From Bacchante, Jean-Léon Gérôme
It is nigh impossible to predict just what new ideas will or won’t gain traction in Dungeons and Dragons. For every githyanki there are probably dozens of also-rans, interesting monsters that for one reason or another just never take hold. But when something really has traction, it becomes hard to imagine the game without this new element.
Tieflings, a humanoid race descended from fiends, are a prime example. At a Renaissance Fair a couple of years ago I was struck by the number of attendees sporting costume devil horns—and how seamlessly they blended in with the elf ears, wizard staves, and plastic longswords. Created by Zeb Cook for the second edition Planescape setting, tieflings became such a popular variant player character race in 3e that they were made a core PC race in 4e. So it was natural to include them in 5e—and in the Great Dungeon.
In 2e and 3e, tieflings could have abyssal or infernal bloodlines and their appearances varied widely; in 4e their origins were tied more closely to the Nine Hells and their appearance was more standardized, with prominent horns and tails.
For the Great Dungeon, I have stuck with the 3.5e convention, allowing for tieflings with a wide range of appearances and backgrounds. That said, the most commonly encountered group of tieflings resemble 4e/5e tieflings, and are associated with the Friends faction. The Friends are a well-organized group of lawful evil tieflings who share a common culture and a diabolic bloodline.
Given the popularity of tieflings, there are a lot of d20 system options for 3.5e and Pathfinder. The first place to start is Green Ronin’s excellent Aasimar & Tiefling: A Guidebook to the Planetouched. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Race Guide also has some great options, along with Kobold Press’s Advanced Races Compendium for Pathfinder RPG.
Below I have collected and developed several tiefling goodies for 3.5e, including stat blocks for some advanced NPCs. Given their fiendish heritage, tieflings would seem likely to be natural sorcerers from a flavor perspective. But mechanically, in both 3.5e and Pathfinder they have a -2 penalty on their Charisma score, and Charisma is of course the most important ability for sorcerers. Pathfinder compensates for this by giving tieflings the “Fiendish Sorcery” special ability, which effectively negates the penalty. For 3.5e, I think this probably works best as a feat. Both 4e and 5e avoid this problem by giving tieflings a Charisma bonus.
Tieflings in the North
In the North, tieflings are fairly rare and most belong to a particular line originating from the Southern Empires. Derisively called hellborn or hellions or even worse by others, these tieflings prefer to be known simply as “the Friends of Men” or “the Friends.” The Friends tend to appear as very attractive, slender humans with fair skin and red hair. They wear distinctive robes of purple and gold, with birettas on their heads. The Friends are famed purveyors of all manner of goods and practitioners of all sorts of services—eager to assist with any need or desire, but rather insistent about contracting. They are great patrons of art, particularly art that pushes the boundaries of social convention.
The Friends do not frequent the Church, but are rumored to worship their own, secret powers. Many say they are descended from devils and are aligned with the Hells. The Friends, for their part, never talk of such personal matters publicly.
The Friends are an active faction in the Great Dungeon and are rumored to have established a stronghold somewhere on the lower levels. While the Friends are always on the lookout for caches of treasure and magic, they are primarily interested in the Dungeon because of the many convenient portals to the lower planes found there. Infernal counselors regularly move back and forth between the Dungeon and the Hells, and many tieflings see the Dungeon as a destination for pilgrimages or vacations.
The following text is Open Game Content.
Planetouched, Tiefling
This lanky man sneers as he draws his sword. Tiny horns and a barbed tail reveal that he is something more than human.
Netherworld Origins. Simultaneously more and less than mortal, tieflings are the offspring of humans and fiends. The taint is long-lasting and persistent, often manifesting at birth or sometimes later in life, as a powerful, though often unwanted, boon.
An Array of Fiendish Traits. Many tieflings are indistinguishable from humans. Others have small horns, pointed teeth, red eyes, a whiff of brimstone about them, or even cloven feet. No two tieflings are the same.
