Homebrew Half-Devil Species Details

Half-devils are humanoids with features both human and devil. They have the form of humans, with respect to their shape of having limbs and a head on a neck. Their ears are usually pointed to a degree, though wider and sharper than an elf. When young, they may have small horns or sharp teeth. These devilish properties have chances of either being emphasized or reducing visibility as they mature. Their skin can sometimes look ashen maroon if their devilish blood is particularly strong. All half-devils are known to have slit-pupil eyes, though to a lesser degree than other creatures like fiends or dragons. Many have regular human skin tones. Often the mature half-devils are described to have more angled features, like a long nose, pointed chin, and leaner body than the regular human. these small differences sometimes are the only thing that can help identify half-devils at a glance.

Half-devils are the offspring of a mortal species and one of the nine greater devils of the Hells. Often times, half-devils only are seen in the levels of Hell, as they were usually killed upon birth in other places. even though they are allowed to live in the Hells, however, they are not regarded highly and are typically the subject of discrimination. Tieflings and other hellish beings alike consider half-devils inferior "half-bloods"; descendants of infernal beings who couldn't mix their devilish blood completely with their mortal bodies. Their bodies are the subject of their shameful limit, unable to fully encompass the powers other creatures have. They are a rather rare creature in the Hells, though that is possibly due to their concealment.

If a human bore a conspicuous half-devil and it was known, the child would be drowned in purified salt water and the parent would thusly become a pariah as well. Therefore, when such a child is born, they are usually kept a secret in societies. Not only humans have recorded half-devil births, but elves and dwarves and many others as well. Sometimes the child is allowed to grow into their society and remain hidden. Other times, they mature and their secret can no longer be obscured and they flee from their birthplace in the Material Realm. They keep with them what they learn from their society which raised them and wander, trying to settle and not be persecuted some day.

They lack a true society due to their small number. However, they traditionally take after the parent who raised them. Half-devils find it hard to live with others due to their physical traits, so many try to hide their features. In known societies of the Material Realm, they try to imitate others within that society to fit in. Normally, that is the society where one of their birth parents chose to keep them, so they often have some claim to the traits of that lineage. However, sometimes they are misplaced, abandoned perhaps, and taken in unknowingly by another society. Half-devils are amazingly adaptable and versatile. As children growing up, their bodies are wired to gain the advantageous abilities of that around them to best aid survival. So to fit in with elves and avoid being found out and killed at a young age, the child may develop properties alike to the elven ancestry and grow immune to magical sleep. Despite this, half-devils are often found out and ousted, forced to be wanderers of a disowned race.

Half-Devils have names either given to them by their devilish or human parent depending on who is raising them. Sometimes if they are orphaned or despised, they are given a derogatory name often linked to either their cursed devilish nature or weak mortal self.

Half-Devil Traits

Being borne of human and a greater devil.

Ability Score Increase

Of being borne from a human and a greater devil, half-devils naturally have a human's constitution

Age

Half-devils mature around 25 and do not physically or mentally age beyond that point.

Alignment

Half-devils have received a lot of abuse, leading them to often be evil. However, some who did experience some compassion can be otherwise.

Size

Half-devils are humanoid, leading to their size being medium.

Speed

Due to being humanoid, your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

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 Ancestry

Due to being from hell, you have resistance to fire damage.

Language

You can speak, read and write Common. You also know one more language given by the path or society of your half-devil.

Path and Society

Half-devils can be deterministic and choose a path for themselves, eschewing their past and carving out their own destiny. Alternatively, they can utilize their past of growing up in a certain society to emulate the values of that society. Choose one from either the paths of magic, power, shadows, or beauty, or the societies of human, elven, dwarven, or gnomish. You can only choose either one path or one society, not one from both.