D&D Next: Tiefling Homebrew

Ever since I got Planescape Campaign Setting back in high school, tieflings have been one of my favorite races.

In 2nd Edition they were supposed to be the half-breeds of a human and some other fiendish critter, though they initially had a standard set of racial traits. The Planewalker’s Handbook let you swap those out for multiple rolls on a Tiefling Abilities table (it also had a table with random physical traits), and if you were into the whole Skills & Powers thing there was an issue of Dragon that would let you spend character points to start with things like wings.

3rd Edition kept the flavor and standard tiefling traits of energy resistances and darkness 1/day. I did not like it very much, partially because it had a level adjustment, which meant that you could not play one unless you started at a certain level (in this case 2). It was a really poor way of dealing with races with more/better racial features than the norm, especially considering that they did not scale and gradually became worthless.

The other reason was that it lost a lot of the variety from 2nd Edition. I am not even sure if the devils, demons, and yugoloth could even all cast darkness. It made more sense to throw in a variety of spell-like abilities and resistances, to help you mechanically justify the lineage of your choice. I get that it would have given the race a lot of real estate, but there is no reason why this could not have appeared in Unearthed Arcana (which had a lot of variant races), or a Dragon article.

4th Edition changed the flavor, making tieflings the ancestors of a bunch of power hungry nobles that were cursed as part of making a literal deal with the devil. I actually liked this origin, and it explained why tieflings in the art all looked the same and had the same racial features. They even published some racial powers and feats that let you shake things up.

At any rate, I am not sure what origin story they will go for in D&D Next, but I do not see a reason why being the offspring of a fiendish creature or being cursed for making a deal need to be mutually exclusive, or need different racial features. The idea with this tiefling homebrew is that you get a basic set of generic features, and pick a heritage to give you some variety (at this point it is just ability bonuses and spells, though an ice devil lineage would change up the resistance).

Since we are doing another playtest on Weds, I am going to see if someone will give this a shot with my infernal pact. If you use either of them, lemme know what you think.

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Tiefling

Traits

As a tiefling, you have all the following racial traits.

      Size: Medium.

      Speed: 30 feet.

      Low-Light Vision: If there is no light within 30 feet of you, you treat shadows in that radius as normal light, and you treat darkness in that radius as shadows.

      Deceitful: You have advantage on checks made to lie or deceive another creature.

      Language: You can speak, read, and write Common and Infernal.

      Infernal Heritage: Choose an infernal heritage. Two heritages are described here: horned devil and succubus.

Horned Devil

      Ability Score Adjustment: Your starting Constitution increases by 1.

      Fire Resistance: You have resistance to fire damage.

      Cause Fear: Once per day you can cast cause fear.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

Succubus

Ability Score Adjustment: Your starting Charisma increases by 1.

Fire Resistance: You have resistance to fire damage.

      Charm Person: Once per day you can cast charm person. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Tiefling Summoning Wizard

Playing in another D&D game on Weds, so here’s my character.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Shen, level 1
Tiefling, Wizard
Arcane Implement Mastery: Tome of Binding
Background: Demon Wastes (+2 to Religion)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 16, Dex 13, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 13.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 16, Dex 13, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 11.

AC: 14 Fort: 13 Reflex: 14 Will: 13
HP: 26 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +9, Insight +5, Religion +11, Diplomacy +6

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +1, Bluff +3, Dungeoneering, Endurance +3, Heal, History +4, Intimidate +1, Nature, Perception, Stealth +3, Streetwise +1, Thievery +1, Athletics -1

FEATS
Wizard: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Hellfire Blood

POWERS
Wizard at-will 1: Scorching Burst
Wizard at-will 1: Magic Missile
Wizard encounter 1: Burning Hands
Wizard daily 1: Summon Fire Warrior
Wizard daily 1 Spellbook: Flaming Sphere

ITEMS
Spellbook, Adventurer’s Kit, Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing), Implement, Tome, Implement, Staff, Implement, Rod, Potion of Healing (heroic tier)
RITUALS
Unseen Servant, Wizard’s Curtain, Brew Potion
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

Gonna multiclass into infernal pact warlock, with an emphasis on bargaining with devils and using fire magic. Kind of a classic concept, methinks.

Angra, Tiefling Psion

A tiefling character that has been trained by cultists of the Dragon Below. Nothing too fancy with the concept, just playing with CB to see some of the options, and I really like tieflings.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Angra, level 1
Tiefling, Psion
Discipline Focus: Telepathy Focus
Background: Khyber (+2 to Dungeoneering)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 18, Wis 8, Cha 18.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 16.

