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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 9035556" data-attributes="member: 58172">The Rakshasa is somewhat canonically the angel of the Lawful by Lawful Evil dominion of Acheron.The 2e Planescape setting includes the supplement Planes of Law, whose Acheron section (11) lists the Rakshasa among the encounters there. "Acherai, Baatezu, Bladelings, Imps, Modrons, Rakshasas, and Yugoloths are all here. Only Yugoloths and Rakshasa are truly native."The Acherai is a birdfolk. Note, many species of birds populate the cool to freezing air of Acheron, as the only recognizable wildlife in what is otherwise a sterile lifeless realm. Depending on the bird, they feed on an unpleasant cube-shaped stone-like woody fungus that also serves as the military rations for the eternal armies there, or feed on the soldiers that fell in battle.Rust Dragons are dragon-like creatures that are actually the adult phase of a Rust Monster after cocooning and metamorphosing.The Bladeling is "a race of living metallic creatures". Earlier in the Monstrous section (14), "they were once rumored to be tieflings, the spawn of fiends and humanoids, however are a distinct race unto themselves." 3e Monster Manual speculates their origin might be Baator or Gehenna, or "some unknown plane of metal-based plane". Indeed, the Bladelings actually are metal, and the spell Heat Metal can target them, suggesting an Elemental or relatedly a Primordial origin. In any case, they are now home to Ocanthas the lowest level of the Acheron, a freezing realm of black ice and a blizzard of metallic blades and icy blades.Modron is the native of Mechanus.Imp per Monstrous Compendium 20, and Quasit, are creatures that are native to the Material Plane, that "roam the world". Fiends create them to serve as familiars for mages in the Material Plane. In 2e, this doesnt count as a Fiend, but in 5e, it does count as the Fiend creature type. Presumably, most Imps arrived to Acheron as the familiar of a mage who perished while scavenging the junkyards of lost and discarded military-tech magic items.Baatezu, Yugoloth, and Rakshasa are all Fiend.Baatezu is the Devils that are native to the Nine Hells of Baator.Yugoloth are surprising here, being called "truly native" to Acheron. Apparently, certain Yugoloths are specifically of the alignment Lawful by Lawful Evil and manifest in Acheron. However, normally the Yugoloth originate from the Gray Waste, by definition.Rakshasa remain "truly native" to Acheron. Note, Rakshasa also associate with Baator. However, they are distinct from the Baatezu there. They make sense as uniquely originating in Acheron, and bring fun flavor to an otherwise monotonous plane. It is easy to clarify the Rakshasa origins from the plane of Lawful by Lawful Evil, but can also be found dwelling among the Nine Hells and in the Material Plane.In reallife Hinduism, the Rakshasa is a personification of an aspect of Samsara, the concept that the finite world is a deceptive illusion that tempts an endless cycle of reincarnation. Moksha is when the soul (atman) transcends thus gains liberation from this deception. (Buddhism has a similar concept but emphasizes the enlightenment of the anatman, the not-soul, where the sense of self is understood to be part of this finite deception.) The Rakshasa associates with primal hunger, anger, animal appetites, and power-hungry ambition. They are part of Samsara thus powerful illusionists and shapeshifters. Unlike D&D, they dont look a tiger, but they do have telltale tiger-like fangs and claws, and often with partial features of various animals, are beastly in the sense of growling and ferocious, and are mercurial shapechangers anyway. At least some of the iconography depicting certain Rakshasas can look suggestively tigerish. But most depictions dont look like tigers, except for the fangs. They can have many forms − one has ten heads.These creatures are usually evil − merciless and predatory. Some visualize them as drinking human blood from sophisticated goblets. However there are many legends where the Rakshasa are actually good and the heroes of the story. They channel their appetites and use their powers for good purposes.For the D&D Rakshasa, it is better to describe it as "typically Neutral with Evil tendencies". They are notorious, but individuals can excel at doing Good.I like the D&D tiger imagery. It reminds me of the poem, The Tyger ("Tyger, tyger, burning bright ..."), by William Blake