The aasimar bear the legacy of a celestial being or even a deity in their ancestry, and have incredible potential to do good in the world. They fight against evil causes and attempt to sway others to do the right thing. Occasionally they take on the vengeful, judgmental aspect of their celestial ancestor, but this is rare. They are rarely found in leadership positions and often live as loners due to their absolute dedication to goodness. Others are less fanatical and fit seamlessly into normal human society. However, some communities ridicule, persecute or even exile aasimar because they are different. If such a thing happens, an aasimar may give in to the bitterness and turn to evil.
Most aasimar are wary of their human neighbors. Even those raised by parents who understand their heritage cannot escape the stares of other children and adults. After all, humans fear that which is different. Aasimar usually experience a great deal of prejudice, which is all the more painful to the goodinclined aasimar who truly wants to help others survive in a hostile world. Aasimar are often seen as aloof, when in many cases this is a protective measure born of years of misunderstandings.
Basic Information
Aasimar look human except for one distinguishing feature related to their unusual ancestor. Some examples of these features (and the ancestors that cause them) are: golden eyes silver hair emerald skin (planetar) feathers at the shoulder (astral deva, avoral celestial, planetar, solar, trumpet archon) feathers in hair (avoral celestial) pearly opalescent eyes (ghaele celestial) powerful ringing voice (lillend, trumpet archon) brilliant topaz eyes (solar) silvery or golden skin (solar) iridescent scales in small patches (couatl or lillend).
Aasimar are the descendants of humans and some good outsider, such as a true celestial, a celestial creature, couatl, lillend, or even a servant or avatar of a good deity.
Aasimar understand that they are special, even if they do not understand their true heritage. Many aasimar from a latent bloodline don’t even know what creature engendered the line in the first place. Two aasimar from the same bloodline often have the same distinguishing feature.
Aasimar have the same life expectancy and age categories as a human.
Civilization and Culture
Aasimar rarely have siblings who are other aasimar, for the heredity of the supernatural is a chancy thing. Because of this, few aasimar get to know another of their kind. On the rare times they encounter another aasimar, there is a sort of unspoken understanding between them, and an aasimar is likely to take another aasimar’s side in an argument, regardless of other affiliations, just for a taste of kinship. Aasimar, being rarer than even half-elves, have no true society of their own. Few have the opportunity to meet other aasimar or celestial beings, so they attempt to blend into the culture of their parents. In a few rare places, aasimar can find true acceptance and search for news of other aasimar born in other lands, hoping to make arrangements to have the child brought to the sanctuary and raised in an environment where he or she is cherished, not considered strange.
Aasimar have no cultural language, although those that realize their heritage usually learn Celestial. An aasimar usually learns the language of her parents and may pick up other languages appropriate to her region.
Although aasimar are mostly human, they rarely feel like they fit in among human society. Instead, they get along best with other halfbreeds—namely, half-elves and half-orcs—because they and aasimar usually share the same sort of semi-outcast background. Dwarves, elves, gnomes, and halflings are neither embraced nor shunned by aasimar, for while these races have no history of persecuting the planetouched, they don’t have a reputation for sheltering them either. Genasi of all types are too alien compared to an aasimar to elicit sympathy or a sense of kinship. Tieflings are the one race that garners the most suspicion from an aasimar, for those touched by the holy understand its calling and therefore can guess what sort of temptation those with unholy blood must hear.
RPG Datasheet
Because they feel the pull of deific power so keenly, aasimar are often clerics or paladins. Some aasimar bring their otherworldly sensibilities to the art of music, becoming accomplished bards. Rarer still are aasimar who fall in love with the worlds deep wilderness, becoming druids and rangers.
Favored Class: Paladin. Aasimars’ very blood compels them to seek out and oppose evil wherever it may lurk.
Prestige Classes: Divine champions, divine disciples, and hierophants are the most common prestige classes for aasimar.
+2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma.
Medium size.
An aasimar’s base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Racial Skills: Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks.
Racial Feats: An aasimar gains feats according to its class levels.
Special Attacks: Daylight spell once per day as a 1st-level caster or a caster of his class levels, whichever is higher.
Special Qualities: Resistance to acid 5, cold 5, and electricity 5.
Automatic Languages: Common, Celestial. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Sylvan.
Favored Class: Paladin
Level adjustment +1.
Comments
Author's Notes
These stats are in accord with Dungeons and Dragons Edition 3.5. Check the Monster Manual or Races of Faerûn source books for more information.