Is the Durge an Aasimar?

[Mander]

What is the difference, if any, between Durge and an Aasimar?

[EricHVela]

In BG3, an Aasimar is apparently a Deva. D'urge does not get that option.

(5e rules have Aasimar with far less power than Dame Edna Aylin. Her powers and released backstory align with 5e Devas.)

[Scheneighnay]

Aasimar are part celestial, and not all gods are celestials from my understanding.
So booaaalspawn aren't aasimar

[Mormacil]

Bhaal is not celestial, he's an ascended mortal. His kids don't have a drop of celestial blood in them. You're right Bhaalspawn are akin to Aasimars and Tieflins but they're neither of those things.

[Scheneighnay]

Originally posted by Mormacil:

Bhaal is not celestial, he's an ascended mortal. His kids don't have a drop of celestial blood in them. You're right Bhaalspawn are akin to Aasimars and Tieflins but they're neither of those things.

Real question is: is Wyll a tiefling?

[Kyle]

Originally posted by Scheneighnay:

Originally posted by Mormacil:

Bhaal is not celestial, he's an ascended mortal. His kids don't have a drop of celestial blood in them. You're right Bhaalspawn are akin to Aasimars and Tieflins but they're neither of those things.

Real question is: is Wyll a tiefling?

Nah. Standard devil contract punishment is to apply changes to the person's form such as horns or a devil-like appearance. Key word here is "appearance" since Wyll is still a human despite his horns and looks. Just like an archfey patron might decide to make you sprout leaves, you aren't going to be a dryad or something similar.

[Mander]

Originally posted by Mormacil:

Bhaal is not celestial, he's an ascended mortal. His kids don't have a drop of celestial blood in them. You're right Bhaalspawn are akin to Aasimars and Tieflins but they're neither of those things.

Does it even matter if Bhaal was once a mortal?
As far as I've understood, once you ascend and you obtain a divinity portfolio, you're a God. Bhaal especially can’t really be considered a “minor” god anymore, considered his powers and feats.

[jonnin]

Durge is a plot mechanic. It is a carry over from BG1 and 2 where the hero is one of billions of children of an evil god, and in some sort of messed up agenda like highlander the movie's plot, to beat on each other to see who wins, just to create some chaos and trouble in our world for entertainment purposes by a bored god.

Technically he is part deity and therefore a type of celestial blood, so yes, technically could be considered some type of aasimar. You can twist around on whether Bhaal is a real god or not, because he ascended from a mortal, but that is outside anything I want to argue. You can also reject the aasimar claim, but --- you have the 'stuff' of one: aasimar are marked by their heritage with some mix of powers and physical attributes. The durge and other spawn had powers and were marked, so this makes me feel aasimar is correct.

However, because plot magic, you are not treated as the true D&D playable aasimar race. Those are more 'angelic' in general. This is a problem with D&D in general: the books and such provide templates and examples of how to express ideas.. eg the druid is a modified cleric, the ranger is a modified fighter, and so on. The aasimar provided are angelic, the counterpoint to the tieflings. But this is just an idea.. there is no reason an aasimar can't be the child of someone like sylvanus and have animal features instead of angel wings, but "THAT ISNT IN THE BOOK -- ITS NOT THE *RULES*!! MELTDOWN!!!!" will ensure if you dare to suggest it.

[Mander]

Originally posted by Scheneighnay:

Aasimar are part celestial, and not all gods are celestials from my understanding.
So booaaalspawn aren't aasimar

Mhhh....
Basically, same ballpark, sans wings?

[Mormacil]

Originally posted by Mander:

Originally posted by Mormacil:

Bhaal is not celestial, he's an ascended mortal. His kids don't have a drop of celestial blood in them. You're right Bhaalspawn are akin to Aasimars and Tieflins but they're neither of those things.

Does it even matter if Bhaal was once a mortal?
As far as I've understood, once you ascend and you obtain a divinity portfolio, you're a God. Bhaal especially can’t really be considered a “minor” god anymore, considered his powers and feats.

