Tieflings

Overview

Simultaneously more and less than mortal, tieflings were originally the offspring of humans and fiends. With otherworldly blood and traits to match, tieflings are often shunned and despised out of reactionary fear. Most tieflings never know their fiendish sire, as the coupling that produced their curse occurred generations earlier. The taint is long-lasting and persistent, often manifesting at birth or sometimes later in life, as a powerful, though often unwanted, boon. Despite their fiendish appearance and netherworld origins, tieflings have a human’s capacity of choosing their fate, and while many embrace their dark heritage and side with fiendish powers, others reject their darker predilections. Though the power of their blood calls nearly every tiefling to fury, destruction, and wrath, even the spawn of a succubus can become a saint and the grandchild of a pit fiend an unsuspecting hero.
Most tieflings were aware from an early age that they were different from others around them, and were given to strange urges and desires because of their unusual ancestry. Few tieflings were raised with the love a normal human child might expect to receive and this shaped most of the race into bitter individuals who expected eventual rejection from all whom they meet. While some would follow this path towards evil, others rejected it wholeheartedly and sought to make a good impact on the world around them, sometimes becoming the most heroic characters of all. Few could maintain this discipline however, and most tieflings fell somewhere between both extremes.

Physical Description

No two tieflings look alike; the fiendish blood running through their veins manifests inconsistently, granting them an array of fiendish traits. One tiefling might appear as a human with small horns, a barbed tail, and oddly colored eyes, while another might manifest a mouth of fangs, tiny wings, and claws, and yet another might possess the perpetual smell of blood, foul incense, and brimstone. Typically, these qualities hearken back in some way to the manner of fiend that spawned the tiefling’s bloodline, but even then the admixture of human and fiendish blood is rarely ruled by sane, mortal laws, and the vast flexibility it produces in tieflings is a thing of wonder, running the gamut from oddly beautiful to utterly terrible.
In many other ways, tieflings were similar to humans physically. Tieflings were, on average, just as tall as humans, from 5′6″‒6′2″ (170‒190 cm) and weighed just a little bit heavier at 140‒220 lb (64‒100 kg). Tiefling skin was usually human-like in color, though extending past normal human colors into reddish hues as well. Tiefling hair was also often the same color as human hair, though dark blue, red, or purple were common shades amongst the race. Although it was not always the case, tieflings tended to have better reflexes than their human kin. This, along with their natural propensity for hiding and deceit helped to give tieflings a reputation for thievery and duplicity.

Society

Like other races that were the result of the breeding of two or more others, tieflings had no true culture they could call their own. However, there were many archetypal features of tieflings that were not necessarily innate. This includes their attitude regarding their heritage, and while some tieflings embraced it, others were repulsed by it, forging the two most common stereotypes of tieflings.
The former tieflings, who were proud of their fiendish past, were often fascinated by the dark and sinister events that touched the world, but were not necessarily evil or inclined to perpetuate them. Some tieflings of this type chose to use their knowledge of evil and their own fiendish abilities to thwart these dark plots and schemes. Others sought to learn more and to emulate these evil deeds.
Other tieflings were ashamed or even frightened of their heritage and wished only to escape the shadow that lurked over them as a result. Some did this through constantly doing good, as though to make up for the evil that begot them. Others instead hid and tried to go unnoticed as they passed through the world, preferring to be ignored and forgotten than noticed and made a target because of their past.

Race Relations

Tieflings, in general, didn't get along well with the other races of the world and were slow to trust others of any race, even their own. This animosity that tieflings had for others was taken to its extreme in the case of aasimar, whom tieflings instinctively feared or loathed. Devas often had a similar reaction, making it difficult for members of either race to successfully interact with each other. Of all the common races, tieflings felt the most kinship with orcs, who were similarly a target of revulsion and hate.