Shunned by Civilization. Tieflings face a significant amount of prejudice from most other races, who view them as fiend-spawn, seeds of evil, monsters, and lingering curses placed upon the world.
A Capacity for Choice. Despite their fiendish heritage and the insidious influence of prejudice, tieflings can be of any alignment.
Tiefling CR 1/2
Often NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen -1, Spot -1
Languages Common, Infernal
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14
(+3 armor, +1 Dex, +1 shield)
hp 5 (1d8+1 HD)
Fort +3, Ref +1, Will -1
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
Spd 30 ft.
Melee rapier +3 (1d6+1/18–20)
Ranged light crossbow +2 (1d8/19–20)
Spell-Like Abilities (1st)
1/day—darkness
Before Combat Tieflings are sneaky, subtle, and generally conniving. They prefer to strike from ambush and usually avoid a fair fight if they can.
During Combat Tieflings usually attempt to separate and flank opponents in melee.
Morale Tieflings flee if faced with overwhelming odds.
Str 13, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 6
Base Atk +1; Grp +2
Feats Weapon Focus (rapier)
Skills Bluff +4, Hide +5, Move Silently +0, Sleight of Hand +0
Gear studded leather armor, light wooden shield, rapier, light crossbow with 40 bolts
Environment temperate plains
Organization solitary, pair, or gang (3–4)
Treasure standard
Advancement by character class; Favored Class rogue
Level Adjustment +1
Darkness (Sp) A tiefling can use darkness once per day (caster level equal to class levels).
Skills A tiefling has a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Hide checks. The skill modifiers given in the statistics block include a -1 armor check penalty for wearing studded leather armor and a -1 armor check penalty for carrying a light shield.
The tiefling warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.
Tieflings as Characters
Tieflings make skilled rogues and powerful wizards. Those who succumb to the evil within often become powerful clerics of fiendish powers.
Tiefling characters possess the following racial traits.
- +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
- Medium size.
- A tiefling’s base land speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision out to 60 feet.
- Racial Skills: Tieflings have a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Hide checks.
- Racial Feats: A tiefling gains feats according to its class levels.
- Special Attacks (see above): Darkness.
- Special Qualities (see above): Resistance to cold 5, electricity 5, and fire 5.
- Automatic Languages: Common and Abyssal or Common and Infernal. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc.
- Favored Class: Rogue.
- Level adjustment +1.
Tiefling Feats
Tieflings have access to the following feats.
Armor of the Pit [General]
Prerequisite: Tiefling.
Benefit: Your fiendish traits take the form of a protective scaly skin. You gain a +2 natural armor bonus.
Champion of Hell [General]
Prerequisite: Tiefling, evil alignment, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: Once per day, you may reroll the damage you cause to a good-aligned creature with a single target attack, ability, or effect and choose the higher result.
Expanded Fiendish Resistance [General]
Pick one of the following energy types that you do not already have resistance to: acid, cold, electricity, or fire.
Prerequisite: Tiefling.
Benefit: You gain resistance 5 to the selected energy type.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you do, pick another energy type you do not have resistance to. You gain resistance 5 to that energy type.
Fiend Sight [General]
Prerequisites: Darkvision 60 ft., tiefling.
Benefit: You gain low-light vision and your darkvision improves to 120 ft.
Special: You can take this feat twice. When you take it a second time, you gain the see in darkness ability, which allows you to see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.
Fiendish Sorcery [General]
Prerequisites: Tiefling.
Benefit: You treat your Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer class abilities.
Fiendish Speed [General]
Prerequisite: Tiefling.
Benefit: Once per day, as a swift action, you can take an additional move action to move on your turn.
Advanced Tieflings
The Tiefling Captain will use the Bluff skill and the Improved Feint feat to attempt to make sneak attacks against melee opponents. The captain presented below had the following ability scores before racial adjustments and Hit Dice ability score increases: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 15.
