12 Jul Tiefling Subraces: Go Beyond Horns, the Devil’s in the Details

Playing a tiefling is tough work. While others treat you with contempt and suspicion, you may find yourself becoming attached to your party. Over time, you will come to trust each other, and you can prove that you are more than the sum of your demonic-looking parts.

How do you make a Tiefling character?

Of all the races to choose from in Dungeons and Dragons, you pick one of the hardest to rollplay? Are you prepared to be greeted with whispers and stares?  To suffer harassment and violence from random strangers?

You will see mistrust and fear in the face of almost all who behold you. Your devilish appearance and your nature are not your character’s fault, but are the result of an ancient sin, for which your race will always be held accountable.

How you approach this burden will shape how you play a tiefling, and your whole Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

Infernal Bloodline: If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…

While your race is derived from human bloodlines, and you still mostly look humanoid, your infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on your appearance.

Tieflings have large horns that can take any of a variety of shapes: you can have curling horns like a ram, straight and tall horns like a gazelle’s, or spiralled horns like an antelope’s.

You have a thick tail, four to five feet long (that’s long; think about it!), which lashes or coils around your legs when you get upset or nervous. Your canine teeth are sharply pointed, and your eyes are solid colors—black, red, white, silver, or gold—with no visible sclera or pupil.

This is by far the most off-putting and demony thing about your appearance; when others look you in the eye, there is no escaping the fact that you have infernal eyes, and no amount of dressing up or disguising will hide you from this most basic of scrutiny, this view into the windows of your soul.

You have some options for your skin colour, including the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of red. Your hair, cascading down from behind your horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red, blue, or purple.

Self-Reliant and Suspicious: A self-fulfilling prophecy

Tieflings cluster together in small minority groups, found mostly in human cities or towns, often in the roughest quarters of those places, where they grow up to be swindlers, thieves, or crime lords.

Sometimes they live among other minority populations in enclaves where they are treated with more respect. Yes, this is one of the more blatant analogues to our real-life human problems with racism, segregation, ghettoisation, and xenophobia.

Lacking a homeland, you know that you have to make your own way in the world, and that you have to be strong to survive.

You are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust them, the tiefling learns to extend the same trust to them. And once a tiefling gives someone loyalty, the tiefling is a firm friend or ally for life.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.

Age. Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.

Alignment. Tieflings might not have an innate tendency toward evil, but many of them end up there. Evil or not, an independent nature inclines many tieflings toward a chaotic alignment.

Size. 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 infernal 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.

Hellish Resistance. You have resistance to fire 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 and Infernal.

What is the best class for Tiefling? Do Tieflings make good bards? Can a Tiefling be a warlock?

Any, yes, and yes! This goes way beyond the player’s handbook, beyond hit points, combat, and racial traits; the flavor of your character is what will help you rollplay.

When adding the layers onto your tiefling character, start from the base of the pyramid and work your way up to a subrace!

What are the Tiefling Subraces? What book has Tiefling Subraces?

Tiefling subraces were originally published as part of the Unearthed Arcana ([insert link to previous Unearthed Arcana article!]). Between your appearance, class, and these subraces, the number of tiefling variants you could come up with are vast!

The subraces were playtested and made their way into their final form in:

Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes: All about the Tiefling Subraces

Bloodline of Asmodeus(UA) (The Default Tiefling!)

The tieflings connected to Nessus command the power of fire and darkness, guided by a keener than normal intellect, as befits those linked to Asmodeus himself.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Infernal Legacy. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Hellish Rebuke spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Darkness spell once.

You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Bloodline of Baalzebul

The crumbling realm of Maladomini is ruled by Baalzebul, who excels at corrupting those whose minor sins can be transformed into acts of damnation. Tieflings linked to this archdevil can corrupt others both physically and psychically.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score gets a +1.

Legacy of Maladomini. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Ray of Sickness spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Crown of Madness spell once.

You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Bloodline of Dispater

The great city of Dis occupies most of Hell’s second layer. It is a place where secrets are uncovered and shared with the highest bidder, making tieflings tied to Dispater excellent spies and infiltrators.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score gets a +1.

Legacy of Dis. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Disguise Self spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Detect Thoughts spell once.

You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Bloodline of Fierna

A master manipulator, Fierna grants tieflings tied to her forceful personalities.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Legacy of Phlegethos. You know the Friends cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Charm Person spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Suggestion spell once.

You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

 

Bloodline of Glasya

Glasya, Hell’s criminal mastermind, grants her tieflings magic that is useful for committing heists.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score gets a +1.

Legacy of Malbolge. You know the Minor Illusion cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Disguise Self spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Invisibility spell once as a 2nd-level spell.

You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Bloodline of Levistus

Frozen Stygia is ruled by Levistus, an archdevil known for offering bargains to those who face an inescapable doom.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Legacy of Stygia. You know the Ray of Frost cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Armor of Agathys spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Darkness spell once.

You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Bloodline of Mammon

The great miser Mammon loves coins above all else. Tieflings tied to him excel at gathering and safeguarding wealth.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Legacy of Minauros. You know the Mage Hand cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Tenser’s Floating Disk spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Arcane Lock spell once.

You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Bloodline of Mephistopheles

In the frozen realm of Cania, Mephistopheles offers arcane power to those who entreat with him. Tieflings linked to him master some arcane magic.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Legacy of Cania. You know the Mage Hand cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Burning Hands spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Flame Blade spell once as a 3rd-level spell.

You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Bloodline of Zariel

Tieflings with a blood tie to Zariel are stronger than the typical tiefling and receive magical abilities that aid them in battle.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.

Legacy of Avernus. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Searing Smite spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Branding Smite spell once as a 3rd-level spell.

You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Variant Tiefling

Variant Tieflings gain additional options which either replace Infernal Legacy or change the way Infernal Legacy works

Choose one of:

Devil’s Tongue. You know the vicious mockery cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the charm person spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the enthrall spell once with this trait. You must finish a long rest to cast these spells once again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for them. This trait replaces the Infernal Legacy trait.

Hellfire. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. This trait replaces the hellish rebuke spell of the Infernal Legacy trait.

Winged. You have bat-like wings sprouting from your shoulder blades. You have a flying speed of 30 feet while you aren’t wearing heavy armor. This trait replaces the Infernal Legacy trait.

Whichever subrace you go with, you’re going to have a real time of it navigating the prejudices and fears of others. Will you pump up the valour to compensate and try to dispel their worries? Do you embrace your heritage and own the chaos that comes from your infernal bloodline?

Tieflings are a rich base for you to explore, and, as ever, you may wish to have an out-of-game-chat with your DM, perhaps even aside from the rest of your party, to discuss the nuances of your role playing.

Stavros