Racial Stats

Ability Score Modifiers: Tieflings are quick in body and mind, but are inherently strange and unnerving. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, and –2 Charisma.
Type: Tieflings are outsiders with the native subtype.
Size: Tieflings are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size. If the tiefling's mother race is a size other than medium, the tiefling is that size with all bonuses and penalties that come with that size.
Speed: Tieflings have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Tieflings begin play speaking Common and either Abyssal or Infernal. Tieflings with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Infernal, and Orc.
Fiendish Resistance: Tieflings have cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, and fire resistance 5.
Skilled: Tieflings gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Stealth checks.
Spell-like ability: Tieflings can use darkness once per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability equals the tiefling’s class level.
Darkvision: Tieflings can see perfectly in the dark for up to 60 feet.
Fiendish Sorcery: Tiefling sorcerers with the Abyssal or Infernal bloodlines treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer class abilities.

Racial Variants

Asura-Spawn (Faultspawn)

The scions of the exotic and mysterious asuras are swift and wise, but often favor traditional ways over cunning.
Ancestry Asura
Typical Alignment LE
Ability Modifiers +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Alternate Skill Modifiers Appraise, Knowledge (local)
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Faultspawn gain Hideous Laughter as a spell-like ability.

Daemon-Spawn (Grimspawn)

Daemon-blooded bringers of devastation are shrewd and swift, but their plans frequently exhibit exploitable flaws.
Ancestry Daemon
Typical Alignment NE
Ability Modifiers +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Wis
Alternate Skill Modifiers Disable Device, Sleight of Hand
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Grimspawn gain death knell as a spell-like ability.

Demodand-Spawn (Foulspawn)

The burly spawn of the demodand race possess bizarre cunning, but favor brawn to planning.
Ancestry demodand
Typical Alignment NE
Ability Modifiers +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Alternate Skill Modifiers Intimidate, Knowledge (religion)
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Foulspawn gain bear’s endurance as a spell-like ability.

Demon-Spawn (Pitborn)

Savage and monstrous, the terrifying spawn of demons know the chaotic fury of their Abyssal ancestors.
Ancestry Demon
Typical Alignment CE
Ability Modifiers +2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Int
Alternate Skill Modifiers Disable Device, Perception
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Pitborn gain shatter as a spell-like ability.

Devil-Spawn (Hellspawn)

Stalwart and conniving, diabolical tieflings know the discipline and might of Hell’s legions..
Ancestry Devil
Typical Alignment LE
Ability Modifiers +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Alternate Skill Modifiers Diplomacy, Sense Motive
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Hellspawn gain pyrotechnics as a spell-like ability.

Div-Spawn (Spitespawn)

Scouring life like a desert wind, these tieflings possess the precision and exoticism of their div ancestors..
Ancestry Div
Typical Alignment NE
Ability Modifiers +2 Dex, +2 +2 Cha, -2 Wis
Alternate Skill Modifiers Diplomacy, Linguistics
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Spitespawn gain misdirection as a spell-like ability.
[h3Kyton-Spawn (Shackleborn) The black-hearted spawn of shadow and pain know the sadistic vices of their suffering-obsessed forebearers..
Ancestry Kyton
Typical Alignment LE
Ability Modifiers +2 Con, +2 Cha, -2 Wis
Alternate Skill Modifiers Escape Artist, Intimidate
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Shackleborn gain web as a spell-like ability.

Oni-Spawn (Hungerseed)

The spawn of oni know the ways of their ancestral fiends and master the arts of trickery and cruelty..
Ancestry Oni
Ability Modifiers +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Alternate Skill Modifiers Disguise, Intimidate
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Hungerseeds gain alter self as a spell-like ability.

Qlippoth-Spawn (the Motherless)

Rare in the extreme, the warped scions of the eldritch qlippoths retain the tenacity and insidiousness of their horrific forbearers.
Ancestry Qlippoth
Typical Alignment CE
Ability Modifiers +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Alternate Skill Modifiers Escape Artist, Survival
Alternate Spell-Like Ability The Motherless gain blur as a spell-like ability.

Rakshasa-Spawn (Beastbrood)

Deft and charming, these bestial tieflings inherit much of the subtlety and guile of their proud rakshasa progenitors..
Ancestry Rakshasa
Typical Alignment LE
Ability Modifiers +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Wis
Alternate Skill Modifiers Disguise, Sense Motive
Alternate Spell-Like Ability Beastbrood gain detect thoughts as a spell-like ability.

Lifespan

250 years

Average Height

4′11″‒6′ (150‒180 cm)

Average Weight

114‒238 lb (51.7‒108 kg)