Tiefling

While the first Tieflings came from The Lord of the Nine Hells Asmodeus, other Fiends have since added their influence into the pool.
A Tiefling can have one of three origins:

• An ancestor made a pact with a Fiend, the bloodline is now tainted with Infernal influence. 
• One (or both) parents is a Tiefling.
• A person was forever transformed following a pact with a Fiend.

Tiefling Traits

Tieflings share certain racial traits as a result of their infernal descent.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your infernal heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Hellish Resistance

You have resistance to fire damage.

Bloodline of Asmodeus (Standard)

The tieflings connected to Nessus command the power of fire and darkness, guided by a keener than normal intellect, as befits those linked to Asmodeus himself.

Ability Score Increase.

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Infernal Legacy.

You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Hellish Rebuke spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Darkness spell once. You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Bloodline of Baalzebul

The crumbling realm of Maladomini is ruled by Baalzebul, who excels at corrupting those whose minor sins can be transformed into acts of damnation. Tieflings linked to this archdevil can corrupt others both physically and psychically.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Legacy of Maladomini

You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the ray of sickness spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the crown of madness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Bloodline of Dispater

The great city of Dis occupies most of Hell’s second layer. It is a place where secrets are uncovered and shared with the highest bidder, making tieflings tied to Dispater excellent spies and infiltrators.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Legacy of Dis

You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the disguise self spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the detect thoughts spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Fierna Tiefling

A master manipulator, Fierna grants tieflings tied to her forceful personalities.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Legacy of Phlegethos

You know the friends cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the charm person spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the suggestion spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Glasya Tiefling

Glasya, Hell’s criminal mastermind, grants her tieflings magic that is useful for committing heists.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Legacy of Malbolge

You know the minor illusion cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the disguise self spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the invisibility spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Levistus Tiefling

Frozen Stygia is ruled by Levistus, an archdevil known for offering bargains to those who face an inescapable doom.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Legacy of Stygia

You know the ray of frost cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the armor of Agathys spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Mammon Tiefling

The great miser Mammon loves coins above all else. Tieflings tied to him excel at gathering and safeguarding wealth.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Legacy of Minauros

You know the mage hand cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Tenser’s floating disk spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the arcane lock spell once with this trait, requiring no material component, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Mephistopheles Tiefling

In the frozen realm of Cania, Mephistopheles offers arcane power to those who entreat with him. Tieflings linked to him master some arcane magic.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Legacy of Cania

You know the mage hand cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the flame blade spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Zariel Tiefling

Tieflings with a blood tie to Zariel are stronger than the typical tiefling and receive magical abilities that aid them in battle.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Legacy of Avernus

You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the searing smite spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the branding smite spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Tieflings are derived from human bloodlines, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look human. However, their infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. 
Tieflings have large horns that take any of a variety of shapes: some have curling horns like a ram, others have straight and tall horns like a gazelle’s, and some spiral upward like an antelopes’ horns. They have thick tails, four to five feet long, which lash or coil around their legs when they get upset or nervous. Their canine teeth are sharply pointed, and their eyes are solid colors—black, red, white, silver, or gold—with no visible sclera or pupil. 
Their skin tones cover the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of red, purple and blue. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red, blue, or purple.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

As offspring of the infernal, tieflings call no place in Faerûn their own, although some places and nations are more tolerant of them than most.
In the North, the largest population of tieflings is found in Neverwinter. Since the Ashmadai, a violent cult dedicated to Asmodeus, is also active in the city, mistrust of tieflings isn’t unusual even here, since folk never know if a tiefling is a member of the Ashmadai or was drawn to Neverwinter by the opportunity to blend in that a metropolis provides.
Small and scattered groups of tieflings are found elsewhere across Faerûn, particularly in cosmopolitan cities (where they can be anonymous to some degree) and in rough and poor settlements that welcome anyone who can help them survive and prosper.
Tieflings are common in Calimshan, to the south, where many of them fought for the djinn as mercenaries and now serve other masters with the coin to pay them. In the east, many tieflings dwell in Aglarond — escaped slaves from Thay or their descendants — and in Mulhorand, where tieflings are believed to carry the blood of the ancient Mulhorandi gods themselves.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

