Homebrew Half-Devil (Unique Devil) Species Details

 

"I saw it in a vision. Hidden in the depths of a faraway ruined castle in Avernus. A newborn child. Whisked away to another realm not a second after birth. He knows this is forbidden, so why would he take such a risk. I wonder what it means for the Blood War."

— Zariel, Archduchess of Avernus

Most devils start their new life from dead mortals who pledged their soul to the Nine Hells and are reborn in the River Styx as lemures. Reproduction by sexual means is mostly impossible between two devils because most female devils are not capable of becoming pregnant, with the exceptions being brachinas, erinyes and unique devils. Reproduction between a male devil and a female celestial angel or a female of some other humanoid races is possible, though the punishment would be unthinkable and unending.

 

Infernal Blood

Of the little known on half-devils, the infernal blood coursing through their veils takes over and in the broadest possible sense, they look human. Their appearance is similar to that of a tiefling, but their closer tie to the Nine Hells has left them with a more pronounced hellish appearance. Some half-devils have horns that take any of a variety of shapes. They have thick leathery type skin that can be surprisingly soft or have tiny spike like contours. Their teeth are relatively sharp compared to a human's teeth. Their eyes in a resting state are the same as human's, but at times, if only for dramatic effect, devils change the appearance of their eyes — solid black, or glowing red with no visible iris or pupil, seem to be popular. Their skin tones cover the full range of human and devil colorations. Their hair is usually dark, from black or brown to a dark red.

 

Locked Away and Forgotten

It is widely believed any newborn half-devil that escapes execution is imprisoned and forgotten for eternity. A fate worse than death. Some exiled infernal cults believe with the strictest swindlers, thieves, lawyers, crime lords or government officials. Bahamut forbit a half-devil leading a nation. Sometimes they live among other minority populations in enclaves where they are treated with more respect.

 

A Devil's Deceit

It is assumed a half-devil, like other unique devils can alter their physical appearance, clothing and possessions with just a thought. This ability is widely used by many of the unique devils to deceive mortals into agreeing to the terms in an infernal contract that heavily favor the devil. They do this by taking on the form of someone the mortal is more likely to trust, a friend or loved one. On the other hand, a devil may take on the form of someone the mortal hates. Tormenting the mortal, provoking them into doing something unlawful, giving the devil leverage.

Unique devils also develope identities that have more depth. They build these focused identities over time, crafting personas with history and beliefs. These focused identities help them better disguise their true identity while traveling in other realms. Many devils have a metaphorical library of masks to choose from. Masks are personas used by a devil in spontaneous situations. A devil might jump into a game of poker and a mask making them appear to be wealthy but inexperienced might give them some advantage. Or a devil has no choice but to break the law in broad daylight, in view of the public, a devil is likely to use mask that will never been seen again.

 

Common Names, True Names, and Devil's Talismans

Though devils all have common names, every devil above a lemure also has a true name that it keeps secret. A devil can be forced to disclose its true name if charmed. Ancient scrolls and tomes are said to exist that list the true names of certain devils. A mortal who learns a devil's true name can use powerful summoning magic to call the devil from the Nine Hells and bind it into servitude. Binding can also be accomplished with the help of a devil talisman. These ancient relics can be crafted and inscribed with the true name of a devil it controls and must be bathed in the blood of a worthy sacrifice-typically someone the creator loved-while being crafted. However it is summoned, a devil brought to the Material Plane typically resents being pressed into service. However, the devil seizes every opportunity to corrupt its summoner so that the summoner's soul ends up in the Nine Hells. Only imps are truly content to be summoned, and they easily commit to serving a summoner as a familiar, but they still do their utmost to corrupt those who summon them.

Unique Devil Names: Amduscias, Asmodeus, Bael, Bel, Belial, Lilith, Mephistopheles, Zariel.

True Names: Unknown.

Half-Devil (Unique Devil) Traits

Half-devils share common traits as a result of their infernal blood.

Darkvision

Thanks to your infernal blood, 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. In darkness, you only see in shades of grey.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 3.

Age

It is believed that half-devils would mature much faster than humans, like devils. They might not necessarily be more intelligent than other races, but they simply wouldn’t survive if they didn’t. They are ageless at a point of their choosing but are not immortal. See Hellish Rejuvenation for further details.

Alignment

Newborn half-devils are evil that knows no codes, no rules, no laws, and has no loyalty. A half-devil could potentially be the most dangerous creature in the multiverse. Half-devils are chaotic evil from birth. The kind of chaotic evil that if allowed to grow powerful enough could destroy the Nine Hells without a thought. With the strictest conditioning and education, breaking down a newborn half-devil's chaotic nature might be possible. Devils of the Nine Hells are Lawful Evil.

Size

Half-devils are the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

A Devil's Charm

You gain proficiency with the following two skills: Deception and Persuasion.

Infernal Soul

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.

Infernal Resistance

You have resistance to fire damage and immunity to the River Styx.

Infernal Rejuvenation

If a devil dies somewhere other than the Nine Hells, the body disappears with a flash of fire, a puff of smoke or dissolves into a pool of ichor and re-forms in the Nine Hells, it is therefore not truly killed. However, a devil killed in the Nine Hells is dead forever; not surprisingly, that’s why devils tend to be more cautious in their dealings at home than abroad.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Infernal and one other language of your choice.

Change Appearance

As an action, you can transform your appearance or revert to your natural form. You can’t duplicate the appearance of a creature you’ve never seen, and you revert to your natural form if you die.

You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, the sound of your voice, coloration, hair length, sex, and any other distinguishing characteristics. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. You also can’t appear as a creature of a different size than you (withing reason), and your basic shape stays the same; if you’re bipedal, you can’t use this trait to become quadrupedal, for instance. You also decide if your clothing and other equipment also change in appearance. You decide what your clothing and equipment look like. size, shape, material, colour, and any accessories are made up from your equipment.

Even to the most astute observers, your ruse is usually indiscernible. If you rouse suspicion, or if a wary creature suspects something is amiss, you have advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check you make to avoid detection.