Tiefling Captain CR 5
Tiefling rogue 3/fighter 2
NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +3, Spot +3
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal
AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17
(+5 armor, +3 Dex, +2 shield)
hp 29 (3d6+3 plus 2d10+2 HD)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +0
Special Defenses evasion, trap sense +1; Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
Spd 30 ft.
Melee mwk rapier +8 (1d6/18–20)
Ranged light crossbow +7 (1d8/19–20)
Special Attack sneak attack +2d6
Spell-Like Abilities (5th)
1/day—darkness
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 14
Base Atk +4; Grp +4
Feats Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Persuasive, Weapon Finesse
Skills Bluff +13, Climb +0, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +9 (+11 acting), Hide +10, Intimidate +13, Jump +4, Listen +5, Move Silently +8, Search +8, Sense Motive +5, Spot +5, Survival -1 (+1 following tracks), Use Magic Device +9
SQ trapfinding
Combat Gear potion of cat’s grace; Other Gear +1 chain shirt, +1 light steel shield, masterwork rapier, light crossbow with 20 bolts
The Tiefling Conjurer will typically summon a fiendish boar (summon monster III), a fiendish Medium monstrous scorpion (summon monster II), or a fiendish dire rat (summon monster I). The Conjurer presented below had the following ability scores before racial adjustments and Hit Dice ability score increases: Str 10, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 12.
Tiefling Conjurer CR 6
Tiefling conjurer 6
NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Infernal
AC 12, touch 11, flat-footed 12
(+1 deflection, +1 natural)
hp 28 (6d4+12 HD)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +6
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
Spd 30 ft.
Melee mwk dagger +4 (1d4/19–20)
Ranged light crossbow +3 (1d8/19–20)
Spell-Like Abilities (6th)
1/day—darkness
Spells Prepared (6th)
3rd—gaseous form, slow (DC 17), suggestion (DC 17), summon monster III
2nd—alter self, daze monster (DC 16), invisibility, mirror image, summon monster II
1st—color spray (DC 15), mage armor, shield, sleep (DC 15), summon monster I
0—acid splash (+3 ranged touch), detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), mending, read magic
Prohibited Schools evocation, necromancy
Str 10, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 10
Base Atk +3; Grp +3
Feats Augment Summoning, Extend Spell, Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration)
Skills Bluff +2, Concentration +11, Decipher Script +13, Hide +2, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +13, Knowledge (the planes) +13, Spellcraft +15
SQ summon familiar
Combat Gear scroll of dimension door, wand of dispel magic (10 charges); Other Gear amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1, masterwork dagger, light crossbow with 20 bolts, spellbook (containing all spells prepared)
The Tiefling Cutter presented below had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 15.
Tiefling Cutter CR 1
Tiefling rogue 1
NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +3, Spot +3
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
(+3 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 7 (1d6+1 HD)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will -1
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
Spd 30 ft.
Melee rapier +3 (1d6/18–20)
Ranged light crossbow +3 (1d8/19–20)
Special Attack sneak attack +1d6
Spell-Like Abilities (1st)
1/day—darkness
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 13
Base Atk +0; Grp +0
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Bluff +7, Disguise +5, Hide +9, Intimidate +5, Listen +3, Move Silently +7, Search +6, Sense Motive +3, Spot +3, Use Magic Device +5
SQ trapfinding
Gear studded leather armor, rapier, light crossbow with 20 bolts
The Tiefling Greater Conjurer will typically summon a fiendish dire wolf (summon monster IV), a fiendish boar (summon monster III), a fiendish Medium monstrous scorpion (summon monster II), or a fiendish dire rat (summon monster I). The Greater Conjurer presented below had the following ability scores before racial adjustments, Hit Dice ability score increases, and equipment bonuses: Str 10, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 12.
