Just something I started to wonder about while creating a character, when does one start counting as a tiefling? I recently created a character that has a demonic bloodline (though in their case it only shows in their hair and eye color), but I wouldn't consider, nor do I play them as, a tiefling, which I find somewhat odd to be honest. I mean, couldn't you consider all character with a demonic bloodline as sort of tieflings, or do only those that grow horns and tail count? Also are tieflings always only human? What about the other races? Couldn't have a dwarven or elven family joined with a devil at some time, which in turn might result in their children being tieflings? Or are they simply exempt from it on the basis that they aren't human?
That's a really good question. Looking at the PHB, I don't see an explanation of why only humans made a pact. Personally, I think it's likely that because adding other races into the mix would complicate things a great deal (rules-wise), they chose a race and stuck to it. It'd be pretty cool to see home-brew of tiefling bloodlines derived from elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc.
Also, I think it'd be an interesting to have a character with demonic blood who grapples with their identity in this context.
Tiefling's are interesting because the player is given just so much freedom to decide what they look like. And mechanically the horns and tail don't do anything... Tiefling's don't get any kind of horn attack, and the tail doesn't have any function attached to it in the core rules... it's not considered an extra limb for gripping objects or performing somatic casting or anything. It's all just personal preference at that point. So I think if you want to have a character with Tiefling stats but who doesn't have those specific features that would still be fine. The unifying detail about the race is just their demonic ancestry. I'm sure there's already a lot of variant racial Tiefling builds in the homebrew of this site... it might be fun to go looking through them at some point.
By RAW, I'd go with account256's take on it. If your bloodline gives you Tiefling stats, you get clear Tiefling appearances.
...but as I just read elsewhere, "Specific overrules General." I consider RAW on this to be general regarding Tieflings. It would no longer be RAW, but it would be a possible exception. As I keep seeing around the forums, "If the DM says it's okay..."
So, my advice would be to talk it over with your DM and explain what your intentions are with it regarding story or stats. (If it were me—and it's not—and the Tiefling stats were the focus of the character, I would make the bloodline evident with horns, skin, and tail. If it was almost a purely roleplay angle, I would give it lenient consideration.)
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
There is no one right way to be a Tiefling or to look like a Tiefling. Heck, some archdevils can be indistinguishable from humans as long as they keep a hat and clothes on. (See Levistus if you don't believe me.) Account256 is right in that nobody becomes a Tiefling. To have one's appearance changed is doable with many spells, but infernal bloodline thing is just that: part of the PC's genetic make-up. As Tristan Tarwater noted in his post a few months back re: racial mixture in D&D, there is a historical bias of making humans the default race with which other races and ... monstrosities...breed or take on features of. Harpies, sphinxes, dragonborn, etc. I guess it's human psychology that we tend to expect other creatures to look like "us" somehow. (There's a whole 'nother possible discussion here that I'm going to skip.)
It doesn't have to be this way. Read Tristan's article to get some ideas if you want to play a non-human Tiefling. And talk to your DM, of course; but there's no good reason a DM should prohibit a non-human-related Tiefling unless you were intentionally min/maxing by making a Yuan-Tiefling or Minotaurfling. Whatever.
The novel series “Brimstone Angels” touches on this. I’m sure I’m not going to quote it exactly correct, but the cambion character says “Tieflings don’t mix.” There is no such thing as a half-Tiefling, the power of the Hells is too strong. The novel series alludes to a powerful deal cut between a Tiefling warlock and Asmodeus obtaining the races’ legitimacy as a race and it’s free will. I recommend the books if you want to learn more about Tiefling history such as it is.
Tieflings as a race are humanoids of fiendish descent (or at least there was some fiendish involvement at some point long in the past, the books are quite vague on this) and actually share a lot in common with their celestially touched counterparts, the aasimar. Like aasimar, tieflings can get it on with other races, most of them in fact, however the offspring is always a tiefling (or aasimar if they're doing the getting onnage). The only time its not the case is if an aasimar and a tiefling somehow get together, then it's grey area as I suspect it's 50/50 whether you get one or the other, if it's even possible for them to procreate at all.
Their appearance is covered in the Brimstone Angels novels which I believe are considered cannon. In that tieflings were originally much more varied creatures, until the Toril 13 came along. These 13 tiefling warlocks were pivotal in the ascension of Asmodeus to godhood and as a reward, he re-moulded the race in his own image, making tieflings 'the children of Asmodeus'. This doesn't bind them in any way to the deity by the way, which is really rather tasty as most devils are bound to a strict hierarchy, where as tieflings are not, being blessed with free will essentially. This of course means that a lot of tieflings might consider Asmodeus to be their true god, but that is their choice.
