New Aasimar Subraces & Racial Variants
The Aasimar are seen as beacons of hope and light, having descended from angelic beings, creatures who are a living part of the good-aligned Outer Planes. While they are certainly inclined towards that behavior, courtesy of their bloodline, they are not all good, nor are they all benevolent. Just like other creatures they learn from their experiences, good and bad, and shape their behavior accordingly. They do tend to become something of social chameleons as they have no people to call their own, and often find their homes among other races.
Most aasimar see themselves as a hybrid between their humanoid (usually human) heritage and that of their angelic ancestors. They task themselves with the betterment of those around them, often rising to positions of importance in the culture where they grew up, drawing upon their inherited personal magnetism to impress those around them.
Some become fascinated with learning about other people and will often be the voice of reason when dealing with outsiders, especially those with some form of mixed heritage (like half-elves and half-orcs).
If you want to play a character who continually questions the supposedly inherent good in themselves, and the world around them, and who struggles with whether they live up to their heritage, you should play an aasimar.
Celestial Champion
Aasimar are placed in the world to serve as guardians of law and good. Their patrons expect them to strike at evil, lead by example, and further the cause of justice. From an early age, an aasimar receives visions and guidance from celestial entities via dreams. These dreams help shape an aasimar, granting a sense of destiny and a desire for righteousness. Each aasimar can count a specific celestial agent of the gods as a guide. This entity is typically a deva, an angel who acts as a messenger to the mortal world.
Hidden Wanders
While aasimar are strident foes of evil, they typically prefer to keep a low profile. An aasimar inevitably draws the attention of evil cultists, fiends, and other enemies of good, all of whom would be eager to strike down a celestial champion if they had the chance. When traveling, aasimar prefer hoods, closed helms, and other gear that allows them to conceal their identities. They nevertheless have no compunction about striking openly at evil. The secrecy they desire is never worth endangering the innocent.
Aasimar Guides
An aasimar, except for one who has turned to evil, has a link to an angelic being. That being-usually a deva and provides guidance to the aasimar, though this connection functions only in dreams. As such, the guidance is not a direct command or a simple spoken word. Instead, the aasimar receives visions, prophecies, and feelings.
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. As part of fleshing out an aasimar character, consider the nature of that character's angelic guide. The Angelic Guide tables offer names and natures that you can use to flesh out your character's guide.
ANGELIC GUIDE
| 1d6 | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tadriel |
| 2 | Myllandra |
| 3 | Seraphina |
| 4 | Galladia |
| 5 | Mykiel |
| 6 | Valandras |
| ....... | .......................................................... |
| 1d6 | Nature |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bookish and lecturing |
| 2 | Compassionate and hopeful |
| 3 | Practical and lighthearted |
| 4 | Fierce and vengeful |
| 5 | Stern and judgmental |
| 6 | Kind and parental |
NOTE TO THE DM: PLAYING AN ANGELIC GUIDE
As DM, you take on the role of an aasimar's il-ngetk guide and decide what kind of advice or omens to send in dreams. The deva, or other celestial being, is your chance to add special roleplaying opportunities to the game. Remember, a deva lives in a realm of absolute law and good. The deva might not understand the compromises and hard choices that mortals must grapple with in the world. To the deva, an aasimar is a prized student who must live up to high, sometimes inflexible standards.
CONFLICTED SOULS
Despite its celestial origin, an aasimar is mortal and possesses free will. Most aasimar follow their ordained path, but some grow to see their abilities as a curse. These disaffected aasimar are typically content to turn away frorri the world, but a few become agents of evil. In their minds, their exposure to celestial powers amounted to little more than brainwashing. Evil aasimar make deadly foes. The radiant power they once commanded becomes corrupted into a horrid, draining magic. And their angelic guides abandon them.
Even aasimar wholly dedicated to good sometimes feel torn between two worlds. The angels that guide them see the world from a distant perch. An aasimar who wishes to stop and help a town recover from a drought might be told by an angelic guide to push forward on a greater quest. To a distant angel, saving a few commoners might pale in comparison to defeating a cult of Orcus. An aasimar's guide is wise but not infallible.
AASIMAR NAMES
Most aasimar are born from human parents, and they use the same naming conventions as their native culture.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Aasimar stand around 6 feet tall, and a powerful 150 pounds, lighter than a human of the same build due to hollow, but strong bones, though this can vary as aasimar descended from gnomes or halflings stand much shorter than those descended from elves or humans.
Generally, the aasimar have clear skin and regular, almost perfect features. They are in good shape and resemble near perfect specimens of their parent’s race. While they resemble their parents, hidden in the bloodline of the aasimar are traces of their outsider progenitor.
The legacy of this angelic blood can manifest in many ways. Some aasimar have a unique eye or skin color, vestigial wings, or even a visible halo. Only rarely do these reminders of their celestial ancestors detract from the beauty of the aasimar, instead lending them an air of the divine.
