Tiefling

Tieflings are usually derived from human bloodlines, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look like their base heritage. 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. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red, blue, or purple.

Tieflings of the Sword Coast

Due to the activities of the cult of the devil-god Asmodeus in and around the Sword Coast, tieflings have become increasingly common in recent years—especially those of an infernal legacy—and have even begun to form communities of their own, safe from the suspicions of others. One or both parents of a tiefling may be tieflings themselves, but it’s also possible that both parents may be of another heritage—though they are usually human or half-elf—and somewhere back in their ancestry is a fiend of some kind whose magical nature abruptly manifested generations later, overwhelming the traits of the child’s parents.

Tiefling Names

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

Tiefling Traits

Tieflings share certain traits as a result of their fiendish ancestry; however, some of these traits manifest differently depending upon the origin of the ancestor.

Age

Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live half-again as long as their base heritage.

Size

Tieflings are about the same size and build as their base heritage. If their base heritage is Medium, they are Medium, and if their base heritage is Small, they are Small.

Speed

A tiefling’s base walking speed is 30 feet if they are a Medium creature and 25 ft if they are a Small creature.

Darkvision

Thanks to their infernal heritage, a tiefling has superior vision in dark and dim conditions. They can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. A tiefling can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Fiendish Legacy

A tiefling’s fiendish ancestor might be one of any number of beings from the Lower Planes, but they generally fall into one of three groups: infernal beings from the lawful-leaning planes, abyssal beings from the chaotic-leaning planes, and chthonic beings from the neutral-leaning planes.

At 1^st level, a tiefling has resistance to a specific kind of damage, based on their fiendish ancestor, and knows a cantrip. At 3^rd and 5^th level they learn additional spells they can cast with this trait; Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is their spellcasting ability for these spells, chosen at character creation.

Once a tiefling has cast a spell with this trait, they can’t cast that spell with that trait again until they have finished a long rest, but they can cast the spell using any spell slots of an appropriate or higher level.

 

Legacy	Resistance	1st Level	3rd Level	5th Level
Abyssal	Poison damage	Poison spray cantrip	Ray of sickness	Hold person
Chthonic	Necrotic damage	Chill touch cantrip	False life	Ray of enfeeblement
Infernal	Fire damage	Fire bolt cantrip	Hellish rebuke	Darkness

Otherworldly Presence

All tieflings know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When a tiefling casts it with this trait, the spell uses the same spellcasting ability used for their Fiendish Legacy trait.