Homebrew Half-Goblin Half-Tiefling Species Details

Curious stares and small, surprised gasps from strangers are far from foreign for tief-lins. Tief-lins are all too familiar with being mistaken for a young tiefling, and some find amusement in giving hints to their lineage, licking their sharp teeth and tapping their chins with one of four clawed fingers in conversation. 

Infernal Bloodline

The tiefling half of tief-lins is derived from human bloodlines, but when it comes to stature, they take after their goblin side. Tief-lins are small, ranging between 3-4 feet, and have four clawed fingers on each hand. However, their infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Tief-lins 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, and their eyes are solid colors—black, red, white, silver, or gold—with no visible sclera or pupil. Their skin tones cover the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of red. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, varies in all sorts of eye-catching colorations.

Self-Reliant and Suspicious

Tief-lins are a rare sight just about everywhere. While it's common for them to stay home and inherent a family business or work within their towns, most tief-lins will find home on the roads and become roaming adventurers or mercenaries. 

Lacking a homeland, tief-lins 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 tief-lin's companions demonstrate that they trust them, the tief-lin learns to extend the same trust to them. And once a tief-lin gives someone loyalty, the tief-lin is a firm friend or ally for life.

Tief-lin Names

Tief-lin 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 or Goblin language, passed down through generations, that reflect their 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

Half-Goblin Half-Tiefling Traits

Tief-lins share certain racial traits as a result of their infernal and goblin descent.

Fury of the Small

When you damage a creature with an attack or a spell and the creature's size is larger than yours, you can cause the attack or spell to deal extra damage to the creature. The extra damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Nimble Escape

You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Tief-lins mature at the same rate as humans, but live a few years less.

Alignment

Tief-lins, like all intelligent creatures, choose their own paths in life. However, their sense of isolation lead some to lean more on the neutral side, putting themselves before most others.

Size

Tief-lins are about the same size and stature as goblins. Your size is small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your infernal and goblin 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.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Goblin and Infernal.