Angel

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Greyhawk Creature
Angel
An angel, depicted in the Monster Manual 5e
General information
Size:Medium or large
Alignment:Good
Type:Outsider
Subtype:Celestial
Patron deity:various


Angels, also known as aasimon[1][2] (pronounces /ass'-eh-mun/[1]), are celestials who hail from any of the upper planes. [3][1][4] Powerful entities of light and goodness,[1] they are the traditional enemies of all manner of fiends[3] and served as the warriors, stewards, and proxies of the divine powers.[3][1]

While properly, the term "angel" referred to a subset of celestials, those on the Material Plane helped by any celestial being might claim to have been "visited by an angel".[5]

Description

Angels possessed comely—even sublime—looks,[6][3] and most have wings. Beyond this, there is great physical diversity among angels.[3] For example, the angels of Dwarfhome are shorter and stouter than those of other divine realms.[7]

Abilities

A solar, art by Tony DiTerlizzi (1994).

In D&D, angels are all extraplanar outsiders and share a number of magical powers:

  • They possess darkvision, the ability to see in the dark.
  • They are immune to acid, cold and petrification.
  • They are resistant to electricity, fire, and poison.
  • They have a protective field that wards them against evil creatures and effects.
  • They can speak with any creature that has a language.

All angels have a number of inherent magical powers, a large number of which can be utilized whenever they please. Scholars report that they have the ability to grant divine aid, perform auguries, disguise self, comprehend languages, cure serious wounds, detect evil or magic, Undetectable alignment, read magic, and teleport without error.[1] An angel's power to detect evil is especially potent, and, in fact, an angel can look an evil creature in the eyes and know its history, nature, name,[1] and sometimes even its true name.

Angels are also said to have a special power over mortals to invoke reverence, by releasing a brief, blinding burst of light, which paralyzed mortal viewers with either love or fear.[1] They are also surrounded at all times by a holy aura that protects those standing within it from evil and weaker magical spells.[3]

Angels are resistant or immune to a number of energy types, including acid,[3][1] cold,[3][1] electricity,[3][1] fire,[3] petrification,[3] and poison.[3][1]

Angels have darkvision and low-light vision.[3] They are generally capable of speaking the language of any creature they came across, even if they did not know it inherently.[3] Angels are immortal and therefore did not need to eat, drink, or sleep,[6] though they can do so if they desired to.[8] Their souls and bodies are one and the same.

Unlike other outsiders, angels cannot automatically gate in or summon other angels to assist them. They must rely on sending out a distress call, to which other celestials or good creatures might or might not respond.[1] This call is magical in nature and manifests as either a gut-wrenching song or a moment of silence. Ki-rin,[1] lammasu, metallic dragons,[1] and unicorns[1] are all examples of the kind of creatures who might respond.[1]

Personality

The immense power of angels is balanced by their compassion and kindness.[1] Beyond their propensity for goodness, there is great diversity among angels in terms of their moral and ethical sensibilities. Some are very lawful and orderly beings, ensuring that truth prevailed; others uphold the importance of freedom, choice, and creativity; while still others maintain a balance.

All angels are honest beings, who find lying or cheating abhorrent. Likewise, it is against the nature of angels to steal from others, and angels are typically honorable and trustworthy in all their dealings.[3][1] (Some argue that this behavior implies angels are only ever lawful good beings, but this is only a more recent opinion.[6]) Angels are quick to vocalize their disapproval to any companions who did not act in similar manner and would seek to repair any damage done by such "misguided" peers.

Aasimon seek to lead by example and try to persuade others toward righteousness without having to preach or condemn. If their goals are in direct conflict with another, they would never acquiesce.[6] Even so, they consider violence as the last option and would never provoke a fight, desiring rather to find a peaceful solution. If angered, however, it is hard to find another kind of being in the multiverse with so intense an emotion of wrath. Their vengeance is terrifying and swift. Against fiends, they show no mercy, and they feel no remorse when slaying an evil creature.[6]

Angels are rarely ever mistaken in their judgments,[6] and they are well-aware they are among the most powerful celestials in existence. These qualities can lead to a sense of superiority in an angel,[6] but few refute the facts. Other celestials, such as archons, guardinals, and eladrins, seek them out as mediators in disputes. In turn, most aasimon have profound respect for those same beings. However, angels do not tend to hold the same respect for asuras, and the two types of celestials hold no small amount of contempt for each other.

