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I think that they're born that way, but their tails would probably be pretty small at birth, and the same would likely be true for their horns (which might also start off pliable).
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All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
I think that they're born that way, but their tails would probably be pretty small at birth, and the same would likely be true for their horns (which might also start off pliable).
Kinda like how a baby's skull is soft like rubber, and hardens as they age?
Okay, I gotta admit, the Tiefling (and variations on) are one of my favorite races. Just some things I’m confused about:
1). Are their parents generally human?
2). Are they born looking monstrous, like Nightcrawler, or do they “evolve” into their appearance as they get older?
1. Typically yes. While tieflings can be born from two tiefling parents, they usually come from family lines that have been touched by a demon or devil in the past.
2. Yes, they tend to be born with their skin color, eyes, and a smal tail. The horns would grow like any other animal with horns would be, starting small and stubby and not sharp.
I agree with Half and TTB. Tieflings are born looking different, but the differences (horns and a tail) are very small when they’re born and become more noticeable as they grow.
Okay, I gotta admit, the Tiefling (and variations on) are one of my favorite races. Just some things I’m confused about:
1). Are their parents generally human?
2). Are they born looking monstrous, like Nightcrawler, or do they “evolve” into their appearance as they get older?
1) In 5e, almost never. Being a tiefling is unavoidably inherited, so most tieflings are the descendants of someone who struck some infernal bargain. The basic description is clear on this: “this is because a pact struck generations ago infused the essence of Asmodeus—overlord of the Nine Hells—into their bloodline. Their appearance and their nature are not their fault but the result of an ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children’s children will always be held accountable”
Unless a tiefling is themselves the one who struck that pact, they’re going to have at least one tiefling parent.
That said, that’s just how they’re presented in 5e. I hate this, personally, and I basically run tieflings the way they were in 3e, which is a lot more visually subtle and also a thing that just happens spontaneously sometimes for all kinds of fiendish reasons. If you’re the DM, do whatever you want.
2) In 5e, they’re obviously tieflings when they’re born. Most other people have given good responses here, I don’t have anything interesting to add.
The reason tieflings look devilish, and they dont even always have horns or tails, is because a group of mages got together and performed a ritual that ascended asmodeus into godhood, cursing the bloodline of the 13 mages there. Some tieflings have yellow, blue, or red skin depending on which mage they descended from, along with goat feet, a tail, horns, and other devilish features matching their ancestor. Also, yes they have their features from birth, it isnt a midlife mutation, but on the other hand, some tieflings have much less demonic traits than others, it varies for all of them. Btw the mages were called the Toril Thirteen.
So to answer your first question, at least one person HAS to be part of the bloodline for them to become a tiefling, because that's how the curse works.
Tieflings range in appearance from the overtly devilish one depicted in the phb art to human-passing with devilish features (like the druid in the dnd movie trailer)
As far as parentage, it mostly works the same as genasi. Bloodlines strongly touched by the lower planes, tiefling/other species pairings, and purely tiefling pairings can all result in tiefling offspring.
No need to apologise. It is better to risk being stupid for a moment than to guarantee being ignorant forever. Never be afraid to ask.
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Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Okay, I gotta admit, the Tiefling (and variations on) are one of my favorite races. Just some things I’m confused about:
1). Are their parents generally human?
2). Are they born looking monstrous, like Nightcrawler, or do they “evolve” into their appearance as they get older?
Well for question #1 that is complicated, back in 2nd edition Tiefling were humans with a minor amount of Infernal, and were one of the new races (now species) introduced for the release of Planescape. (This includes Aasimar, and Genasai)
But after the lack of focus on the species for over 10 years, wizards smartly gave them shape, and made their look distinct, and made it so that families of Tieflings were a thing.
So now generally a tiefling has a tiefling parent. However, they didn't remove the old lore that it was a bloodline trait that could skip generations, so technically yes you could have two human looking parents and be born a tiefling, Technically one of the Parents has the "infernal gene" or had a Shapechange spell placed on them as a child. (think a rich human family with a dark secret). it's your background when making a character, have fun.
