Tiefling

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 tiefling. And to twist the knife, tieflings know that this is because a pact struck generations ago infused the essence of Faustians or Apocrits—the denizens of The Haunt and The Shore—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.

Infernal Bloodline
Tieflings are derived from the bloodlines of the different races, most commonly humans or Feyborn. In the broadest possible sense, they still look like their parent race, especially if they are first or second generation tieflings. However, their infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Tieflings 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 chromatic colors such as red, yellow, or blue. 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
Tieflings subsist in small minorities found mostly in feyborn 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.

Lacking a homeland, tieflings 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 tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, 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.

Tiefling Names
Tiefling names fall into three broad categories. Tieflings 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 tieflings, 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 tieflings, 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 tieflings enter their stores, the town watch might follow a tiefling around for a while, and demagogues blame tieflings for strange happenings. The reality, though, is that a tiefling’s bloodline doesn’t affect his or her personality to any great degree. Years of dealing with mistrust does leave its mark on most tieflings, 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 tiefling often develops the ability to overcome prejudice through charm or intimidation."When creating a tiefling character, you can use the suggested ability score increases or, as detailed in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, you can instead increase one ability score of your choice by 1 and one different ability score of your choice by 2.

All tieflings have the following racial traits:

Darkvision. You can see in dim lighting within 60ft as if it were bright light, and darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Infernal Legacy. You have innate spellcasting determined by your infernal heritage. At 1st level, you know 1 cantrip as determined by your bloodline. At 2nd level, you know a 1st level spell as determined by your bloodline. At 5th level you know a 3rd level spell as determined by your bloodline.

Apocrit Bloodlines
Tieflings are a diverse race with a variety of abilities that connect them to the Apocrit house of their ancestry. Apocrit houses are formed around the Dragonfly Lord that they serve and thus specialize in different forms of trickery and subterfuge. The innate magic and abilities that a tiefling is born with reflect this. Besides the features above, Apocrit tieflings also gain the Hellish Resistance feature and can speak Infernal. The features described in each of the following bloodlines replaces the Infernal Legacy trait.

Hellish Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.

House Of Dragons
(Int +1; Cha +2)

The tieflings connected to Nessus command the power of fire and darkness, guided by a keener than normal intellect, as befits those linked to the capital of The Haunt. ''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. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

House of Flies
(Int +1; Cha +2)

The crumbling realm of Diptera is home to those apocrits who excel at corrupting others into relinquishing their True Names, the currency of The Haunt. Tieflings linked to this bloodline can corrupt others both physically and psychically. ''You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the ray of sickness spell as a 2nd level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the crown of madness spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

House of Moths
(Dex +1; Cha +2)

The great city of Cecropia and is known as a place where secrets are uncovered and shared with the highest bidder. This makes tieflings tied to Cecropia excellent spies and infiltrators. ''You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the disguise self spell as a 2nd level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the detect thoughts spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

House of Damsels
(Wis +1; Cha +2)

Master manipulators, tieflings tied to the city of Zygo have forceful personalities and enact their will on others. ''You know the friends 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 suggestion spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

House of Glass
(Dex +1; Cha +2)

Home to the criminal masterminds of The Haunt, and tieflings with ties to Greta Otto have magic that is useful for committing heists. ''You know the minor illusion cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the disguise self spell as a 2nd level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the invisibility spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

House of Nymphs
(Con +1; Cha +2)

The city of Stygia is located on a great glacier in the haunt, and its denizens are known for offering bargains to those who face an inescapable doom. ''You know the ray of frost cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the armor of agathys spell as a 2nd level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

House of Mantis
(Int +1; Cha +2)

Those native to Burmeist love coins above all else. Tieflings tied to this city excel at gathering and safeguarding wealth. ''You know the mage hand cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the tenser's floating disk spell as a 2nd level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the arcane lock spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

House of Wasps
(Int +1; Cha +2)

In the paper city of Hymen, pacts are offered that grant arcane power to those who entreat with them. Tieflings linked to Mephistopheles master some arcane magic. ''You know the mage hand cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands spell as a 2nd level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the flame blade spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

House of Scorpions
(Str +1; Cha +2)

Tieflings tied to the city of Serket are stronger than the typical tiefling and receive magical abilities that aid them in battle. ''You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the searing smite spell as a 2nd level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the branding smite spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

Faustian Bloodlines
(Int +1; choose 1 from Dex, Cha)

These tieflings are descended from the Faustians, and their appearence reflects these creature's bestial nature. Tieflings with this bloodline may exhibit goatlike legs, large hornlike crests, a serpent's tongue, catlike eyes, six fingers, a forked tail, scales or fur, or prominent tusks and fangs. If you select one of the following bloodlines (Serpent's Tongue, Hellfire, Winged, Feral, or Chaos Faustian), you also gain the Abyssal Fortitude feature and you can speak Abyssal as opposed to Infernal. The features described in each of the following bloodlines replaces the Infernal Legacy trait.

Abyssal Fortitude. Your hit point maximum increases by half your level (minimum 1).

Serpent's Tongue
Descended from the wittiest of the Faustians, these tieflings have a sharp tongue and a natural charm. They are also most likely to have forked tongues or patches of scales. ''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. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

Hellfire
Descended from eldest of the Faustians, these tieflings have command over the unnerving purple-black flames of their progenitor's homeworld. These tieflings are more often than naught born from deals with faustians who have deep ties to old magics. Tieflings tied to this bloodline often have oni-like fangs or patches of spiked fur. ''You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands spell as a 2nd level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

Winged
These tieflings are born with a rare mutation that grants them a pair of leathery, batlike wings. Tieflings born with this ability are considered a dark omen. You have a flying speed of 30ft when you aren't wearing heavy armor.

Feral
Descended from wild Faustians who wander the savage wastelands of the Shore, these tieflings are intelligent and dexterous to help them swindle, steal and sneak their way into and out of problems. Tieflings tied to this bloodline have exaggerated claws and horns and occasionally have dark patterns. ''You know the primal savagery cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the longstrider spell as a 2nd level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the alter self spell once with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability them.''

Chaos Faustian
(Con +1; Cha +2)

Some tieflings are more tied to the Shore itself than any one type of faustian. The chaotic and unpredictable nature of the Shore infuses their very being, causing their abilities, and even to a small extent their appearance, to be in a constant state of change. Perhaps the tiefling's horn shape changes with each dawn, or perhaps their eye color slowly shifts across the spectrum. ''Each time you finish a long rest, you gain the ability to cast cantrips and spells randomly determined from a short list. At 1st level, you can cast a cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast a 1st level spell. At 5th level, you can cast a 2nd level spell''

''You can cast a spell gained from this trait only once until you complete your next long rest. You can cast a cantrip gained from this trait at will, as normal. For 1st level spells whose effect changes if cast cast using a spell slot of 2nd level r higher, you cast the spell as if using a 2nd level spell slot. Spells of 2nd level are cast using a 2nd level spell slot. At the end of each long rest, you lose the cantrips and spells previously granted by this feature, even if you did not cast them. You replace those cantrips and spells by rolling for new ones on the Abyssal Arcana Spells table. If you roll the same spell or cantrip gained at the end of your previous long rest, roll again until you get a different result.''