What do 5e Aasimar look like?

[Klaus Teufel]

I find the text in the description not entirely clear. Could some aasimar pass for human?

[jiriku]

They cannot pass for human.

"They are a people of otherworldly visages, with luminous features that reveal their celestial heritage."

They glow.

[strangebloke]

Almost certainly, especially if people didn't know what to look for. You'd look like a strange race of humans and everyone everywhere would consider you a foreigner, but it isn't like you have blue skin or horns or wings or anything.

Some have dark grey skin or glowing eyes, but that's less weird in DND than you might think.

[ProsecutorGodot]

They cannot pass for human.

"They are a people of otherworldly visages, with luminous features that reveal their celestial heritage."

They glow.

Yea I was going to argue this, but this point is followed by:


When traveling, aasimar prefer hoods, closed helms, and other gear that allows them to conceal their identities.

It's pretty heavy handed in telling you that if you're a standard Aasimar then your facial features are a dead giveaway, not at all passing for human. However if your character does opt to travel with a close masked hood or helm, they could pass as human.

[Unoriginal]

Yea I was going to argue this, but this point is followed by:



It's pretty heavy handed in telling you that if you're a standard Aasimar then your facial features are a dead giveaway, not at all passing for human. However if your character does opt to travel with a close masked hood or helm, they could pass as human.

A Disguise Kit probably would work, too.

[strangebloke]

Yea I was going to argue this, but this point is followed by:



It's pretty heavy handed in telling you that if you're a standard Aasimar then your facial features are a dead giveaway, not at all passing for human. However if your character does opt to travel with a close masked hood or helm, they could pass as human.

I'm just going to point out that my cleric has constantly glowing features as well, thanks to Thaumaturgy.

So like I said, you can pass for human, but never a normal human.

[Tanarii]

A Disguise Kit probably would work, too.
How would a disguise kit stop glowing? Are you assuming that the skin emits the light, and a thick layer of makeup will stop it? That "luminous features" is figurative and not literal? Inquiring minds want to know. :smallamused:

[Scarytincan]

Ya I feel like if it was supposed to be literally luminous there would be something about that mentioned mechanically, but ultimately up to you and DM...

I seem to recall descriptions somewhere about flawless skin and silver or gold irises, but also, like tieflings, there is a lot of variety.

Imo, they should be fine passing as human at a distance or with light attempts at concealment like a hood, but not so much with moderate /heavy inspection...

[Tanarii]

Just out of curiosity I googled images of "luminous facial features". Lots of smiling women with bright highlights from a bright reflecting light.

I imagine that'd look pretty startling in dim or dark conditions, when there's no actual light. But a disguise kit should be able to take care of it, assuming it's actually coming from the skin.

[Envyus]

Volo's has a picture of an Aasimar.

https://media-waterdeep.cursecdn.com/attachments/1/681/c2-1.png

[Angelalex242]

My Aasimar tended to be proud of their heritage and never wore a hood.

"You aren't human!" "Indeed not. Heaven's blood runs in my veins."

Then again, they're also usually Paladins, so there's that.

[Klaus Teufel]

Do Fallen Aasimar glow? Their powers manifest as darkness, so perhaps not?

[ProsecutorGodot]

I'm just going to point out that my cleric has constantly glowing features as well, thanks to Thaumaturgy.

So like I said, you can pass for human, but never a normal human.

While I like the idea, using Thaumaturgy to do this requires your action every minute and a vocal spell component. You wouldn't be able to continue to do this if you were sleeping or otherwise incapacitated. Aasimar look otherworldly all the time without having to reapply their glow every minute.

If I were to nitpick even further Thaumaturgy doesn't have a function to make you glow like an Aasimar, the most you can do is make your eyes appear differently. You could argue that making them glow falls under this definition but that's only a single part of your face, you otherwise still look completely human.

If you had access to Thaumaturgy and Prestidigitation, a forgiving (read, fun and sane) DM would likely allow you to replicate what an Aasimar would look like as presented in Volo's guide, as you could use 2 effects from Prestidigitation to make your skin color odd and add a symbol to your face, and Thaumaturgy to make your eyes glow. The reapplication would become tedious but it's doable.

[furby076]

Volo's has a picture of an Aasimar.

https://media-waterdeep.cursecdn.com/attachments/1/681/c2-1.png

No way that passes for human. Maybe drow

[Reth]

No way that passes for human. Maybe drow

Eh that's probably a protector using their racial trait. So they might not be that pronounced and other worldly looking normally.

[RSP]

Eh that's probably a protector using their racial trait. So they might not be that pronounced and other worldly looking normally.

If so, those are some weak wings.

[Klaus Teufel]

What about fallen Aasimar?

[strangebloke]

While I like the idea, using Thaumaturgy to do this requires your action every minute and a vocal spell component. You wouldn't be able to continue to do this if you were sleeping or otherwise incapacitated. Aasimar look otherworldly all the time without having to reapply their glow every minute.

Perhaps I was unclear.