If you're playing a character with a specifically demonic background I'd not consider them a tiefling. Demons are from the abyss and embrace chaos. Devils are from the hells and are unflinchingly lawful. They're not particularly on the best of terms... But I don't see why you couldn't use the tiefling as a template to create a homebrew demonic equivalent.
The tiefling is always tiefling argument has some merit. I used to have a pair of manx cats. These are real world cats from the Island of Man off the coast of Scotland. This breed has an iconic stub tail which the genes are so powerful for this trait that if this breed breeds with another breed they become manx and inherit the stub tail. SO powerful is this gene that manx breeding with manx have a ridiculously high infant mortality rate due to the gene causing a shortening of the spinal column and spinal cord damage.
Why I don't recommend kit bashing races with tieflings on account of balancing issues, I would say appearance is fair game so long as something always betrays what you really are. Horns, a tail, unnatural eyes, or none of these things but people know just by looking at you... some sense lodged deep within their psyche from primeval times when the veils where thin.
I think that'd be fun especially when you disguise self. Unable to view your true form instead of fear they get the weirdest feeling of "do I know you?"
Okay. There's a few things to unpack here. Let's go one by one.
1. "Are tieflings always only human?" - I'd say No. Devils will make deals with whomever they think they can gain an advantage over. So, sure, there'll be tieflings sourced from most species. I think the human version of the tiefling is used as the default standard in the PHB for two reasons. One - the people who wrote that book are humans. Anthropocentrism influences all legends and lore, both fictional and historical. That's also why the other mixed races (half-elves & half-orcs) generally assume the "half" to mean "half human". Second - humans are one of the shorter-lived player character races, so humans may feel more of an incentive to take a "shortcut" to power by making a deal with a devil. We don't have centuries to perfect our craft. We can't simply wait by and watch generations of our enemies die off naturally. We need to get sh-t done now!
2. "When does one start counting as a tiefling?" - Well, I'd say it's when the racial traits present themselves. Many people may have a fiend somewhere in their genealogy and not even know it. For many, the traits inherited from that ancestor may be so minor that they are easily overlooked or mis-attributed. Maybe you feel comfortable in hot weather without sweating. Maybe you're exceptionally charismatic. Maybe you get all starry-eyed when you stare into a fire. Even having horns on your head isn't necessarily a clincher. Heck, some humans in our real world are still born with a vestigial tail! These traits may be the remnants of your devilish blood, but you're still considered human (or whatever). You're only considered an official Tiefling when those traits crystallize to the extent that you're beyond the capabilities of a human. Darkvision, a full-length prehensile tail, the ability to use Thaumaturgical magic. That's a tiefling! In our world there have been many historical proponents of racial discrimination and "racial hygiene" who have used hurtful epithets such as "mulatto", "quadroon", "sambo", "Mestizo", and "Metis" to describe such mixed-heritage people. The United States had anti-miscegenation laws, which have been exercised in some States (de facto if not de jure) into even the 21st century. So it makes sense that any game campaign world that seeks any degree of gritty realism will have to grapple with the social components of mixed heritage.
Finally - While your character is a human, presumably without any of the racial trait capabilities of a true tiefling, the DM may use your mixed heritage as a plot driver. Maybe the particular fiend whose blood runs in your veins wants to move up the food chain in the Hells (or the Abyss, whatever). Maybe one day your character starts to feel.... "different". Maybe that fiend is calling upon all of his children to make sacrifices to him, to perform acts of service to him, even perhaps to travel to the outer planes for a full metamorphosis! You may need to choose between your blood and your life. Maybe you find yourself having to make Wisdom saves to maintain control over the burning desire for mayhem that runs through your arteries.
A DM could have a lot of fun with that.
Good luck. :-)
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Tayn of Darkwood. Lvl 10 human Life Cleric of Lathander. Retired.
Ikram Sahir ibn Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad, Second Son of the House of Ra'ad, Defender of the Burning Sands. Lvl 9 Brass Dragonborn Sorcerer + Greater Fire Elemental Devil.
Viktor Gavriil. Lvl 20 White Dragonborn Grave Cleric, of Kurgan the God of Death.
Anzio Faro. Lvl 5 Prot. Aasimar Light Cleric.
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Just something I started to wonder about while creating a character, when does one start counting as a tiefling?
