Aasimar (2024) Guide 5e
'In the 2024 Player’s Handbook, Aasimar have been updated to harness both their inner radiance and necrotic manifestations.

Denys Tsiperko - Wizards of the Coast - Archangel Elspeth (Variant)
Looking for the legacy version of this article based on the 2014 rules? Click here.
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: Weak, unlikely to contribute to your build
- Orange: Situationally good, but below average
- Green: A solid choice
- Blue: A great option worth considering
- Sky Blue: One of the best choices for optimization
Table of Contents
Aasimar in the 2024 Player’s Handbook
Aaismar have been brought onto the starting roster in the 2024 Player’s Handbook! While they appeared in Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, they are now a default race in the updated core rules and have been provided a host of new abilities.
Changes from Previous Versions
Aasimars no longer come with subspecies Instead, they get a modular ability in Celestial Revelation, which allows them to jump between abilities previously offered by their subspecies, like touting around a necrotic aura that can frighten their enemies.
What are Aasimar in 5e?
Source: 2024 Player's Handbook
Aasimar are mortals with a splash of divinity. They’ve got a spark of celestial energy within them, either from having an angelic ancestor or being blessed by a celestial power. That connection to the Upper Planes gives them abilities to heal, light, and protect, but they also have connections with a more nefarious power to twist the minds of their foes.
Aasimar can come from any mortal race, so they usually look like their parents. But they’ve got a few unique traits that set them apart—maybe their eyes glow faintly, or their skin has a metallic sheen. As they get older and embrace their celestial nature, these features become more noticeable. Some might have skin tones in silver, opalescent green, or coppery red, and those hints of their celestial heritage become more obvious as they grow into their power.
So, while they live like regular people, there’s always a bit of that otherworldly touch to them, which grows stronger as they tap into their celestial side.
Aasimar 5e Traits
Size: You can choose to be Medium or Small. Medium is the typical size of most races, and is neither good nor bad. Small creatures average out at 2-3 feet tall, but being a Small creature has had its negatives smoothed out in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. The upside is you get to use Medium creatures as mounts. The downside is you have have a reduced Carrying Capacity. Small character races no longer have a decreased Speed or Disadvantage wielding Heavy weapons, which is a decently big buff in the 2024 Player’s Handbook.
Celestial Resistance: Radiant and Necrotic damage are fairly common, and getting a free, conditionless Resistance is a solid boost for your tankiness.
Darkvision: 60 feet of Darkvision will always come in handy.
Healing Hands: Gaining access to a pool of healing equal to 1d4 x your Proficiency Bonus is a huge boost to any character. Healers can save their spell slots, martials can heal themselves in the midst of combat, and spellcasters can expand their list of utility options for their party. It’s a once-per-Long Rest ability, but once-a-day healing is better than no healing.
Light Bearer: Light isn’t a particularly useful cantrip, especially because you have Darkvision. But it can be helpful if you have party members without Darkvision and all your torches are wet.
Celestial Revelation: Being able to switch between these abilities, and having them activate on a Bonus Action makes this modular ability hugely useful. On top of the solid buffs offered by each of the below transformations, you deal extra Necrotic or Radiant damage while they are active (based on the one you choose.) Each transformation lasts a minute, which is more than enough time to do what you need to do in an encounter.
- Heavenly Wings: Fly Speed is incredible on any ranged build, whether you’re a spellcaster or a Dexterity-based archer.
- Inner Radiance: Boost your damage even more with a 10-foot AoE effect that travels with you. Perfect for tanks who want to be in the thick of it.
- Necrotic Shroud: This is only a one-time effect, but the damage boost maintains for the full minute. An AoE Frighten effect can also be a good option for tanks that are surrounded by enemies, but it may not be as effective as simply bathing them in burning radiant light.
Sources Used in This Guide
- : 2014 Player's Handbook
- 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
- : Unearthed Arcana
- VRGtR: Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
- VGtM: Volo's Guide to Monsters
- XGtE: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything