Tiefling

Carrying the taint of evil in their forms — and perhaps their very souls — tieflings are often persecuted and feared throughout the planes. The distant descendants of humans and evil outsiders, tieflings are regarded as twisted, devious, and untrustworthy. More often than not, this opinion is accurate.

Physical Description

Tieflings look human (and are roughly the same height and weight as members of that race), except for one or two distinguishing features related to their unusual ancestry. Some examples of these features include small horns, pointed teeth, red eyes, a whiff of brimstone about them, cloven feet, or red skin. No two tieflings look alike. Tieflings reach adulthood at about the same age as humans but are longer-lived, with the eldest members of the race living to be 150 years old.

Base Age Age Mod Middle Age Old Venerable
17 +1d6 45 73 100
Gender Base Height Height Mod Base Weight Weight Mod
Male 4'10 +2d10 120 *2d4
Female 4'5 +2d10 85 *2d4

Personality

Tieflings live as outcasts from an early age — as soon as their heritage shows itself — which contributes to their bitter outlook on life. Tieflings learn to keep others at a distance, often compensating for their loss with cruelty or depravity.

Society

Relations

Tieflings treat most other races equally — at arm’s length. They are very slow to trust others and always wary of a friend suddenly becoming an enemy. Aasimars often trigger an instinctive fear or revulsion in tieflings, making it difficult for them to work together at all. Tieflings respect other mixed-breed races that have to put up with persecution and derision, including half-orcs. Still, a tiefling isn’t more likely to trust a member of such a race; she’s just more likely to understand their perspective.

Alignment

Tieflings tend toward evil alignments, though neutral tieflings are not uncommon. Those who choose a life of good — and manage to stick to it — are particularly rare.

Religion

Tieflings have no common deity. Most choose to worship evil deities such as Erythnul, god of slaughter; Vecna, god of secrets; or Hextor, god of tyranny. Neutral tieflings may venerate Wee Jas, goddess of death and magic, or Olidammara, god of thieves. Still others choose to pay homage to archfiends whose names are best not mentioned.

Language

Tieflings share no common language. Some learn Infernal or Abyssal, although since most have no idea where their bloodline comes from, as often as not they choose the wrong racial language. A tiefling usually learns the language of her parents as well.

Names

As a rule, tieflings use human names until such time as they seek to differentiate themselves from their parents. At that point, they often take names that hint at their fiendish heritage. Some choose words of Infernal or Abyssal that sound menacing, occasionally without even knowing the words’ definitions.

Adventurers

As natural outcasts, tieflings often follow a life of adventure and intrigue. Those that hew to their heritage become thieves, brigands, or killers. Some tieflings reject their tainted blood and seek the light, aiming to help those in need.

Notable Tieflings

AnastasijaTiefling Oracle 1

head.jpgAnastasija01.jpg

CruxTiefling Summoner 1

head.jpgCrux01.jpg

LarolielTiefling Ninja 1

head.jpgLaroliel01.jpg

Racial Traits

  • +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma: Tieflings are quick and clever, but no one trusts them.
  • Outsider: Tieflings are outsiders native to the Material Plane, and thus have the outsider (native) type. They gain the extraplanar subtype when not on the Material Plane. They are not subject to spells or effects that affect only humanoids, such as charm person and dominate person.
  • Medium: As Medium creatures, tieflings have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Movement: A tiefling’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  • Darkvision: Tieflings have darkvision out to 60 feet.
  • Sneaky: Tieflings have a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Stealth checks.
  • Darkness (Sp): A tiefling can use darkness, as the spell, once per day. Her caster level is equal to her character level.
  • Resistance to energy 5: Tieflings share some of their fiendish ancestors’ resistance to energy damage. Choose Fire, Cold, or Electric.
  • Languages: Tieflings can start with Common, Infernal, or Abyssal. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc.
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