Cambion (5e Race)
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Cambion
Physical Description
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| As seen in the 5th edition Monster Manual |
A cambion inherits features from both of their parents, deriving the basic structure of their physical appearance from their human parent. Their humanoid shape, facial features and hair are often overlooked next to their fiendish traits. A cambion may be nearly indistinguishable from other members of its mortal half, or just as likely they may appear to be entirely demonic. Two cambion siblings might seemingly be of completely different races, their infernal blood manifesting in unique ways.
Their fiendish parent largely contributes to these particular features. Horns may curl and swirl like a ram’s, point sharply upwards towards the sky like a horned devil or resemble a rack of antlers. Their body could be partially scaled or covered in thick, leathery skin, both of which could range from red, purple and green to white, grey and black. Cloven hooves, claws and forked tongues are not uncommon either. Despite all of these terrifying traits, they are considered attractive by many.
The following is a list of example fiends known to be able to produce cambion offspring:
- Balor
- Balor-spawn are the cambions told of in old stories and legends. Skin like a vibrant ruby, diminutive horns outlined by obsidian hair, large, leathery wings, and a non-prehensile tail. Shapely, well built, undeniably attractive, these cambions are very active in the affairs of mortals, easily influencing, ruling, and manipulating them.
- More than any of their cousins, save perhaps the child of a pit fiend, these half-tanar'ri possess an unworldly ambition. It would be wise not to cross one.
- Glabrezu
- The abyssal child of a glabrezu is a large, hulking figure. With spined shoulders, furry, digitigrade legs, and occasionally an extra set of vestigial arms, these horned humanoids are light of skin, with markings similar to their demonic parent.
- Marilith
- It was once postulated that the yuan-ti were descended from humans who worshipped and pledged themselves to the service of mariliths, eventually interbreeding with them. Such an idea was slowly proven incorrect as we learned more of the yuan-ti history, but the connection is easily made once one has viewed a marilith-born cambion.
- Occasionally indistinguishable from a yuan-ti pureblood, they may possess many similar physical traits; serpentine eyes, pointed teeth, and even scaly skin, though these scales usually manifest on the lower half of the body.
- That is where the similarities end, however, as their fierce, warlike tendencies contradict the usual function of yuan-ti purebloods as spies. Though rare, some do inherit the six arms of their mother, making them nearly unmatched combatants.
- Nalfeshnee
- What grave misfortune has befallen the poor target of a nalfeshnee's desire.
- The corpulent, wretched spawn of such an undoubtedly nonconsensual union are hideous, cannibalistic gluttons possessed of porcine features and habits.
- Often bearing tusks rather than horns, and wings even more undersized than their demonic parent's, these bloated beings enjoy nothing more than the indiscriminate consumption of flesh and the visceral satisfaction that comes from eating a creature alive.
- Succubus/Incubus
- Easily the most common cambions are those born of a mortal man and a succubus. Cambion daughters of succubi are known as "alu-fiends," or "alu-demons," but there is functionally no difference between them and their male counterparts. Children born to either sex of these demonic tempters can be indistinguishable from tieflings and many are capable of passing as humans.
- Invariably promiscuous, they are generally attractive, even beautiful by human standards, if not for a few demonic traits, commonly sharp, pointy teeth, diminutive, batlike wings, and less commonly cloven, hooved, unguligrade feet.
- Yochlol
- The only form in which yochlol can mate with a mortal is that of a female drow. As such, a cambion birthed from this creature appears as any other drow, though they are often chosen by Lolth to become powerful priestesses and agents.
- Barbazu (Bearded Devil)
- One of the more humanoid of the baatezu, the bearded devil gifts its children light purple skin, pointed ears, powerful claws, a statuesque physique, and a thick, powerful tail. Tendrils grow from their lower jaw, similar, but longer than tieflings with the blood of the Lord of Nessus.
- Not particularly bright, they make fierce warriors and respond violently to perceived slights.
- Kyton (Chain Devil)
- Were it not for the occasional unnaturally coloured skin and eponymous chains worn by the kyton, they would appear nearly precisely human. So too, their cambion offspring can be hard to identify as such. Extremely well built, such half-baatezu individuals, find a natural proclivity toward self-mutilation, scar-tattoos, and piercings.
- Kyton-spawn are cruel and sadistic, enjoying both inflicting and receiving pain. Beyond these not entirely unique behaviors, they can be indistinguishable from other mortals.
- Erinyes
- The child of a mortal, particularly human, and an erinyes would be the most difficult cambion to notice, were it not for the large, majestic wings protruding from its back. Usually red or black, these alone are rarely enough to realize the heritage of such a creature. Possessed of otherworldly beauty, the spawn of erinyes are almost always tall, fair, shapely, and universally aloof, viewing lesser races with disdain, but not caring enough to express it. The nearly vacant, seemingly lost visage of these half-fiends, silhoueted by beautiful, black hair, draws the eyes of most mortals with whom they interact.
- Woe to those who fall in love with the spawn of an erinyes, for the only thing worse than their indifference is their attention.
- Pit Fiend
- Similar to the progeny of a balor, a cambion born to a pit fiend exhibits many of the traits that first come to mind when thinking of evil outsiders. Red-skinned, though not smooth like their balor born counterparts, patches of platelike scales often appear on the shoulders and legs of these normally digitigrade, clawed humanoids. * Thick, black horns, sharp, powerful fangs, and bright, glowing red eyes adorn the strong-jawed head of these half-fiends. Some inherit powerful, leathery wings capable of wrapping around their entire body, and a long, prehensile tail.