popular during the Romantic Era. It is a parable describing the satan as a force of pure reason that is devoid of mercy and compassion. The "fearful symmetry" of the tiger stripes expresses this rigid and dehumanizing logic. Keep the tiger visage, but for mythological accuracy, emphasize the fangs relating to predatory hunger, and mention the "true forms" of individuals that dont look like tigers.The Hindu Rakshasa doesnt seem especially Lawful, but some stories have them comprising armies. (My connotations of The Tyger are Lawful.) It is probably culturally sensitive enough to characterize the Rakshasa as a "typically Lawful by Lawful Evil" Fiend. They respect collective identity and working as a group. They tend to be Evil but often not.In D&D 2e, Planes of Law, Acheron, Rakshasa communities exist across all levels of the plane of Acheron. They especially construct their homes inside the cubes, that they hide by means of powerful illusions.For 5e, these ensconced Rakshasa domains should be paradises, unlike the rest of Acheron. Via the innate primordial magic of Samsara, the homes are warm and humid forests teaming with life, where tigers prowl.As the Angel of Lawful by Lawful Evil, the Rakshasa would be the "Angel of peer pressure, judgmentalism, and dysfunctional conformity", which is kinda a characterization of Samsara.The Rakshasa is appealing for the semi-fiendish "Angel" of the Lawful by Lawful Evil dominion of Acheron, aka Avalas.<table style='width: 100%'><tr><td>CREATURE TYPE</td><td>CREATURE SUBTYPE</td><td></td><td>DOMINION</td></tr><tr><td>[Primordial]</td><td>Modron</td><td>LN</td><td>Mechanus</td></tr><tr><td>Fiend</td><td>Rakshasa</td><td>LLE</td><td>[Avalas]</td></tr><tr><td>Fiend</td><td>Baatezu</td><td>LE</td><td>Nine hells</td></tr><tr><td>Fiend</td><td>Devil</td><td>ELE</td><td>Gehenna</td></tr><tr><td>Fiend</td><td>[Aberration]</td><td>TE</td><td>[Gray Waste]</td></tr><tr><td>Fiend</td><td>Gehreleth</td><td>ECE</td><td>Carceri</td></tr><tr><td>Fiend</td><td>Tanarri</td><td>CE</td><td>Abyss</td></tr><tr><td>Fiend</td><td>Demon</td><td>CCE</td><td>Pandemonium</td></tr><tr><td>[Primordial]</td><td>Slaad</td><td>CN</td><td>Limbo</td></tr><tr><td>[Primordial]</td><td>Rilmani</td><td>TN</td><td>Outlands (inner Spire + outer Elemental Flux)</td></tr></table>The above is a useful list for different kinds of Tiefling.[SPOILER="Notes"]Angel. In this thread, I am effectively using the term "Angel" in a technical sense. It means exactly, the Astral manifestation of the construct of a specific alignment. For example, the ethical behavior of Good is an actual cosmic power. It actualizes a kind of thought that shapes and shifts the multiverse. This is why a Paladin has Divine magic. They can be any alignment, but the ethical behavior that they choose, the one that they dedicate to by means of their Oath, is what attunes them to this cosmic power. An Angel can manifest spontaneously, coalescing the Astral influences of a specific alignment, whose corresponding actions are  prominent among two or more creatures. In this way, every alignment produces its own Angels. There are True Good Angels. There are Lawful by Lawful Evil Angels. And so on. The Aasimon is the Angel that is specifically Lawful Good. Here, the Angel that is Lawful by Lawful Evil is the Rakshasa. There can be different kinds of Rakshasa taking different forms and might emphasize illusion, shapechanging, military combat, or so on. Angels are distinct from other Astral creatures, because the come into existence as a result of the actions by other creatures that cohere with a specific alignment − especially actions that require great effort.Hades. In earlier editions of D&D there is no "Shadowfell". But the term "Hades" means the "underworld" of the dead. It isnt a place of punishment. The ghosts of Good people are there as well. Some have happy lives doing activities that they did while alive, but even more ideal. In 4e and 5e, "Hades" is identical with Shadowfell. It is actually confusing to locate the underworld of Hades anywhere else. It is important to rename Astral Hades, by its other official name, Gray Waste. That said. The underworld of Hades isnt a place of punishment, but it includes realms where souls are punished, namely Tartaros. These punishments are karma-like, and commensurate with the evil actions that the souls did while alive. Alignment is in play here. In this sense, it seems ok if the River Styx first flows thru Shadowfell, and from there pours in thru a planar portal into the Astral Lower dominions where souls receive punishment until they fully experience, realize the consequences of, and repent from their own Evil actions. Then they can move on to better Astral places, or perhaps reincarnate to try again more compassionately.Modern Greek culture tends to like when other cultures use Greek traditions for various purposes. They are proud of their influence. This isnt a case of cultural sensitivity. This is about the confusion that happens when misunderstanding "Hades" − it conflicts with many fantasy narratives including inspirations for D&D adventures into the underworld. Hades is an other name for Shadowfell.Acheron aka Avalas. Acheron is a reallife river in Greece that ethnic customs associate with the dead. Mythically, it flows from there down into the underworld. It is one of the five rivers within the underworld, including Styx. Acheron associates with grief and despair (which does make sense for the D&D plane). In D&D 5e, all of this underworld is now the Shadowfell. If all of these five rivers in Shadowfell meet at some point, it explains why Charon, the ferrier of the dead, boats across the Acheron River as well as Styx River. Perhaps it is the river Acheron that flows from Shadowfell down into the Lawful by Lawful Evil dominion, rather than the Styx. It might make more sense to call the entire dominion "Avalas", while the first and highest level is called Acheron because the river of Acheron flows thru it there. In any case, Hades means Shadowfell, and the rest of the 5e D&D planes need to sort out any confusion.Primordial. 4e introduces the term "Primordial", these are cosmically powerful Elementals that exist at the dawn of time, and are the source of the matter out of which the Material Plane is created. The Astral creatures are thoughts that gave this matter "form", thus both matter and thought create the Material Plane. The Primordials currently exist in the Elemental Chaos. Primordials relate to both Elemental and Giant creature types. Giants themselves are Elemental, whence fire, frost, stone, storm, and other variations of elements, but often manifest as humanlike apparitions.5e mentions the "Primordials" in the UA playtest packet for Giant Options. The context is Giant-wrath relating to the Elemental Chaos. It seems, the 5e designers want to explore Primordials, especially for the "First World", namely the origin of the Material Plane that Fizbans describes.This thread recommends: make the Elemental Chaos part of the Astral Plane. Specifically, it is part of the True Neutral dominion called the Outlands. The Elemental Chaos is the unstable outer edge of the Outlands that rings around the more stable central Spire, where Sigil exists. The Elemental Chaos is part of the Astral Plane where matter comes into existence. Everything in the Astral Plane is made out of thought. Things are willed into existence. Thought constructs and influences everything. Matter is special. Matter is a construct that disconnects from the influence of Astral thoughts. This real independence allows a finite, self-referencing, mode existence that is impossible the Astral Plane. Matter is of vital importance to the multiverse.Here, the Primordial is the creature type that is involved in the Astral production of matter. Primordials include the powers of the Elemental Chaos. But they can also include all of the Astral creatures along the Lawful-Chaotic axis of Neutrality. Thus the creatures of Mechanus are Primordial and the creatures of Limbo are Primordial. In the city of Sigil, the Lady of Pain is a Primordial. The Rilmani is specifically the Angel of the True Neutral domain of the Outlands − and is also a Primordial.Currently, 5e lists Modron as the "Construct" creature type and Slaad as the "Aberration" creature type. I get it, but it feels off. Rather, make all of the Neutral Astral creatures, whether Lawful, True, or Chaotic, members of the Primordial creature type and in various ways involved in the creation of matter that escapes the control of Astral thoughts.Elemental Flux. Maybe rename the Elemental "Chaos" as Elemental "Flux", to disambiguate it from the ethical alignment of Chaotic. Both Lawful Neutral Mechanus and Chaotic Neutral Limbo have elemental characteristics, and are opposing principles that together produce matter. But the Elemental Flux is True Neutral (not Chaotic), and is part of the Outlands.[/SPOILER]</blockquote>

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