As to looks at birth, yes like Nightcrawler. I suspect the tail would be small at birth, and the horns grow out after birth and as you grew. Much like how horned mammals are born IRL. You can tell a tiefling at birth easy enough, and to deal with this I'm sure rich families would hire a powerful wizard to shapechange their child to look human. So you can have a child grow up thinking they are a typically normal human child only to discover as a teen or adult they are a Tiefling when something happens to dispel the shapechange. Hells you can do gender, species, and all kinds of things with this background.
***note: The version of the Shapechange spell I'm referring to is the 2nd edition permanent shapechange that high level wizards had access to in the lore, this in not a game playable spell, but is a spell usable for backgrounds and story ideas. Usually used by DMs to create a narrative.
((did I just get taken in by a necromancer? ugh... well my posts were genuine. But seriously I wish that the devs would make it impossible to Necro a dead thread. If you have a good question on a subject make a new question.))
In stories and lore it is defined, hells you see it in Baldur's Gate 3 even. But the old lore was never totally removed either, they just made it so Asmodeus had made sure all Tieflings looked like him. Which had a soft retcon very slightly to allow for non-devil tieflings.
Can a Tiefling be the descendent of a Cambion? With each generation diluting the infernal traits?
technically yes. Cambions are half human half fiend. Due to the changes with 5.5 I suspect that wizards is leaning into this idea with the ancestry of Tiefling lineages more than 2nd Edition (Humans who lived in Sigil or the outlands near Lower planes portals) and 3rd edition (Humans who made contracts with devils ) and (4th edition humans cursed by Asmodeus)
I personally like all the origin ideas, and think they can all lead to an interesting background for a character.
the same would likely be true for their horns (which might also start off pliable).
Why would you go that route when there are examples in nature on how horned animals are born.
I'd follow nature, have them grow in as they age, unless you want to go a true horror route and every tiefling birth kills the mother. Which is pretty dark.
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Okay, I gotta admit, the Tiefling (and variations on) are one of my favorite races. Just some things I’m confused about:
1). Are their parents generally human?
2). Are they born looking monstrous, like Nightcrawler, or do they “evolve” into their appearance as they get older?
I assume the horns come in as they get older, cause if they are there from birth ... ouch
Most likely. That’s how it was with Hazel in Saga. But what about the rest (weird skin/eyes, tail, etc.)?
1. Can be.
2. Not defined. However you want.
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Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
I believe W:DH mentions someone with tiefling cousins being born with a tail, which makes it look like they're born that way.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
I think that they're born that way, but their tails would probably be pretty small at birth, and the same would likely be true for their horns (which might also start off pliable).
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homebrew (Mostly Outdated): Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Kinda like how a baby's skull is soft like rubber, and hardens as they age?
I play a miriad of characters at the lord's rest inn
Two things are infinite: The universe, and human stupidity; and I'm not so sure about the universe.
Scifi horror is quite the trip :) Comics and a story
#FreeDND
1. Typically yes. While tieflings can be born from two tiefling parents, they usually come from family lines that have been touched by a demon or devil in the past.
2. Yes, they tend to be born with their skin color, eyes, and a smal tail. The horns would grow like any other animal with horns would be, starting small and stubby and not sharp.
I play a miriad of characters at the lord's rest inn
Two things are infinite: The universe, and human stupidity; and I'm not so sure about the universe.
Scifi horror is quite the trip :) Comics and a story
#FreeDND
I agree with Half and TTB. Tieflings are born looking different, but the differences (horns and a tail) are very small when they’re born and become more noticeable as they grow.
1) In 5e, almost never. Being a tiefling is unavoidably inherited, so most tieflings are the descendants of someone who struck some infernal bargain. The basic description is clear on this: “this is because a pact struck generations ago infused the essence of Asmodeus—overlord of the Nine Hells—into their bloodline. Their appearance and their nature are not their fault but the result of an ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children’s children will always be held accountable”
Unless a tiefling is themselves the one who struck that pact, they’re going to have at least one tiefling parent.