I recently created a character that has a demonic bloodline (though in their case it only shows in their hair and eye color), but I wouldn't consider, nor do I play them as, a tiefling, which I find somewhat odd to be honest. I mean, couldn't you consider all character with a demonic bloodline as sort of tieflings, or do only those that grow horns and tail count?
Also are tieflings always only human? What about the other races? Couldn't have a dwarven or elven family joined with a devil at some time, which in turn might result in their children being tieflings? Or are they simply exempt from it on the basis that they aren't human?
That's a really good question. Looking at the PHB, I don't see an explanation of why only humans made a pact. Personally, I think it's likely that because adding other races into the mix would complicate things a great deal (rules-wise), they chose a race and stuck to it. It'd be pretty cool to see home-brew of tiefling bloodlines derived from elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc.
Also, I think it'd be an interesting to have a character with demonic blood who grapples with their identity in this context.
Just my two cents.
I pay only in 2 cent increments.
-Sable
Tiefling's are interesting because the player is given just so much freedom to decide what they look like. And mechanically the horns and tail don't do anything... Tiefling's don't get any kind of horn attack, and the tail doesn't have any function attached to it in the core rules... it's not considered an extra limb for gripping objects or performing somatic casting or anything. It's all just personal preference at that point. So I think if you want to have a character with Tiefling stats but who doesn't have those specific features that would still be fine. The unifying detail about the race is just their demonic ancestry. I'm sure there's already a lot of variant racial Tiefling builds in the homebrew of this site... it might be fun to go looking through them at some point.
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Looking at RAW, I'd disagree.
Tieflings are the result of demonic influence in a bloodline of humans from a long time ago.
Their origin is human, but the bloodline is now distinctly different from humans.
Infernal Bloodline
Humans don't become Tieflings, they are born Tieflings, even though sometimes they are born into human families.
More Interesting Lock Picking Rules
By RAW, I'd go with account256's take on it. If your bloodline gives you Tiefling stats, you get clear Tiefling appearances.
...but as I just read elsewhere, "Specific overrules General." I consider RAW on this to be general regarding Tieflings. It would no longer be RAW, but it would be a possible exception. As I keep seeing around the forums, "If the DM says it's okay..."
So, my advice would be to talk it over with your DM and explain what your intentions are with it regarding story or stats. (If it were me—and it's not—and the Tiefling stats were the focus of the character, I would make the bloodline evident with horns, skin, and tail. If it was almost a purely roleplay angle, I would give it lenient consideration.)
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
There is no one right way to be a Tiefling or to look like a Tiefling. Heck, some archdevils can be indistinguishable from humans as long as they keep a hat and clothes on. (See Levistus if you don't believe me.) Account256 is right in that nobody becomes a Tiefling. To have one's appearance changed is doable with many spells, but infernal bloodline thing is just that: part of the PC's genetic make-up. As Tristan Tarwater noted in his post a few months back re: racial mixture in D&D, there is a historical bias of making humans the default race with which other races and ... monstrosities...breed or take on features of. Harpies, sphinxes, dragonborn, etc. I guess it's human psychology that we tend to expect other creatures to look like "us" somehow. (There's a whole 'nother possible discussion here that I'm going to skip.)
It doesn't have to be this way. Read Tristan's article to get some ideas if you want to play a non-human Tiefling. And talk to your DM, of course; but there's no good reason a DM should prohibit a non-human-related Tiefling unless you were intentionally min/maxing by making a Yuan-Tiefling or Minotaurfling. Whatever.
The novel series “Brimstone Angels” touches on this. I’m sure I’m not going to quote it exactly correct, but the cambion character says “Tieflings don’t mix.” There is no such thing as a half-Tiefling, the power of the Hells is too strong. The novel series alludes to a powerful deal cut between a Tiefling warlock and Asmodeus obtaining the races’ legitimacy as a race and it’s free will. I recommend the books if you want to learn more about Tiefling history such as it is.
Tieflings as a race are humanoids of fiendish descent (or at least there was some fiendish involvement at some point long in the past, the books are quite vague on this) and actually share a lot in common with their celestially touched counterparts, the aasimar. Like aasimar, tieflings can get it on with other races, most of them in fact, however the offspring is always a tiefling (or aasimar if they're doing the getting onnage). The only time its not the case is if an aasimar and a tiefling somehow get together, then it's grey area as I suspect it's 50/50 whether you get one or the other, if it's even possible for them to procreate at all.
