I am under the impression that Tieflings are the way they are because their ancestors made a pact with demons. In that, every Tiefling has the potential for their progenitor to come back through the bloodline in hopes to "cash in" the deal they made. Is this accurate at all?
But yes, every tiefling has some amount of devil blood which could be traced back to some particular ancestor who either was a devil or who made a pact of some kind with a devil. And since every devil is ultimately beholden to Asmodeus, every tiefling runs the risk of some devil showing up someday to call in a debt, or a favor. But whether that ever happens, and how severe that would be, is up to the DM and the player, and should be based on a conversation held before the campaign begins.
But yes, every tiefling has some amount of devil blood which could be traced back to some particular ancestor who either was a devil or who made a pact of some kind with a devil. And since every devil is ultimately beholden to Asmodeus, every tiefling runs the risk of some devil showing up someday to call in a debt, or a favor. But whether that ever happens, and how severe that would be, is up to the DM and the player, and should be based on a conversation held before the campaign begins.
Excellent. Just wanted to make sure that was a plotline I could pursue without being construed as "edgy", as my current idea for a character has a bit of edge to her to begin with. I don't want to keep stacking the deck and accidentally delve into cringe territory. I want it to be balanced.
Devils and demons are extremely distinct. Devils are lawful, demons are chaotic. From most people's perspective, they're both evil. But good and evil are more culturally-attenuated terms than law and chaos. Devils exist in a strictly hierarchical structure in The Nine Hells. Demons exist in the anarchic Abyss. Devils and demons have been engaged in The Blood War for millennia. Very distinct.
A side note: There are half-Demons called Calibans. In Ravenloft 3e, they are the stand-ins for Half-Orcs and are born as a result of corruption by their parents. In Planescape 2e, they are the distinct descendants of Demons. Expect to see more of them in the Planescape setting when it comes out next year.
Tieflings are typically the direct off-spring of Fiends, or the descendants of Fiends. There is no requirement of a dark pact in their family tree, though this may be the case.
Think of it like the Greek heroes. They were all the off-spring of one God or another sleeping with a human, or goat or some other animal. The mortal typically had no idea who they were messing with. In the fiends case, they are making off-spring that will eventually fight in the Blood War. Again, we will see more of that in the Planescape setting.
A side note: There are half-Demons called Calibans. In Ravenloft 3e, they are the stand-ins for Half-Orcs and are born as a result of corruption by their parents. In Planescape 2e, they are the distinct descendants of Demons. Expect to see more of them in the Planescape setting when it comes out next year.
Tieflings are typically the direct off-spring of Fiends, or the descendants of Fiends. There is no requirement of a dark pact in their family tree, though this may be the case.
Think of it like the Greek heroes. They were all the off-spring of one God or another sleeping with a human, or goat or some other animal. The mortal typically had no idea who they were messing with. In the fiends case, they are making off-spring that will eventually fight in the Blood War. Again, we will see more of that in the Planescape setting.
I think you’re confusing Calibans with Cambions here. The former are the Ravenloft 3e half-orc stand-ins, and the latter are half-fiends.
Tiefling - Anyone that is plane touched from the fiendish plane. Which is a very large group of creatures that fit that description.
Tieflings share lineage with Devils, demons, Yugoloths, and certain evil deities. Somewhere in their bloodline is a fiend of sorts. Based on the description I left, the list of creatures that can sire a Tiefling is quite long, and does not require a dark pact. (Warlocks require a pact) Oddly enough, Rakshasa are on this list. By the lore I have read offered from various sources their physical description is usually dependent on the fiend that helped create the Tiefling, but that is still left to the imagination of the player and the GM. For fun lineage and game play, Faerunian Tieflings generally come from Thay and Mulhorand. Thay is known for the Red Wizards, and a lot of undead content. Another game point is Tieflings tend to relate better with Half-orcs if you want to work that into your game, as both races tend to be shunned.
