HomeRules And VariantsBreakfast CrunchThe Demonblooded

The Demonblooded

Tieflings. Somehow, they’ve gone from being the result of hot demon-on-human sex to being a race of emo posers. Hell, they even dropped the whole idea of Yeenoghu or Orcus or the occasional Marilith getting their freak on with some cultists, and instead there’s some vague "bargain" struck in the equally vague (but still intrusive and annoying) "assumed world", which exists — and this is official, mind you — so that artists at WOTC will know what holy symbols to paint. Seriously. This was one of the excuses given for the presence of the "default" world. Well, that, and certain people on the design team are rumored to hate worldbuilding with the burning passion of a thousand suns, and seem to think that getting back to the days of "You’re in the Town of Vyllaj, and just outside the town is the Dungeon of Danger. Click ‘1’ to visit the Shopkeeper. Click ‘2’ to visit the Tavern. Click ‘3’ to enter the Dungeon." is a really good idea.

I say thee NAY!

In my world — yes, WOTC, I said "my" world. Mine. Not yours. Can not have. — Tieflings are very much the result of doing the nasty with things that are nasty. Though this happened ages past (like all good sexual revolutions, it was either before your time or after you were too old to take part), the consequences (namely, Tieflings) are still with us. They are not a race, they are the occasional reminders of that ancient time. It was called variously the Age of Demons, the Demonwar, the Elfwar, or the "time when the Aeld screwed over the whole world". Huge amount of backstory short (You think players telling you about their PCs are bad? Never get a DM started on his world!), a bunch of hoity-toity folks with pointy ears thought summoning and binding mere Type II Demons wasn’t enough — they were going to get Demogorgon, Jubilex, et al to play Steppin Fetchit for them. It didn’t work. They rebelled. They evolved. They had a plan. (Said plan was "Tear the world to pieces and dance in the bloody ruins while frothing in a mad rage", but, hey, it was still a plan!) Eventually, the bad doobies were sent back to the Abyss, but the consequences of their rampage across the mortal world remain, from the introduction of demon-bred races like gnolls and minotaurs, to a dark, festering, seed of chaos and evil lurking in the bloodline of man. (That woud be the Tieflings, in case you forgot where I was going with this while I digressed madly.)

Anyway, since there’s lots of Demon Princes, it only makes sense that Tieflings would sometimes show traits relating to their special ancestry.

Read on for more!

Strongblood Tieflings

Most Tieflings show only the traditional signs of their ancestry — horns, reddish skin, a tendency to talk like Natasha Fatale. Some, however, bear more pronounced features, revealing to all that not only did a distant ancestor of their cavort with creatures from the lower planes, he or she did it demonic gnolls.

Fangblooded Tiefling

You show distinctively doglike features — scruffy facial hair, pointy ears, and a long, lanky, build. Your eyes are a sickly yellow.

Changes:

Skill bonus changes from +2 Bluff to +2 Intimidate.

You lost Resist Fire and instead gain Resist Cold 5 +1/2 your level.

You have a +2 to all Endurance checks made to resist the progress of a disease.

You may keep Infernal Wrath, or you may change it for Howl Of The Pack:

Howl Of The Pack

Encounter * Minor Action

You gain a +4 bonus to your next attack when flanking an enemy, instead of +2. If your attack hits and deals damage you may add your Charisma bonus, plus 1 for each ally adjacent to your target, to your damage. 

Design Note: The bonus to attack and damage is higher than the default, but also more circumstantial.

Oozeblooded Tiefling

Your body is astroundingly soft and flexible. Your appearance is oddly asymmetrical and distorted, as if you were a wax figure that is just a little bit melted.

Changes:

Skill Bonus changes from +2 Bluff to +2 Acrobatics.

You lose Resist Fire and instead gains Resist Poison 5 +1/2 your level.

You may keep Infernal Wrath, or you may change it for Bones of Jelly

Bones Of Jelly

Encounter * Minor Action

Until the end of your next turn, you count as one size category smaller for squeezing purposes. In addition, you gain Resist 5+1/2 your level against Hammers, Flails, and Maces.

Design Note: A much more defensive/utility oriented power, useful for less aggressive characters. This power should give some bonuses in skill challenges.

Mazeblooded Tiefling

Your horns are much larger than average (and you know what they say about a Tiefling with big horns… he needs a big helmet!), and you have a thick, muscular, build.

Changes:

Skill bonus changes from +2 Stealth to +2 Endurance.

You lose Resist Fire. Instead, you gain a +1 to Fortitude Defense. (Design Note: This may seem to be a much better racial power, but I feel it’s balanced by the decreased utility of Endurance vs. Stealth.)

You may keep Infernal Wrath, or you may change it for Furious Attack

Furious Attack

Daily * Minor ActionStance

Must Be Bloodied

Until the stance ends, or you are no longer bloodied, you do an additional +1 damage to any attack which allows you to add your Strength modifier to damage. This increased to +2 at 11th level and +3 at 21st level.

 

 


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