Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 lujayne34 Sep 14, 2006 19:19:05	Could such a creature be born in Ravenloft? If so are there any special rules affecting someone like that? Would such a creature stand out way to much and thus not stand a chance to live etc?
#2 ravenloftlover347 Sep 14, 2006 22:00:59	It is possible. Most likely, the aasimar would be a decendant of a native outsider (like a good monk who reached 20th level), but the aasimar may have a half-celestial parent. The parent would most likely be an outworlder, but you can write up a character history for it so everything was more or less native. Most likely though, the aasimar's lineage has multiple paladins in it and there is a prophecy relating to their birth. I hope I helped. There is no rules for it, but I'd give the aasimar the same shining aura as a paladin, and if you wanted, a small reality wrinkle.
#3 Mortepierre Sep 15, 2006 2:17:20	Could such a creature be born in Ravenloft? If so are there any special rules affecting someone like that? Would such a creature stand out way to much and thus not stand a chance to live etc? Could it be born? Yes. Would it be born? Not if the darklords have anything to say about it! Any darklord worth his salt can already feel the presence of a paladin in his domain, so a celestial-kin would cause him a much bigger headache, especially if said aasimar had a full celestial parent (which would mean a reality wrinkle and thus a "void" in what a darklord perceives of his domain). I suppose some darklords could be willing to let such a child be born because they intend to use it as a pawn (or worse..) but few would take the risk given the level of power he is sure to wield once an adult. Good candidates would be: Azalin (uses it as spell component), Hazlik (studies it as a mean of extraplanar travel), Elena Faithhold (to raise him as a devoted minion), or Easan the Mad (test subject). Would such a creature stand out way to much and thus not stand a chance to live etc? Eh, any half-human already "stands out" way too much so a celestial-kin would be like a circus freak to most natives. Since I doubt the local cults have much stories about nice angel-like beings, he would terrify them. Especially in Pharazia!
#4 gotten Sep 15, 2006 10:17:30	I agree, this entity should remain hidden for a while, until getting older. Perhaps if he/she was raised in an isolated area of a domain where the darklord isn't very active / aggressive? Joël
#5 bob_the_efreet Sep 16, 2006 2:52:08	especially if said aasimar had a full celestial parent That would, incidentally, make it a half-celestial. But why would an aasimar need to be birthed of celestial blood? I think an interesting option would be that it is the result of a curse or strong concentration of magic (similarly to how we get calibans).
#6 Mortepierre Sep 16, 2006 7:40:38	But why would an aasimar need to be birthed of celestial blood? I think an interesting option would be that it is the result of a curse or strong concentration of magic (similarly to how we get calibans). Because that's what they are? I mean, celestial or fiendish aren't qualities generally bestowed by spells (though a limited few can grant the benefits for a short period of time). They come from sharing the bloodline of an outsider and/or dwelling on other plane(s) for an extended period. I could see how dwelling near/above/in a sinkhole of evil could infuse a creature with evil and give it the fiendish template but celestial? In Ravenloft? No way. I can't think of a single "curse" that would result in such highly beneficial advantage and, indeed, too much magic results in Caliban, not outsider-bred people.
#7 ravenloftlover347 Sep 16, 2006 11:02:25	Well, it wouldn't really be a curse, but more of a blessing. I think I forgot to state it already, but an aasimar would definately be the pawn of the Dark Powers. "Hmmmm, how can we mess with Strahd or Azalin today?" "I know! Let's allow an aasimar to be born! That should cause them some new found pain!" A birth of an aasimar would mostly likely (like 92% or so) be part of a prophecy, and there are people would help keep it safe 'til adulthood, such as Ravenkin, Wereravens, possiblely Vistani, and maybe a few legendary heroes (such as Van Ricten and co.). Just because it strays alot from the dark atmosphere of the campaign doesn't mean it's not possible. If I remember, there was a pretty good horror movie series about a nephlim, half-angel/half-human, back in the '90s called the Prophecy. Being an aasmiar would work nicely in since the character would be an outcast and be hunted. IMO, such a character may win the trust of his traveling companions, but I doubt they would ever actually accept him since he will always be a little off (since he has celestial blood).
#8 rotipher Sep 16, 2006 11:02:57	Just because the aasimar present in a typical D&D setting are biological descendents of celestials doesn't mean that has to be true in Ravenloft. Sorcerers in a "standard" D&D setting are presumed by default to be descended from dragons -- creatures that virtually never appear in the Land of Mists -- yet there's no rule that bars natives of Ravenloft from ever pursuing the sorcerer class! If the DM approves, there could be other ways that someone could be born an aasimar in their campaign ... or even transformed into one later in life, for that matter. Someone born an aasimar in Ravenloft could easily survive, if they live in a domain where the darklord isn't willing and/or able to hunt them down. While a true outsider's presence can be sensed by a darklord, a DM could rule that the aasimar's benign nature isn't intense enough to be easily detected: more like a paladin's disruption-effect than a celestial's. The more mundane darklords, like Drakov, might be entirely unaware of the aasimar until he or she reaches adulthood; less mobile darklords, like Tristan ApBlanc or Lyron Evensong, aren't likely to notice an aasimar in their domains unless the planetouched comes close enough. If the aasimar's existence serves their own purposes, a Vistani clan might adopt such a being in infancy -- perhaps scaring the giorgio parents with tales of how the child will be hunted by evil if they don't forfeit custody; perhaps stealing the baby or rescuing it from a darklord's pre-emptive attempt to kill it -- so it can play an important role in a prophecy. If the aasimar grows up traveling with one of their caravans, it needn't linger in any one domain long enough to be targeted.
#9 The_Jester Sep 16, 2006 14:51:27	Aasimars are of celestial blood in the same way Americans are of Eurpean blood. It's there but mixed and far back. Parents are typically mutts too. There are other explinations. I've seen the half-fiend template used for people corrupted by dark magic or who sold their souls, similar things could be used for tieflings and aasimars. A true and noble soul. A child of prophecy and light. The scion of two paladins. The combination of two holy bloodlines. These work for plain D&D and Ravenloft just nicely.
#10 dawnslayer Sep 17, 2006 17:30:43	One of my players wanted his next PC to be the son of his current PC, but he wanted his son to be an Aasimar. This of course is nigh impossible in the Land of Mist because, well, a half-celestial is hard to find. We thought about calling a celestial and attempting to make a half-celestial, but this would be a very evil thing to do because the Angel wouldn’t be allowed to leave (we noticed that about fiends and demons, figured the same thing would happen to an angel) and it would die, some how. Also, after meeting Isolde, the leader of Carnival, I am under the distinct impression she may be of some divine heritage, definitely more than human or elven, but your chances of getting with her…. she’s more prudish than I am. (Now I’m sure some may argue that she’s just human now, but, I would say if she ever had any offspring they would be planetouched.)
#11 zombiegleemax Oct 04, 2006 8:17:52	You are cursed to be unmade. . . You are the sacrifice that redeems others and your blood shall bear the witness of others follies, Though you spill it for them.