- Arcanaloth
- Cambion children of the arcanaloth are unusual, but not unheard of. They often possess a more bestial form than other half-fiends, with back and shoulder fur, long, bushy tails, powerful canine teeth, hound's feet, long faces, and bright, yellow eyes being among the most common expressions of their outsider parentage.
- Nycaloth
- These cambions are some of the most similar to their fiendish heritage. Nycaloth spawn tends to be large, green-skinned, and brutish. Often fat, but unmistakably strong, their arms and shoulders may be adorned with spines. Rarely, they exhibit an extra set of arms.
- Ultroloth
- Rarest of the yugoloth cambions, children of an ultroloth and a mortal have a strange, alien allure to them. They are slender, but muscular, with skin tones ranging shades of grey, blue and green-grey being the most common. Tall heads and ovoid eyes are complimented by abnormally small facial features.
- Night Hag
- One method of hag reproduction involves the snatching and devouring of a human infant. Not all hags are produced this way. Cambions born of the unholy union between a night hag and a male mortal are always female. The father usually does not survive this ordeal.
- They appear as normal members of their father's race, save for a few subtle differences. They might have abnormally pale skin, blue or black hair that seems to be made of shadow, heterochromatic eyes of unnatural color or a slightly hypnotic effect to their voice.
- Rarely raised by their mothers, night hag-spawn are often left at the doorstep of some unsuspecting couple. Upon reaching puberty, the night mag may visit her daughter, and over the course of thirteen magical rituals, transform her unsuspecting progeny into a spitting image of the horror that gave her life. If the hag cannot locate her child, or if the rituals are interrupted, the cambion may continue living as any other mortal, though her hag blood will always call to her.
- Rakshasa
- The most distinguishing feature of those descended from a rakshasa is the inverted hands.
- Beyond that, they appear not unlike the shifters of Eberron. Their facial features may include the yellow, slit eyes of a cat, a cleft-palate and snout-like nose, pointed, curved feline ears, sharp fangs, broad nose bridge, and even a thin coat of fur across their entire body.
- Their feline traits are as varied as any rakshasa, usually resembling a cat of the material plane, commonly a tiger, lion, panther, or cougar.
History
A cambion, unlike a tiefling, is born directly from a human and a fiend or, more rarely, the offspring of an incubus and a succubus. The result of this union appears to be stillborn, not showing a sign of life through pulse or breath, though responsive to touch and, as legend tells, as heavy as a horse. This continues until the age of seven when they start to resemble their human parent more closely, although their often red skin, leathery wings and sinewy tails betray their otherworldly heritage.
Society
Cambions can often be found in positions of leadership throughout the realms but rarely with their own kin by their side. Their powerful bodies and endless ambition lead many of them to seek out power, particularly in the domination of weaker creatures of which there are many by comparison. Though rare and far between they can most frequently be found in places of fiendish worship or in areas having suffered a fiendish incursion where they have often been abandoned to fend for themselves in a world that doesn't want them. Yet, by their nature, they rise from roughest quarters of those places, where they often grow up to be commanders, lords, or rulers in some way shape or form.
Cambion Names
Cambion names fall into two broad categories. Cambions born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture while others have names derived from the Infernal or Abyssal language, passed down through generations, that reflect their fiendish heritage.
Male Infernal Names: Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, lados, Kairon. Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos. Pelaios, Skamos. Therai
Female Infernal Names: Akta, Anakis, Bryseis, Criella, Damaia, Ea, Kallista, Lerissa, Makaria, Nemeia, Orianna, Phelaia, Rieta
Cambion Traits
The children of a fiend and a humanoid, cambions show their parentage through their physical appearance, ability to live comfortably in heated regions that for most would be intolerable and their wicked natures.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Cambions mature at a faster rate than the children of mortals attaining immortality at the peak of their maturity.
Alignment. Cambions are born to be bad, with innately evil tendencies that can cause even the most devout mortal parent to abandon them leading them down a darker path, but if the parent of a cambion can holdfast and nurture the child they can become better than their nature. As evil, as they are ambitious many of them sway towards chaos or law depending on their fiendish parents, own wicked makeup.
Size. You typically resemble your humanoid parent in height and build. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. 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.
Fiend. Your creature type is fiend, instead of humanoid.
Fiendish Charm. You can cast the charm person spell once at will with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Fierce Presence. When another creature hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to add your Charisma modifier to your Armor Class for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Fire Ray. As an action, you can hurl a bolt of searing energy at a creature within 120 feet, forcing them to make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d8 fire damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d8 at 6th level, 4d8 at 11th level, and 5d8 at 16th level. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Otherworldly Resistance. Though you may have been born and bound to the Material Plane you possess a natural resistance to the forces that permeate it. You are resistant to either cold, fire, lightning or poison damage. Once you choose this resistance you cannot choose another.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and either Infernal if sired from a devil or Abyssal if sired from a demon.
Random Height and Weight
For other races use the table for your humanoid parent, roll the height and weight modifier twice and take the higher of the two results.
- Cambion (Human)
| Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5′ 2'' | +3d6 | 115 lb. | × (2d6) lb. |
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*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
Racial Feats
If you are using the feats variant rule, you may be eligible to take the following cambion racial feats.
Cambion Magic
Prerequisite: Cambion
You learn the magic of those formed from evil. You can cast the command, detect magic, and alter self spells, each of which you can cast once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast these spells in this way when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for all these spells.
Fiendish Flight
Prerequisite: Cambion
Tapping into your fiendish heritage you've manifest leathery wings. You gain a flying speed of 60 feet.
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