searing light to radiate from you, pourinf out of your eyes and mouth, and threaten to char you. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, shed bright light in a 10ft radius and dim light for an additional 10ft, and at the end of each of your turns, you and each creature within 10ft of you take radiant damage equal to half your lvl (rounded up). In addition, once on each of your turns, deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your lvl. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Fallen Aasimar

• Ability Score Increase: Your Strength score increases by 1.
• Necrotic Shroud: Starting at 3rd lvl, use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to turn into pools of darkness as two skeletal, ghostly, flightless wings sprout from your back. The instant you transform, other creatures within 10ft of you that can see you must each succeed a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, once on each of your turns, deal extra necrotic damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra necrotic damage equals your lvl. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Conservation Status

The Stone Tome Archives and the occasional church may want to contain an aasimar so that no dark threats try corrupting them. This is looked on by aasimar as being imprisoned and so they tend to keep their powers a secret.