Tieflings

**Tieflings** are planar scions native to Aurea who are mostly human, yet with the blood of demons, devils, or other evil fiendish outsiders in their veins. Also known colloquially (and somewhat pejoratively) as **hellspawn** or **devilblooded**, they are often distrusted and feared for this evil lineage.

## Appearance

Tieflings vary greatly in individual appearance from one another, depending not only on the ethnicity of the human parent but also the type of the fiendish parent. They can have horns, greatly varying skin colors, hooves for feet, tails, unusual eyes, and so on. Tieflings descended from demons, for instance, often develop asymmetrical markings or growths, while tieflings descended from divs tend to manifest various abnormalities related to their skin and those descended from rakshasas typically develop animalistic appearances. These variances mean that two tieflings born from two different fiends might have vast differences in appearance.

## Rules

### Standard Racial Traits

**Ability Score Modifiers:** Tieflings are quick in body and mind, but are inherently strange and unnerving. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, and –2 Charisma.

**Type:** Tieflings are outsiders with the native subtype.

**Size:** Tieflings are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

**Speed:** Tieflings have a base speed of 30 feet.

**Languages**: Tieflings begin play speaking Common and either Abyssal or Infernal. Tieflings with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Infernal, and Orc. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

#### Defense Racial Traits

**Fiendish Resistance:** Tieflings have cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, and fire resistance 5.

#### Feat and Skill Racial Traits

**Skilled:** Tieflings gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Stealth checks.

#### Magical Racial Traits

**Spell-like ability:** Tieflings can use darkness once per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability equals the tiefling’s class level.

#### Senses Racial Traits

**Darkvision:** Tieflings can see perfectly in the dark for up to 60 feet.

#### Other Racial Traits

**Fiendish Sorcery:** Tiefling sorcerers with the Abyssal or Infernal bloodlines treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer class abilities.

#### Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

**Beguiling** **liar:** Many tieflings find that the best way to get along in the world is to tell others what they want to hear. These tieflings’ practice of telling habitual falsehoods grants them a +4 racial bonus on Bluff checks to convince an opponent that what they are saying is true when they tell a lie. This racial trait replaces skilled.

**Bullying:** Tieflings are often disparaged and kept low in the social order, where they commonly resort to robbing those weaker than themselves. Tieflings with this racial trait gain a +1 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks to disarm or steal. This racial trait replaces skilled.

**Fiendish Sprinter:** Some tieflings have feet that are more bestial than human. Whether their feet resemble those of a clawed predator or are the cloven hooves common to many of their kind, tieflings with this trait gain a 10-foot racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions. This racial trait replaces skilled.

**Light from the Darkness:** Tieflings who deny the evil of their heritage to go on to become heroes refuse to use the dark magic of their blood, but their struggle grants them uncanny resilience against evil’s touch. As long as they retain a good alignment, they gain the aasimar’s incorruptible alternate racial trait. This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability racial trait.

**Maw or Claw:** Some tieflings take on the more bestial aspects of their fiendish ancestors. These tieflings exhibit either powerful, toothy maws or dangerous claws. The tiefling can choose a bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage or two claws that each deal 1d4 points of damage. These attacks are primary natural attacks. This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability racial trait.

**Pass for Human:** Discrimination against tieflings with horrifically fiendish features is so intense that even tieflings look up to those precious few of their kind who can pass as human. These tieflings have otherworldly features that are so subtle, they aren’t often noticed unless the tiefling points them out (for example, eyes that flash red in the throes of passion, or fingernails that are naturally hard and pointed). Such a tiefling doesn’t need to succeed at a Disguise check to appear to be human and count as humanoid (human) as well as outsider (native) for all purposes (such as humanoid-affecting spells like charm person or enlarge person). The tiefling does not automatically gain his associated outsider language (but may select it as a bonus language if his Intelligence score is high enough), and he may not select other racial traits that would grant him obviously fiendish features (such as the fiendish sprinter, maw or claw, prehensile tail, scaled skin, or vestigial wings alternate racial traits). This ability alters the tiefling’s type, subtype, and languages.

**Prehensile Tail:** Many tieflings have tails, but some have long, flexible tails that can be used to carry items. While they cannot wield weapons with their tails, they can use them to retrieve small, stowed objects carried on their persons as a swift action. This racial trait replaces fiendish sorcery.