For some fun lore look up the connection between Tieflings and Asmodeus. There you will find info on the Toril 13, who just so happened to not only be Tieflings but warlocks as well. This backstory will explain better the Mark of Asmodeus. Any story about Asmodeus eventually leads to Azuth which is also important to know. Just realize that neither deity have any control over Tieflings, but they are always great concepts for pacts.
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I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
lots of good replies, and all true, however there are a couple of minor notes to be added. The UA material will be updating the background material instead of Devils/Fiends ie Lawful Evil beings, they will be and I quote UA2022-CharacterOrigins:
TIEFLINGS OF MANY WORLDS Tieflings born in the Lower Planes often migrate to other planes of existence and never look back. Their descendants are scattered across many worlds and are especially prevalent in Sigil, the torus-shaped city at the center of the multiverse.
The earliest tieflings joined ranks with non-tieflings to repel fiendish incursions on many worlds, earning the trust of those who might otherwise have mistaken them for Fiends. Thanks to the victories and sacrifices of these legends, tieflings throughout the multiverse enjoy widespread acceptance
Fiendish Legacy. You are the recipient of a fiendish legacy that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose a legacy from the Fiendish Legacies table:
Abyssal, associated with Chaotic Evil planes; Chthonic, associated with Neutral Evil planes; or Infernal, associated with Lawful Evil planes. You gain the 1st-level benefit of the chosen legacy
Basically opening it up to Demon Ancestry tieflings. and Honestly, I have no idea what's on the Neutral evil planes.... Technically I know the names of the beings in Hades, but honestly I have no idea what they are considered in truth, as they have names like Deamon and then get called fiends.
Just realize that neither deity have any control over Tieflings, but they are always great concepts for pacts.
Not necessarily looking for warlock-esque or deity pact. I just wanted to have a potential plot hook open for potential RP in a group in the future.
When I find one. Just want to give a DM the thread to play with.
That sounds like a a fun idea. I only added that tidbit because we have had table arguments about Tieflings requiring pacts. According to all lore provided Tiefling is something you are born into. It has nothing to do with past family members making deals (Unless the deal was to have sex with a person from a Fiendish Plane). However, I would consider past lineage to be an interesting plot hook considering that lineage to one of the original 13 is considered important and/or collectable. And that interpretation in my opinion could lead to some really cool stories.
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I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
A fiend is any native denizen of a lower plane the opposite of a celestial. Daemons are free agents they don't need to be summoned to visit the prime material plane and are often used to go places demons and devils can't because they are neither
I'm not sure Daemons with the "ae" are a thing, at least in 5e. You might be thinking of Pathfinder; I feel like I've seen the word associated with it.
I'm not sure Daemons with the "ae" are a thing, at least in 5e. You might be thinking of Pathfinder; I feel like I've seen the word associated with it.
They have been in past editions. They got renamed to Yugoloths at some point. (unlike 2e, this is probably not for PR reasons, but because it was a bad naming choice initially.)
Edit: maybe it was the 2e renaming, but they kept it because having "demons" and "daemons" as distinct things is a bad idea.
I am under the impression that Tieflings are the way they are because their ancestors made a pact with demons. In that, every Tiefling has the potential for their progenitor to come back through the bloodline in hopes to "cash in" the deal they made. Is this accurate at all?
Devils, not demons.
But yes, every tiefling has some amount of devil blood which could be traced back to some particular ancestor who either was a devil or who made a pact of some kind with a devil. And since every devil is ultimately beholden to Asmodeus, every tiefling runs the risk of some devil showing up someday to call in a debt, or a favor. But whether that ever happens, and how severe that would be, is up to the DM and the player, and should be based on a conversation held before the campaign begins.
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
Excellent. Just wanted to make sure that was a plotline I could pursue without being construed as "edgy", as my current idea for a character has a bit of edge to her to begin with. I don't want to keep stacking the deck and accidentally delve into cringe territory. I want it to be balanced.
Also devils, demons. There's a distinction here?
