Template

The Hell-Touched Template (Tiefling)

Template Cost: 9 to 11 RP (depending on Base Race vision)

Prerequisite: Any Humanoid base race with 10 RP or less.

History & Origins

In this setting, "Tiefling" describes not a separate species but a bloodline marked by planar corruption. When a mortal lineage brushes against the Lower Planes — through an ancient pact, a curse laid by a fiendish power, or a direct tie of blood — the infernal mark can surface generations later in an unsuspecting child. Hell-Touched individuals retain the general build and social standing of their birth race, but the fiendish blood announces itself unmistakably: horns that curl from the brow, a tail that betrays emotion, hooves instead of feet, skin cast in unnatural hues, or the faint and ever-present smell of brimstone.

Creating a Hell-Touched Character

Choose a Base Race (Human, Elf, Dwarf, etc.). You retain all racial traits of that base race — Ability Scores, Feats, and Skills — except where noted below. Then apply the following modifications.

1. Type (3 RP)

• Native Outsider: You gain the Outsider (Native) subtype. You are treated as an Outsider for type-dependent spells and effects — spells that specifically target Humanoids no longer affect you. You may still be raised, resurrected, or reincarnated normally.

2. Senses & Vision Discount (Variable RP)

The fiendish blood grants the ability to see in total darkness. Template cost is adjusted based on what your base race already possesses.

• Standard Cost (2 RP): Base race has Normal Vision (e.g., Human, Halfling). You gain Darkvision 60 ft.
• Discounted Cost (1 RP): Base race has Low-Light Vision (e.g., Elf, Gnome). You gain Darkvision 60 ft. The Low-Light Vision is superseded.
• Free (0 RP): Base race already has Darkvision (e.g., Dwarf, Orc). No additional benefit; template cost is reduced accordingly.

3. Defensive Traits (3 RP)

• Fiendish Resistance: You gain Cold Resistance 5, Electricity Resistance 5, and Fire Resistance 5.

4. Magic Racial Traits (1 RP)

• Fiendish SLA: You may use darkness once per day as a spell-like ability. Caster level equals your character level.

5. Skill Racial Traits (2 RP)

• Deceptive & Stealthy: You gain a +1 racial bonus on Bluff checks and a +1 racial bonus on Stealth checks.
• Design Note: Fiendish blood imparts a knack for deception and an instinct for self-concealment.

6. Ability Score Modifiers (0 RP — Standard Adjustment)

• Fiendish Stats: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma. Apply these in addition to your Base Race modifiers. The Charisma penalty reflects the unsettling quality of infernal heritage that makes others instinctively uneasy.

Sample Hell-Touched Characters

The Hell-Forged (Dwarven Tiefling)

Base: Dwarf (10 RP) + Template (9 RP — Free, Darkvision base) = 19 RP

• Ancestry: A dwarf born from a clan that enslaved Devils to work their forges — the price written into the bloodline.
• Total Stats: +2 Con, +2 Wis, –2 Cha (Base) + +2 Dex, +2 Int, –2 Cha (Template) = +2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Int, +2 Wis, –4 Cha.
• Features: Darkvision 60 ft, Stonecunning, Slow & Steady, Fiendish Resistance (Cold/Elec/Fire 5), Darkness 1/day, +1 Bluff, +1 Stealth.
• Flavor: Iron-gray skin warm to the touch, small ram horns curling from the brow, and a beard that carries a faint smell of brimstone. A formidable Fighter or Rogue chassis.

The Fey-Corrupt (Elven Tiefling)

Base: Elf (10 RP) + Template (10 RP — Discounted, Low-Light Vision base) = 20 RP

• Ancestry: An elf from a house that bargained with Demons to preserve its fading magic — paying in bloodline.
• Total Stats: +2 Dex, +2 Int, –2 Con (Base) + +2 Dex, +2 Int, –2 Cha (Template) = +4 Dex, +4 Int, –2 Con, –2 Cha.
• Features: Low-Light Vision upgrades to Darkvision 60 ft, Elven Immunities, Fiendish Resistance, Darkness 1/day, +1 Bluff, +1 Stealth.
• Flavor: Bone-pale skin, skeletal features, eyes that are pools of solid black. An exceptional Rogue or Wizard platform.

The Pit-Born (Human Tiefling)

Base: Human (10 RP) + Template (11 RP — Standard, Normal Vision base) = 21 RP

• Ancestry: A human with a direct fiendish ancestor — the classic Tiefling archetype.
• Total Stats: +2 Any (Base) + +2 Dex, +2 Int, –2 Cha (Template).
• Features: Bonus Feat, Skilled, Darkvision 60 ft, Fiendish Resistance, Darkness 1/day, +1 Bluff, +1 Stealth.
• Flavor: Passes for human at a glance, but casts a shadow that does not quite match their movement. The Dex/Int combination suits virtually any class.

Optional Rule — Variant Heritages: If your campaign uses heritage variants tied to specific fiendish bloodlines (devil-born, demon-spawn, daemon-touched, and so on), you may swap this template’s Ability Score Modifiers and Skill Bonuses for those listed in the appropriate variant. The Type (Native Outsider), Defensive Resistances, and SLA remain unchanged.