Homebrew Wrathian Imp Species Details

“We're Wrathians. Being hard-headed ****ers is in the details.”

"All of the other ****ers in Hell look down us because we're small and puny and weak. But we're tougher than they give us credit for. We might not be big, but we can take a beating with the best of 'em, and we'll hit right back."

"Eh, I've never been much for all that glittery flim-flam. Not really in an Imp's wheelhouse. We don't have the luxury of being 'important' enough for special powers. But one thing we do do good with? ****in' weapons, *****!"

"Do these clothes make my horns look bigger? Tell me they do!"

"Anyone with Wrathian blood in their veins is a fighter, born and bred. Doesn't matter how artsy they try to be- somewhere deep down, every one of us has the fire of Satan himself just waiting to burn out of control."

In another multiverse, in another infernal plane, a different sort of hellish hierarchy exists. There, the inhabitants are split between the Sinners, souls of mortals condemned to an eternity of suffering, and the Hellborns, who have only ever known the Seven Rings. And of all the Hellborn Races, imps are counted as lowest of the low, with only Hellhounds seen as potentially beneath them. Created by Satan, the King Sin of Wrath and the Lord of the Second Ring, Imps were intended to serve a role as a slave race to the nobility of Hell, the Ars Goetia. But while their strength and durability proved ideal for such a role, the temperament that infused them did not. Hard-headed, tough, tenacious, resilient, and hot-tempered, Imps proved prone to resisting any attempts to shackle them, and while their lack of eldritch powers prevented an uprising, they proved prone to deviation, many of them abandoning stereotypical expectations of labor or grunt soldiers in favor of developing new talents and finding new roles across the Seven Rings.

Demonic Origins

Imps are true-born denizens of the Second Ring of Hell, and have an appearance to match. They are among the smallest of devil-kind, rarely coming above the waist of a human, though a few individuals can occasionally near human height. Due to the twisted, corrupting nature of their home plane, the Imp Race is prone to wide variations between individuals, a chaotic lack of conformity that reflects their origins. However, they all share some basic traits. All Imps possess a pair of black cranial horns adorned with white stripes. These horns can curl backward like a ram's, jut upwards in the manner of a gazelle, or appear spiraled or crooked like an antelope's. They have long, slender tails that end in a spear-pointed tip, sometimes adorned with one or two spines. Their skin comes in varying shades of red, though it turns stark white upon scarring, with some imps intentionally marring themselves to create patterns on their hides. Some imps are able to grow hair, while others remain bald all their lives. Their legs can vary in appearance, with some having near-human limbs, while others possess noticeable heel-like feet, and still others sport cloven hooves and elongated ankles like a goat. Their heads also show wide variation, with some having elongated, almost reptilian skulls, and others having squatter, more compact craniums, though all lack pronounced noses or ears, a sloping overall profile, and have upper lips that come to a point. Their arms can be average-sized or somewhat elongated, and all end in hands with three clawed fingers and an opposeable clawed thumb.

Imps exhibit rather noticeable sexual dimorphism. The stripes adorning the horns of female imps are quite thin, while those on males are broad and prominent. The hair of females also tends to be dark when it comes in, while males usually sport stark white locks.

Self-Reliant and Stubborn

While only ever found in the Cosmos of Forgotten Realms when brought over by a multiversal anomaly, Imps are arguably the most populous devilkind in their home plane. While native to the Ring of Wrath, their resilience and adaptability has allowed them to spread quickly, and they have formed large populations in the rings of Greed and Pride. Due to being looked down on by virtually all other races in Hell, and having been created as a form of expendable labor, Imps are used to having to fend for themselves, and while they intermingle with other Hellborns and Sinners they prefer the company of their own kind. Though they are often disregarded or discriminated against as 'lesser beings', a few Imps have managed to apply their skills and tenacity to achieve some measure of prominence.

Due to their long history of oppression, Imps have an almost genetic predisposition to regard other races or species with suspicion, and are quick to react aggressively if they feel that they are being condescended towards or imposed upon. Reflecting their origins in the Ring of Wrath, they possess a fiery temper that is quick to flare out of control, and while they are all too quick to hurl insults or mockery, they take great offense at such things themselves. This comes from a deep-seated sense of inferiority, and many Imps struggle to maintain their own self-confidence amidst a hereditary notion of being lower than others around them. Despite this, and despite their infernal origins, Imps can display a surprising capacity for honor and loyalty. As a race that could only turn to one another for peers, they have a deep-seated sense of kinship, and this trait leads them to form deep and lasting bonds with those they connect with. Imps are also capable of showing this trait to members of other races if they find a kindred spirit, and a Wrathian Imp is by far one of the most steadfast and ferocious allies one can hope for.

Imp Names

As inhabitants of an alien cosmos, Imps tend to have names that defy reasoning or categorization after the fashion of Toril and its cultures. Some imps have names that seem to reflect their propensity for violence and combat, their physical characteristics, or the nature of their home. Others, however, have monikers that are entirely foreign, likely reflections of their own alternate culture.

Male Names: Blitzo/Blitz, Moxxie, Striker, Crimson, Fizzarolli, Cash, Joe

Female Names: Lin, Millie, Barbie Wire, Sallie Mae, Tillia

Fire and Blood

Imps are often dismissed by their peers in the Seven Rings due to their origins, cursed by their assigned status to an existence where inferiority is expected, even demanded of them. Denied access to the arcane talents and abilities of may other devils, theirs is a life of fire and blood, where whatever they manage to acquire is gained through effort, struggle, and often sacrifice. This fosters in them two conflicting impulses: a blazing temper that can lash out without control or concern, and a desperate need to cling to that which they care about.

Wrathian Imp Traits

Imps share certain racial traits as a result of their devilish nature.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Imps mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.

Size

Imps are about the same size and build as human children. Your size is Small.

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.

Hellish Resistance

You have Immunity to fire damage.

Fear the Blessed

You are vulnerable to Radiant Damage.

Infernal Legacy

You know the produce flame cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands 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 flaming sphere 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.