A great many tiefling parents follow the naming conventions of the culture in which their offspring are born, such as using human names if they live in a human settlement (the better to seem like “normal” citizens). Others take names derived from the Infernal language that have been passed down since ancient times.
In addition, some Faerûnian tieflings have names drawn from the language of cultures where they are relatively common and generally accepted, such as Calishite and Mulhorandi, which are foreign-sounding to folk in the North and along the Sword Coast.
Al-Khem and Beni-Asmodai are two common Calishite tiefling surnames that proclaim the race’s heritage, along with first names such as Haroun, Ishaq, and Nizam (male) or Hania, Rashaa, and Zaar (female).
Mulhorandi surnames that begin with “Sia” or “Zia” followed by a god’s name indicate a bearer of that god’s bloodline, such as Zianhur and Siasobek. First names commonly seen among Mulhorandi tieflings include Aybtep (“horned”), Bahati (“wise soul”), Het (“smoke”), Kamen (“dark”), Katsu (“star born”), and Kohl (“dark eyed”).
Tiefling names fall into three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal language, passed down through generations, that reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some, the chosen name is a noble quest. For others, it’s a grim destiny.

Male Infernal Names

Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos, Pelaios, Skamos, Therai

Female Infernal Names

Akta, Anakis, Bryseis, Criella, Damaia, Ea, Kallista, Lerissa, Makaria, Nemeia, Orianna, Phelaia, Rieta

“Virtue” Names

Art, Carrion, Chant, Creed, Despair, Excellence, Fear, Glory, Hope, Ideal, Music, Nowhere, Open, Poetry, Quest, Random, Reverence, Sorrow, Temerity, Torment, Weary

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Tieflings subsist in small minorities found mostly in human cities or towns, often in the roughest quarters of those places, where they grow up to be swindlers, thieves, or crime lords. Sometimes they live among other minority populations in enclaves where they are treated with more respect.
Lacking a homeland, tieflings know that they have to make their own way in the world and that they have to be strong to survive. They are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, the tiefling learns to extend the same trust to them. And once a tiefling gives someone loyalty, the tiefling is a firm friend or ally for life.

History

During the Spellplague, Asmodeus consumed the divine spark of Azuth and thereby achieved godhood. Subsequently, Asmodeus and a coven of warlocks, the Toril Thirteen, performed a rite wherein the archdevil claimed all tieflings in the world as his own, cursing them to bear “the blood of Asmodeus.” This act marked all tieflings as “descendants” of the Lord of the Nine Hells, regardless of their true heritage, and changed them into creatures that resembled their supposed progenitor. The other folk of Faerûn, unnerved by the appearance of these devil-beings, became suspicious of all tieflings and occasionally hostile to them.
In spite of what some people believe, however, Asmodeus exerts no power over his “children,” and tieflings today are as free-willed — and willful — as they ever have been. Some do choose to serve the Lord of the Nine Hells and his schemes, while others align themselves with different fiendish factions, or none at all, doing their best to stay out of infernal politics.
Since the ritual that spread the curse of Asmodeus a century ago, tieflings have been born on Faerûn that belong to other infernal bloodlines, but those that bear the mark of the archdevil (and their descendants) remain the most numerous examples of their kind by far.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Ignorant people tend to be suspicious of tieflings, assuming that their infernal heritage has left its mark on their personality and morality, not just their appearance. The reality is that a tiefling’s bloodline doesn’t affect their personality. They are gifted with magic from the infernal realms but chart their own course in life.

Lifespan

Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.

Average Height

Tieflings are about the same size and build as humans.