Planetouched—Verephim (3.5e Race)

Verephim

Created by the unnatural union of an aasimar and a tiefling, Verephim are an unusual race with a reputation for being conflicted and either neurotic or erratic, having two opposing influences on their actions. This reputation is understandable, but very over exaggerated. The vast majority of Verephim have learned to recognize their oddities and accept them without conflict.

Personality

Verephim tend to be quiet and reserved, not because of an especial tendancy towards introversion but because it is in their best interest to avoid acting rashly and in extremes. Their celestial and infernal sides are frequently at odds, and trying to repress or indulge either can manifest as physical discomfort, sickness, and pain. Generally, indulging too heavily in their infernal side will make their blood run hot, and indulging too heavily in their celestial side makes their blood icy. This has the interesting side effect that Verephim in colder climates indulge their infernal side more readily, while the opposite is true in warmer climates.

It is important to remember, however, that Verephim are as individual as any other race. How their internal conflict manifests, or if they have one at all, depends not only on the specific natures of their ancestries, but the environment they are raised in. Many Verephim find that through luck or concious and deliberate philisophical reconciliation, their infernal and celestial sides are not entirely incompatible with one another, making it easy to integrate their disparate natures into a cohesive whole. Others are directly at odds with themselves, either crippled into constant inaction or plagued with erratic and seemingly contradictory behaviors and compulsions.

Moderately well-adjusted Verephim will frequently have a carefully thought out personal code that they adhear to strictly. The code need not be written down, or even conciously acknowledged, but it serves an important role in keeping them even keeled and healthy--to deviate is to risk sickness and erratic compulsions to "balance the score". Interestingly, neither the poorly adjusted nor the very well-adjust Verephim will follow such a code--the former may act on conflicting impulses freely, or refuse to take any meaningful action at all, while the latter has reconciled their infernal and celestial sides so completely that their natures are almost always aligned.

Thus, the better adjusted a Vereph is the more they tend towards lawful, until they outgrow the crutch of strict principals.

All of this purely abstract and academic discussion of Verephic internal conflict, nature, and the various manners in which they can manifest does risk giving the wrong impression. Verephim who are impulsive and erratic, Verephim who are meek and timid, Verephim with obtrusive and convoluted moral codes--these are interesting and rare phenomena that are valuable to study and understand, and are usually far less extreme in practice than sensationalized stories might imply. A vast majority of Verephim have spent their whole lives being Verephim, and understandably have plenty of experience being who and what they are.

While one might expect that Verephim would be prone to brooding, filled with self-hatred, and angsty to the extreme, such behavior is almost unheard of in Verephim outside of childhood for the very simple reason that Verephim who are prone to indulging in such self conflict rarely make it out of childhood--they learn to accept who and what they are, or they grow sick and die.

Physical Description

While they usually appear to be normal humans, most Verephim have minor characteristics from both heritages, such as small horns and golden eyes, or silver hair and a sulfuric smell. If they have traits indicative of their nature, they will have traits from both parents. In general, Verephim are tall but slim, with slightly pallid skin. They frequently suffer from minor fevers and chills.

Relations

As a half-breed of two traditionally antagonistic races, the relationship of Verephim with their parent races is very dependent on the relations of those races within the setting. If the two races get along well, Verephim might crop up just as frequently as any other half-breed, and be just as accepted.

If relations are more antagonistic, the circumstances which might produce a Vereph become less likely, and less likely to occur under agreeable circumstances. These settings are unlikely to produce healthy and well-adapted Verephim, and are thus unlikely to see many Verephim make it to adulthood at all.

Alignment

Verephim tend to avoid the extremes of good and evil, as a neutral alignment is more likely to be agreeable to both sides of their nature, but tend to lean heavily towards Lawful or the occasional Chaotic, depending on whether they favor a strict personal code or impulsivity. Thus, Lawful Neutral is the most common and stereotypical alignment for a Vereph, but Chaotic Neutral Verephim are a notably infamous minority.

Lands

Verephim are rare, as they only tend to crop up in communities where aasimar and tiefling are in close contact, and thus tend to live in the lands of their parents.

Religion

The Verephic tendency for strict personal codes can make for extremely devout followers when they find a religion that aligns with their needs, but it also makes them far less likely to suffer a religion that doesn't quite suit them. Thus, while Verephim are no more likely than their parent races to be religious, they are overrepresented in the higher echelons and underrepresented in the casual flock.

Language

Common, Infernal, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc, Sylvan.

Names

Verephim are usually named the same as humans, but may have a tiefling or aasimar name, depending on which parent raised them more.

Racial Traits

• +2 Wisdom, +2 Dexterity, −2 Constitution: Verephim are as graceful as their parents, with a great tendency for reflection and introspection, but because they have blood from opposing planes in them, they are often unhealthy.
• Outsider (Native)
• Medium size.
• A Vereph's base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Verephim can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Vereph is automatically proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.
• Resistance to acid 3, fire 3, cold 5, and electricity 5.
• +2 racial bonus on Spot and Intimidate
• Spell-Like Ability: 1/day— faerie fire. Caster level equals the Vereph's class levels.
• Spell-Like Ability: 1/day— darkness or daylight (This means he can use either one once per day, but not both in the same day). Caster level equals the Vereph's [SRD:Class Level|class levels]].
• Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Infernal and Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc, Sylvan (Infernal and Celestial may be learned as one language).
• Favored Class: Any
• Level Adjustment: +1

Vital Statistics

Table: Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
15 years	+1d6	+1d8	+2d8

Table: Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
45 years	68 years	90 years	+3d20 years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4' 11"	+2d10	110 lb.	× (2d4) lb.
Female	4' 7"	+2d10	80 lb.	× (2d4) lb.

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