Homebrew Race: The Aeons/Angels (Derived from Kill Six Billion Demons)

[GriffinSanders]

Thought I'd post some conceptual groundwork here for you guys to check out if you're interested. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Kill Six Billion Demons setting, the Angels are more or less powerhouses of nuclear-ish energy contained within suits that harness their power and act as conduits for their existence on the material plane. I tried to capture that in this race sheet, but I've concerns with balance and such. I'd greatly appreciate any help you guys have to offer on the matter!


Aeon

“The king on the throne, alone one day,
Took all the words in his mouth and threw them away,
First came the servants, the first of the seen,
Who built him a house, and kept his hearth clean
Next came the tall men of stone and cold fire,
To seek out all sinners and add to the pyre.
Then came the beloved, the storied and told,
The first to lay claim to the cosmos of old.
Last came the white men of bones teeth and eyes,
Who swallow all truths and spit out only lies.”
-Children’s rhyme.

Former stewards and attendants of the Gods, the Aeons, (or as they are colloquially known, the Angels) are the White Sons of UN- god of starkness and the void, tasked with the sacred duty of preserving the Law and Order of all 777,777 realms in the multiverse. Stoic, grim, and tireless in their desire to see their duties fulfilled, the agents of YISUN often adopt meagre lifestyles as vagrants, travelling across multiple realms and vanquishing the wicked and the unjust.


Entombed Flame

Embodiments of Justice and Divine wrath, the mere form of an Aeon echoes the preordained purpose that dictates their eternal existences. They manifest in the planar realms as amalgamations of flame, bronze, and eye- their forms ranging from the horrifically beautiful to the beautifully horrific- but always, always manifesting parts of UN’s magnificent, scouring white flame.

After YISUN committed the first act of the DIVISION OF THE SELF, YISUN saw that there were none to bear witness to the grandeur and magnanimity of creation. Dividing themselves further, YISUN, as UN-KOSS (the Fabricator and Soul-Smith) and YIS-AESMA (the Spirit of Freedom and Ambition), created four races to inherit the world.

The Aeons were the second of the races to be created, and were originally purposed with preserving the integrity of the cyclical kalpas, but after realizing that their agency upon the material plane was severely limited due to the nature of their physiology, the first smiths from the race of Men fostered an agreement with the Aeons known as the Pact of Concordance, creating for them suits of enchanted ash-plate- armor that could be uniquely inhabited only by the pure, virtuous might of an Aeon. The Gods saw that this arrangement was good, and so the Aeons became the defenders and preservers of reality.

Pact and Law

As beings created with the singular purpose of maintaining order, Aeons are almost wholly aligned with the lawful spectrum. Some pursue solitary positions as peacekeepers, descending upon corrupt guild lords and tyrants alike when the realm is threatened. Others bid their services as mercenaries, exchanging their formidable skills as combatants for fair wages. Although they are few and far in-between, other Aeons seek and fabricate their own fanatical ideologies, bestowing upon themselves rigid moral guidelines that further the cause of a particular mode of thinking or faith.

Regardless of alignment or station, the word of an Aeon can be taken as perennially truthful- almost entirely without exception. Fabrication and deceit are such utterly foreign concepts to an Aeon, that if they were ever to perform such a faculty, their physical form poses a danger of cracking from the immensely contradictory nature of the act to their physiology.

Aeon Names

Angels, despite their apparent sentience and incredible pools of divine wisdom, are more likely to behave similarly to a tinkerer’s clock than a sapient being. Their names follow a schema that proceeds like so:

• Number of times reincarnated
• Adjectives/Titles that were inscribed upon the Aeon by YISUN during the time of creation
• The Aeon’s Function, Title, and/or Specialty

Since Aeons hold no conceptions of identity, believing nicknames, clan-names and a preferred gender to be the “taint” of mortal existence, all of their names can be considered unisex. The more pre-eminent of the Aeons, (such as 2 Abaddon, 5 Gabriel, 2 Michael, and 3 Tabris) often do not adorn their names with titles, as their repute often speaks for itself.

Name Samples:

• 2 Michael
• 82 White Chain Born in Darkness Returns to Subdue Evil
• 6 Juggernaut Star Scours the Universe
• 10 Vigilant Gaze Purges the Horizon
• 23 Liminal Blossom Punctures the Heart of the Unrepentant, Deliciously
• 37 Shake Off the Sodden Words of the Faithless

Aeon Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Ash-Plate physiology grants you a formidable degree of power, but requires great force of will to maintain your life force. Add +2 to strength and +1 to Charisma.

Age. Although they are functionally immortal and cannot be killed even in the void, Aeons progress through "states" of Plasma, Vapor, Liquid, Solid (Metamorphic, Igneous), Crystal, and Neutron (in order of youngest to oldest) as they age. As it stands, only one of the Angels, 1 Metatron, is of the Neutron state. The second oldest of the Angels is 2 Michael, who is in the Crystal state.

