Tiefling, Variant (5e Race Variant)
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Tiefling Variant[edit]
This race variant is based on and inspired by the Unearthed Arcana article "That Old Black Magic" by Wizards of the Coast.
As a tiefling, you gain the following traits from the standard tielfing race of the SRD:
- Age
- Alignment
- Size
- Speed
- Darkvision
Additionally, the following traits are modified from the SRD:
- Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.
Subraces[edit]
This variant introduces new subraces for the tieflings. Each subrace offers traits in addition to the ones notes above. The race presented in the SRD is the infernal tiefling, which is summarized here for ease of reference.
Infernal Tiefling[edit]
An infernal tiefling draws upon the power of the devils, the cunning, scheming, and treacherous fiends. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
- 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 Infernal.
Aboleth Tiefling[edit]
An aboleth tielfing draws upon the power of aboleths, the false "gods" that inhabited the world before the "true" gods have appeared. Because of their aberrant background, aboleth tieflings possess a number of traits that are actually less fiendish than they are expected to be. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
- Speed. You have swimming speed of 30 feet.
- Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water.
- Unfathomable Minds. You have resistance to psychic damage.
- Telepathy. You can telepathically speak to a creature you can see within 10 feet of you. You do not need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic message, but it must be able to understand at least one language.
- Languages. You can speak Deep Speech. Although it is very uncommon to see Deep Speech in written forms, you can read and write Deep Speech written in any scripts you can read or write.
Balor Tiefling[edit]
A balor tielfing draws upon the power of balors, the whip-lashing fiends that lead the army of chaotic and destructive force of demons. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
- Fire Aura. As a bonus action, you can emanate an aura of flaming magic around you for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). While your aura is active, each creature within 5 feet of you takes 1d6 fire damage, and flammable objects in the aura that are not being worn or carried ignite. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short rest or long rest.
- Flaming Retribution. When a creature touches you or hits you with a melee attack while within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to unleash your abyssal magic upon the creature. The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or takes 2d6 fire damage. The save DC for this saving throws equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short rest or long rest.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Abyssal.
Bone Tiefling[edit]
A bone tiefling draws upon the power of bone devils, the skeletal horror with weaponized limbs and tail to match up to its title. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
- Frigid Toughness. You have resistance to cold damage.
- Skeletal Tail. Your tail is now skeletal, with protruded spines and tightly stretched skin and is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
- Unholy Venom When you make a successful attack against a creature with your Skeletal Tail, you can use a bonus action to inject them with your venomous prongs. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or becomes poisoned until the end of your next turn. The save DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this trait you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Infernal.
Ice Tiefling[edit]
An ice tielfing draws upon the power of ice devil, the insectoid fiend accustomed to frigid-cold climates of the infernal realms. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
- Hellish Fortitude. You have resistance against cold damage, and you do not suffer the effects of extreme cold.
- Freezing Touch. As an action, you can magically touch an object with your hand to coat it with frost, or partially freeze it.
- Hellish Frost. A number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest, you can touch one melee weapon or piece of ammunition to coat with your cold, infernal magic. A creature hit by the weapon or ammunition coated with your magic must make a Constitution saving throw or take 1d10 cold damage and have its speed decreases by 10 feet until the end of its next turn. The magic coating the weapon or ammunition lasts until 1 minute, after which it becomes a normal non-magical item.It increases by 1d10 at 3rd(2d10),5th(3d10),7th(4d10) and 9th(5d10) levels.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Infernal.
Marilith Tielfing[edit]
A marilith tielfing draws upon the power of mariliths, the demonic dominatrix with an exceptional taste for wicked blades. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
- Blade-Sharp Senses. You are proficient in the Perception skill.
- Tiefling Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the dagger, rapier, shortsword, and longsword.
- Abyssal Riposte. When a creature you can see targets you with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to add your Charisma modifier to your Armor Class against that attack (minimum of 1). You must be wielding a dagger, rapier, longsword, or shortsword to use this trait. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short rest or long rest.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Abyssal.
Nalfeshnee Tielfing[edit]
A nalfeshnee tielfing draws upon the power of nalfeshnees, the demonic monstrosity with a horrid appearance that cowls the inner intelligence and trickery. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
- Naturally Deceptive. You are proficient in the Deception skill.
- Abyssal Resistance. You have resistance to lightning damage.
- Weird Nimbus. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to emit scintillating, multicolored light from your weapon. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you for 1 minute. The save DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. If the creature succeeds on the saving throw, it is immune to your Weird Nimbus trait for the next 24 hours. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short rest or long rest.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Abyssal.
Onyx Tiefling[edit]
An onyx tiefling has chosen to commit themselves to darkness through an abyssal ritual. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
- Fiendish Inclination. Whenever you make a Charisma skill check when interacting with a creature that has the fiend creature type, you are considered proficient in that skill.
- Abyssal Magic. You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the thunderwave 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 blindness/deafness 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 Abyssal.
Opal Tiefling[edit]
An opal tiefling has performed a divine ritual to cleanse their fiendish bloodline to embrace the celestial grandeur. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
- Celestial Inclination. Whenever you make a Charisma skill check when interacting with a creature that has the celestial creature type, you are considered proficient in that skill.
- Celestial Magic. You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the bless 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 aid 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 Celestial.
Rakshasa Tiefling[edit]
A rakshasa tielfing draws upon the power of rakshasas, the shapeshifting fiend with pride only matched by their magical capabilities. These tieflings have the following additional features.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
- Limited Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against cantrips and 1st-level spells.
- Haunting Strike. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can choose to imbue the creature with your innate magic that lingers within the creature for 8 hours. When the creature takes a short rest or long rest while imbued with your magic, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. The save DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. Fiends automatically succeed on this saving throw. On a successful save, the imbued magic wears off. On a failed save, the imbued magic manifests itself, filling its thoughts with horrible images and dreams. The creature gains no benefit from finishing a short rest or long rest. The imbued magic ends early when the creature is targeted by a remove curse spell or similar magic. You can have only one creature imbued with your magic with this trait, and once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
- Disguise Self Like your outsider heritage, you are skilled at hiding your true nature. You can use a standard action to assume the appearance of a humanoid form that is the same sex and size once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. This ability functions similar to disguise self though you gain an additional proficiency bonus on your spell save DC for Investigation checks made to see if you are disguised because of your innate expertise. The disguised form lasts until dispelled.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Infernal.
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