Homebrew Imp-kin Species Details

"Do you know the way of things here?" Indrial asked.

The strange, red creature in front of her tilted their head in a quizzical manner and responded in a voice like flames hissing through their pointed teeth.

"I know the way of many things. I know the way rivers run. I know how the winds blow. I know the sun will burn your pale skin as surely as the fires of hell. And I know that empires will fall if a whisper finds it's way to the right ears."

The guard wondered if that last part was intended to be as much of a threat as it sounded.  She knew imp-kin could be tricky - dealing in secrets and often loyal to hidden masters. However, she had no proof that this one evil and resigned to let the fiend through the gate and into the city beyond. She watched them pass by her post, gawking like any other tourist might, flapping their wings and wagging their vestigially barbed tail in excitement at seeing architecture that was surely much different than the Hells it was used to.

- Excerpt from "The Towerwall," by Maryena Jelsai

 

 

 

Competitive Nature

Having lived for centuries only in the Nine-Hells, imp-kin became known for their abilities and loyalty as messengers and information-gatherers for their cruel and evil masters.  This environment fostered an ambitious attitude that transcended generations. For those imp-kin that now choose to live in the material plane, that loyalty and competitive spirit has morphed into a fierce desire to gain the trust of as many people around them as possible, regardless of race or creed.

Fiendish Pranksters

Imp-kin living outside of the Nine-Hells have also brought with them a love of pranks. They especially enjoy subverting the expectations of their comrades by temporarily misplacing semi-precious objects or causing minor, unexpected discomforts. With strangers, they often delight in saying things that have the intent of putting them off their guard so as to find out what kind of person they are dealing with. Their intent is generally based in amusement, self-preservation, or light-hearted fun and is most often harmless, but those unprepared might find their manner off-putting or even somewhat irritating. 

Imp-kin Names

Imp-kin that have chosen to live and work above ground have adopted a naming convention similar to Tieflings by way of honoring their infernal roots.  In an attempt to ingratiate themselves into the societies around them, however, many have also chosen to adopt often-descriptive family names. These family names are not reserved only for their biological kin but are also gifted to those they become familiar enough with to consider chosen family. While an imp-kin will only ever have one given first name, they might end up with several family names. The more family names, the more trusted the imp-kin is thought to be, especially among their own kind. The record is currently thought to be held by one Pelanna Fearstruck Poem Flowerbottom Relish Apt Grumpledum Borothiem.

Male Infernal Names: Ahlmak, Aghuul, Belebuz, Dimkash, Ehlmek, Grith, Hoffren, Indost, Kai-oon, Lahkt, Marrith, Morotoh, Pelaios, Sylve, Therai

Female Infernal Names: Atrix, Abiina, Beryl, Cloyen, Detrush, Harlah, Illith, Leekhor, Maise, Negish, Orianna, Sylvest, Tomix

Family Names: Acidspine, Crawler, Chidesin, Caulbone, Distraction, Elvenbane, Fearstruck, Gore, Hollyhead, Indigestion, Mauvebutt, Nobblehead, Owleye, Poppysleep, Queller, Rabbitfunk, Reaver, Sallow, Tallowhall, Torpid, Wavering

A WORD ON MISTRUST

Much like Tieflings, some people remain mistrustful of imp-kin because of their somewhat demonic visages. Many have come to understand that they are much like anyone else, though they might still reserve their full trust for the imp-kin with the longest names.

 

Imp-kin Traits

Imp-kin share certain physical traits as a result of their infernal descent.

Ability Score Increase

You have a total of 3 ability points that you can allocate how you see fit between the Dexterity, Charisma, and/or Wisdom categories.

Age

Imps mature at a slower rate than humans but can live to be nearly 300 years old. They tend to have a hard time relinquishing their hold on their child-like mischievous tendencies, often refusing to settle into an adult life until they are nearly 100 years old.

Alignment

Imp-kin's mischievous nature generally tends towards chaos that is neither inherently good nor inherently evil.  Instead, the environments of their upbringings have a great deal of sway on where they end up on the cosmic scale. Those who spend a significant time above ground interacting with other races tend towards good, and those who grow up in the Hells and Lower Planes tend towards evil.

Size

Imp-kin are comparable in size to gnomes and goblins. Your size is small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your flight 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.

Infernal Aptitude

As you age and practice your fiendish abilities, they grow with you. You gain new abilities at the following levels.

At 5th level, you gain the Magic Resistance trait, allowing you advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects that target you directly. This does not include saves to avoid area effects.

At 11th level, you gain the Devil's Sight ability. Magical darkness no longer impedes your darkvision.

At 16th level, you gain the Shapechanger ability. You can choose 3 beasts of challenge rating 1/8 or lower.  It takes an action to polymorph into one of your 3 chosen beast forms and a second action to turn back into your true form. Your statistics remain the same in each form except for your mobility which changes to match that of the beast you've chosen to emulate. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying is transformed with you, and you revert to your true form if you die.

Languages

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