D&D 5E (2014) Tiefling preview!

[bogmad]

So what do folks think that's supposed to be on the second page with the wax skull seal? An ancient contract with Asmodeus?

 

[gweinel]

Well, i am another planescape fan and i am disappointed in this approach of tieflings. Unispiring at least and very limited in scope in comparison with the PS approach. Conversly, i liked the art more than the female dwarf.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Assuming that guy gets past the town guard...

And actually makes it down the street and into the inn...

And somehow makes it over to my table in one piece...

And somehow convinces my companions to let him join our adventuring party...

Me? I'm going to spend my every waking hour trying to arrange an "accident" for that guy.

And I'll have a lot of waking hours, because I'm not sleeping while that guy is around.

 

[Quickleaf]

*sigh* Devil blooded only. Seriously?

That completely misses the point of the classic 2e and 3e tieflings, replacing them with something using their name but apparently based completely on the 4e creature from Evans' novel. That's a shame.

I gotta say, I was hoping for a subrace that was more variable in appearance. I never really played much Planescape, but I like the idea of perhaps a more chaotic demonic rather than lawful devil breed, one that may or may not have a tail, etc. but still bears some obvious signs of infernal influence.

Of course this doesn't include the presumed subrace options, but the general description there seems to say all tieflings share the same baseline template.

Well, i am another planescape fan and i am disappointed in this approach of tieflings. Unispiring at least and very limited in scope in comparison with the PS approach. Conversly, i liked the art more than the female dwarf.

Good thing I've got your homebrew Planescape tiefling covered, cutters

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-conversion)&p=6330960&viewfull=1#post6330960

 

[Anthraxus]

Nice, Quickleaf.

The Preview is mechanically all right. 3 different subraces of Tiefling would be nice(demon/devil/daemon). I wouldn't mind seeing them written up somewhere officially.

Looking at the art again, man. Her tail is probably larger in diameter (at its largest) than her thigh!

 

[GSHamster]

I like the story excerpt, I think it does well to put the player in the mind of a Tiefling. I have no particular issue with the origin story. I guess the Tieflings were Demonic rather than Infernal before? Not a huge issue. I mean, there was a thread yesterday about how nobody can tell the difference between devils and demons, and most people seemed to be in agreement that there wasn't much difference save alignment. Kinda surprised it matters here.

The devil/demon thing is really shorthand for the origin story. 4E tieflings are a "true" race. Tiefling parents have tiefling children inside a tiefling culture.

In contrast, 2E tieflings are closer to half-elves. Half-elves generally have one elf parent and one human parent, and they grow up within one of the two cultures. Thus their story is both being part of that culture, and yet not being part of the culture. Tanis from Dragonlance is the archetype here.

2E tieflings are very similar. They're touched by demonic/extraplanar ancestry, but more importantly they grow up within the normal human culture. It's that insider/outsider dichotomy which is their selling point, just like half-elves.

To many people, 4E tieflings is like having a nation of half-elves, where everyone is part elf and part human. You could do this. But it kind of misses the selling point of half-elves.

Another analogy could be that 4E Tieflings are like Gypsies or Roma. They're a separate culture, existing inside a larger culture than looks down on them. A 2E Tiefling is closer to a half-Roma person, belonging to both cultures, but not really accepted by either.

 

[D'karr]

I'm another guy who doesn't like them {snip}

{snip}I especially don't like this interpretation of them.

Kind of oxymoronic for a guy named Liker...

 

[jrowland]

For me, art and descriptions are the last thing I look at. I know what a dwarf is, I don't need it described to me. But the stats do matter in game and they set a baseline of expectation. I do get how art and descriptions can inspire people about a race, especially for new players, so I can certainly understand the frustration PS fans have.

I see very little complaint about the mechanical stats of tiefling, so I color that a plus (I could care less about tiefling, any edition, not my cup o tea), and I think they stats are fine. Cha is a bit odd (Tiefling Bards seems odd given the fluff they present...well on second thought, maybe Tiefling bards are Goth/Emo/Punk...lol!)

Artwork: Yup, that is a tiefling. It may not be your vision of one, but its not subtle, and I think that's important for art in a game book. A subtle PS tiefling might not leap out and scream "TIEFLING". My biggest headache with Star Trek (which I love) is the ubiquitous human-looking people with small distinguishing features to tell you "not human". I am glad for a BOLD tiefling (even if the horns are usually over-sized).

I would like some more sub-races of tiefling (planetouched), but I think something has to give...everything can't be in the PHB. Likely there is a priority at play here:
Elves/Dwarfs/Humans/Halflings are obvious 1st priority with many sub-races
Tiefling/Dragonborn fit 2nd tier
Warforged, Minotaur 3rd
Monsterous races4th

1st tier gets full PHB treatment
2nd tier gets minimum PHB with either variant sidebar for sub-race or DMG work-up for sub-race
3rd tier gets minimum treatment in DMG
4th tier gets a sidebar, mention in MM

IMO, of course

 

[D'karr]

So what do folks think that's supposed to be on the second page with the wax skull seal? An ancient contract with Asmodeus?

A postage prepaid ragequit form letter to the editor for those that don't like the entry?

 

[SigmaOne]

I too am not a fan of dragonborn, tieflings, warforged, or kender, and would prefer them to be in an expansion. But I'm not going to lose sleep over it. With the second page being released, I'm curious to know what this "hellish rebuke" spell is. It's not in basic, so I'm assuming it's in the PHB

They are in an expansion: 5A. 5B has the core four, and that's it.