Their appearance is covered in the Brimstone Angels novels which I believe are considered cannon. In that tieflings were originally much more varied creatures, until the Toril 13 came along. These 13 tiefling warlocks were pivotal in the ascension of Asmodeus to godhood and as a reward, he re-moulded the race in his own image, making tieflings 'the children of Asmodeus'. This doesn't bind them in any way to the deity by the way, which is really rather tasty as most devils are bound to a strict hierarchy, where as tieflings are not, being blessed with free will essentially. This of course means that a lot of tieflings might consider Asmodeus to be their true god, but that is their choice.
If you're playing a character with a specifically demonic background I'd not consider them a tiefling. Demons are from the abyss and embrace chaos. Devils are from the hells and are unflinchingly lawful. They're not particularly on the best of terms... But I don't see why you couldn't use the tiefling as a template to create a homebrew demonic equivalent.
The tiefling is always tiefling argument has some merit. I used to have a pair of manx cats. These are real world cats from the Island of Man off the coast of Scotland. This breed has an iconic stub tail which the genes are so powerful for this trait that if this breed breeds with another breed they become manx and inherit the stub tail. SO powerful is this gene that manx breeding with manx have a ridiculously high infant mortality rate due to the gene causing a shortening of the spinal column and spinal cord damage.
Why I don't recommend kit bashing races with tieflings on account of balancing issues, I would say appearance is fair game so long as something always betrays what you really are. Horns, a tail, unnatural eyes, or none of these things but people know just by looking at you... some sense lodged deep within their psyche from primeval times when the veils where thin.
I think that'd be fun especially when you disguise self. Unable to view your true form instead of fear they get the weirdest feeling of "do I know you?"
Okay. There's a few things to unpack here. Let's go one by one.
1. "Are tieflings always only human?" - I'd say No. Devils will make deals with whomever they think they can gain an advantage over. So, sure, there'll be tieflings sourced from most species. I think the human version of the tiefling is used as the default standard in the PHB for two reasons. One - the people who wrote that book are humans. Anthropocentrism influences all legends and lore, both fictional and historical. That's also why the other mixed races (half-elves & half-orcs) generally assume the "half" to mean "half human". Second - humans are one of the shorter-lived player character races, so humans may feel more of an incentive to take a "shortcut" to power by making a deal with a devil. We don't have centuries to perfect our craft. We can't simply wait by and watch generations of our enemies die off naturally. We need to get sh-t done now!
2. "When does one start counting as a tiefling?" - Well, I'd say it's when the racial traits present themselves. Many people may have a fiend somewhere in their genealogy and not even know it. For many, the traits inherited from that ancestor may be so minor that they are easily overlooked or mis-attributed. Maybe you feel comfortable in hot weather without sweating. Maybe you're exceptionally charismatic. Maybe you get all starry-eyed when you stare into a fire. Even having horns on your head isn't necessarily a clincher. Heck, some humans in our real world are still born with a vestigial tail! These traits may be the remnants of your devilish blood, but you're still considered human (or whatever). You're only considered an official Tiefling when those traits crystallize to the extent that you're beyond the capabilities of a human. Darkvision, a full-length prehensile tail, the ability to use Thaumaturgical magic. That's a tiefling! In our world there have been many historical proponents of racial discrimination and "racial hygiene" who have used hurtful epithets such as "mulatto", "quadroon", "sambo", "Mestizo", and "Metis" to describe such mixed-heritage people. The United States had anti-miscegenation laws, which have been exercised in some States (de facto if not de jure) into even the 21st century. So it makes sense that any game campaign world that seeks any degree of gritty realism will have to grapple with the social components of mixed heritage.
Finally - While your character is a human, presumably without any of the racial trait capabilities of a true tiefling, the DM may use your mixed heritage as a plot driver. Maybe the particular fiend whose blood runs in your veins wants to move up the food chain in the Hells (or the Abyss, whatever). Maybe one day your character starts to feel.... "different". Maybe that fiend is calling upon all of his children to make sacrifices to him, to perform acts of service to him, even perhaps to travel to the outer planes for a full metamorphosis! You may need to choose between your blood and your life. Maybe you find yourself having to make Wisdom saves to maintain control over the burning desire for mayhem that runs through your arteries.
A DM could have a lot of fun with that.
Good luck. :-)
Tayn of Darkwood. Lvl 10 human Life Cleric of Lathander. Retired.
Ikram Sahir ibn Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad, Second Son of the House of Ra'ad, Defender of the Burning Sands. Lvl 9 Brass Dragonborn Sorcerer + Greater Fire Elemental Devil.
Viktor Gavriil. Lvl 20 White Dragonborn Grave Cleric, of Kurgan the God of Death.
Anzio Faro. Lvl 5 Prot. Aasimar Light Cleric.