Homebrew Cthonic Tiefling Species Details
“But you do see the way people look at you, devil’s child.”
Those black eyes, cold as a winter storm, were staring right into her heart and the sudden seriousness in his voice jolted her.
“What is it they say?” he asked. “One’s a curiosity, two’s a conspiracy—”
“Three’s a curse,” she finished. “You think I haven’t heard that rubbish before?”
“I know you have.” When she glared at him, he added, “It’s not as if I’m plumbing the depths of your mind, dear girl. That is the burden of every tiefling. Some break under it, some make it the millstone around their neck, some revel in it.” He tilted his head again, scrutinizing her, with that wicked glint in his eyes. “You fight it, don’t you? Like a little wildcat, I wager. Every little jab and comment just sharpens your claws.”
To be greeted with stares and whispers, to suffer violence and insult on the street, to see mistrust and fear in every eye: this is the lot of the tiefling. And to twist the knife, tieflings know that 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.
Fiendish Legacy
A tiefling chooses whether to embrace or lament their fiendish legacy. The three legacies are as follows: Abyssal. The heartless entropy of the Abyss, the howling chaos of Pandemonium, and the vast despair of Carceri call to tieflings who have the Abyssal fiendish legacy. Horns, fur, tusks, black blood, and peculiar odors are common physical features of such tieflings, most of whom have the blood of demons coursing through their veins. Chthonic Tieflings who have the Chthonic fiendish legacy not only feel the tug of Carceri but also the greed of Gehenna and the underworld gloom of Hades. Some of these tieflings look cadaverous. Others possess the unearthly beauty of an incubus or a succubus, or they have physical features in common with a night hag, a yugoloth, or some other Neutral Evil fiendish ancestor. Infernal. The Infernal fiendish legacy binds tieflings by blood not only to Gehenna but also the raging battlefields of Acheron and the diabolical Nine Hells. Horns, spines, tails, golden eyes, and a faint odor of sulfur or smoke are common physical features of such tieflings, most of whom trace their ancestry to devils.
Self-Reliant and Suspicious
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.
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
MET WITH MISTRUST
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.
Cthonic Tiefling Traits
Tieflings share certain racial traits as a result of their fiendish descent.Ability Score Increase
Your Intelligence score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Age
Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.
Size
Tieflings are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.
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.
Cthonic Resistance
You have Resistance to Necrotic Damage. You also know the Chill Touch cantrip.
Cthonic Legacy
You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the false life 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 ray of enfeeblement 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.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Infernal.
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