AC: 14 Fort: 11 Reflex: 14 Will: 16
HP: 24 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +9, Insight +4, Dungeoneering +6, Bluff +11

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +1, Diplomacy +4, Endurance +1, Heal -1, History +4, Intimidate +4, Nature -1, Perception -1, Religion +4, Stealth +3, Streetwise +4, Thievery +1, Athletics

FEATS
Psion: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Precise Mind

POWERS
Psion at-will 1: Mind Thrust
Psion at-will 1: Memory Hole
Psion daily 1: Ravening Thought

ITEMS
Adventurer’s Kit, Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing), Spiked gauntlet, Dagger
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

Character Concepts: Revenant Warlock

Rough concept using a tiefling infernal warlock as a basis. Simple and iconic. I suppose the concept here is a tiefling warlock that died, but is sent back by a devil in order to finish a job or just wreak more havoc. I envision her mask-like face having small horn-like growths to illustrate her tiefling soul. Hell, might even give her a tail for added emphasis.
Next level I’d end up taking Hellfire Soul so that darkreaping would deal fire damage to boot, since I would as a DM allow Hellfire Blood to apply to it as well.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Talon, level 1
Revenant (tiefling), Warlock
Eldritch Blast: Eldritch Blast Constitution
Eldritch Pact: Infernal Pact

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 18, Dex 13, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 14.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 16, Dex 11, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 14.

AC: 14 Fort: 14 Reflex: 13 Will: 13
HP: 30 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 7

TRAINED SKILLS
Bluff +7, Streetwise +7, Arcana +9, Religion +7

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +1, Diplomacy +2, Dungeoneering, Endurance +6, Heal, History +2, Insight, Intimidate +4, Nature, Perception, Stealth +1, Thievery +1, Athletics -1

FEATS
Hellfire Blood

POWERS
Warlock at-will 1: Eldritch Blast
Warlock at-will 1: Hellish Rebuke
Warlock daily 1: Tyranny of Flame
Warlock encounter 1: Diabolic Grasp

ITEMS
Adventurer’s Kit, Leather Armor, Spiked gauntlet, Dagger, Implement, Rod
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======

Character Concepts: Tiefling Resourceful Warlord

I actually got to play this character legally up to level 7, I think, before Adrian scrapped the entire campaign and had us crank it up to eleven. My main dislike was that half my ability scores were the same, at the start (16), and I had a hard time with the whole trident bit at first (it eventually grew on me and better fit the whole “devil” thing).

I wanted to multiclass into warlock, but the infernal pact relies on Constitution and frankly that was the one that made the most sense. Were I to go back and do it over again I’d probably take Implement Expertise, though Arcane Initiate with Hellfire Blood and a master’s wand of scorching burst did really well.

In the end Kobal was the funnest warlord that I ever played, and I’ve since retooled her to work in Eberron (dragonshard prospector in the Shadow Marches) in anticipation for its release this month.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Kobal, level 1
Tiefling, Warlord
Commanding Presence: Resourceful Presence

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 13, Dex 10, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 16.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 13, Dex 10, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 14.

AC: 17 Fort: 14 Reflex: 14 Will: 14
HP: 25 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
History +8, Intimidate +8, Athletics +9, Diplomacy +8

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics -1, Arcana +3, Bluff +5, Dungeoneering -1, Endurance, Heal -1, Insight -1, Nature -1, Perception -1, Religion +3, Stealth +1, Streetwise +3, Thievery -1

FEATS
Level 1: Improved Resources

POWERS
Warlord at-will 1: Wolf Pack Tactics
Warlord at-will 1: Opening Shove
Warlord daily 1: Fearless Rescue
Warlord encounter 1: Hammer Formation

ITEMS
Trident, Light Shield, Hide Armor, Adventurer’s Kit, Spiked gauntlet, Dagger
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======

Tiefling Sneaky Feylock

A new player is joining in Songs of Erui and wanted to make a tiefling warlock/rogue build.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
level 2
Tiefling, Warlock
Eldritch Blast: Eldritch Blast Charisma
Eldritch Pact: Fey Pact

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 10, Dex 15, Int 16, Wis 11, Cha 18.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 10, Dex 15, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 16.

AC: 16 Fort: 11 Reflex: 15 Will: 16
HP: 27 Surges: 6 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Intimidate +10, Insight +6, Arcana +9, History +9, Thievery +8, Bluff +12

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +3, Diplomacy +5, Dungeoneering +1, Endurance +1, Heal +1, Nature +3, Perception +1, Religion +4, Stealth +5, Streetwise +5, Athletics

FEATS
Level 1: Sneak of Shadows
Level 2: Sly Dodge

POWERS
Warlock daily 1: Curse of the Dark Dream
Warlock encounter 1: Sprite War Call
Warlock utility 2: Beguiling Tongue

ITEMS
Leather Armor, Spear, Spiked gauntlet, Adventurer’s Kit, Implement, Rod
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======

The spear is because it is a thematic weapon for eladrin, and he derives his power from a noble eladrin. This is also why I gave him sprite war call. I think Jarrett’s decision to dabble in rogue stuff is fitting for a tiefling that has abilities tied to fucking with the mind and perception, and the end result is a thematic yet functional character.
I decided to go with two rogue multiclass feats, given that Sly Dodge lets you add your Cha mod against opportunity attacks (+4 in this case), and also because it gave training for another skill. The skill selection makes sense for someone to have when dealing with eladrin and fey magic in general. I was sorely tempted to take ethereal stride or fey bargain. They all make sense! Aaaargh. Oh well, I can always opt out at level 3.
What I did and what Jarrett will do isnt necessarily the same thing, I just wanted to help him along the creation process and see what I could cook up that would be fun for myself, and to see how will it would synergize.