Combat

Most angels prefer to rely on their great mobility and attack enemies at range.[3]

Types

A solar, art by Jeremy Jarvis (2003).

The angels are divided into two main groupings—warriors and celestial stewards. The warriors are called upon to fight for the good gods and to defend the borders of those deities' realms. Some sources hold that angels are more likely to fight other angels from other good planes than fiends from the Lower Planes. The only commonly known type of angel to serve as a warrior is the agathinon.[1]

In contrast, the celestial stewards are those angels who served as the direct hands of the gods. Each type have a particular purpose to serve. From weakest to most powerful, the celestial stewards are:[1]

Society

Angels lived primarily in the Upper Planes and are permitted to travel freely among them from one to the other,[1]. They can also enter the Astral and Material Planes if directed by their divine masters, to support the purposes of good.[1] When this happened, which is only in dire situations, they are sent not to serve mortals but to command.[6] Only very rarely are they sent to the Lower Planes and only for missions of utmost importance.[1]

In the Upper Planes, angels served as defenders and protectors of their homes, repelling any invasions. They sometimes acted as guides and guards to any mortal visitors of their realms.

Especially good and powerful worshipers of an angel's deity sometimes attracted the notice of an angel if in dire circumstances.[1]

Creation & Ascendance

Angels are created by the will of their deities from the spirits of select petitioners. The gods or goddesses simply formed new bodies for these chosen followers in their afterlife, making them into agathinon.[9]

Agathinon who served faithfully as warriors in the holy armies can be promoted and transformed into celestial stewards in a process called "ascendance". Such a promotion involved a change in physical form, magical power, and status. Typically, agathinon are promoted into devas, who are in turn transformed into planetars and finally solars. The powers considered the good deeds performed by the angel when deciding when and how to promote him or her.[9] An angel retained all memories when ascending; it is only the physical form and powers that are changed.[10]

The angels of Mount Celestia are not formed directly from petitioners but are instead promoted from trumpet archons or other archons, who have already risen through the ranks of those celestials from the lowly lantern archon.[11]

Light aasimon are the lowest of the celestial stewards, yet they are not formed from the ascendance of agathinon; instead, they are created from the spirits of greater angels who have been slain on other planes in the course of their missions. For this reason, they are held in reverence by other angels of greater power.[12]

Ascendance is always offered, not required. If an individual angel desired to remain in his or her current form rather then transform into a higher being, there is no shame attached to this decision.[13] Nevertheless, the great majority of angels accepted promotion, seeing it as a chance to obtain an even more virtuous state of existence.[10]

Some more modern scholars refuted all of this and claimed that angels are in fact formed from fragments of the "astral essence" of the good gods themselves.[6] Even if true in some cases, it is certain that at least some petitioners are made into angels by the powers.[14]

Fallen Angels

Although angels epitomized what it is to be good, they are not infallible and are still capable of corruption.[15] They often believed themselves to be infallible,[6] and in some cases, it is this or their strong sense of honor and refusal to lie or cheat that left them open to being corrupted or manipulated.[6][1] Good intentions did not guarantee that an angel would always act in true righteousness, and sometimes an angel would fail in thinking that the greater good justified an action that would cause harm to an innocent.

"Do not pity the fallen angel. Fallen angels survive the fall. How many souls did Zariel bring down with her?
—Mordenkainen[16]

Any angels who committed an egregious deed of evil—whether accidental or intentional,[6]—are noticed by their superiors immediately. Except for the most despicable evil deeds, angels are usually given an opportunity to see the error of their ways and repent, but if they continued down the evil path, a celestial tribunal is gathered, with one of the god's proxies chosen to judge the erring angel and cast judgment. An advocate is chosen to reason with the offender and to petition the tribunal for a chance at redemption for the offender.