Devils and demons are extremely distinct. Devils are lawful, demons are chaotic. From most people's perspective, they're both evil. But good and evil are more culturally-attenuated terms than law and chaos. Devils exist in a strictly hierarchical structure in The Nine Hells. Demons exist in the anarchic Abyss. Devils and demons have been engaged in The Blood War for millennia. Very distinct.
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
A side note: There are half-Demons called Calibans. In Ravenloft 3e, they are the stand-ins for Half-Orcs and are born as a result of corruption by their parents. In Planescape 2e, they are the distinct descendants of Demons. Expect to see more of them in the Planescape setting when it comes out next year.
Tieflings are typically the direct off-spring of Fiends, or the descendants of Fiends. There is no requirement of a dark pact in their family tree, though this may be the case.
Think of it like the Greek heroes. They were all the off-spring of one God or another sleeping with a human, or goat or some other animal. The mortal typically had no idea who they were messing with. In the fiends case, they are making off-spring that will eventually fight in the Blood War. Again, we will see more of that in the Planescape setting.
I think you’re confusing Calibans with Cambions here. The former are the Ravenloft 3e half-orc stand-ins, and the latter are half-fiends.
Tiefling - Anyone that is plane touched from the fiendish plane. Which is a very large group of creatures that fit that description.
Tieflings share lineage with Devils, demons, Yugoloths, and certain evil deities. Somewhere in their bloodline is a fiend of sorts. Based on the description I left, the list of creatures that can sire a Tiefling is quite long, and does not require a dark pact. (Warlocks require a pact) Oddly enough, Rakshasa are on this list. By the lore I have read offered from various sources their physical description is usually dependent on the fiend that helped create the Tiefling, but that is still left to the imagination of the player and the GM. For fun lineage and game play, Faerunian Tieflings generally come from Thay and Mulhorand. Thay is known for the Red Wizards, and a lot of undead content. Another game point is Tieflings tend to relate better with Half-orcs if you want to work that into your game, as both races tend to be shunned.
For some fun lore look up the connection between Tieflings and Asmodeus. There you will find info on the Toril 13, who just so happened to not only be Tieflings but warlocks as well. This backstory will explain better the Mark of Asmodeus. Any story about Asmodeus eventually leads to Azuth which is also important to know. Just realize that neither deity have any control over Tieflings, but they are always great concepts for pacts.
I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
Not necessarily looking for warlock-esque or deity pact. I just wanted to have a potential plot hook open for potential RP in a group in the future.
When I find one. Just want to give a DM the thread to play with.
lots of good replies, and all true, however there are a couple of minor notes to be added. The UA material will be updating the background material instead of Devils/Fiends ie Lawful Evil beings, they will be and I quote UA2022-CharacterOrigins:
Basically opening it up to Demon Ancestry tieflings. and Honestly, I have no idea what's on the Neutral evil planes.... Technically I know the names of the beings in Hades, but honestly I have no idea what they are considered in truth, as they have names like Deamon and then get called fiends.
That sounds like a a fun idea. I only added that tidbit because we have had table arguments about Tieflings requiring pacts. According to all lore provided Tiefling is something you are born into. It has nothing to do with past family members making deals (Unless the deal was to have sex with a person from a Fiendish Plane). However, I would consider past lineage to be an interesting plot hook considering that lineage to one of the original 13 is considered important and/or collectable. And that interpretation in my opinion could lead to some really cool stories.
I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
A fiend is any native denizen of a lower plane the opposite of a celestial. Daemons are free agents they don't need to be summoned to visit the prime material plane and are often used to go places demons and devils can't because they are neither
I'm not sure Daemons with the "ae" are a thing, at least in 5e. You might be thinking of Pathfinder; I feel like I've seen the word associated with it.
They have been in past editions. They got renamed to Yugoloths at some point. (unlike 2e, this is probably not for PR reasons, but because it was a bad naming choice initially.)
Edit: maybe it was the 2e renaming, but they kept it because having "demons" and "daemons" as distinct things is a bad idea.