Editing Tiefling (section)

===5th Edition===
Despite all the [[skub]] surrounding 4th edition, the tiefling as a corebook race turned out to be a popular concept, and so naturally they made the trip into the 5th edition PHB. Although still preserving the "general look" from 4e, the 5e tiefling is more explicitly variable in appearance, and even got a short list of alternate physical mutations in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide - small horns, fangs/sharp teeth, forked tongue, catlike eyes, six fingers on each hand, goat-like legs, cloven hooves, a forked tail, leathery or scaly skin, black/red/dark blue skin color, cast no shadow, cast no reflection, and exude a smell of brimstone.

One of the differences to 4th edition is that tieflings are explicitly expected to be rarer, which is why they've returned to a more nebulous fluff closer to the AD&D original than 4e's "scions of a fallen empire".

In their original writeup, tieflings had +2 Cha, +1 Int, Medium size, 30ft base speed, Darkvision, Hellish Resistance (resistant to Fire), and Infernal Legacy (spell-like abilities; Thaumaturgy at-will, Hellish Rebuke as a 2nd level spell 1/day at 3rd level, Darkness 1/day at 5th level). However, this slowly changed.

The aforementioned SCAG gave them 4 alternative racial traits. The Feral trait changes their ability score modifier to +2 Dex/+1 Int, whilst Devil's Tongue and Winged  replace the Infernal Legacy trait and Hellfire mods it. Devil's Tongue changes the tiefling's spell-like abilities to Vicious Mockery, Charm Person, and Enthrall. Hellfire changes the tiefling's spell-like abilities by replacing Hellish Rebuke with Burning Hands. And Winged, obviously enough, strips the tiefling of its spell-like abilities in exchange for the ability to fly 30 feet per round.

Then came an [[Unearthed Arcana]] article called "That Old Black Magic". As part of its discussion of demonic powers, it rewrote the tiefling into a race/subrace system. The original tiefling became the Infernal subrace, and in alternative, there was the Abyssal tiefling.

Then the [[Unearthed Arcana]] for October 2017, "Fiendish Options", which presented an new way of further specializing Infernal-type tieflings by connecting them to a specific [[Archdevil]]. These were subsequently reprinted ''exactly'' as-were in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.

'''Tiefling Racial Core:'''
::Ability Score Increase: +2 Charisma
::Size: Medium
::Speed: 30 feet
::Vision: Darkvision
::Subraces: Choose between the Infernal Tiefling and Abyssal Tiefling subraces.
::Language: Common

'''Infernal Tiefling:'''
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Intelligence
::Hellish Resistance: You have [[Damage Reduction|Fire Resistance]], halving all damage you take from fire.
::Infernal Legacy: Can cast Thaumaturgy cantrip at will, Hellish Rebuke as a 2nd level spell 1/day at 3rd level, and Darkness 1/day, all using Charisma.
::Bonus Language: Infernal

'''Abyssal Tiefling:'''
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution
::Abyssal Fortitude: Your hit point maximum increases by half your level, rounding up.
::Abyssal Arcana: You have access to an array of randomized spells; you can cast a cantrip at 1st level, a 1st level spell at 3rd level, and a 2nd level spell at 5th level. All non-cantrip spells can be cast once per long rest, and are cast with a 2nd level spell slot. Each time you take a long rest, you must roll a D6 and compare it to the Abyssal Arcana Spells table to determine what spell you will be able to cast after completing your long rest. This must be done even if you haven't cast your spells, and you cannot keep the same spell-like ability; if your result would give you the same spell as the one you are replacing, roll again until the result is different. Make a separate roll for each available spell-like ability; a 3d6 result of 5, 3, 4 would give you Spare the Dying, Magic Missile and Levitate as your spell-like abilities until you next take a long rest.

''Abyssal Arcana Spells:''
::Result of 1: Dancing Lights for Cantrip, Burning Hands for 1st Level Spell, Alter Self for 2nd Level Spell
::Result of 2: True Strike for Cantrip, Charm Person for 1st Level Spell, Darkness for 2nd Level Spell
::Result of 3: Light for Cantrip, Magic Missile for 1st Level Spell, Invisibility for 2nd Level Spell
::Result of 4: Message for Cantrip, Cure Wounds for 1st Level Spell, Levitate for 2nd Level Spell
::Result of 5: Spare the Dying for Cantrip, Tasha's Hideous Laughter for 1st Level Spell, Mirror Image for 2nd Level Spell
::Result of 6: Prestidigitation for Cantrip, Thunderwave for 1st Level Spell, Spider Climb for 2nd Level Spell

====Archdevil Tieflings====
In contrast to the standard system above, an [[archdevil]] tiefling works like this; you take the standard/Infernal tiefling (who also represents an [[Asmodeus]] tiefling in this system) and replace its +1 Intelligence and the Infernal Legacy trait with an ability score increase and a new set of spell-like abilities determined by the archdevil you are blood-tied to. What this ultimately means is that, unlike the poor Abyssal Tiefling, you still maintain your Fire Resistance trait. All of your spell-like abilities adhere to the mold set by Infernal Legacy; a cantrip you can cast at-will, and two 1/day spells gained at levels 3 and 5, all fueled by Charisma.
::'''Baalzebul''': +1 Intelligence, Legacy of Maladomini (Thaumaturgy, Ray of Sickness, Crown of Madness).
::'''Dispater''': +1 Dexterity, Legacy of Dis (Thaumaturgy, Disguise Self, Invisibility).
::'''Fierna''': +1 Wisdom, Legacy of Phlegethos (Friends, Charm Person, Suggestion).
::'''Glasya''': +1 Dexterity, Legacy of Malbolge (Minor Illusion, Disguise Self, Invisibility).
::'''Levistus''': +1 Constitution, Legacy of Stygia (Ray of Frost, Armor of Agathys, Darkness). Why these tieflings don't swap Fire Resistance for Cold Resistance is anybody's guess.
::'''Mammon''': +1 Intelligence, Legacy of Minauros (Mage Hand, Tenser's Floating Disk 1/short rest, Arcane Lock).
::'''Mephistopheles''': +1 Intelligence, Legacy of Cania (Mage Hand, Magic Missile, Web). Again, these tieflings could trade Fire Resistance for Cold Resistance.
::'''Zariel''': +1 Strength, Legacy of Avernus (Thaumaturgy, Searing Smite, Branding Smite).

The Archdevil Tieflings do raise all sorts of questions. As a descendant of one of the Lords of the Nine, you have some important ancestry. Except some of them seem a bit unlikely. Dispater is way too careful to sire children, and Baalzebul has some very high demands of his consorts (but, being an archduke of hell and all, he's bound to meet plenty of people who find said demands [[/d/|downright enjoyable]]). Levistus is currently inside of the planes' biggest ice cube this side of the [[Elemental Planes|Plane of Ice]], and being a descendant of Glasya doesn't automatically make you part of Asmodeus' bloodline, who is her father. Zariel raises another question: despite being imprisoned for untold years by Bel she does have her share of descendants. So either these bloodlines are extremely old... or being clamjammed because of her imprisonment means that the girl had some catching up to do. In any case, it's all kind of silly.  Of course, it's also possible to be born of a Tiefling bloodline because of your descent from a pacted Warlock of an Archdevil, too, so it's not like it's purely a line of descent that can cause this sort of thing.