D&D 5E Monster Manual and Races

[Li Shenron]

The hook for the aasimar is about the same as the tiefling, except from the opposite direction - everyone expects them to DO something (good somethings).

That's a viable story hook for a character, under certain circumstances, but it's not intrinsic to playing the race. This is D&D; your PC's not going to be a non-adventuring stamp collector--or if he is, it's a one-time hurdle that will be dealt with once he's dragged into the campaign.

If I were travelling/working/adventuring with someone who is partly an angel, rather than expecting them to do something, I would expect them to tell me what's right or wrong.

The problem eventually is that the player doesn't probably know that.

 

[gyor]

I really like Pathfinders Aasimar Variants, each variant is basically a hook, just like with thier tiefling variants.

So the Emberkin have a fallen angels in they're lineage, Angelkin gain alter form so there is a spy hook right thier, the James Bond of Aasimar, Justicebringers are your more typical lawful stupid, Musetouched give off a Hippy vibe.

And in FR Aasimar were mostly acciossated with Mulhorand and Unther so they had a more Egyptian or Mesopation feel. plus they were descended from the blood of God Pharos and thier celestial servants so that added a ton of hooks at least around the innersea.

 

[Umbran]

There's inherent conflict/story in playing someone people expect to be evil. Unless you're playing in a word where being recognizably good is a major drawback (like Midnight), that's not the case with PCs who are expected to be good. (And if you're an evil PC, being expected to be good is as much an advantage as a hindrance.)

There is an inherent conflict/story any time people have strong expectations that don't match the reality. There's story to be found, for example, if everyone expects you to be better than you are.

Think, for a minute - you are the child of what others see as perfection. How do you live up to that?

People having too high an expectation for you is just as story-worthy as them having low expectations (like for tieflings). This is why the YA genre is filled with protagonist pairings of "perfect kid/bad apple", where we see the underlying stress *both* have to deal with.

I

 

[TwoSix]

There is an inherent conflict/story any time people have strong expectations that don't match the reality. There's story to be found, for example, if everyone expects you to be better than you are.

Think, for a minute - you are the child of what others see as perfection. How do you live up to that?

I'd think an assimar might have a lot of trouble dealing with the concept of having a destiny. After all, you probably aren't the product of carnal lust. You were supposed to be born, because why else would an angel lie with a mortal? I could see Aang from Avatar being played as an aasimar.

Also, we always talk about tieflings (and other evil races) being tempted to go the dark side, because they have a near biological imperative to do so.. It's something we can all relate to, because we all experience temptation. But what's it like to have a constant call to do right? To always give of yourself, to help other people? To feel guilty every time you take a moment to do something that benefits only yourself? I can see an aasimar having a tough time struggling to maintain their own identity, or maybe losing it completely to the call of their mission.

 

[Mouseferatu]

There is an inherent conflict/story any time people have strong expectations that don't match the reality. There's story to be found, for example, if everyone expects you to be better than you are.

Think, for a minute - you are the child of what others see as perfection. How do you live up to that?

People having too high an expectation for you is just as story-worthy as them having low expectations (like for tieflings). This is why the YA genre is filled with protagonist pairings of "perfect kid/bad apple", where we see the underlying stress *both* have to deal with.

I

Sure, and if this were fiction, I'd agree with you. But in a game where the bulk of players are already portraying someone extraordinary, the expectation of being extraordinary isn't in conflict with reality.

 

[MoonSong]

Sure, and if this were fiction, I'd agree with you. But in a game where the bulk of players are already portraying someone extraordinary, the expectation of being extraordinary isn't in conflict with reality.

You are confusing perfect with just extraordinary, we are talking the kid that has been stuck with the genius label and now is in deep pressure to never fail, and in this case failure isn't the normal failure, it is failure to hold into parental pressure to never get anything below straight A, just except in this case it is pressure to be always an infallible paragon of virtue, and instead of just your parents it is the whole society just by seeing you. Oh and unlike the tiefling that can prove herself by just being good and doing the right thing and get approval and acceptance by going beyond the low expectations of society you are stuck between a rock and a hard place, no matter how hard you do, any good you do is taken for granted and the slightest wrong you do is grounds for you to be rejected and hated. Also true friends? hard task, everybody coming at you only wants something from you, and you barely have time fulfilling everybody's expectations to allow you some time to yourself. Do you dare to show your own mortality and human weakness? the slightest deviation from moral perfection will make everybody distrustful of you.

