Aasimar in DnD 5E explained

The closest you can get to playing an angel in 5E, the Aasimar, are celestial-touched folk are famous for their healing touch and impressive transformation. The Aasimar race was first published in Volo’s Guide to Monsters (VGtM), and an updated version was more recently published in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (MPMM). This is a separate version and does not overwrite the original, it just presents a different way of playing an Aasimar using more current design conventions.

Touched by an angel celestial

Aasimar are descended from humans touched by the divine energy of lawful good planes, giving them an appearance similar to humans, but they’re so much more. This wellspring of divine energy inside them connects the Aasimar to a celestial being, which acts as a guide through their dreams. 

Aasimar are intended to be examples to the masses and warriors against evil, wandering the world whilst hiding their nature, they wait for guidance in their dream or to come across evildoers. However, despite their origins and intended purpose, Aasimar are free-minded people and are sometimes conflicted between their calling and how they may want to spend their lives, including some Aasimar who fall to the side of evil instead, wielding their divine powers for the wrong reasons. Whatever their choice, the potential of an Aasimar is great.

Not your average saiyan: Playing an Aasimar

Playing an Aasimar gives you the following traits:

Ability Scores – Cha +2

Size – Medium

Creature Type – Humanoid

Speed – 30 ft.

Age – Aasimar reach maturity at the same rate as humans, however, they can live as long as 160 years.

Darkvision – You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Celestial Resistance – You have resistance to necrotic and radiant damage.

Healing Hands – Once per long rest you can use an action to touch a creature and restore a number of hit points equal to your character level.

Light Bearer – You know the Light cantrip and use Charisma as your spellcasting modifier.

Languages – You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial.

In addition, you gain the benefits of one of these subraces, which you choose at 1st level:

Protector

Ability Scores – Wis +1
Radiant Soul – From 3rd level, you can use your action to transform for 1 minute, once per long rest. Whilst transformed you have a fly speed of 30 ft. and can deal additional damage to a creature you damage with a spell or an attack. This damage is radiant and equal to your character level, you can only deal this damage once per turn.

Scourge

Ability Scores – Con +1
Radiant Consumption – From 3rd level, you can use your action to transform for 1 minute, once per long rest. Whilst transformed you emit bright light for 10 ft.,  dim light for a further 10 ft., and any creature within 10 ft. of you at the end of your turn is automatically damaged, taking radiant damage equal to half your level, rounded down. In addition, you can deal additional damage to a creature you damage with a spell or an attack, this damage is radiant and equal to your character level, you can only deal this damage once per turn.

Fallen

Ability Scores – Str +1
Necrotic Shroud – From 3rd level, you can use your action to transform for 1 minute, once per long rest. When you transform, every creature within 10 ft. that can see you must make a Cha saving throw, DC = 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Cha mod, being frightened of you on a failed save until the end of your next turn.  In addition, you can deal additional damage to a creature you damage with a spell or an attack, this damage is necrotic and equal to your character level, you can only deal this damage once per turn.

Divine power over 9000: Playing an MPMM Aasimar

Playing an Aasimar from MPMM gives you the following traits:

Ability Scores – You can increase one ability score by 2 and a different score by 1, alternatively you can increase three different ability scores by 1.

Size – Small or Medium, your choice.

Creature Type – Humanoid

Speed – 30 ft.

Age – Aasimar reach maturity at the same rate as humans, however, they can live as long as 160 years.

Darkvision – You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Healing Hands – Once per long rest, you can use an action to touch a creature and restore hit points by rolling a number of D4s equal to your proficiency bonus.

Celestial Resistance – You have resistance to necrotic and radiant damage.

Light Bearer – You know the Light cantrip and use Charisma as your spellcasting modifier.

Celestial Revelation – From 3rd level, you can transform as a bonus action once per long rest, this transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. When you transform you gain one of the following benefits, depending on which option you chose when you reached this level:

• Radiant Soul – You gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed, as glowing wings sprout from your back. In addition, once per turn when you damage a creature with a spell or attack you can add additional radiant damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
• Radiant Consumption – You emit bright light in a 10 ft. radius and dim light for 10 ft. beyond that. Whilst transformed, at the end of each of your turns, every creature within 10 ft. of you takes your proficiency bonus in radiant damage. In addition, once per turn when you damage a creature with a spell or attack you can add additional radiant damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
• Necrotic Shroud – Hostile creatures within 10 ft. of you, that can see you when you transform, must make a Charisma saving throw, DC = 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Cha mod, being frightened of you on a failed save until the end of your next turn. In addition, once per turn when you damage a creature with a spell or attack you can add additional necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Languages – You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.

We hope you’ve enjoyed channeling the power of your ancestors to defeat Frieza, as much as we have. Have you played an Aasimar yet? Are you planning to? If you want to learn more about other race options, check out our races section, or if you want to understand the world’s greatest roleplaying game better, check out our how to play section. Good luck out there adventurers, and until next time, remember to remove your training weights!