Custom Aasimar/Celestial Race: Nephilim

[Fallen Seraph]

I like the fluff of the race and think it's a worthy successor to the aasimar. Good job incorporating the robes and masks to hide their unique appearance. I'd like to know more about why the nephilim are hunted by the gods.

Well I figured it be something that can change with each God/Nephilim. I think one overall one is they are essentially a affront to that God. How dare there be a living-embodiment of the disservice and rebellion that Angel did to me! That kind of stuff.

Since they have angelic roots, I'd give them +2 Cha instead of Int...make them more awe-inspiring than tactical masterminds (save that for the tiefling).

I am slightly wary of it being Charisma since... They aren't that human looking and Charisma wouldn't really make sense for a race trying to avoid attention.

Maybe instead of low-light vision they could have flare-vision, allowing them to retain normal sight even in blinding light.

Is there a thing like that in 4e?

While +2 Streetwise is plausible, I could see them getting a bonus to Perception, Religion, or even Stealth.

I like Streetwise since Nephilim would rather avoid completely any confrontation, instead of having to get away from. So being able to overhear or find out there are Clerics or Paladins looking for him/her would be more akin to their style. But those could certainly work too,

>Radiant Resistance< makes sense given that "radiance" seems to be domain of the cleric.

As far as I can tell too, it is the closest thing related to the Astral Sea where Angels would reside.

The >Wary Eyed< ability is the same as the Warlord's >Combat Leader< feature. Compare it to the Elf's >Group Awareness< which grants +1 Perception - clearly it needs to be powered down. I also think you need something unique to reflect the Nephilim being on the lookout for servitors of an angered god.

>Light of Feet< bears some resemblance to the Halfling's >Nimble Reaction< which provides
+2 AC vs. Opportunity Attacks. I guess the idea is the Nephilim is constantly ready to dive out of the way of an incoming angel's/cleric's attack. Using the other races as a model, I'd suggest +5 saves vs. something (celestial attacks? blindness/deafness? infernal energy?).

Yeah, like I said not so good with mechanics

Perhaps instead of "Wary Eyed" it could be a Insight bonus to the party? So say +1 Insight to the party. This could be reasoned out as being that the Nephilim from all their experiences and some measure of their Angelic-background (I imagine Angels be quite good at reading emotions) he can pick up on things easier and warn the party.

Yeah, with "Light of Feet" was going for diving out of the way/diving into shadows. Hmm... As for a +5 instead, hmm... Perhaps +5 to Passive Perception?

>Astral Radiance< makes sense given their angelic heritage, but it seems like a very "loud" power for a race which is trying to keep a low profile to avoid being found out.

Well, it is sorta like a emotional/Angelic outburst. Normally yeah a Nephilim won't want to use it. But when corned or his emotions flare, etc. It bursts out, it sorta goes in-line with him hiding his physical characteristics, when they are revealed it is quite something.

 

[SpydersWebbing]

I like the Encounter Power, it makes sense given that a Nephilim, once cornered would fight until he gave out. The Cha bonus would really help him, Int not so much.

+5 Passive Perception is a good idea, and should be used instead of the resistance to radiance damage.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I like the Encounter Power, it makes sense given that a Nephilim, once cornered would fight until he gave out. The Cha bonus would really help him, Int not so much.

+5 Passive Perception is a good idea, and should be used instead of the resistance to radiance damage.

Thanks,

I don't really like a +2 for Charisma to replace +2 Intellect since well Charisma is "force of personality" that means you wish to be noticeable or make a point. Intelligence goes along more with the idea of simply circumnavigating such encounters.

I plan on if I change it to have both, since one deals with a Nephilims natural resistance and just his physical properties. The other is a trait needed to survive.

 

[PeelSeel2]

I like it!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just another voice in support of the "Nephilim" terminology for these guys- I'm doing much the same for my campaign which will feature a lot of races otherwise known as "Planetouched."

IMHO, those creatures that come from other planes to create mortal offspring fill much the same role (in a storytelling sense) as the fallen/renegade angels that did the same in biblically themed literature.

On the whole, I find what you're doing with them interesting.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Thanks, made the two alterations.

Aura Sense: +1 Insight to party.
Wary Eyed: +5 to Perception.

So Wary Eyed instead of +2 Initiative to party is now +1 Insight to Party. And Light of Feet is now Wary Eyed +5 to Perception.

If anyone has a better name then Aura Sense, please say. I am having that it is essentially a inner feeling when a Nephilim meets someone that he can judge his character.

 

[VBMEW-01]

I like them as well. No critiques (I don't even do those in the OCC thread) I'll probably allow them to some dgree or use them in our campaigns.

Can never have too many races.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I like them as well. No critiques (I don't even do those in the OCC thread) I'll probably allow them to some dgree or use them in our campaigns.

Can never have too many races.

Awesome! Lol, didn't expect people to include them in their own campaign

This means even more reason to try and think up Racial Feats for my Nephilim. I would like the racial feats the higher level they are to be more and more "noticeable" to sorta show. That as a Nephilim delves into who he/she is it becomes harder to hold back that Angelic side.

I am wondering though, whether or not I should make specific Racial Feats for different Angel parentage, ie: different feats for Bahamut, different feats for Pelor, etc.

Or, simply have the same feats but ambiguous enough that they can be refluffed easily for all Nephilim.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

For my 3.5 Nephilim, I am having their abilities vary dependent upon parentage.

It gives them a lot more flavor and potentially lets you model the full range of otherworldly beings' mortal offspring, from "angelic" Aasimars to HP Lovecraftian humanoids decended from Far Realms aliens.

Plus its a lot simpler than making a host of Heritage/Bloodline feats and monster classes that were scattered all over 3.5 products from WotC and 3PPs.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Yeah I choose for mine one concrete-beginning since they are all descendant from Angels, just of various different Gods. So at the base of it they probably have similar characteristics.

But I imagine as a Nephilim progress in exploring his/her Angelic side the Racial Feats they unlock would begin to become more and more specific to the kind of Angel they are related too.

This is of course where my issue comes about... How do I model that, simply generic feats that can be refluffed easily. Or more specific ones for different Gods.

I am thinking right now, generic feats. Since they should work pretty well, especially if most Angels no matter who they serve look/have powers similar to eachother (I can make this assumptions atleast when it comes to appearance since all Angels we have seen look similar).

Then perhaps in Epic each can choose a Racial Feat specific to their parentage. This could even tie into the reason why Gods dislike Nephilim because if they become powerful enough the develop powers that are a mockery of that God perhaps even a threat to the place that God serves on the Pantheon.