Homebrew Chimera (former Tiefling) Species Details

Tieflings are either born in the Lower Planes or have fiendish ancestors who originated there. A tiefling (pronounced TEE-fling) is linked by blood to a devil, a demon, or some other Fiend. This connection to the Lower Planes is the tiefling’s fiendish legacy, which comes with the promise of power yet has no effect on the tiefling’s moral outlook.

A tiefling chooses whether to embrace or lament their fiendish legacy. The three legacies are described below.

Abyssal

The entropy of the Abyss, the chaos of Pandemonium, and the despair of Carceri call to tieflings who have the abyssal legacy. Horns, fur, tusks, and peculiar scents 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 legacy feel not only the tug of Carceri but also the greed of Gehenna and the gloom of Hades. Some of these tieflings look cadaverous. Others possess the unearthly beauty of 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 legacy connects tieflings not only to Gehenna but also the Nine Hells and the raging battlefields of Acheron. Horns, spines, tails, golden eyes, and a faint odor of sulfur or smoke are common physical features of such tieflings, most of who trace their ancestry to devils.

Chimera

The Guild of Splicers uses a horrifying combination of advanced genetic engineering and forbidden ritual magic to create their chimeras. They don't simply combine animals; their process involves a dark art known as "Bio-Thaumaturgy," which is a hybrid of science and spellcasting. Here's a breakdown of their method:

1. The Genetic Blueprint
   The Splicers begin with genetic material from various creatures—animals, beasts, and even magical monstrosities from the few documented "Gifts" they have captured. They use advanced gene-splicing technology to combine and sequence these various DNA strands into a single, cohesive blueprint. This is the scientific backbone of their process, allowing them to design the chimera's physical form, abilities, and resistances.
2. The Ritual Catalyst
   This is where the true horror begins. The Splicers don't have enough power to sustain these creations on their own. Instead, they use a form of ritual magic that acts as a conduit to The Siphon. They are sanctioned by The Nexus to siphon a controlled amount of magical energy, which they use to fuel their experiments. This energy, corrupted by The Nexus's process, is the spark that gives their chimeras life. The Splicers believe this makes their creations "pure" and "perfect," while in reality, it's a form of ritualistic slavery.
3. The Fusion Process
   The final, and most gruesome, step is the fusion. The subjects, which often include kidnapped individuals from the "financial powerless" and "lost youths" that your character used to help, are placed in a ritualistic circle with the genetic material and the magical fuel. Through a series of dark rituals and arcane spells, the subjects' bodies are forcibly mutated and fused together. The process is incredibly painful and has a very high failure rate, with most subjects simply turning into puddles of flesh and bone. The few that survive become chimeras—monstrous, powerful creatures that are a living testament to the Splicers' hubris and the Nexus's corruption. The chimeras are a fusion of science and magic, a horrifying blend of life forms powered by the stolen energy of chronomancers. The ultimate goal of the Guild is to perfect this process and create a sentient, magical super-being capable of overthrowing The Nexus itself.

Tiefling Traits

Creature Type: Humanoid
Size:Medium (about 4–7 feet tall) or Small (about 3–4 feet tall), chosen when you select this species
Speed: 30 feet

As a Tiefling, you have the following special traits.

Chimera's Resilience

You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease. (Rat) And advantage on strength saving throws and your movement speed increases by 15 feet. (Lion)

Dolphin's Lungs

You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour and have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. (Dolphin)

Momentary Reversal

2 times per long rest, you can use a free action to re-roll any ability check or saving throw against you.

Darkvision

You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Fiendish Legacy

You are the recipient of a legacy that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose a legacy from the Fiendish Legacies table. You gain the level 1 benefit of the chosen legacy.

When you reach character levels 3 and 5, you learn a higher-level spell, as shown on the table. You always have that spell prepared. You can cast it once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest. You can also cast the spell using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the legacy).

Fiendish Legacies

Legacy	Level 1	Level 3	Level 5
Abyssal	You have Resistance to Poison damage. You also know the Poison Spray cantrip.	Ray of Sickness	Hold Person
Chthonic	You have Resistance to Necrotic damage. You also know the Chill Touch cantrip.	False Life	Ray of Enfeeblement
Infernal	You have Resistance to Fire damage. You also know the Fire Bolt cantrip.	Hellish Rebuke	Darkness

Otherworldly Presence

You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. When you cast it with this trait, the spell uses the same spellcasting ability you use for your Fiendish Legacy Trait.