Aspect

An aspect is a physical embodiment of a deity, archfiend, or other powerful being. It is a less powerful version of the original being, often sent to the Material Plane to assist worshipers or take part in battles.

Creation

An aspect contains some small part of the creator being's life force. It is often created intentionally by a deity or other being who is so powerful that even a tiny portion of their power is enough to take the form of a creature.

Aspects can also be called into being by spellcasters using magic such as planar ally or planar binding. This coalesces the power of a being into a single point. They are often called to engage in battle, while aspects of evil beings are called to take part in dark rituals. Two aspects cannot be called to the same place at the same time.

Aspects can occasionally form spontaneously on the original being's home plane, as echoes of their presence. Aspects of this type usually dissapate within a day.

Nearly all deities, archfiends, and beings of similar power possess aspects, although some are more powerful than others.

Traits

An aspect is a living creature, acting and thinking independently of its creator. Unlike an avatar, a more powerful instantiation of a deity which acts as an extension of the original's mind and body, aspects are independent creatures. Destroying the aspect does not harm the original being, but may make it more difficult for the being to recover the life force invested in the aspect.

Aspects usually tower over humans in height, reflecting the power of the original being, although they are no larger than the original. They may be equipped similarly to the original being, such as with a lesser version of the deity's signature weapon, although such a weapon loses its power when separated from the aspect.

Multiple aspects of the same being can exist at the same time, and may have different traits or represent very different facets of the original being's power or portfolio. Aspects of the same deity feel an irrational enmity for each other, and will attack each other if they ever meet, which is rare as they go out of their way to avoid one another.

Aspects are single-minded, arrogant, and unwilling to communicate. They have disdain for mortals and do not take orders from them, and also dislike taking leadership roles over mortals. However, they will often choose to help mortals whose goals align with their own desires.

Publication history

D&D 3rd edition

Aspects first appeared in the Miniatures Handbook (2003), p.46-55. Although statistics for deities in D&D third edition previously appeared in Deities and Demigods (3e) (2002), their high power level meant that player characters were unlikely to fight them. Aspects provided lower-level versions which made them practical as opponents in a typical campaign.

Another practical reason for the creation of aspects was to allow Wizards of the Coast to sell miniatures of iconic D&D deities and beings. In a 2003 interview, Jonathan Tweet noted:

For the Miniatures Handbook, we created characters, creatures, and other elements that we wanted to see in the miniatures line. For example, we created a healer class, the warhulk prestige class, and the aspect of Demogorgon because we wanted to see those as miniatures. (Miniatures of the healer, warhulk, and aspect of Demogorgon are on their way.) But even for the DM or player who doesn't have the miniatures, the Miniatures Handbook is loaded with good stuff to add to a D&D campaign.

The Miniatures Handbook (2003) featured statistics for aspects of Asmodeus, Bahamut, Demogorgon, Hextor, Kord, Lolth, Mephistopheles, Nerull, Orcus, Tiamat, and Vecna. Dragon Magic (3e) (2006) featured aspects of Bahamut and Tiamat. Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (2006) featured aspects of Asmodeus, Baalzebul, Bel, Belial, Dispater, Glasya, Levistus, Mammon, and Mephistopheles. Expedition to the Demonweb Pits (2007) featured aspects of Graz'zt, Obox-Ob, and Yeenoghu.

D&D 4th edition

Several aspects appeared in a number of D&D 4th edition sourcebooks, ranging from level 17 to level 30. They tend to be lower level than the deities or being they represent; for example, Vecna as appearing in Open Grave (2009) is level 35, while his Aspect from the same sourcbeook is level 25. Aspects appeared in the core rulebooks as early as the Monster Manual (4e) (2008), where a level 33 solo Orcus had a level 24 elite brute Aspect of Orcus.

A list of aspects appearing in D&D 4th edition follows:

Aspect of Atropus	Elder Evils 4e conversion, p.1
Aspect of Bahamut	Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons (2009), p.208
Aspect of Baphomet	Dragon #369 (Nov 2008), p.22
Aspect of Codricuhn	Dungeon #172 (Nov 2009), p.93
Aspect of Demogorgon	Monster Manual 2 (4e) (2009), p.44 Tomb of Horrors (4e) (2010), p.137
Aspect of Dispater	Manual of the Planes (4e) (2008), p.129 Dungeon #168 (Jul 2009), p.72
Aspect of Graz'zt	Manual of the Planes (4e) (2008), p.131 Dungeon #212 (Mar 2013), p.33
Aspect of Leviathan	Elder Evils 4e conversion, p.8
Greater Aspect of Leviathan	Elder Evils 4e conversion, p.8
Aspect of Lolth	Monster Manual 3 (4e) (2010), p.128
Aspect of Moradin	Dungeon #173 (Dec 2009), p.74
Aspect of Nerull	Tomb of Horrors (4e) (2010), p.149
Aspect of Orcus	Monster Manual (4e) (2008), p.208 E1 Death's Reach, Adventure Book Two (2009), p.28 Tomb of Horrors (4e) (2010), p.136
High Aspect of Orcus	E3 Prince of Undeath (2009), p.24
Aspect of Sertrous	Elder Evils 4e conversion, p.13
Aspect of Tiamat	Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (2008), p.246
Aspect of Turaglas	Dragon #376 (Jun 2009), p.15
Aspect of Vecna	Open Grave (2009), p.213 Tomb of Horrors (4e) (2010), p.146
Aspect of Yeenoghu	Dragon Magazine Annual 2009 (2009), p.8