Deva or Aasimar?

[Serendipity]

I do think that the 4e aasimar/deva will be somewhat different from earlier editions (like the reincarnation stuff), but I can guess what the designers were thinking. Aasimar seems to be a somewhat unpopular and hard to pronounce name; since the aasimon/angels were reconceptualized, the word deva was just lying around waiting to also be repurposed.

*nodnod*
It just seems odd to me - I've never in decades of playing met anyone who mispronounced Aasimar....or Deva for that matter.
Digging what little I've heard about the new Aasimar flavor/fluff so far, much more than the Tiefling.

 

[Derro]

What was the aasimar's first appearance? I remember the tiefling from 2e Planescape but not the aasimar. Were they added in 3e or was it some 2e supplement that I never bothered with?

 

[Shroomy]

What was the aasimar's first appearance? I remember the tiefling from 2e Planescape but not the aasimar. Were they added in 3e or was it some 2e supplement that I never bothered with?

I'm pretty sure they first appeared in the Planescape MC Vol 2.

 

[Serendipity]

What was the aasimar's first appearance? I remember the tiefling from 2e Planescape but not the aasimar. Were they added in 3e or was it some 2e supplement that I never bothered with?

Planewalker's Handbook IIRC - I know they were in other 2e (Planescape) products but that's the earliest that springs to mind.

 

[caudor]

"Dee-va" is the sound that came to my mind when I first saw the word. Images from the movie 'The Fifth Element' immediately came to mind.

Of course, now I know to pronounce it as day-va after reading this thread.

I still have no idea have to pronounce tiefling. Tie-fling or Teaf-ling? Who knows.

Anyway, I'm drifting. I like deva better than aasimar. Aasimar just sounded...made up.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Except that Devas are godlike, if not actual divinities in both Hinduism and Buddhism. The connotations are all wrong. If you want a real word, Nephilim is a better choice.

maybe that is what they wanted...divine beings...divinities...Devas.

I am just saying

 

[Green Knight]

"Dee-va" is the sound that came to my mind when I first saw the word. Images from the movie 'The Fifth Element' immediately came to mind.

Heh, I'm gonna make a blue-skinned Deva Bard named Plavalaguna.

Anyway, what stats do people think they should have? Personally I'd like to see them closer to their 2E versions, with Str +2, Wis +2 as opposed to their 3E versions, with Wis +2, Cha +2. Agree? Disagree? Think they should have some other bonus?

 

[That One Guy]

C) Is pronounceable without sounding like you're trying to curse. (It's "day-vuh," for the record, not "diva" like Mariah Carey.)

I actually pronounced it however I wanted to at the moment. I used to say 'diva'. Then for a while I said it correctly. Somewhere around reading Aspirin I started saying Deva like the word Devil. I didn't like how that rolled, so I ended up back w/ the (evidentially) correct way! Huzzah me!

As far as the poll goes, I really couldn't care. Celestial-touched things never really interested me. Unless they were hounds.

 

[Mighty Veil]

I like Maiar or even more Valar, but I understand why those LotR copyrighted names can't be used. I actually like aasimar more than tiefling (don't like the name tiefling). I like aasimar more than deva, even though I don't know the names background. Was it a play on another word?

 

[Green Knight]

Aasimon were the name of angels in 2E. Aasimar was based off of that.