Homebrew Halfling Tiefling Species Details

Small and Practical

Halfling tieflings are derived from tiefling bloodlines, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look halfling. However, their infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. The diminutive halfling tieflings survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring that, avoiding offense. Standing about 3 feet tall, they appear relatively harmless and so have managed to survive for centuries in the shadow of empires and on the edges of wars and political strife. They are inclined to be stout, weighing between 40 and 45 pounds.

Halfling 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. Halfling tieflings’ skin ranges from tan to pale with a ruddy cast, occasionally including various shades of read, and their hair is usually either brown or sandy brown and wavy, or cascading down from behind their horns, from black or brown to dark red, blue, or purple. They have brown or hazel eyes, or solid colors—black, red, white, silver, or gold—with no visible sclera or pupil. Halfling tiefling men often sport long sideburns, but beards are rare among them and mustaches even more so. Their canine teeth are sharply pointed. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favoring bright colors.

Halfling tiefling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They’re concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halfling tieflings keep their treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering.

Self-Reliant and Suspicious

Halfling 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, halfling 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 halfling tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, the halfling tiefling learns to extend the same trust to them. And once a halfling tiefling gives someone loyalty, the halfling tiefling is a firm friend or ally for life.

Exploring Opportunities

Halfling tieflings usually set out on the adventurer’s path to defend their communities, support their friends, or explore a wide and wonder-filled world. For them, adventuring is less a career than an opportunity or sometimes a necessity.

Halfling Tiefling Traits

Halfling tieflings share certain racial traits as a result of their infernal descent.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence score increases by 1, your Charisma score increases by 2, your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.

Alignment

Halfling tieflings might not have an innate tendency toward evil, but many of them end up there. Evil or not, an independent nature inclines many tieflings toward a chaotic alignment. Most halfling tieflings are chaotic good, and act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect.

Size

Halfling tieflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Lucky

When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Brave

You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Nimbleness

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

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.

Hellish Resistance

You have resistance to fire damage.

Infernal Legacy

You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hellish rebuke 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 darkness 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.

Language

You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling. The Halfling language isn’t secret, but halfling tieflings are loath to share it with others. They write very little, so they don’t have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all halfling tieflings speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.