Homebrew Celestial Tiefling Species Details

 

"Look beneath you, to the world far below. You are of it, and yet you are apart. Will you shoulder the burden of heaven, or will you follow your heart and fly where the winds take you?"

— Image by Kaiz0 on DeviantArt

You are revered or disdained, but seldom if ever regarded with mild eyes. You are and angel, and yet you are nothing. You know yourself, but do you know your place in the world?

Heavenly Bloodline

Celestial tieflings are derived from human bloodlines, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look human. However, their celestial heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Celestial tieflings have angelic, feathery wings, and large horns, usually golden or of an earthy pastel colour, forming a halo of greater or lesser complexity atop their frontage. They sometimes have feathery tails also, four to five feet long, which serve to help guide their flight. Their eyes are inhumanly beautiful even when they do not shine with heavenly light. Their skin tones cover the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of silver and gold. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually light, from white or blond to fiery red or bright orange.

Self-Reliant and Aloof

Celestial tieflings subsist in small minorities found mostly in human cities or towns, often in the finest quarters of those places, where they grow up to be anything from priests and religious knights to entertainers and magical dabblers. Sometimes they live among other minority populations in enclaves where they are afforded more privacy.

Lacking a homeland, celestial tieflings know that they have to tread carefully and that they have to be strong to survive the vagaries of society. They are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a celestial tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, the celestial tiefling learns to extend the same trust to them, and once a celestial tiefling gives someone loyalty, they are a firm friend or ally for life.

 

AMBIVALENT EXISTENCE

People are either very reverent of celestial tieflings, or outright hostile with suspicion and distrust. Mildness is rare, and that rarity makes the celestial tiefling wary of society and the world. Some deal with this through charm or intimidation, while others retreat from the world, either by going into religion or into nature.

 

Celestial Tiefling Traits

Celestial tieflings share certain racial traits as a result of their descent.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Celestial tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.

Alignment

Celestial tieflings might not have an innate tendency toward good, but many of them end up there. Good or not, an independent nature inclines many celestial tieflings toward a chaotic alignment.

Size

Celestial tieflings are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your celestial heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 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.

Heavenly Resistance

You have resistance to radiant and necrotic damage.

Celestial Legacy

You know the light and thaumaturgy cantrips. 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 and Celestial.

Angel Wings

You have a flight speed equal to your walking speed.