Tiefling Greater Conjurer CR 8
Tiefling conjurer 8
NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +2, Spot +2
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Infernal
AC 12, touch 11, flat-footed 12
(+1 armor, +1 deflection)
hp 45 (8d4+16 HD)
Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +9
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
Spd 30 ft.
Melee mwk dagger +5 (1d4/19–20)
Ranged light crossbow +4 (1d8/19–20)
Spell-Like Abilities (8th)
1/day—darkness
Spells Prepared (8th)
4th—charm monster (DC 18), solid fog, stoneskin, summon monster IV
3rd—arcane sight, gaseous form, slow (DC 17), suggestion (DC 17), summon monster III
2nd—alter self, daze monster (DC 16), invisibility, mirror image, summon monster II
1st—color spray (DC 15), expeditious retreat, mage armor, shield, sleep (DC 15), summon monster I
0—acid splash (+4 ranged touch), detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), mending, read magic
Prohibited Schools evocation, necromancy
Str 10, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +4; Grp +4
Feats Augment Summoning, Extend Spell, Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration)
Skills Bluff +2, Concentration +14, Decipher Script +14, Hide +2, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +14, Knowledge (the planes) +14, Spellcraft +16
SQ summon familiar
Combat Gear scroll of teleport, wand of dispel magic (10 charges); Other Gear amulet of health +2, bracers of armor +1, cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1, masterwork dagger, light crossbow with 20 bolts, spellbook (containing all spells prepared)
The Tiefling Lesser Conjurer will typically summon a fiendish Medium monstrous scorpion (summon monster II), or a fiendish dire rat (summon monster I). The Lesser Conjurer presented below had the following ability scores before racial adjustments and Hit Dice ability score increases: Str 10, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 12.
Tiefling Lesser Conjurer CR 4
Tiefling conjurer 4
NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Infernal
AC 11, touch 10, flat-footed 11
(+1 armor)
hp 19 (4d4+8 HD)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +6
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
Spd 30 ft.
Melee mwk dagger +3 (1d4/19–20)
Ranged light crossbow +2 (1d8/19–20)
Spell-Like Abilities (4th)
1/day—darkness
Spells Prepared (4th)
2nd—alter self, daze monster (DC 16), mirror image, summon monster II
1st—color spray (DC 15), mage armor, shield, sleep (DC 15), summon monster I
0—acid splash (+2 ranged touch), detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), mending, read magic
Prohibited Schools evocation, necromancy
Str 10, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; Grp +2
Feats Augment Summoning, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration)
Skills Bluff +2, Concentration +9, Decipher Script +11, Hide +2, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +11, Knowledge (the planes) +11, Spellcraft +13
SQ summon familiar
Combat Gear scroll of dimension door, wand of acid arrow (10 charges); Other Gear bracers of armor +1, cloak of protection +1, masterwork dagger, light crossbow with 20 bolts, spellbook (containing all spells prepared)
The Tiefling Slayer will use the Bluff skill and the Improved Feint feat to attempt to make sneak attacks against melee opponents. The Slayer presented below had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 15.
Tiefling Slayer CR 3
Tiefling rogue 1/fighter 2
NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +3, Spot +3
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16
(+5 armor, +3 Dex, +1 shield)
hp 20 (1d6+1 plus 2d10+1 HD)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will -1
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
Spd 30 ft.
Melee mwk rapier +6 (1d6/18–20)
Ranged light crossbow +5 (1d8/19–20)
Special Attack sneak attack +1d6
Spell-Like Abilities (3rd)
1/day—darkness
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 13
Base Atk +2; Grp +2
Feats Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Persuasive, Weapon Finesse
Skills Bluff +9, Climb +0, Disguise +5, Hide +8, Intimidate +9, Jump +4, Listen +3, Move Silently +6, Search +6, Sense Motive +3, Spot +3, Use Magic Device +5
SQ trapfinding
Combat Gear potion of cat’s grace; Gear +1 chain shirt, masterwork light steel shield, masterwork rapier, light crossbow with 20 bolts
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
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