Planescape spelled out pretty clearly that angels are not your friends. They are agents of the gods. Full stop. In one of the adventures, a choir of angels attacks Sigil and things…do not go well.

I feel like I captured their PHB2 published mindset, from my perspective. If they shifted in other materials, then I am glad they did so. I have definitely not devoured all of the Dragon Magazine or exhaustive splat catalog of 4e. I don’t really have a problem with Doctor Manhattan: The Race, either.

You also glossed over Devas’ mindset from 4e, when they got extensive looks via Ecology of a Deva and other Dragon Magazine articles.

That’s fair. I should have said “Since Mechanus has access via gate towns to the upper planes, it’s not a shock they create constructs that mimic Celestials so perfectly as to adhere to the classification,” but I was just breezing past it. You’re right about Mustevals, but that’s because I thought muskrats were mustelids (and nutria for that matter). I’m not surprised I’m wrong about that, is what I am saying. I’m happy to fix it and be wrong 🙂

The Blood Wars Card Game was released as part of the TSR 25th anniversary publication push. The first supplement eladrin and guardinals appeared in was released 10/10/95, and the card game was released earlier that year.

Couple of small quibbles:
– Mechanus isn’t an Upper Plane.
– Mustevals aren’t muskrats, they’re mustelids (i.e. weasels and their ilk).

In my earliest years of gaming, I was astounded by the fact that there were good monsters. That meant to me that there could be people that played evil characters, or at least characters doing “evil” deeds that met the wrong end of a good-aligned sword.

Anyhow, I can understand the logic of the -then- D&D developers wanting to present some good aligned monsters, but then again that same logic could backfire if it was proven than in game you could slay an angel.

I just didn’t include them because the expansion, while good, doesn’t change their core operation too much, outside of the whole Fallen Aasimar stuff. Volo’s does a good job of expanding on the motivation and ecology of the aasimar, but it still hews pretty closely to the bit established in the DMG. By and large, the aasimar try and blend in with humanity and lead by example. The subraces shed light on their celestial natures, which is a good thing as there should be some risk there if it’s supposed to be a secret (no, fate conspiring to lead you on exciting adventures fighting cultists and evil-doers doesn’t count, WotC staff).

My interest might be tempered by the Fallen subrace making me risk ocular injury from the resulting eye roll 😉 I’m all for things not being strictly good or bad, but I don’t think it needs a full subrace, especially given the D&D demon/devil canon. There are options that would be worth exploring in-world that are already supported, is what I am saying.