Tieflings are either born in the Lower Planes or have one or more fiendish ancestors who originated there. A tiefling (pronounced TEEFling) is linked by blood to a devil, a demon, a yugoloth, or some other Fiend. This connection to the Lower Planes is, for better or worse, the tiefling’s fiendish legacy, which comes with the promise of power yet has no effect on the tiefling’s moral outlook.
A tiefling chooses whether to embrace or lament their fiendish legacy. The three legacies are as follows:
Abyssal. The heartless entropy of the Abyss, the howling chaos of Pandemonium, and the vast despair of Carceri call to tieflings who have the Abyssal fiendish legacy. Horns, fur, tusks, black blood, and peculiar odors are common physical features of such tieflings, most of whom have the blood of demons coursing through their veins.
Chthonic. Tieflings who have the Chthonic fiendish legacy not only feel the tug of Carceri but also the greed of Gehenna and the underworld gloom of Hades. Some of these tieflings look cadaverous. Others possess the unearthly beauty of an incubus or a succubus, or they have physical features in common with a night hag, a yugoloth, or some other Neutral Evil fiendish ancestor.
Infernal. The Infernal fiendish legacy binds tieflings by blood not only to Gehenna but also the raging battlefields of Acheron and the diabolical Nine Hells. Horns, spines, tails, golden eyes, and a faint odor of sulfur or smoke are common physical features of such tieflings, most of whom trace their ancestry to devils.
Tieflings born in the Lower Planes often migrate to other planes of existence and never look back. Their descendants are scattered across many worlds and are especially prevalent in Sigil, the torus-shaped city at the center of the multiverse.
The earliest tieflings joined ranks with nontieflings to repel fiendish incursions on many worlds, earning the trust of those who might otherwise have mistaken them for Fiends. Thanks to the victories and sacrifices of these legends, tieflings throughout the multiverse enjoy widespread acceptance.
Creature Type: Humanoid. You are also considered a Fiend for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be a Fiend.
Size: Medium (about 4–7 feet tall) or Small (about 3–4 feet tall) , chosen when you select this Race
Speed: 30 feet
Life Span: 100 years on average
As a Tiefling, you have these special traits.
| Fiendish Legacies | |||
| Legacy | 1st Level | 3rd Level | 5th Level |
| Abyssal | You have Resistance to Poison Damage. You also know the Poison Spray Cantrip. | Ray of Sickness | Hold Person |
| Chthonic | You have Resistance to Necrotic Damage. You also know the Chill Touch Cantrip. | False Life | Ray of Enfeeblement |
| Infernal | You have Resistance to Fire Damage. You also know the Fire Bolt Cantrip. | Hellish Rebuke | Darkness |