Re-converting Tieflings - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Re-converting Tieflings

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Siberys
Aug 21, 2010 18:52:38 I've been going through the races in the DSCS, and the only one that seems off is the Tiefling. Normally I wouldn't care, but wouldn't you know one of my players just HAS to be one, though luckily 'cause they want a particular feat, not 'cause he only plays them or anything.

I'm considering writing a new conversion of them to properly 'Athasify' them, but I'm not getting much; these are the options I've come up with so far;

1) Much like Kalashtar, Tieflings are still human. They have simply developed abilities related to Fire - I haven't decided how, though. It could be natural pyrokinesis; perhaps only Templars are ever Tieflings, and it's some kind of sign of an SK's favor. It could also be some sort of Defiling thing. I might consider switching the associated damage type from fire to psychic or necrotic for this variation.

2) Tieflings are the progeny of SKs. As I understand it, that would make Raamite and Nibenese Tieflings more common than others, but I'm not entirely sure about that. In fact, Nibenay's son (forgot his name; there's a sidebar in the Nibenay section of the DSCS) could statistically be a Tiefling.

Any other ideas?
#2
dqfanatic
Aug 21, 2010 19:14:00 I've heard some people on the forum suggest that they be mutated by the sun into one of the freak mutant races of Athas, while others have suggested a SK bloodline or pact like you suggested. Some people are happy to keep the "bargained with dark powers" angle, either specifying which dark power it was, or leaving it purposefully vague.

I personally think it's a bit too similar to the core tiefling's "bargained with devils" background; they just changed it to "bargained with ____", so it requires some imagination to make them not identical to any other tiefling. I'm personally fond of the desert-mutant background, but here's another option - maybe the ancient bargain they made was with the Lord of Flames, or just some really powerful primal spirits of fire.
#3
tavitin
Aug 21, 2010 19:39:39 People mutated by the sun in my campaign i'm calling SunWarped. Its a Theme that uses the Spellscarred powers as theme powers.

Tieflings might come from a secret society that ended up selling their souls to devils so they can have the power needed to subjugate the SKs
#4
angelus_obscura
Aug 21, 2010 20:11:53 Athas is certainly big enough that tieflings could simply be from the Hinterlands, or beyond even that. A people whose ancestors made deals with fiends so they can have the power to survive the harsh land resultant of the SKs cleansing wars. Hell, they could be one of those lost races that survived by making a deal with the devils and became warped into something else entirely! Tielfings were originally gnomes? I LIKE IT! haha

Or they could be one of the New Races spawned by the Pristine Tower. I believe the "sun mutation" is because of the Tower's fleshwarping aura.
#5
mouthymerc
Aug 21, 2010 22:56:44 Tieflings are the descendants of humans that bargained with "dark" powers in order to have the strength to survive on Athas. Those "dark" powers are left to the DMs to determine.

Under Cosmology there are said to be a race of devils that migrated to the Gray (Shadowfell) before any connection was lost. They could be the group the humans made a bargain with.

They could have made a deal with a Primordial.

They could have made a deal with a demon lord as the Abyss is still reachable.

There could be other creatures in the Gray with which they could have struck a deal.

A mutation due to extensive defiling by a long dead sorcerer-king. You could change the Fire Resistance and Infernal Wrath's Fire keyword to Necrotic to fit the defiling theme better.

Just for starters.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Siberys Aug 21, 2010 18:52:38	I've been going through the races in the DSCS, and the only one that seems off is the Tiefling. Normally I wouldn't care, but wouldn't you know one of my players just HAS to be one, though luckily 'cause they want a particular feat, not 'cause he only plays them or anything. I'm considering writing a new conversion of them to properly 'Athasify' them, but I'm not getting much; these are the options I've come up with so far; 1) Much like Kalashtar, Tieflings are still human. They have simply developed abilities related to Fire - I haven't decided how, though. It could be natural pyrokinesis; perhaps only Templars are ever Tieflings, and it's some kind of sign of an SK's favor. It could also be some sort of Defiling thing. I might consider switching the associated damage type from fire to psychic or necrotic for this variation. 2) Tieflings are the progeny of SKs. As I understand it, that would make Raamite and Nibenese Tieflings more common than others, but I'm not entirely sure about that. In fact, Nibenay's son (forgot his name; there's a sidebar in the Nibenay section of the DSCS) could statistically be a Tiefling. Any other ideas?
#2 dqfanatic Aug 21, 2010 19:14:00	I've heard some people on the forum suggest that they be mutated by the sun into one of the freak mutant races of Athas, while others have suggested a SK bloodline or pact like you suggested. Some people are happy to keep the "bargained with dark powers" angle, either specifying which dark power it was, or leaving it purposefully vague. I personally think it's a bit too similar to the core tiefling's "bargained with devils" background; they just changed it to "bargained with ____", so it requires some imagination to make them not identical to any other tiefling. I'm personally fond of the desert-mutant background, but here's another option - maybe the ancient bargain they made was with the Lord of Flames, or just some really powerful primal spirits of fire.
#3 tavitin Aug 21, 2010 19:39:39	People mutated by the sun in my campaign i'm calling SunWarped. Its a Theme that uses the Spellscarred powers as theme powers. Tieflings might come from a secret society that ended up selling their souls to devils so they can have the power needed to subjugate the SKs
#4 angelus_obscura Aug 21, 2010 20:11:53	Athas is certainly big enough that tieflings could simply be from the Hinterlands, or beyond even that. A people whose ancestors made deals with fiends so they can have the power to survive the harsh land resultant of the SKs cleansing wars. Hell, they could be one of those lost races that survived by making a deal with the devils and became warped into something else entirely! Tielfings were originally gnomes? I LIKE IT! haha Or they could be one of the New Races spawned by the Pristine Tower. I believe the "sun mutation" is because of the Tower's fleshwarping aura.
#5 mouthymerc Aug 21, 2010 22:56:44	Tieflings are the descendants of humans that bargained with "dark" powers in order to have the strength to survive on Athas. Those "dark" powers are left to the DMs to determine. Under Cosmology there are said to be a race of devils that migrated to the Gray (Shadowfell) before any connection was lost. They could be the group the humans made a bargain with. They could have made a deal with a Primordial. They could have made a deal with a demon lord as the Abyss is still reachable. There could be other creatures in the Gray with which they could have struck a deal. A mutation due to extensive defiling by a long dead sorcerer-king. You could change the Fire Resistance and Infernal Wrath's Fire keyword to Necrotic to fit the defiling theme better. Just for starters.