That said, that’s just how they’re presented in 5e. I hate this, personally, and I basically run tieflings the way they were in 3e, which is a lot more visually subtle and also a thing that just happens spontaneously sometimes for all kinds of fiendish reasons. If you’re the DM, do whatever you want.
2) In 5e, they’re obviously tieflings when they’re born. Most other people have given good responses here, I don’t have anything interesting to add.
The reason tieflings look devilish, and they dont even always have horns or tails, is because a group of mages got together and performed a ritual that ascended asmodeus into godhood, cursing the bloodline of the 13 mages there. Some tieflings have yellow, blue, or red skin depending on which mage they descended from, along with goat feet, a tail, horns, and other devilish features matching their ancestor. Also, yes they have their features from birth, it isnt a midlife mutation, but on the other hand, some tieflings have much less demonic traits than others, it varies for all of them. Btw the mages were called the Toril Thirteen.
So to answer your first question, at least one person HAS to be part of the bloodline for them to become a tiefling, because that's how the curse works.
Tieflings range in appearance from the overtly devilish one depicted in the phb art to human-passing with devilish features (like the druid in the dnd movie trailer)
As far as parentage, it mostly works the same as genasi. Bloodlines strongly touched by the lower planes, tiefling/other species pairings, and purely tiefling pairings can all result in tiefling offspring.
Can Tieflings get sent to the nine hells? Do they always get sent to the nine hells after death? Sorry if this is a stupid question lol
Yes, in the right circumstances, same as anyone else.
No. It's the same for them as it would be for any other humanoid.
No need to apologise. It is better to risk being stupid for a moment than to guarantee being ignorant forever. Never be afraid to ask.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Can a Tiefling be the descendent of a Cambion? With each generation diluting the infernal traits?
Well for question #1 that is complicated, back in 2nd edition Tiefling were humans with a minor amount of Infernal, and were one of the new races (now species) introduced for the release of Planescape. (This includes Aasimar, and Genasai)
But after the lack of focus on the species for over 10 years, wizards smartly gave them shape, and made their look distinct, and made it so that families of Tieflings were a thing.
So now generally a tiefling has a tiefling parent. However, they didn't remove the old lore that it was a bloodline trait that could skip generations, so technically yes you could have two human looking parents and be born a tiefling, Technically one of the Parents has the "infernal gene" or had a Shapechange spell placed on them as a child. (think a rich human family with a dark secret). it's your background when making a character, have fun.
As to looks at birth, yes like Nightcrawler. I suspect the tail would be small at birth, and the horns grow out after birth and as you grew. Much like how horned mammals are born IRL. You can tell a tiefling at birth easy enough, and to deal with this I'm sure rich families would hire a powerful wizard to shapechange their child to look human. So you can have a child grow up thinking they are a typically normal human child only to discover as a teen or adult they are a Tiefling when something happens to dispel the shapechange. Hells you can do gender, species, and all kinds of things with this background.
***note: The version of the Shapechange spell I'm referring to is the 2nd edition permanent shapechange that high level wizards had access to in the lore, this in not a game playable spell, but is a spell usable for backgrounds and story ideas. Usually used by DMs to create a narrative.
((did I just get taken in by a necromancer? ugh... well my posts were genuine. But seriously I wish that the devs would make it impossible to Necro a dead thread. If you have a good question on a subject make a new question.))
In stories and lore it is defined, hells you see it in Baldur's Gate 3 even. But the old lore was never totally removed either, they just made it so Asmodeus had made sure all Tieflings looked like him. Which had a soft retcon very slightly to allow for non-devil tieflings.
technically yes. Cambions are half human half fiend. Due to the changes with 5.5 I suspect that wizards is leaning into this idea with the ancestry of Tiefling lineages more than 2nd Edition (Humans who lived in Sigil or the outlands near Lower planes portals) and 3rd edition (Humans who made contracts with devils ) and (4th edition humans cursed by Asmodeus)
I personally like all the origin ideas, and think they can all lead to an interesting background for a character.
Why would you go that route when there are examples in nature on how horned animals are born.
I'd follow nature, have them grow in as they age, unless you want to go a true horror route and every tiefling birth kills the mother. Which is pretty dark.