I've been thinking about something we heard about fairly early in the 4E design process, the effort to make aasimar as interesting as their tiefling counterparts. It occured to me that the Kalshtar from the Eberron campaign setting are a pretty good example of how to go about it.
After all, aren't Kalashtar essentially aasimar? They're a race descended from humans who were infused with the power of good outsiders. Yet just as with the 4E tieflings, their origin is more complicated than mere breeding. The Kalashtar backstory is fairly dripping with potential plot hooks and story elements. It includes both the obvious (the enemity of the dreaming dark) and the subtle (influence from the quori sprits they're bonded to).
Just as with aasimar, kalashtar are inherently inclined to good. Yet they managed to be as cool as the bad boy tieflings because:
1. There are a good born from darkness and persecution.
2. They share a secret knowledge and responsibility that makes kalshtar players feel special.
3. They're from Shangri-La.
Obviously some of this will have to translate to something less dependent on the campaign setting, but they can have at least as much 'implied setting' as the tieflings. I submit that the kalashtar are what the 4E aasimar should strive to be.
After all, aren't Kalashtar essentially aasimar? They're a race descended from humans who were infused with the power of good outsiders. Yet just as with the 4E tieflings, their origin is more complicated than mere breeding. The Kalashtar backstory is fairly dripping with potential plot hooks and story elements. It includes both the obvious (the enemity of the dreaming dark) and the subtle (influence from the quori sprits they're bonded to).
Just as with aasimar, kalashtar are inherently inclined to good. Yet they managed to be as cool as the bad boy tieflings because:
1. There are a good born from darkness and persecution.
2. They share a secret knowledge and responsibility that makes kalshtar players feel special.
3. They're from Shangri-La.
Obviously some of this will have to translate to something less dependent on the campaign setting, but they can have at least as much 'implied setting' as the tieflings. I submit that the kalashtar are what the 4E aasimar should strive to be.
