A tiefling is the descendant of a union between an infernal creature and a human. Shunned and maligned by the world at large, tieflings maintain a low profile and make their livings as spies, thieves, assassins or smugglers. Few find the “legitimate” world very appealing, and instead they blossom in the seedier side of society.
Tieflings are diametrically opposed to aasimars, and the two have found themselves innately at odds for untold generations. Some tieflings serve as mere soldiers for the dark powers, while others devise their own selfish goals, seeing cooperation with infernal beings for mutual benefit.
Personality: Tieflings have a well-deserved reputation for being conniving, sneaky and underhanded. They are universally self-serving and only look out for number one. Some take their evil nature to an extreme and become champions of woe, despair and violence. Most tieflings, however, prefer to skulk behind the scenes, using deceit and surprise as their primary weapons.
In rare instances, a tiefling fights her natural impulses toward evil and strives to do good (or at least not to cause harm). These repentant beings face persecution and mistrust from others of their kind.
Physical Description: Tieflings appear human at a glance, although they all possess at least one unnatural feature that reveals their infernal heritage. At the least, tieflings have a disturbing demeanor or carry a whiff of brimstone about them, but most also possess small horns, red eyes or needle-sharp teeth. In extreme cases, a tiefling may have a barbed tail or cloven feet. No two tieflings have the same appearance.
Relations: Tieflings are universally reviled by members of almost every other race, good or evil. Most are persecuted and cast out from society when their true nature is revealed. In such a case, the outcast takes to the wild, dons a disguise, or, more commonly, works herself into a position of power and authority so that she can make her own rules. Tieflings find easier acceptance among evil races such as orcs, goblins and gnolls, but only if they prove their own strength and power. As a result of this relentless rejection, tieflings view other races as nothing more than chattel or pawns in their convoluted schemes.
Alignment: Due to their infernal blood, almost all tieflings are evil. Whether rapacious and chaotic, self-serving and subtle, or adhering to a twisted and rigid sense of honour and lawfulness, few tieflings escape the taint in their blood that bids them toward evil.
Tiefling Lands: Like other planetouched creatures, tieflings are too few in number to claim their own lands. However, they can be found almost anywhere, particularly in evil and lawless lands where their lack of scruples is an asset. Tieflings typically crave power, preferring to pull strings from the shadows rather than rise to overt positions of authority.
Religion: Most tieflings are too consumed by their own agenda to pay attention to religion. Those who choose to worship are devoutly dedicated to dark and infernal powers such as Hextor, Nerull and Wee Jas.
Language: Like aasimars, tieflings are largely raised among humans and speak Common as their primary language. The Infernal tongue comes naturally to them; some parents of tieflings have been horrified when their child’s first words sounded as if they had emerged from the Abyss. Tieflings learn several different languages during their wandering travels.
Names: Most tieflings have human names, although one may acquire an infernal-sounding name, especially if raised by parents who accepted the taint of their offspring. Some tieflings take on multiple names and switch aliases numerous times during their lives to help them from being hunted down.
Male Names: Gooruth, Kharkuk, Mexil, Takkak, Veximitron, Zarek.
Female Names: Cherrakia, Keberii, Seshra, Shalim, Nessis, Ventera.
Adventurers: Subtle and devious, tieflings are natural rogues, striking from the shadows and manipulating the weak minded. Tieflings devoted to a dark deity become clerics. Martial tieflings become fighters or rangers, choosing humans and other good races as their favoured enemies. Their naturally poor Charisma hinders most tieflings in learning the bardic arts, though a few are attracted to the idea of entertaining and thereby manipulating others.
Note: See also Tiefling [Planar Handbook].
Source: Races of Destiny (Page 107)
Your character can be either male or female.
Every player character starts as an adult. You can choose or randomly generate your character’s age. If you choose it, it must be at least the minimum age for the character’s race and class (see Table: Starting Ages). Your character’s minimum starting age is the adulthood age of his or her race plus the number of dice indicated in the entry corresponding to the character’s race and class on Table: Starting Ages.
Alternatively, refer to Table: Starting Ages and roll dice to determine how old your character is.
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | +1d6 (16—21) years | +1d8 (16—23) years | +2d8 (17—31) years |
1 This category includes barbarians, rogues and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, fighters, paladins and rangers.
3 This category includes clerics, druids, monks and wizards.
With age, a character’s physical ability scores decrease and his or her mental ability scores increase (see Table: Aging Effects). The effects of each aging step are cumulative. However, none of a character’s ability scores can be reduced below 1 in this way.
| Middle Age1 | Old Age2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 years | 68 years | 90 years | +3d20 years |
1 -1 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
2 -2 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
3 -3 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
When a character reaches venerable age, the DM secretly rolls his or her maximum age, which is the number from the Venerable column on Table: Aging Effects plus the result of the dice roll indicated on the Maximum Age column on that table, and records the result, which the player does not know. A character who reaches his or her maximum age dies of old age at some time during the following year, as determined by the DM.
The maximum ages are for player characters. Most people in the world at large die from pestilence, accidents, infections or violence before getting to venerable age.
Choose your character’s height and weight from the ranges mentioned in the appropriate race description or from the ranges found on Table: Height and Weight. Think about what your character’s abilities might say about his or her height and weight. A weak but agile character may be thin. A strong and tough character may be tall or just heavy.
Alternatively, roll randomly for your character’s height and weight on Table: Height and Weight. The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight beyond the base weight.
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 4’ 10" | +2d10 (5’ 0"—6’ 6") | 120 lbs. | ×2d4 (124—280 lbs.) |
| Female | 4’ 5" | +2d10 (4’ 7"—6’ 1") | 85 lbs. | ×2d4 (89—245 lbs.) |
Source: Races of Destiny (Page 110)