A couple of my friends have been wanting to play d&d. I've never played it before so I was looking up how to make a character. I think the Aasimar suits me but I'm a little confused on how people play characters. I see videos titled "how to play..." and they do just that, tell you how to play a certain race/role. But what I was wondering is if it's okay to deviate from that. For example, Aasimar are supposedly supposed to be either very devoted to religion or very opposed. But I'm really not for or against religion. Is it possible to play an Aasimar who is sick of the black and white views of angels and demons and just floats in-between the two? Or is that like frowned upon?
I guess what I don't understand is if you can just do anything with a character. Like can you be a bard orc who likes to cook or a rouge dwarf who enjoys reading?
In DnD fiction there is a drow named Drizzt Do'Urden who is not just Not evil but Kind of a Hero. So with the right story behind it (and approval of your DM) you can do about everything with your characters background...
If you are struggling for help with your background, check out Volo's Guide to Monsters and Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
For a Scourge Aasimar I built, he is originally from Alaghôn, Turmish (although the gods planted him there) and recently migrated to Baldur's Gate. He has dusky-to gold skin tone with light-brown hair and light-brown eyes, medium-build, and otherwise completely-average. He can blend in to nearly-everywhere in Faerun except for the North where everyone is more fair-skinned and blondish or reddish hair. He has a Turmish name: Pieron Salabra.
Using those two D&D 5E books, I rolled the following background for him (and extrapolated the above from the below):
You are an angelic Myllandra, a pion of the gods. Your birth was hailed as blessed event. The gods designed you to be fierce and vengeful, although it is in you to fight your own nature at times. You were born at home but never knew your real parents. You were raised by adoptive parents. You were the younger of 8 siblings in your adoptive family. Your adoptive family had modest wealth and lived in a mansion. You always found it easy to make friends, and you loved being around people. You became an anthropologist because your real parents gave you to a university, since they were unable to care of you. You became a sorcerer because your adoptive family never spoke of your ancestors, and when you asked, they would change the subject. It wasn’t until you started displaying strange talents that the full truth of your heritage came out. War ravaged your home community, reducing everything to rubble and ruin. In the aftermath, you were forced to move elsewhere.
I also added a Faith for him (Sune); a Faction for him, The Harpers; Allies: You have made allies with the refugees of Little Calimshan; and Enemies: A major trading guild made primarily up of tailors and dyers in Baldur's Gate Outer City Sow's Foot district believes that your Calishite cohorts steal their fabrics and materials. They want to know if you are somehow involved.
For personal possessions, he has: A pin in the shape of a harp, a large collection of shemagh and Tagelmust head-and face coverings with matching robes, in a variety of colors and patterns, a leather-bound diary, and marbled-white alabaster mask (that he has only-ever taken -- and will only-ever take -- off during extended combats where he is likely to lose if he does not). I didn't want to share too-many stats on him, but know well that his skills are Acrobatics, Insight, Religion, and Stealth. He covers up his past and blends in with the crowds until his real power is absolutely-needed to protect the world and the communities he secretly nurtures and loves.
Yes, deviate from the path. Unless you are playing a character we’re you have made their personality out of the book. You include what you want to from you. Your the player, if you wanna make a dark aasimar character you do that. All that other stuff is a suggestion.
I guess what I don't understand is if you can just do anything with a character. Like can you be a bard orc who likes to cook or a rouge dwarf who enjoys reading?
Yes. That's what makes it a role-playing game.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
A couple of my friends have been wanting to play d&d. I've never played it before so I was looking up how to make a character. I think the Aasimar suits me but I'm a little confused on how people play characters. I see videos titled "how to play..." and they do just that, tell you how to play a certain race/role. But what I was wondering is if it's okay to deviate from that. For example, Aasimar are supposedly supposed to be either very devoted to religion or very opposed. But I'm really not for or against religion. Is it possible to play an Aasimar who is sick of the black and white views of angels and demons and just floats in-between the two? Or is that like frowned upon?
I guess what I don't understand is if you can just do anything with a character. Like can you be a bard orc who likes to cook or a rouge dwarf who enjoys reading?
Yes you can do that. A PC is played how you want to play it, I have a Fallen Aasimar thst used to be a pirate.
In DnD fiction there is a drow named Drizzt Do'Urden who is not just Not evil but Kind of a Hero. So with the right story behind it (and approval of your DM) you can do about everything with your characters background...
If you are struggling for help with your background, check out Volo's Guide to Monsters and Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
For a Scourge Aasimar I built, he is originally from Alaghôn, Turmish (although the gods planted him there) and recently migrated to Baldur's Gate. He has dusky-to gold skin tone with light-brown hair and light-brown eyes, medium-build, and otherwise completely-average. He can blend in to nearly-everywhere in Faerun except for the North where everyone is more fair-skinned and blondish or reddish hair. He has a Turmish name: Pieron Salabra.
Using those two D&D 5E books, I rolled the following background for him (and extrapolated the above from the below):
You are an angelic Myllandra, a pion of the gods. Your birth was hailed as blessed event. The gods designed you to be fierce and vengeful, although it is in you to fight your own nature at times. You were born at home but never knew your real parents. You were raised by adoptive parents. You were the younger of 8 siblings in your adoptive family. Your adoptive family had modest wealth and lived in a mansion. You always found it easy to make friends, and you loved being around people. You became an anthropologist because your real parents gave you to a university, since they were unable to care of you. You became a sorcerer because your adoptive family never spoke of your ancestors, and when you asked, they would change the subject. It wasn’t until you started displaying strange talents that the full truth of your heritage came out. War ravaged your home community, reducing everything to rubble and ruin. In the aftermath, you were forced to move elsewhere.
I also added a Faith for him (Sune); a Faction for him, The Harpers; Allies: You have made allies with the refugees of Little Calimshan; and Enemies: A major trading guild made primarily up of tailors and dyers in Baldur's Gate Outer City Sow's Foot district believes that your Calishite cohorts steal their fabrics and materials. They want to know if you are somehow involved.
For personal possessions, he has: A pin in the shape of a harp, a large collection of shemagh and Tagelmust head-and face coverings with matching robes, in a variety of colors and patterns, a leather-bound diary, and marbled-white alabaster mask (that he has only-ever taken -- and will only-ever take -- off during extended combats where he is likely to lose if he does not). I didn't want to share too-many stats on him, but know well that his skills are Acrobatics, Insight, Religion, and Stealth. He covers up his past and blends in with the crowds until his real power is absolutely-needed to protect the world and the communities he secretly nurtures and loves.
Yes, deviate from the path. Unless you are playing a character we’re you have made their personality out of the book. You include what you want to from you. Your the player, if you wanna make a dark aasimar character you do that. All that other stuff is a suggestion.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Of course you can do that in D&D you can do what ever you want like a Goliath wizard or what ever so yeah you can do what ever you want.