The punishment of an angel usually involved revoking of powers and/or descendance to a lower form in the angelic hierarchy, usually the form of an agathinon. An unrepentant angel is usually stripped of all powers and cast into the Lower Planes. These are the "fallen angels", and their names are never spoken in the Upper Planes again. The spirits of most fallen angels are consumed by the fiends with great pleasure; however, some are instead formed into the lowest of the demonic, daemonic, or devilish hierarchies to become fiends themselves. Legends stated that this is the original source of the first Erinyes.[17][18] Some of these fallen angels eventually rose to become powerful fiends, ruling over legions of evil. In one myth, even Asmodeus is once an angel.[19]

Alternatively, angels are exiled. Such fallen angels retained their powers but are not permitted in the Upper Planes. These outcasts sometimes went to the Material Plane to live in secret as hermits, hoping to someday be redeemed. Other banished angels took their punishment personally and became truly evil and unrepentant, even seeking a place of power among the hierarchies of the Lower Planes.[6]

Notable Angels

A solar, art by Tony DiTerlizzi (1994).

Publication history

The beings eventually known as angels were introduced to the D&D game in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D), although a few sets of angels appeared before them.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The first set of creatures known as angels to appear in D&D game appeared in Dragon #12 (February 1978), which detailed the unique beings Armaiti, Asha, Haurvatat & Ameretat, Khathra Vairya, Mithra, Sraosha, and Vohu Manah. More angels appeared in Dragon #17 (August 1978), including the angel of healing, the angel of wrath, the archangel of mercy, and the seraphim.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

A set of angels appeared in Dragon #35 (March 1980), including the angels of the ninth order, the archangels, the cherubim, the dominions, the powers, the principalities, the seraphim, the thrones, and the virtues.

A completely different type of angelic being first appeared in two issues of Dragon in its "Featured Creatures" column. The astral deva, the monadic deva, and the movanic deva first appeared in Dragon #63 (July 1982).[21] The planetar and solar first appeared in Dragon #64 (August 1982).[22] The agathion, the astral deva, the monadic deva, the movanic deva, the planetar, and the solar appear in the first edition Monster Manual II (1983);[23] these creatures have no collective name and appear alphabetically throughout the book (with the three devas appearing together under "D").

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

The creatures from the Monster Manual II appear in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Outer Planes Appendix (1991), where they are now known collectively as the aasimon. Aasimon appearing in this compendium include the agathinon (formerly the agathion), the astral deva, the monadic deva, the movanic deva, the light, the planetar, and the solar.[24] The same set of aasimon appeared again in the first Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994).[25]

The book Warriors of Heaven (1999) details and focuses on celestials heavily.[26] This book presents the agathinon as a player character race.

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

These beings appear in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000) under the celestial entry and are no longer referred to as aasimon, including the astral deva, the planetar, and the solar.[27]

Savage Species (2003) presented the astral deva celestial as both a race and a playable class.[28]

The monadic deva and the movanic deva appeared under the deva entry in the Fiend Folio (2003) for this edition.[29]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

Angels appear in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003) in their own entry and called angels for the first time, including the astral deva, the planetar, and the solar.

The Book of Exalted Deeds (2003) expanded and detailed celestials further.[30]

The harmonious choir of the words celestial and the sliver celestial appear in Dragon #353 (March 2007).

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-2014)

Angels appear in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), including the angel of battle, the angel of protection, the angel of valor, and the angel of vengeance.[31] Angels also appear in Monster Manual 2 (2009).

4th edition

In 4th edition, angels hail from the Astral Sea. In the Dawn War, angels served |deities as soldiers, though they are not necessarily in the service of the gods anymore. Angels are ancient enemies of archons. Angels, who range from human-like to ogre-like in size, are not so much physical beings as energy given form. Made both from the essence of the Astral Sea, angels are basically the energy of both given form. This form is vaguely humanoid, with varying degrees of similarity to mortals. Most angels have only the most basic masculine or feminine features, with lower bodies trails off into floating energy. Angels have a number of unique abilities granted to them by their nature. All angels are capable of at least limited flight, often being capable of much more, flying more speedily even than they walk. Many are also capable of magically warding themselves against attack, making it more difficult for enemy strikes to successfully hit them. Angels also wholly lack the capacity to fear, or at least to such an extent that fear magic is ineffective against them, and all are resistant to radiant damage. Angels are usually, though not always, good creatures. Similarly, many are in the service of the gods whom they fought for in the Dawn War though quite a few have taken up the life of a planewalking mercenary, serving any whom they wish, be it for wealth, power, or a cause. It is unknown precisely how angels were first created. Some claim that the gods created the angels though, if they did this, it was not intentional and angels are themselves nearly as old as the first gods, having originated in the very first moments of the Astral Sea’s existence. However, whether or not the gods created the angels the latter soon served the former’s purpose, offering themselves as soldiers during the Dawn War. As a result, most today still serve gods, though not all do. Compared with gods and exarchs, angels are far more interested in the affairs of the Prime Material Plane and other planes, acting both openly and secretly as agents in the mortal world.[31]

Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition (2014-)

Angels appear in the Monster Manual for this edition (2014).[32]

See Also

References

Notes

Citations

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z MC8 Monstrous Compendium The Outer Planes Appendix (1991).
  2. ↑ Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix (1994), p.4.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Monster Manual 3.5, p.10-12.
  4. ↑ Warriors of Heaven (1999), p.33-36.
  5. ↑ Manual of the Planes 3rd edition, p.162.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Monster Manual (2014), p.15-18.
  7. ↑ Player's Guide to Faerûn, p.151.
  8. ↑ Monster Manual 3.5, p.313.
  9. ↑ a b Warriors of Heaven (1999), p.7.
  10. ↑ a b Warriors of Heaven (1999), p.37.
  11. ↑ Planes of Law/The Hierarchies of Mount Celestia.
  12. ↑ Warriors of Heaven (1999), p.40.
  13. ↑ Warriors of Heaven (1999), p.39.
  14. ↑ Power of Faerûn, p.54.
  15. ↑ Warriors of Heaven (1999), p.8-9.
  16. ↑ Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (2018), p.180-181.
  17. ↑ Monster Manual 3.5, p.54.
  18. ↑ Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (2006), p.18.
  19. ↑ Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (2006), p.4-5.
  20. ↑ Out of the Abyss, p.185.
  21. ↑ Gygax, E. Gary. "Featured Creatures." Dragon #63 (TSR, 1982)
  22. ↑ Gygax, E. Gary. "Featured Creatures." Dragon #64 (TSR, 1982)
  23. ↑ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II (TSR, 1983)
  24. ↑ LaFountain, J. Paul. Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix. (TSR, 1991)
  25. ↑ Varney, Allen, ed. Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (TSR, 1994)
  26. ↑ Perkins, Christopher. Warriors of Heaven (TSR, 1999)
  27. ↑ Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
  28. ↑ Eckelberry, David, Rich Redman, and Jennifer Clarke Wilkes. Savage Species (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)
  29. ↑ Cagle, Eric, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matt Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James Wyatt. Fiend Folio (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)
  30. ↑ Wyatt, James, Darrin Drader, Christopher Perkins. Book of Exalted Deeds (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)
  31. ↑ a b Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)
  32. ↑ Mearls, Mike, Jeremy Crawford. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2014)

Bibliography

This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Angel on the Forgotten Realms Wiki (view authors.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic Type Description Product Page/Card/Image

Angel of Decay Monster Libris Mortis, D&D 3.5e 9, 83-84
Angelship (Ship Type) Item Ship, SJR6 Greyspace 59
Angelship (Ship Type) Item Ship, War Captain's Companion Boxed Set: Book 1 28
Angelship (Ship Type) Item Ship, War Captain's Companion Boxed Set: Book 2 IC, 6, IBC
Anhke Garrote {Angelthroat} Non-player character Half-orc, Slavers, AD&D 2e 38
Archangel Non-player character Male, Half-elf, [Clr1/Mu9], Enemies & Allies, D&D 3.0e 42, 44, 64
Evangel (Mace) Item Artifact, Castles: Hart 40
Evangelist Rules Prestige Class, Complete Divine, D&D 3.5e 39-41
Evangelist Rules Prestige Class, Dragon magazine #358 32
Fungus, Death Angel Monster EX1 Dungeonland 10
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus, D&D 5e 6, 7, 115, 122, 147, 148, 153, 154, 155, 225
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Dragon magazine #064 10, 11
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Dragon magazine #359 100
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Dungeon magazine #147 79
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 169
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Monstrous Compendium - Planescape Appendix I 9
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster MC8 - Monstrous Compendium - Outer Planes Appendix Insert (Aasimon, Planetar)
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Monster Manual 1, D&D 3.5e (Premium Edition) 11, 12
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Monster Manual 1, D&D 5e 17
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Monster Manual 2, AD&D 1e 101, 102
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e 15, 65, 66, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 115
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster OP1 Tales of the Outer Planes, AD&D 1e 54, 93
Planetar (Aasimon) (Angel) Monster PHBR5 - The Complete Psionics Handbook 124

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