Heirs of a shattered empire who live in the shadows and do not fear the dark
AW at-will · ENC encounter · DLY daily |
Fields: Req requirement · Trig trigger · Tgt target · Atk attack · Hit/Miss/Eff · 1°/2° primary/secondary · Sust sustain · After aftereffect · Spec special |
Shorthand: Str/Dex/Con/Wis/Int/Cha = ability mod · EONT/SONT = end/start of your next turn · sq = square(s) · CA combat advantage · OA opp. attack · MBA/RBA melee/ranged basic attack · HP hit points · tgt target · [W] weapon dice
| ENC | Infernal WrathTiefling Racial PowerMinor Pers | You call upon your furious nature to improve your odds of harming your foe. Eff You can channel your fury to gain a +1 pwr bonus to your next attack roll against an enemy that hit you since your last turn. If your attack hits and deals dmg, add Cha as extra dmg. |
Heirs to an ancient, infernal bloodline, tieflings have no realms of their own but instead live within human kingdoms and cities. They are descended from human nobles who bargained with dark powers, and long ago their empire subjugated half the world. But the empire was cast down into ruin, and tieflings were left to make their own way in a world that often fears and resents them.
Tieflings’ appearance testifies to their infernal bloodline. They have large horns; thick, nonprehensile tails that range in length from 4 to 5 feet; sharply pointed teeth; and eyes that are solid orbs of black, red, white, silver, or gold. Their skin color covers the whole human range and also extends to reds, from a ruddy tan to a brick red. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is as likely to be dark blue, red, or purple as more common human colors.
Tieflings favor dark colors and reds, leathers and glossy furs, small spikes and buckles. Tiefling-crafted arms and armor often have an archaic style, harkening back to the glory of their long-vanished empire.
Hundreds of years ago, the leaders of the human empire of Bael Turath made pacts with devils to solidify their hold over its enormous territory. Those humans became the first tieflings, and they governed their empire in the name of their infernal masters. In time, Bael Turath came into conflict with Arkhosia, the ancient empire of the dragonborn, and decades of warfare left both empires in ruins. Bael Turath’s grand capital was thrown down in ruin.
Tieflings are the heirs of the surviving noble dynasties that ruled the empire. Their bloodline is tainted by their diabolical connections, passing to their descendants through all generations. In many ways, they are human; they can have children with humans, for example, but their offspring are always tieflings. Centuries of other races’ distrust and outright hatred have made tieflings self-reliant and often too willing to live up to the stereotypes imposed on them. As a race without a homeland, tieflings know that they have to make their own way in the world and that they have to be strong to survive, and they are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend. However, when a tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, the tiefling quickly learns to extend the same trust to them. And once a tiefling gives someone trust and loyalty, the tiefling is a firm friend and ally for life. Although the nobles of Bael Turath subjugated themselves to devils, most present-day tieflings give little thought to gods or patrons, preferring to look out for themselves. Therefore, they do not often follow the path of the divine; tiefling clerics or paladins are rare. Tieflings are not numerous. Sometimes a tiefling merchant clan that is descended from a Bael Turath dynasty settles as a group in a land where wealth can purchase safety and comfort. But most tieflings are born outside such hidden dynasties and grow up in the roughest quarters of human cities and towns. These tieflings often become swindlers, thieves, or crime lords, who carve out a niche for themselves amid the squalor of their surroundings.
Three sample tiefling adventurers are described below. Akmenos is a tiefling warlock torn between good and evil. He longs to fit into the human society in which he lives and would like to call himself genuinely good. At the same time, he fears that his soul is irretrievably tainted by the touch of evil—both the evil in his blood and the sinister nature of his infernal pact. He feels as if he is on a tightrope between good and evil and might eventually fall either way. His companions recognize the good in his heart and trust him, and that trust has been enough on some days to keep him from sliding into evil. His life is tormented, and though he believes he is called to a great destiny, he is not sure whether he will become a hero or a villain. Kallista is a tiefling warlord who prays daily that Bahamut will help her keep her commitment to live justly and honorably. She has no love for Bahamut’s priests and temples, but she feels a personal connection to the Platinum Dragon, which inspires her to acts of nobility and sacrifice. She leads a group of adventurers in strikes against evil forces but dreams of one day leading an army under Bahamut’s banner. In his name, she struggles to keep her violent temper and cruel streak under tight control.
Random is a tiefling rogue, a native of the streets and alleys of a human city and no stranger to poverty, mistrust, or prejudice. As far as he’s concerned, good and evil are a matter for priests and philosophers to discuss in their marble temples and universities. The reality of life on the street is survival, and he’s willing to do what is necessary to survive. As part of an adventuring group, he has had his first taste of wealth and discovered that he likes it, but h Deva
“The error of my ancestors was in dealing with evil powers they couldn’t control.”
The sins of Bael Turath lie exposed in the sinister appearance of its tiefling descendants. Each pair of horns, every sinewy tail, and every set of glowing red eyes reminds the world of the perils of dealing with devils and the evils that result from such fell bargains. Many tieflings rise above the darkness clouding their souls, but a few find it far harder to divorce themselves from their sinister heritage, largely because of their familial connections to those first tieflings who forged pacts with Asmodeus and other archdevils of the Nine Hells.
As a Turathi highborn, you bear a heavier burden than your kin, for it was your ancestors who damned the tiefling race. For better or worse, you retain a stronger connection to the Nine Hells than most of your race. You loose bursts of hellfire on your enemies when enraged, and infernal power undergirds your other talents. Drawing on the lore of Bael Turath’s ancient nobility, you can unhinge the minds of your foes or make them your slaves—even as you engulf them in hellfire.
| ENC | Bolts of BedevilmentTurathi Highborn Attack 11Std Ranged 10Charm, FireTgt One creature | Twin bolts of black fire leap from your hands to swirl about your enemy, tricking the foe into attacking one of its allies. Atk Charisma, Constitution, or Int + 4 vs Will · Hit Tgt makes a basic attack against a creature of your choice as a free action. Tgt gains a +2 pwr bonus to the attack roll, and on a hit, its attack deals 2d6 extra fire dmg. Level 21 Charisma, Constitution, or Int + 6 vs Will · Spec When you gain this power, choose Charisma, Constitution, or Intelligence as the ability you use when making attack rolls with this power. |
| DLY | Infernal NovaTurathi Highborn Utility 12Minor PersFire, Stance | You are wreathed in red and black flames that erupt to sear your foes when you are hit in melee. Eff Until the stance ends, whenever you take dmg from a melee attack, each enemy adjacent to you takes 5 fire dmg. |
| DLY | Thrall of TurathTurathi Highborn Attack 20Std Melee 1Charm, FireTgt One creature | You wrap your foe’s mind with hellfire, burning the enemy even as it follows your commands. Atk Charisma, Constitution, or Int + 6 vs Will · Hit 2d6 + Con fire dmg, and tgt is dominated and takes ongoing 5 fire dmg (save ends both). Miss Half dmg, and tgt makes a basic attack against a creature of your choice as a free action. · Spec When you gain this power, choose Charisma, Constitution, or Intelligence as the ability you use when making attack rolls with this power. |