Alignment. Regardless of circumstance, the rigid cosmological hierarchy and the role the Aeon had been fabricated to play within it confines them solely to a Lawful role. Lawful Good Aeons will seek to promote peace and justice, Lawful Neutral Aeons will almost certainly adhere to some rigid codex of laws or an ordained moral guideline, and Lawful Evil Aeons often orient themselves towards a larger goal.

Size. Ashen-plate armor, despite appearing vastly dissimilar in terms of aestheticism and functionality, was often mass-produced by the ash-smiths during the time of Concordance. Most Aeons consequently stand at a precise 6 feet, as it was YISUN’s favorite number. Your size is medium.

Speed.Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Celestial Outsider. All Aeons are inimically tied to the realm of Throne and to the essence of the deceased YISUN. As beings not of the mundane realm, they must meet certain conditions and inhabit an ashen vessel before they are even able to manifest on the material plane, and such a limitation confers them certain perks whilst also limiting their capacity for destruction.

• Aeons derive no benefit from potions or salves when consumed, for the body that they use is but a marionette that facilitates their interaction with the world. Likewise, they cannot be poisoned.
• Aeons do not need to eat, sleep, or bathe, though some do adhere to strictly spiritual cleansing ceremonies to purge their earthly forms of corruption.
• Aeons are not subject to ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, or nonlethal damage.
• Ash-plate forged during the Pact of Concordance is not armor- it is the very body of the Aeon in question. As such, it has a base AC of 16. Any bonuses from Dexterity scaling can only stack up to +2.
• All Aeons are capable of utilizing the Astral Projection spell from level one, free of penalty or cost.

Truthfulness. All attempts at deception (performed by the Aeon) are to be made with disadvantage. Any spoken lie will cause a fracture to appear on the Aeon’s vessel, which will not impair functionality, but is certainly noticeable.

Aeon Combat Training. All Aeons are well versed in the practice of unarmed combat, and can deliver unarmed strikes as a bonus action. (Roll D4 and add a Dexterity modifier.) In addition, Aeons have proficiency with Simple Weapons that lack the two-handed and heavy modifiers.

Darkvision. Thanks to your celestial heritage, you can see in perfect darkness for up to 60 feet.

Celestial Resistance. You have resistance to Necrotic and Radiant damage.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial, as well as an additional language of your choice.


Sub-Races

Concordant Peacekeeper

“Here may pass only the worthy,
The pure and righteous of spirit
Who disdain impurity
Alone may wield this cursed flame without temptation,
Shattered, but the fires of God were not enough
To quench its thirst so here it shall be watched eternal.
So it is.”
-Unknown, carved in the base of the Angelic Concordance.

In their prime, the Concordant Peacekeepers were the champions of justice across all 777,777 realms of YISUN’s creation. Their fists were cold, stone gavels that dispensed due punishment to the heretical and the unjust, but their affinity for violence was constantly curtailed and tempered- always contextualized under the larger goal and ideology of preserving peace throughout the multiverse.

Invoking the names of YISUN ATRA VAYAM, Concordant Peacekeepers utilize martial mastery and raw skill to best their opponents. To be a Concordant in the present day, however, is to be a member of a dying breed of noble warriors. After the Universal War and the installment of The Seven (they who are also known as the Demiurges or the Black Kings), many elder Concordants were slain and their essence scattered throughout the void, leaving the younger Aeons scattered and leaderless following the great upheaval. Taking up the mantle of Concordant implies that your character, whomever they are, has decided to continue upholding their peacekeeping duties in spite of the shattering of the Pact.

Ability Score Increase. Add +1 to your base charisma stat.

Empty Palm Vanquishes the Wicked. A strike that focuses the user’s willpower into a singular focused point. The force of this blow is so potent that it creates a forceful gale of wind, which increases the range of this skill to 15 feet. Roll a D12 and add both your Dexterity and Charisma modifiers to the damage count. The target struck must roll a constitution saving modifier. If it fails, its AC is reduced by 1d4 and it is knocked prone. This technique cannot be used to target multiple foes, and can only be utilized once every long rest.

OR

47 Empty Palms. After invoking a prayer to YISUN and PRE-AESMA, the Aeon assumes a martial stance, and for the duration of two rounds, all strikes levelled towards them are automatically parried. This move can be performed once between short rests. (Roll D6s and add your Dexterity modifiers.)


Thorn Knight

“Long alloyed to the corrupting influence of infinity through reincarnation, experienced a profound sundering with the Universal War. The Shattering, as it came to be known, broke the long compact the angels had with the races of the omniverse to uphold the Law, and the Law itself was splintered and broken. The oldest and most holy among the warrior monks of the Concordant knights were shattered during the war, not to reincarnate for millennia more, leaving many young angels, still in their vapor or liquid states. Seeing the broken, burning remnants of the Universe, and the subsequent rule of the Seven destroyed what confidence many of them had in protecting reality, and still more came to the conclusion that reality itself was better purged, better purified through bloodshed than left to rot.