The point is that, from a peasant's perspective, the difference between a cleric and an aasimar is going to be nonexistent. They've probably seen a cleric with glowy eyes before, or maybe they've seen an aasimar, but properly identifying your race?

Not all that likely. They won't think you're human, but there will be a considerable number of things that they could be.



As to getting the look just right can cast light on your skin. Or on your makeup. Whatever.

[Starman973]

I did my Aasimar with Irish pallor to his skin with red hair that glowed like embers ever time he cast a spell along with his eyes.

[GM_3826]

I like to imagine that my Aasimar looks like the Guardian Angel from Adventure Time. (https://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Guardian_Angel)

Ultimately, the only thing one can really say for certain is that they're humanoid but can't pass for human; everything else is kind of up to consensus. In fact, this is true for many races in Volo's Guide to Monsters. The art at the beginning of each race's section is more the artist's interpretation than anything else.

[Sariel Vailo]

I usually use avacyn as my aasimar go to. Especially fallen pale skin tints of black .

[ProsecutorGodot]

Perhaps I was unclear.

The point is that, from a peasant's perspective, the difference between a cleric and an aasimar is going to be nonexistent. They've probably seen a cleric with glowy eyes before, or maybe they've seen an aasimar, but properly identifying your race?

Not all that likely. They won't think you're human, but there will be a considerable number of things that they could be.

The issue has never been about properly identifying them as an Aasimar, the issue has been about properly identifying them as non human. Unless you take measures to shield your facial features, your Aasimar (according to Volo's Guide) will be immediately recognized as not human.

Which in your clarification you seem to agree with, in your original post you make a statement directly to the contrary. That's where the confusion came from.


1:So like I said, you can pass for human, but never a normal human.

2:They won't think you're human

Even the description in the DMG version implies that it takes effort and careful planning for an Aasimar to pass as human. However, you can always choose to downplay these racial features and make it something only a careful or knowledgeable observer would notice.

To simplify, and to specifically answer the question posed: If an Aasimar is careful and takes steps to cover up or hide their otherworldly qualities, they can pass as a human. If they don't take those steps, their features are so foreign that they would almost certainly not pass as a human. This obviously also means that your human could take steps to pass as inhuman by emulating the inhuman features of an Aasimar.

[Anderlith]

I fluff Aasimar as the long descendants of warrior angels left to caretake the humaniod races at the beginning of time. That divine blood is thin now, but still holds the fire of Mount Celestia.

They have
Skin like marble
Eyes that hold a light as if the sun itself shone through
Symbols of faith or scripture incorporated into their bodies (a sunburst symbol on their forehead, or boney growths along their arms which are a holy prayer etc.
& Sometimes a flare of light can bee seen behind them stretching like wings

Overall they look statuesque, & pure.

[Mikaleus]

If you look at the Nolzurs Marvelous Miniatures Aasimar you get a human form mini and an angelic form mini (they look like the pic in Volos).

Colour examples are on the back. Most of them are the dark purple but I’ve seen one with skin coloured like an Solar.

I figure. You activate the racial and you grow wings and adopt an angelic appearance ?

[Millstone85]

I figure. You activate the racial and you grow wings and adopt an angelic appearance ?Protector aasimar and fallen aasimar indeed get to "grow" wings, though those are spectral and only the protector's allow flight.


Radiant Soul. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glimmer and two luminous, incorporeal wings to sprout from your back.
Radiant Consumption. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing a searing light to radiate from you, pour out of your eyes and mouth, and threaten to char you.
Necrotic Shroud. Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to turn into pools of darkness and two skeletal, ghostly, flightless wings to sprout from your back.

[Mikaleus]

Yeah it seems the miniatures only represent the protector subrace of Aasimar.
Though come to think of it the Fallen Aasimar wings on a miniature would look awesome :D

[GlenSmash!]

What about fallen Aasimar?

They anti-glow.

[Ganymede]

Just have fun with it. As long as your look betrays your otherworldly heritage in some way, you're good to go.

I have a Tiefling that looks like a half-orc with the features of a Tanarruk.

[UrielAwakened]

I just run them as the 4e Deva.

They basically look like Doctor Manhattan (bald humanoids with shades of blue/purple skin and white eyes).

[PhoenixPhyre]

I have always run Aasimar as having one major visual quirk. One famous one in my setting has sparkling hair. Like literally--her hair drips (harmless but glowing) sparks and glows. Led to a party dubbing her "Sparkles", much to her discontent (she's a super up-tight law-and-order paladin with a smite first and ask questions never policy but was under orders not to kill them at that point).

Glowing eyes, unnatural skin tones (including glowing), visible auras, all of those work for me. Definitely not mistakable for a normal human under regular conditions, but concealable with some work.

[GlenSmash!]

I think a wide range of varieties in Aasimar, Teifling, and Genasi (and even shifters, Half-elfs, and Half-Orcs) is certainly warranted.

If you were my player and wanted your Aasimar features to be very subtle when not using an active racial ability I wouldn't mind in the slightest.