Homebrew Imp Species Details

An imp loves three things: summons, corruption, and itself. An imp on the shoulder is a thorn to the side, but it will shield its master with all its power. An imp doesn't have to be attached to a summoner to be in the mortal plane, but it's rare to see one that's not.

That said, imps are lazy and unreliable and will often shirk duties whenever possible, especially ones that sound boring or dangerous. It brings them glee to see their master frustrated and stressed.

Physical Description

With the ability to shapeshift into tiny beasts, one can only be sure they've seen an imp if it was in its true form. Outside of your beast forms, you are a diminutive humanoid with leathery, bat-like wings. Your skin ranges from fiery red to sulfur yellow. Most imps have small, pointy horns the color of their skin, but you may have longer horns or no horns at all. You also have a mouth full of sharp teeth which jut out over your lips.

History

A petty lesser devil of mischief, you were at one point a mortal soul that sunk into the Nine Hells. You were first transformed into a lemure, and then into an imp as you were found to be useful.

Society

Originally promoted as battle fodder, imps who live beyond their use are often bullied by higher-level devils. Because of their ease to deal with compared to more powerful fiends, they are often summoned to the world of mortals to act as familiars for spellcasters. If the imp's summoner dies without dismissing the imp, or the summoner breaks any of the contract's rules, an imp will break the contract and psychic bond. In those cases, an imp may stay in the mortal world indefinitely and unchained. However, an imp's primary goal in contracts is to obtain the soul of a mortal, as the captured soul displays merit among other lesser devils.

Imp Names

The true names of imps are kept as less of a secret than those of other devils, as they tend to welcome any summons to the mortal plane. Their names are often derived from Infernal and are not divided by gender. Invidoo, Druzil, and Cespenar are examples of existing imp names.

Size

 Imps stand about 2 feet tall and average 8 pounds in weight. Your size is tiny.

Alignment

Imps are strongly predisposed towards selfishness and are loyal to the hierarchy of the Nine Hells. Thus, they are almost always lawful evil, but a true neutral imp is not unheard of.

Age

Imps reach maturity at around 5, and live until they are killed in their home plane.

Imp Traits

A tiny shapechanging fiend with a barbed, stinging tail.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity or Charisma score increases by 2, your Strength decreases by 2, and your Intelligence decreases by 1.

Devil's Sight

Accustomed to the darkness of the lower planes, you have no problem seeing in darkness. You can see in dim light within 120 feet as if it were bright light and darkness as though it were dim light, even magical darkness. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Beguiling Influence

A natural master of lying, you have proficiency in the Deception skill.

Shapechanger

You can use an action to polymorph into a rat (speed 20ft.), a raven (20ft., fly 60ft.), or a spider (20ft., climb 20ft), or back into your true form. In your polymorphed forms, your stats are congruent with those of the beasts you become. You remain polymorphed until you switch back or die.

Stinger

You have a barbed stinger on the end of your tail, which can do 1d4+3 piercing damage and 3d6 poison damage unless the target makes a Constitution saving throw(DC 8+prof+con). It has a reach of 5 feet and uses dex to hit. In your beast forms, this attack becomes a bite with the stinger's effects halved.

Imp's Bane

You have a vulnerability to silvered weapons, making them more likely to hit and doubling their damage against you.

Imp's Boon

As a devil you have resistance to fire and poison damage, and you cannot be poisoned.

Familiar

You can enter into a contract with the terms you specify to serve another creature as a familiar, forming a telepathic bond with your willing master. While you and your master are bonded, your master can sense what you see as long as you are within 1 mile of your master. While you are within 10 feet of your master, your master gains a +1 bonus to AC. If your master violates the terms of your contract, you can end your service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond. A creature who violates the terms of your contract cannot form another bond with you for 1 year.

Languages

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

Tiny

As a tiny creature, you need less food and water than larger creatures, and you have advantage on Stealth. However, you are restricted in that the heaviest armor you can wear is light armor, light weapons are treated as heavy weapons, your carrying and lift capacity is reduced by half, and you cannot benefit from the finesse property unless the weapon is also light.

Minor Magic Resistance

You have advantage on saving throws to magical effects that require a wisdom, charisma or constitution saving throw.