Homebrew imp Species Details

History

Imps are, unlike the common idea of the evil demons and devils, regarded as more or less nuisances to be dealt with. They are characteristically the mischievous troublemakers throughout history, playing pranks on humans by stealing children, cursing livestock, and making life harder than it has to be. They are created in the Nine Hells, where human souls go to be torn apart for their misdeeds. From the shreds of human soul matter, a lemure is born, void of anything resembling its former shape or mind. They usually remain this way until a greater archdevil declares it as his own property, giving it purpose and finding its use. It then becomes an imp. Imps serve as the servants for all the castes of Hell, themselves being among the lowest rungs. They thus get their licks in when they can on humans.

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, free to cause mischief. 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. Some imps make contracts in exchange for souls to offer their earnings to the devils they serve, particularly any of the Lords of the Nine.

imp Traits

ou grow to learn how to use your wings. You gain a flying speed of 40 feet. You cannot fly if you are wearing armor that you aren't proficient in.

Age.

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

Ability Score Increase.

ability score increase. Your Dex and Cha scores each increase by 1.

Alignment.

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.

Size.

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

Devil's Sight.

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 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. In addition, magical darkness doesn't affect your darkvision.

Stinger.

Stinger. Your stinger is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Dexterity modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. You cannot use this trait while polymorphed

Infernal Ancestry.

Infernal Ancestry. Your creature type is fiend, instead of humanoid. Therefore, spells that normally affect humanoids such as hold person or crown of madness won't work on you. Additionally, you are resistant to fire damage.

evil on the Shoulder.

evil on the Shoulder. You commit deeds and use your small size to your advantage to remain hidden. You are proficient in the Stealth skill.