Welcome back, adventurers! As mentioned in The Druk: A Playable Race and The Qiron: A Playable Race, one of the core assumptions of the our history is the existence of inter-racial offspring aside from the basic half-elves and half-orcs found in the Player’s Handbook.
Thus far, Kenneth has provided three playable races, which we’ve shared in this space over a few separate posts. Please feel free to use or modify these profiles for your own campaigns. Introducing, Tieflings Reimagined.
The Tiefling
Tieflings can be members of any race afflicted by a demonic mutation that alters their appearance, grants extraordinary power, and often results in brutal debilities. Forced to exist in an infernal form, Tieflings are revered by some cultures and feared by others. The appearance of a Tiefling in a family’s bloodline reveals the demonic pact of some ancestor long past. Tiefling blood carries a curse, and the final breath of those with Tiefling blood can be used to lash out one final time.
Tiefling Traits
NOTE: As the Tiefling mutation can strike any race, the traits below are gained in addition to the base traits of your chosen biological race. A Tiefling Dwarf, for instance, would gain the abilities below as well as the Dwarf traits outlined in the Player’s Handbook.
Radiant Vulnerability
All radiant damage doubled.
Fire Resistance
All fire damage halved.
Hellfire
Any spell attacks dealing fire damage gain an extra 1d4 damage. This damage increases to 1d6 at 5th level, and 1d10 at 11th.
Infernal Blood
As a bonus action, the Tiefling can draw their own blood onto a weapon. Doing this deals 1d4 damage to the caster. All attacks made with the bloodied weapon are magical and deal an extra 1d4 fire damage. This damage increases to 1d6 at the 5th level, and 1d10 at 11th.
Blood Curse
With their dying breath, a person with Tiefling blood can curse any other being. Doing this automatically fails all death saves and kills the Tiefling. Any Tiefling who dies in this manner cannot be resurrected. Roll 1d20 to decide the outcome of the Curse, adding any necessary modifiers (detailed below).
Death Curse Modifiers
You have died an undeserved death (+1)
You have died peacefully (-1)
You do not intimately know the person you are cursing (-5)
You intimately know the person you are cursing (+3)
You have chosen to take your own life (+5)
You do not know the name of the being or person you are cursing (-10)
The person you are cursing has wronged you personally (+3)
The person you are cursing has worked to right that wrong (-5)
The person you are cursing has lived an upstanding life (-3)
The person you are cursing is a murderer (+1)
Death Curse Effects
On 1-5, your Cursed may hear a whisper on the wind and a sudden discomforting feeling overcomes them. Nothing else occurs.
On 6-10, your final scream echoes in the mind of your Cursed. They take 2d10 psychic damage if they are on the same plane of existence as you.
On 11-15, your Cursed is wracked with guilt and pain from your death, as blood vessels burst throughout their body, and they are forced to hear your final words. The target takes 6d10 psychic damage if they are on the same plane of existence as you, and has disadvantage on all saving throws until they are able to dispel the curse.
On 16-20, your Cursed is rendered unconscious as their mind is pulled through the realities and forced to live out your death. You can speak to them as this occurs. The strain of this event most commonly leads to the Cursed One's death. The target takes 10d10 psychic damage if they are on the same plane of Existence as you, and has disadvantage on all ability checks, attacks, and saving throws until they can dispel the curse.
On 20+, your Cursed dies instantly, is pulled to your afterlife, and their soul is bound to your command.