Now, the Concordance is a shattered, corrupted remnant of its former self, and rogue angels wander the worlds and the king’s road, selling their extreme skill in the ways of annihilation.

And through the void and the kings road atop steeds of glass and fire ride those terrible steel figures with their spined carapaces – the Holy Thorn Knights.”

– Preem Payapop Pritrum, introduction of 5th Treatise on Aeons – what to expect of the Pact

Ability Score Increase. Add +1 to your base strength stat.
Patram Sword Hand. The Patram Sword hand art, developed after continuous study of the Swordswoman Metis’ strictures, is a martial projection technique developed by the servants of 1 Metatron for use by the Holy Thorn Knights. Drawing from the blazing flame of UN that burns within their souls, the Patram Sword is a potent energy projection that requires continuous focus to maintain. (Can be cast once between short rests.)

At the beginning of your turn, use a free action to focus the energies of UN. The Patram blade is conjured instantaneously, and can be utilized to strike on the turn it is summoned. Subsequent rounds will require a saving dc of at least 13 (scaling with intelligence).

The Patram Sword hand is two feet in length on average, but can be extended to the length of a lance if need be, adding the reach modifier to your weapon. (This action, of course, requires another saving throw and will use up your action for the turn.)

The Blade in question, when striking a target, deals 2D8 slashing/piercing damage (depending on the type of strike) which scales with strength. Additional 2D4 of radiant damage is added to the damage roll.

[JNAProductions]

Right, this is OP as all hell.

Nerf it. Hard.

[GriffinSanders]

Right, this is OP as all hell.

Nerf it. Hard.

Any particular suggestions on how to do so? Racial abilities too powerful?

[Feuerphoenix]

All abilities delivered by beeing an astral beeing, remove the ability to cast astral projection at lv 1 (it is a damn lv 8 spell!) beeing at the Material plane comes with consequences. Like that you have a body made of flesh, and suffer from its penelaties, But also from its advantages (eg. You may regenerate from wounds which are caused by demons or sth similar). Remove improved darkvision. Change truthfulness to making insight atempts with advantage under certain circumstances. Change the Base speed to 30 ft. Remove all subraces, they Are even too strong if their your stand alone races.

Aasimar Are a good race for orientation of an angel like race. :)

[Ninja_Prawn]

All abilities delivered by beeing an astral beeing, remove the ability to cast astral projection at lv 1 (it is a damn lv 8 spell!) beeing at the Material plane comes with consequences. Like that you have a body made of flesh, and suffer from its penelaties, But also from its advantages (eg. You may regenerate from wounds which are caused by demons or sth similar). Remove improved darkvision. Change truthfulness to making insight atempts with advantage under certain circumstances. Change the Base speed to 30 ft. Remove all subraces, they Are even too strong if their your stand alone races.

Aasimar Are a good race for orientation of an angel like race. :)

My take on this is that a lot of the overpowered stuff should be moved into classes. The heateaters choose to be concordant peacekeepers or thorn knights, and can apparently change path if they wish to, which sounds more like a class than a race, to me.

Although I would also say that the angels of KSBD are poorly suited to being PC characters, on account of their immense combat ability, restricted career paths and inability to lie. The demons seem much better suited to being PCs.

[gkathellar]

My take on this is that a lot of the overpowered stuff should be moved into classes. The heateaters choose to be concordant peacekeepers or thorn knights, and can apparently change path if they wish to, which sounds more like a class than a race, to me.

Although I would also say that the angels of KSBD are poorly suited to being PC characters, on account of their immense combat ability, restricted career paths and inability to lie. The demons seem much better suited to being PCs.

Devils. But yeah, hell, they even level up!

Honestly, though, I don't think 5E is a good system to do K6BD in. It's too wacky and gonzo and BIG. Where are the instakills that turn dudes into evil trees? How does bounded accuracy cover someone who is untouchable because everything that approaches them gets cut in half? Is a few d6 enough damage to describe an effect that could level a city?

[Ninja_Prawn]

Devils. But yeah, hell, they even level up!

From the wiki: "When the comic was first conceived, Abbadon stated that devils and demons were distinct entities. Devils were set to be physical beings while demons were supposed to be non-corporeal. This has since been retconned and the two are now the same."

Honestly, though, I don't think 5E is a good system to do K6BD in.

Agreed; Abbadon is actually writing his own RPG ruleset called Broken World, which will presumably be much more suitable to the setting. The only reason I didn't say before is that the system is unfinished and so not much use to the OP.

[gkathellar]

From the wiki: "When the comic was first conceived, Abbadon stated that devils and demons were distinct entities. Devils were set to be physical beings while demons were supposed to be non-corporeal. This has since been retconned and the two are now the same."

Huh. Good to know.

I had sort of assumed "demon" was a generic term encompassing the demiurges and other evil dudes, too, since the alt text is "one down" when AL-YIS-UN destroys the tree. I guess that was referring to demiurges, and not to the 6 Billion Demons.

[Eldan]

It does occasionally remind me of Exalted, if anything.