It's the emphasize he's not a celestial in origin. He's indeed totally divine but not a drop of celestial blood in him.

[Mander]

Originally posted by Kyle:

Originally posted by Scheneighnay:

Real question is: is Wyll a tiefling?

Nah. Standard devil contract punishment is to apply changes to the person's form such as horns or a devil-like appearance. Key word here is "appearance" since Wyll is still a human despite his horns and looks. Just like an archfey patron might decide to make you sprout leaves, you aren't going to be a dryad or something similar.

Which is kinda funny in a way: fail and you become like a devil yourself.
Do devils have a lot of complexes with their appearance, or they prefer their subcontractors with a more devil like aesthetic, therefore engineering situations where they can play dress up with their warlocks?
Considering Zariel’s plan for Karlach, I would say the latter.
Which would imply it’s not really a strict punishment, as far as devils are concerned.

[Scheneighnay]

Originally posted by Kyle:

Originally posted by Scheneighnay:

Real question is: is Wyll a tiefling?

Nah. Standard devil contract punishment is to apply changes to the person's form such as horns or a devil-like appearance. Key word here is "appearance" since Wyll is still a human despite his horns and looks. Just like an archfey patron might decide to make you sprout leaves, you aren't going to be a dryad or something similar.

Aren't all tieflings born of contracts tainting the bloodline?

[Craqshot]

No, Durge is not an Aasimar by Forgotten Realms lore, but he's pretty close. In Forgotten Realms lore, there are two meanings for Aasimar.

1. A deva, which is an immortal angelic soul in a mortal body. These are typically direct "children" of a good aligned deity. When their mortal body dies, they are reborn into a new one; sometimes with the same memories, sometimes not. Dame Aaylin is an example of this type of Aasimar. FR wiki link[forgottenrealms.fandom.com]
   
2. A playable race that has traces of celestial blood; not divine. They're basically the celestial version of Tieflings; beings that have mixed human and celestial blood. They have a lot less inborn power than a deva and aren't immortal. For whatever reason, Larian didn't include them in BG3. FR wiki link[forgottenrealms.fandom.com]

Durge is something else that is less defined. The child of deity with a shard of divine energy. IMHO, it's pretty similar to a deva, but maybe without the immortal soul and eternal rebirth aspect. Also, Daddy Bhaal definitely ain't no good guy.

Fun stuff to think about. Sorry if miffed some of the details.

[Craqshot]

Originally posted by Scheneighnay:

Aren't all tieflings born of contracts tainting the bloodline?

No. Originally, tieflings descended from Cambions (half devil/half human) like Raphael or Mizora who further interbred with humans. Most of the tieflings in the game were probably born from mommy and daddy tieflings like Arabella and her parents. But, I mean this all made up, so it can be whatever we want.

[Millstone85]

Originally posted by Scheneighnay:

Aasimar are part celestial, and not all gods are celestials from my understanding.
So booaaalspawn aren't aasimar

This is correct.

Originally posted by Mormacil:

Bhaal is not celestial, he's an ascended mortal. His kids don't have a drop of celestial blood in them.

So is this. But to clarify...

A celestial is a creature of the Celestial Planes, better known as the Upper Planes.

Bhaal was born on the Material Plane then became a god and founded a realm somewhere in the Abyss, which is one of the Fiendish Planes / Lower Planes.

At no point in his existence was Bhaal any sort of celestial. He has no celestial blood to give his children, unless you count gutting Valeria (who is a hollyphant and thus a type of celestial).

[Scheneighnay]

Originally posted by Craqshot:

Originally posted by Scheneighnay:

Aren't all tieflings born of contracts tainting the bloodline?

No. Originally, tieflings descended from Cambions (half devil/half human) like Raphael or Mizora who further interbred with humans. Most of the tieflings in the game were probably born from mommy and daddy tieflings like Arabella and her parents. But, I mean this all made up, so it can be whatever we want.

I mean if your great great grandaddy fell foul of a devil, that could be why your family is all tieflings