This is a meaningful conflict, despite you being angel blooded and having a great destiny to fulfill, you are still human, fallible imperfect with the same cravings and needs everybody else has, but you are not allowed to show them.
How is that not a hook? It is a very honest and relatable hook. Also since when do you need a hook to play a character of a certain race? you don't play a race, you play a character, an individual, not a living stereotype.

 

[Umbran]

You are confusing perfect with just extraordinary

Yah. This. Perfection. Never fail, never lose, never slip up, never have an innocent (or even no-so innocent) die on your watch. Never have anything for yourself - your life is dedicated to this perfection for you, whether you like it or not. Think of what that does to someone as a kid, this pressure to perform like an angel, when you *aren't* one. You have all the foibles of mortals, and nobody cuts you any slack.

Now, add to that - Angels don't show up often to normal people, right? So, bad things still happen to good people. And you are the mortal embodiment of the forces that are supposed to stop that, but don't. You don't think there'd be just a tad of resentment to be focused on the character?

I think this is as much angst as the "everyone thinks I'm evil" that you get from Tieflings.

 

[Mouseferatu]

You are confusing perfect with just extraordinary ... the slightest deviation from moral perfection will make everybody distrustful of you.

Okay, I can see how that would work. I'd like to see it played up in core write-ups of the race, though.

Also since when do you need a hook to play a character of a certain race? you don't play a race, you play a character, an individual, not a living stereotype.

Of course you don't need a hook to play a member of a given race. That doesn't mean the race shouldn't have them.

It's a question of thematics and storytelling. Every race (IMO) should suggest a sort of story that either you couldn't get with humans, or at least is easier/different than it would be with humans. Being mechanically different isn't enough. With the partial exception of the classics (elves, dwarves, etc.) I'm a strong proponent of the idea that if a race doesn't innately offer a different story experience than playing a human, it's failed to justify its existence.

Not a universal opinion, I realize, but maybe it'll help explain what I'm looking for.

 

[Ichneumon]

I've never been an aasimar fan, for much the same reasons mentioned before. To me, they seem like pretty, vacuous humans who stop just short of having an actual halo above their heads. There's no compelling hook to them. I'd rather see the likes of nephilim, deva and eladrin in a Planescape product.

Still, any attempt to spice the race up is welcome, and having to be perpetually perfect is a direction that could bear fruit. I'd say that a typical aasimar experience is that no one believes they're capable of bad deeds, so their misdemeanours are ignored, explained away, or blamed on someone else. This could lead to an aasimar feeling compelled to live up to the peoples' trust, or being wracked with guilt about others being punished for their wicked acts and thus determined to fight for the wrongly accused. Of course, some aasimar might take advantage of this naivete to hide dark deeds.

In fact, what if an aasimar race ability went something like "1/day in a noncombat situation, you may make a Charisma v Wisdom check to make one target ignore, or have an indifferent reaction to, an action you take that does not harm anyone within sight."

 

[am181d]

Of course you don't need a hook to play a member of a given race. That doesn't mean the race shouldn't have them.

It's a question of thematics and storytelling. Every race (IMO) should suggest a sort of story that either you couldn't get with humans, or at least is easier/different than it would be with humans. Being mechanically different isn't enough. With the partial exception of the classics (elves, dwarves, etc.) I'm a strong proponent of the idea that if a race doesn't innately offer a different story experience than playing a human, it's failed to justify its existence.

Not a universal opinion, I realize, but maybe it'll help explain what I'm looking for.

My concern is that if the hook is too distinctive, all of the members of that race will wind up feeling samey-samey. That's already too much of a problem (in my opinion) with the core races.