**Scaled Skin:** The skin of these tieflings provides some energy resistance, but is also as hard as armor. Choose one of the following energy types: cold, electricity, or fire. A tiefling with this trait gains resistance 5 in the chosen energy type and also gains a +1 natural armor bonus to AC. This racial trait replaces fiendish resistance.

**Smite Good**: Once per day, a tiefling with this racial trait can smite a good-aligned creature. As a swift action, the tiefling chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is good, the tiefling adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to attack rolls against the target and gains a bonus on damage rolls against the target equal to her number of Hit Dice. This effect lasts until the first time the tiefling successfully hits her designated target. This racial trait replaces fiendish sorcery and the tiefling’s spell-like ability.

**Soul Seer:** Rare tieflings have a peculiar sight that allows them to see the state of a creature’s soul. They can use deathwatch at will as spell-like ability. This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability and fiendish sorcery racial traits.

**Underworld Guide (2 RP):** Those who brave the lightless tunnels below the world’s surface learn to identify the dangerous phenomena that characterize the Underworld. Characters with this trait gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks, and on saves against traps and hazards when underground (from a lifetime of dodging accursed pools, cave-ins, and green slime). Tieflings can take this trait in place of the darkness spell-like ability.

**Vestigial Wings:** Some tieflings possess a pair of undersized, withered, or stunted wings like a mockery of those of their fiendish forbearer. Sometimes these wings are leathery, like those of a bat. Other times they are covered with a scattering of black, red, or violet feathers. Rare manifestations can take even more bizarre forms. These wings do not provide the lift required for actual flight, but do have enough power to aid flight attained by some other method, and grant a +4 racial bonus on Fly skill checks. This racial trait replaces skilled.

#### Variant Tiefling heritages

d10 Heritage Ability Modifiers Alternate Skill Modifiers Alternate Spell-Like Ability Description

1 Asura-Spawn

(Faultspawn) +2 Dex, +2 Wis,

–2 Int Appraise, Knowledge (local) hideous laughter The scions of the exotic and mysterious asuras are swift and wise, but often favor traditional ways over cunning.

2 Daemon-Spawn

(Grimspawn) +2 Dex, +2 Int,

–2 Wis Disable Device, Sleight of Hand death knell Daemon-blooded bringers of devastation are shrewd and swift, but their plans frequently exhibit exploitable flaws.

3 Demodand-Spawn

(Foulspawn) +2 Con, +2 Wis,

–2 Int Intimidate, Knowledge (religion) bear’s endurance The burly spawn of the demodand race possess bizarre cunning, but favor brawn to planning.

4 Demon-Spawn

(Pitborn) +2 Str, +2 Cha,

–2 Int Disable Device, Perception shatter Savage and monstrous, the terrifying spawn of demons know the chaotic fury of their Abyssal ancestors.

5 Devil-Spawn

(Hellspawn) +2 Con, +2 Wis,

–2 Cha Diplomacy, Sense Motive pyrotechnics Stalwart and conniving, diabolical tieflings know the discipline and might of Hell’s legions.

6 Div-Spawn

(Spitespawn) +2 Dex, +2 Cha,

–2 Int Diplomacy, Linguistics misdirection Scouring life like a desert wind, these tieflings possess the precision and exoticism of their div ancestors.

7 Kyton-Spawn

(Shackleborn) +2 Con, +2 Cha,

–2 Wis Escape Artist, Intimidate web The black-hearted spawn of shadow and pain know the sadistic vices of their suffering-obsessed forebearers.

8 Oni-Spawn

(Hungerseed) +2 Str, +2 Wis,

–2 Cha Disguise, Intimidate alter self The spawn of oni know the ways of their ancestral fiends and master the arts of trickery and cruelty.

9 Qlippoth-Spawn

(the Motherless) +2 Str, +2 Wis,

–2 Int Escape Artist, Survival blur Rare in the extreme, the warped scions of the eldritch qlippoths retain the tenacity and insidiousness of their horrific forbearers.

10 Rakshasa-Spawn (Beastbrood) +2 Dex, +2 Cha,

–2 Wis Disguise, Sense Motive detect thoughts Deft and charming, these bestial tieflings inherit much of the subtlety and guile of their proud rakshasa progenitors.