Why are tieflings so popular? How did they manage to outcompete all the other wacky races to win their place in mainstream D&D?

lowkey13 · Apr 24, 2019

*Deleted by user*

Ralif Redhammer · Apr 24, 2019

Gotta say, I'm kinda digging this retro race-as-class tiefling:

https://reddicediaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/wb-tiefling-1.pdf

Leatherhead · Apr 24, 2019

MechaTarrasque said:
Has any good ever come from splitting the fighting man into the fighter and the thief/rogue? I think not.

Honestly, they should be re-merged into one. It would solve so many problems that "mundane" heroes face by giving them great skills and great swordsplay to compete with more magical types, and also curtail the annoying people who like the play a rogue as an excuse to be a kleptomaniac jerk.

I see no downsides to the merge.

Mistwell · Apr 24, 2019

lowkey13 said:
Because of the sad truth of the world.

Stated preference:

I like things that are cool, and hate things that suck.

Revealed preference:

I like things that suck, and hate things that are cool.

See also, paladins.

It's more likely your tastes differ from those of others, and it's actually you who like the things that suck and dislike the things that are cool

CM · Apr 24, 2019

Hellboy
Nightcrawler
Anti-heroes are cool

Azzy · Apr 24, 2019

CM said:
Hellboy
Nightcrawler
Anti-heroes are cool

Raven

Hussar · Apr 24, 2019

Paul Farquhar said:
Not just Planescape: Torment. Baldur's Gate 2 and Neverwinter Nights 2 also feaured tieflings.

Heh, I didn't remember a Tiefling in Baldur's Gate 2. Had to look it up. Now I remember why I totally forgot this dude:

was a Tiefling. I just assumed he was an elf and never really looked at it too closely.

GreyLord · Apr 24, 2019

CM said:
Hellboy
Nightcrawler
Anti-heroes are cool

How cool are we talking?

I thought Hellboy was bombing badly a the box office.

5ekyu · Apr 25, 2019

Hussar said:
Heh, I didn't remember a Tiefling in Baldur's Gate 2. Had to look it up. Now I remember why I totally forgot this dude:

was a Tiefling. I just assumed he was an elf and never really looked at it too closely.

Is it me or is that not Frank Langella with some added bits ?

Paul Farquhar · Apr 25, 2019

Hussar said:
Heh, I didn't remember a Tiefling in Baldur's Gate 2. Had to look it up. Now I remember why I totally forgot this dude:

was a Tiefling. I just assumed he was an elf and never really looked at it too closely.

They didn't have a tiefling model in the game engine, so, hawing chosen to use the elf model, the portrait had to match up. It is however entirely consistent with 2nd edition tiefling appearance, which varied widely and could be subtle.

Having said that, I think the game engine would have supported red or blue skin colour and the portrait could have had vertical-slit pupils.

And the did tend to base portraits on famous people - they got into trouble for it with NWN and had to change some.