Tieflings

[Plane Sailing]

Sorry guys, but although discussing the historical basis of using distinct racial groups as moneylenders is an interesting one, experience tells us that it has a huge probability of getting into race/religion issues, turning bad and ending in thread closure, so no more on that subject please.

Thanks for understanding.

 

[Li Shenron]

I've always liked the concept of tieflings, but something has always bugged me. I've just realized that its the actual name that I don't like. Tiefling. Blah. Nothing in the name demonstrates a demonic background. It sounds like a guy who lives in a tree and makes cookies.

I think I could get behind the race a bit more if they were called something like Demonkin or Devilborn. Something, anything a bit more ominous.

I prefer Tiefling because it's a proper name, and it sounds like the race calls itself the same. I'm not a fan of race names composed by mundane words (in fact, I find Dragonborn pretty trivial).

(edit) If Dragonborns are a fully-fledge race, then I'd like them to have a proper unique name. It would be ok for me if "dragonborn" is a condition, or a template, or a trans-racial feature.

BTW, I'm going to write down Truffleings and Dragonbjörk, they might be useful one day!

 

[Soel]

Had already decided to go with Cambion instead of Tiefling. I will probably go more 2e with them as well (think abilities table, but 4e-ized, unless they beat me too it.)

Cambion just works better for me.

 

[hong]

BTW, I'm going to write down Truffleings and Dragonbjörk, they might be useful one day!

Ooh! Would a Dragonbjörk have breasts?

 

[lutecius]

I was assuming, for my purposes, that tiefling is what other races call them. As the descendants of Bael Turath (if I remember the name of the place correctly) they call themselves Turathii.

I prefer "Baelite", unless there are other places/empires called Bael Something.
I don't know if it is too obvious or how it sounds to native english speakers, but Baelite works better for me than the overdone middle-eastern vibe of "Turathi".
It has this biblical "corrupt cities destroyed by fire and brimstone" feel.
Bael could be the infernal father/corruptor of the first tieflings (Bel, Belial or Baalzebul) or the first tiefling himself, who finally ascended to arch-devilhood (-ness? -ity? -itude?)

I really really hate the D&D practice of creating names for creatures by glomming on a verb onto the end of a noun and making another noun out of it.

Example.
Warforged
Dragonborn

Some are worse than others but I still prefer this over made up words like aasimar, 'ri, -gon, -zu...

I also hate the practice (popularized by one Monte Cook) of just deciding that an adjective sounds good and bastardizing it into a noun.

Example: Unfettered

Yes, those are pretty bad.

 

[hong]

You know, Aasimar'ri-gon-zu sounds like a pretty cool oni name.

Crap for a rock band, though, unless it was into J-pop.

 

[lutecius]

You know, Aasimar'ri-gon-zu sounds like a pretty cool oni name.QUOTE]
Or some Jedi name, I just realized

 

[Goblyns Hoard]

I'm going to agree with Jurgen on this. As a german speaker Tiefling just falls perfectly into place, I always thought it was a nice touch that the word wasn't just made up but had a connotation to it. OK it helped that I was in the club that understood the connotation. I also think that it definitely sounds like the name everyone else calls them, rather than their original name for themselves. But to add to that it may be one they've adopted for themselves as well - just like real world populations have taken otherwise derogative terms imposed upon them and adopted them as their own.

 

[Elphilm]

Ooh! Would a Dragonbjörk have breasts?

You betcha.