Aasimar Guide 5e

Published on June 10, 2020, Last modified on November 29th, 2024

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What is this guide?

This guide is meant to give you an idea of whether or not the aasimar will be right for your 5e character build.

The color code below has been implemented to help you identify, at a glance, how good that option will be for your aasimar. This color coding isn’t a hard and fast rule; there are plenty of sub-optimized options out there that will be viable to your party and will be fun to play.

Red : Isn’t going to contribute to the effectiveness of your character build at all
Orange : Situationally good, but a below-average option otherwise
Green : A good option
Blue : A great option, you should strongly consider this option for your character
Sky Blue: An amazing option. If you do not take this option your character would not be optimized

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Update

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything has added the "Customizing Your Origin" option that may affect the ability score increases, languages, and proficiencies in this guide. To read more about this, visit our D&D Race Guide.

What are Aasimar in 5e?

Source: Volo's Guide to Monsters

Aasimar are humans touched by the divine power of celestials. They are essentially servants of divine beings that have an angel on speed dial.

Aasimar 5e Traits

Ability Score Increase: CHA +2 is fairly common.

Age: Mature the same rate has humans but live to 160.

Alignment: Good/Neutral/Evil

Size: Medium

Speed: 30ft Walking

Languages: Common and Celestial

Darkvision: 60ft Darkvision

Celestial Resistance: Free resistance to Necrotic and Radiant damage will come in handy.

Healing Hands: Not quite as good as a Paladin’s Lay on Hands, but a free healing racial feat is amazing.

Light Bearer: Free, useful Light Cantrip.

Aasimar 5e Subraces

Fallen

Ability Score Increase: One of two classes that have STR + CHA racial bonuses. Great for paladins.

Necrotic Shroud: A 10′ AoE Frighten spell + extra damage on your turn in an extremely strong racial trait.

Protector

Ability Score Increase: WIS + CHA isn’t a great racial bonus distribution

Radiant Soul: Free flight for a minute plus extra radiant damage on an attack or spell on each of your turns is amazing.

Scourge

Ability Score Increase: One of three classes that have CHA + CON racial bonuses. Great for Paladins.

Radiant Consumption: Constant AoE damage that damages yourself is interesting. It will certainly have applications, they are just less likely to come up than free flight or a Frighten Aoe. Same radiant damage once per turn to a spell or attack is nice.

Variant

Ability Score Increase: One of three classes that have WIS + CHA racial bonuses. Not a great array but can be useful for Bards, Warlock, Sorcerers or Paladins that want a small bump to WIS based skills (i.e Perception).

Celestial Legacy: Lesser Restoration is useful, but not critical. Daylight isn’t great.

Which 5e Classes Work With Aasimar?

Artificer: Nothing here for an artificer.

Barbarian: Nothing for a barbarian here. The only exception would be a Totem of the Bear barbarian + Radiant Consumption so you can take half damage while everyone else takes full damage. The racial bonuses somewhat line up with a +1 to CON or STR.

Bard: +2 to CHA means the bard can take their pick of subclasses and it will almost always turn out good.

Cleric: Protector aasimar would work fairly well because of the +1 to WIS. Radiant Soul isn't negated by heavy armor like the aarakocra so it could be a great choice if you want to fly and wear heavy armor.

Druid: Protector is the only subrace that would be worth it and the lack of DEX is tough.

Fighter: Nothing here for a fighter.

Monk: It will be very hard to be an effective monk without a +2 DEX racial bonus.

Paladin: This is THE Paladin race. +2 CHA, extra healing, a useful cantrip, and damage resistances.

Ranger: No DEX will make this tough for rangers.

Rogue: No DEX will make this tough for rogues.

Sorcerer: Any of these subraces will work for sorcerers. Fallen and Protector are the best for sure.

Warlock: Any of these subraces will work for warlocks. Fallen and Protector are the best for sure.

Wizard: Nothing here a wizard.

Sources Used in This Guide

2024 PHB: 2024 Player's Handbook
BR: Basic Rules
GotG: Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
SotDQ: Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
ERLW: Eberron: Rising from the Last War
EEPC: Elemental Evil Player’s Companion
EGtW: Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
FToD: Fizban's Treasury of Dragon
GGtR: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica
MotM: Monsters of the Multiverse
MToF: Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
MOoT: Mythic Odyessys of Theros
PAitM: Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse
PHB: Player's Handbook
SAiS: Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
SCoC: Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
SCAG: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
TCoE: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
TTP: The Tortle Package
WBtW: The Wild Beyond The Witchlight
VRGtR: Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
VGtM: Volo's Guide to Monsters
XGtE: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Mike Bernier

Mike Bernier is the lead content writer and founder of Arcane Eye. He is a Adamantine best-selling author of Strixhaven: A Syllabus of Sorcery on DMs Guild and is a contributing author at D&D Beyond. Follow Mike on Twitter.