Aasimar dress in bright colors, though they take their cues from the culture of their birth and the culture where they currently live. Aasimar do not dress in bland clothes unless trying to hide or fit in, but even then they’ll find a bright color to accent their outfit. Most aasimar wear their hair long unless inconvenient, luxuriating in the feel and loving the wind blowing through their hair, sending it flying in a glorious, dazzling display.
Aasimar age at the same pace as their parent’s race, so an aasimar born to human parents reaches the age of physical maturity around the age of 15, though sometimes they mature slightly slower. They live to around the same time as their parents, so an aasimar born to humans could expect to live to be around 90, while one born to elven parents would likely live to be around 600.
SOCIETY
Aasimar are raised within their parents culture, and absorb the customs, preferences, and prejudices of the society they’re raised within. This means that any two aasimar could have wildly divergent worldviews.
Due to their personal magnetism, and their general ability to plan ahead, many aasimar become leaders within their societies, working as civic leaders, sheriffs, and champions of a cause. They’ll put the community first, a leftover from their celestial origins, though whether that means working within the accepted structure of any given community or working to tear it down depends on the aasimar in question. Even in those communities that shun the aasimar, they’ll become leaders, just of a very different sort, being drawn to places where outcasts gather and instead become a leader of them, such as the master of a thieves’ guild.
ALIGNMENT & RELIGION
Aasimar are idealistic creatures, believing in the good in all beings. They’ll go out of their way to help the needy, but have no preference as to whether they should do so according to the law or by breaking the system. As such, they tend to range from lawful good to chaotic good. When it comes to deities, aasimar worship the deities of good, tending towards those that encourage putting community and family above the needs of the individual. Some engage in ancestor worship, praying to their celestial forebear, though these aasimar are rare.
NAMES
Aasimars do not have a separate tradition of naming themselves, as they take the names of the culture or society in which they are raised. For most of them, due to their obvious celestial nature, these names tend to carry some form of positive meaning, such as hope or love, in line with their perceived nature at birth.
On occasion, aasimar will name themselves and they will generally emulate the names of their outsider forebears.
AASIMAR ADVENTURERS
Aasimar adventure to help others, questing to rescue those in distress and finding lost treasure or rediscovering forgotten ruins in the process. In short, they adventure out of a wish to assist those in need and are spurred on by a sense of wonder.
Typical backgrounds for an aasimar include acolyte, barrister, emissary, noble, and scholar. Aasimar often become bards or sorcerers, drawing upon their innate personal magnetism and strength, while others draw upon their wise nature to become clerics or druids.
Aasimars Traits
Aasimars look mostly human except for some minor physical trait that reveals their unusual heritage. Typical aasimar features include hair that shines like metal, jewel-toned eyes, lustrous skin color, or even glowing, golden halos.
Ability Score Increase. Your CHA 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.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Thanks to your celestial heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim 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 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 level. 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.
Subrace. With their varied ancestors and the history of celestial interference in the lives of mortals, it is no surprise that there are many types of aasimar. Such as protector aasimar, scourge aasimar, fallen aasimar, angelkin aasimar, emberkin aasimar, idyllkin aasimar, lawbringer aasimar, musetouched aasimar, plumekith aasimar, and of races other then human. Choose one of them for your character.
Core Subraces
Protector Aasimar
Protector aasimar are charged by the powers of good to guard the weak, to strike at evil wher,ever it arises, and to stand vigilant against the darkness. From a young age, a protector aasimar receives advice and directives that urge to stand against evil.
Ability Score Increase. Your WIS score increases by 1.
Radiant Soul. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glimmer and two luminous, incorporeal wings to sprout from your back.
Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you have a flying speed of 30 feet, 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 level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Scourge Aasimar
Scourge aasimar are imbued with a divine energy that blazes intensely within them. It feeds a powerful desire to destroy evil-a desire that is, at its best, unflinching and, at its worst, all-consuming. Many scourge aasimar wear masks to block out the world and focus on containing this power, unmasking themselves only in battle.
Ability Score Increase. Your CON score increases by 1.
Radiant Consumption. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing a searing light to radiate from you, pour 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, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, and at the end of each of your turns, you and each creature within 10 feet of you take radiant damage equal to half your level (rounded up).
In addition, 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 level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Fallen Aasimar
An aasimar who was touched by dark powers as a youth or who turns to evil in early adulthood can become one of the fallen-a group of aasimar whose inner light has been replaced by shadow.
Ability Score Increase. Your STR score increases by 1.
Necrotic Shroud. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to turn into pools of darkness and two skeletal, ghostly, flightless wings to sprout from your back. The instant you transform, other creatures within 10 feet of you that can see you must each succeed on 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, you can 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 level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Bloodline Subraces
Angelkin Aasimar
Angelkin are mortal paragons of exceptional beauty, and they serve as exemplars of good and light regardless of the myriad forms they may take. They 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.
Ability Score Increase. Your STR score increases by 1.
Radiant Virtue. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing the righteous energy of your kin to imbue your attacks.
Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, whenever you make a weapon attack against a creature of evil alignment, you add one of the weapon's dice to the attack's damage. This additional damage is radiant damage.
Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Emberkin Aasimar
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. 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.
Ability Score Increase. Your INT score increases by 1.
Fiery Sorcery. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing fire to erupt from your eyes and hair.
Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, and you add your Intelligence modifier to any fire damage you deal with spells you cast. Also once before your transformation ends, you can cast the Pyrotechnics spell without expending a spell slot.
Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Idyllkin Aasimar
Idyllkin possess bestial aspects and calm dispositions, and often act as peaceful intermediaries between lawful and chaotic agents of good. 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.
Ability Score Increase. Your CON score increases by 1.
Agents of Good. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing one of nature's allies to come to the rescue.
Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, one beast or fey creature of challenge rating 1/2 or lower will appear in unoccupied spaces that you can see within 60 feet. A summoned creature disappears when it drops to 0 Hit Points or when the transformation ends.
The summoned creature is friendly to you and your companions. Roll Initiative for the summoned creature, which has its own turns. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don't issue any commands to it, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no Actions. The DM has the creature's statistics.
Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Lawbringer Aasimar
Lawbringers are champions of justice and of doling out punishment to the wicked, and often believe chaos is the cause of all mortal suffering. 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.
Ability Score Increase. Your WIS score increases by 1.
Good Influence. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your words and action to gain extra authoritativeness. The instant you transform, other creatures within 60 feet of you that can see you or hear you must succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become charmed by you until the end of your transformation. You can target a maximum number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier. If you or your allies attack the creatures charmed in this way, they can repeat the saving throw, ending the effects on themselves on a success.
Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action.
Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Musetouched Aasimar
The musetouched epitomize freedom and joy, and travel the world to liberate less fortunate individuals. 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.
Ability Score Increase. Your DEX score increases by 1.
Diplomatic Influence. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your inspiring muse to smile upon you.
Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, if you use your action to play a musical instrument, you can make a Charisma check, adding your proficiency bonus to the roll if you're proficient with the instrument you're playing, contested by a Wisdom (Insight) check made by every creature of your choice in 30 feet that can hear you. You can target a maximum number of creature equal to your Charisma modifier. On a failed contested check, the creature is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Plumekith Aasimar
Their shimmering avian features make plumekith instantly recognizable. Though they can act rashly, plumekith never shirk their duty after making a commitment. 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.
Ability Score Increase. Your DEX score increases by 1.
Toxophilite. At 3rd level, you grow a pair of wings that give you a flying speed of 40 feet. Also starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your air combat to become even more deadly.
Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons, attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls, and your ranged weapons ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.
Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Aasimar Half-race Variants
Aasimar are not always born humans. As almost any race can bring forth a blessed child, and as such the statistics for aasimar are not always representative of this mix of celestial and mortal. The rules presented here provide a number of variant options for aasimar born to several non-monstrous races. With DM permission the following half-race vatiants an be used by players, to better reflect the racial background they are going with, to better show non-celestial heritage.
Base Aasimar Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2 Age. Aasimar mature at the same rate as the race they were born to, but can live up to 60 years longer.
Alignment. Imbued with celestial power, most aasimar are good. Outcast aasimar are most often neutral or even evil.
Size. 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 level. 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.
Racial Changes
When creating an aasimar, you can choose one of the following variant traits if you wish for the aasimar to be of a race other than human:
Aarakocra. You gain the Flight and Talons traits from the Aarakocra race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits
Dragonborn. You gain the Draconic Ancestry and Breath Weapon traits from the Dragonborn race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits
Dwarf. You gain the Dwarven Resilience and Stonecunning traits from the Dwarf race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits. Additionally, your base walking speed is 25 feet, instead of 30.
Elf. You gain the Fey Ancestry and Trance traits from the Elf race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits
Firbolg. You gain the Powerful Build and Speech of Beast and Leaf traits from the Firbolg race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits
Gnome You gain the Gnome Cunning trait from the Gnome race. This trait replaces the Healing Hands trait. Additonally, your size is small, instead of medium, and your base walking speed is 25 feet, instead of 30.
Goliath. You gain the Stone's Endurance, Powerful Build, and Mountain Born traits from the Goliath race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits.
Half-Elf. You gain the Fey Ancestry and Skill Versatility traits from the Half-Elf race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits.
Half-Orc. You gain the Menacing and Relentless Endurance traits from the Half-Orc race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits.
Halfling. You gain the Lucky and Halfling Nimbleness traits from the Halfling race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits. Additonally, your size is small, instead of medium, and your base walking speed is 25 feet, instead of 30.
Kenku. You gain the Mimicry, Kenku Training, and Expert Forgery traits from the Kenku race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits.
Tabaxi. You gain the Feline Agility and Cat's Claws traits from the Tabaxi race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits.
Triton. You gain the Amphibious, Swim Speed, and Emissary of the Depths traits from the Triton race. These traits replace the Healing Hands and Light Bearer traits.