Homebrew Spawn Species Details

“But you do see the way people look at you, devil’s child.”

Those black eyes, cold as a winter storm, were staring right into her heart and the sudden seriousness in his voice jolted her.

“What is it they say?” he asked. “One’s a curiosity, two’s a conspiracy—”

“Three’s a curse,” she finished. “You think I haven’t heard that rubbish before?”

“I know you have.” When she glared at him, he added, “It’s not as if I’m plumbing the depths of your mind, dear girl. That is the burden of every tiefling. Some break under it, some make it the millstone around their neck, some revel in it.” He tilted his head again, scrutinizing her, with that wicked glint in his eyes. “You fight it, don’t you? Like a little wildcat, I wager. Every little jab and comment just sharpens your claws.”

— Erin M. Evans, Brimstone Angels

To be greeted with stares and whispers, to suffer violence and insult on the street, to see mistrust and fear in every eye: this is the lot of the spawn. And to twist the knife, spawns know that this is because a pact struck generations ago infused the essence of Asmodeus—overlord of the Nine Hells—into their bloodline. Their appearance and their nature are not their fault but the result of an ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children’s children will always be held accountable. Spawn bear within their souls the light of the heavens. They are descended from aasimar with a touch of the power of Mount Celestia, the divine realm of many lawful good deities. Spawn are born to serve as champions of the gods, their births hailed as blessed events. They are a people of otherworldly visages, with luminous features that reveal their celestial heritage.

Celestial Champions

Spawn are placed in the world to serve as guardians of law and good. Their patrons expect them to strike at evil, lead by example, and further the cause of justice.

From an early age, an Spawn receives visions and guidance from celestial entities via dreams. These dreams help shape a spawn, granting a sense of destiny and a desire for righteousness.

Each spawn can count a specific celestial agent of the gods as a guide. This entity is typically a deva, an angel who acts as a messenger to the mortal world.

Infernal Bloodline

Spawns are derived from tiefling bloodlines, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look human. However, their infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Spawns have large horns that take any of a variety of shapes: some have curling horns like a ram, others have straight and tall horns like a gazelle’s, and some spiral upward like an antelopes’ horns. They have thick tails, four to five feet long, which lash or coil around their legs when they get upset or nervous. Their canine teeth are sharply pointed, and their eyes are solid colors—black, red, white, silver, or gold—with no visible sclera or pupil. Their skin tones cover the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of red. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red, blue, or purple.

Self-Reliant and Suspicious

Spawn subsist in small minorities found mostly in human cities or towns, often trying to fit in as a tiefling. Sometimes they live among other minority populations in enclaves where they are treated with more respect.

Lacking a homeland, spawn know that they have to make their own way in the world and that they have to be strong to survive. They are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a spawn’s companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, the spawn learns to extend the same trust to them. And once a spawn gives someone loyalty, the spawn is a firm friend or ally for life.

Spawn Names

Spawn names are taken from their tiefling heritage and fall into three broad categories. Spawn born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal language, passed down through generations, that reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger spawn, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some, the chosen name is a noble quest. For others, it’s a grim destiny.

Male Infernal Names: Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos, Pelaios, Skamos, Therai

Female Infernal Names: Akta, Anakis, Bryseis, Criella, Damaia, Ea, Kallista, Lerissa, Makaria, Nemeia, Orianna, Phelaia, Rieta

“Virtue” Names: Art, Carrion, Chant, Creed, Despair, Excellence, Fear, Glory, Hope, Ideal, Music, Nowhere, Open, Poetry, Quest, Random, Reverence, Sorrow, Temerity, Torment, Weary

MUTUAL MISTRUST

People tend to be suspicious of spawn, assuming that their infernal heritage has left its mark on their personality and morality, not just their appearance. Shopkeepers keep a close eye on their goods when spawn enter their stores, the town watch might follow a spawn around for a while, and demagogues blame spawns for strange happenings. The reality, though, is that a spawn’s bloodline doesn’t affect his or her personality to any great degree. Years of dealing with mistrust does leave its mark on most spawn, and they respond to it in different ways. Some choose to live up to the wicked stereotype, but others are virtuous. Most are simply very aware of how people respond to them. After dealing with this mistrust throughout youth, a spawn often develops the ability to overcome prejudice through charm or intimidation.

 

Hidden Wanderers

While spawn are strident foes of evil, they typically prefer to keep a low profile. A spawn inevitably draws the attention of evil cultists, fiends, and other enemies of good, all of whom would be eager to strike down a celestial champion if they had the chance.

When traveling, spawn prefer hoods, closed helms, and other gear that allows them to conceal their identities. They nevertheless have no compunction about striking openly at evil. The secrecy they desire is never worth endangering the innocent.

Spawn Guides

A spawn, except for one who has turned to evil, has a link to an angelic being. That being—usually a deva—provides guidance to the spawn, though this connection functions only in dreams. As such, the guidance is not a direct command or a simple spoken word. Instead, the spawn receives visions, prophecies, and feelings.

The angelic being is far from omniscient. Its guidance is based on its understanding of the tenets of law and good, and it might have insight into combating especially powerful evils that it knows about.

As part of fleshing out a spawn character, consider the nature of that character’s angelic guide. The Angelic Guide tables offer names and natures that you can use to flesh out your character’s guide.

Angelic Guide

D6	NAME
1	Tadriel
2	Myllandra
3	Seraphina
4	Galladia
5	Mykiel
6	Valandras

D6	NATURE
1	Bookish and lecturing
2	Compassionate and hopeful
3	Practical and lighthearted
4	Fierce and vengeful
5	Stern and judgmental
6	Kind and parental

Conflicted Souls

Despite its celestial origin, a spawn is mortal and possesses free will. Most spawn follow their ordained path, but some grow to see their abilities as a curse. These disaffected spawn are typically content to turn away from the world, but a few become agents of evil. In their minds, their exposure to celestial powers amounted to little more than brainwashing.

Evil spawn make deadly foes. The radiant power they once commanded becomes corrupted into a horrid, draining magic. And their angelic guides abandon them.

Even spawn wholly dedicated to good sometimes feel torn between two worlds. The angels that guide them see the world from a distant perch. A spawn who wishes to stop and help a town recover from a drought might be told by an angelic guide to push forward on a greater quest. To a distant angel, saving a few commoners might pale in comparison to defeating a cult of Orcus. A spawn’s guide is wise but not infallible.

Subrace

Three subraces of spawn exist, taken from their celestial lineage: protector, scourge, and fallen. Choose one of them for your character.

Spawn Traits

Spawns share certain racial traits as a result of their infernal and celestial descent.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Spawn mature at the same rate as humans but they can live up to 160 years.

Alignment

Imbued with celestial power, most spawn are good. Outcast spawn are most often neutral or even evil. Spawn might not have an innate tendency toward evil, but many of them end up there. Evil or not, a code or rules of their own tend to make them a lawful alignment.

Size

Spawn 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 infernal and celestial 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.

Spawn Resistance

You have resistance to fire damage, necrotic damage and radiant damage.

Infernal Legacy

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.

Languages

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

Healing Hands

As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Light Bearer

You know the light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.