Shadow Tiefling (3.5e Race)

Author: the bluez in the dungeon (talk) Date Created: 29/04/2021 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Shadow Tiefling

Shadow tieflings are a subrace of tieflings, which comes from the specific union between mortals and dark fiends or shadow creatures or, in other cases, they may come from the seed of Erebos, the Dark Chaos (a plane that acts as a living being from many perspectives).

Personality

Shadow tieflings have tendency to be calm, collected and reserved people, quite timid and introvert. They like silence and shadows, where the air is chill and they are free from the reverberating glare of the sun

The usual shadow tiefling is very fond of its indipendency and self-centered, sometimes passing as detached and even egotistical. They are, in a way, though they prefer to underline the fact that they simple respect others by trying to not force interaction, a nice way to say not to disturb them.

Some of them are brooding and dark in nature, often complaining about themselves and others, but this is a minority.

All shadow tieflings care about freedom and react strongly, even violently, against anyone trying to limit them or others in a way that they deem unjust.

Shadow tieflings' nature should be opposed to the idea of adventuring, but, as they are also drawn to knowledge and refuge from sounds, as well as pushed away by discrimination, so often find themselves adventuring, like most tieflings. Those who are born of Erebos go in pilgrimage to find this elusive plane.

Physical Description

Their skin is usually a deep blue or darker, up to jet black, but some have been observed having a fairer skin, resembling that of their non-outsider parent, so it's not a given. Their eyes are always black, with no difference between each part, while their hair vary wildly, with no pattern. They have blue or black nails. Beside these traits it's notable that they lack the typical horns and tails of tieflings, as well as their hooved feet (these features may appear in those who descend from fiends but it's not a rule), while sporting something similar to a black hole on their belly. These holes are covered by a transparent, semi-permeable membrane, and seems to be connected to some dark place or to contain shadowstuff.

They wear varied, and often colorful, clothes despite their solitary nature. This is because they value expression of the self and many, if lacking other artistic abilities, choose to wear clothes that stand out. It is true, though, that a lot wear darker clothes, especially adventurers.

They call the hole on the belly "the shadow within" and treat it with care and respect, demanding the same from others. This because the area is very sensitive to them, in fact they prefer to cover it specifically and often don't reveal its existence to others. When they trust really a person they may, especially if in intimacy, let them touch the "shadow within". Those who did it says the sensation is like submerging your hand in chill water, a strange, but maneageable sensation. On the other side, shadow tieflings feel a warm and pleasing sensation, but they cannot bear it for long.

Relations

They are a bit more social between each other than other tieflings, as they understand their needs better than any other race. When with others they are often treated as any tieflings, another reason because of which they prefer to stay alone.

In any case, they seldom found societies or groups and more often they remain solitary or in very small gatherings (such as an adventuring party).

Alignment

Almost all shadow tieflings are chaotic in nature, often neutral, sometimes evil or good. Neutral shadow tieflings are more unique than rare, while lawful ones are an impossibility.

Lands

No particular land is home for the shadow tieflings, but they prefer small communities or the countryside in the Material Plane. More often they are found roaming the Outer Plane, particularly in Limbo or the Plane of Shadow, searching for Erebos.

Religion

These tieflings are somewhat more religious than the average tiefling, but their main spiritual aim seems to be the same for each of them: to reach Erebos, the Living Plane that most of them worship almost as a cleric worships their deity. In any case, they prefer divine being related to chaos, shadows and knowledge.

Language

This subrace of tieflings typically speak Abyssal and Common, as well as any language that they may use. They prefer to learn arcane languages like Draconic or languages from across the planes.

Names

They adopt the naming customs of the society they are born in, but many of them, in accordance to their indipendent nature, decide to name themselves something they choose, resulting in a great variety.

Racial Traits

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: They are nimble and meditative, but often socially inept.
• Outsider (Incarnum, Native): Shadow tieflings are outsiders with the incarnum and native subtype. They don't gain any weapon or armor proficiency from their type. 
• Medium: As a Medium creature, a shadow tiefling has no special bonuses or penalties due to its size.
• Shadow Tiefling base land speed is 30 feet.  
• Darkvision: A shadow tiefling can see in the dark up to 70 (21 meters) feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and a shadow tiefling can function just fine with no light at all. 
• Muffling Shadows (Ex): +2 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks. While in shadowy or darker areas these bonuses increase to +4, a consequence of their affinity to darkness. 
• +2 against Darkness effects and -2 to Light effects. 
• Darkness (Sp): A shadow tiefling can use darkness, as the spell, once per day. Its caster level is equal to its character level. 
• Shadow Receptacle (Ex): A shadow tiefling may invest, once per day, essentia points into its darkness ability (with the same maximum of essentia invested as a soulmeld, plus any bonus). This way they gain an extra use of darkness per each essentia point invested. Anything that may allow it to reinvest essentia may not give extra uses beyond those already invested. 
• Essentia Pool (Ex): A shadow tiefling's essentia pool is permanently increased by 1. If it doesn't have an essentia pool, this trait grants it one with a single point of essentia. 
• Fiend Blood: Shadow tieflings are, for any effect, tieflings, for example to meet requirements. 
• Energy Resistance (Ex): Shadow tieflings have cold resistance 5.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Umbral
• Bonus Languages: Any non secret
• Favored Class: Incarnate
• Level Adjustment: +1
• Effective Character Level: 2

Simple Racial Traits

These are racial traits for use with the simplified races rules.

• Outsider (Incarnum, Native)
• Medium
• Base land speed of 30 feet.
• Combat Ability - Darkness: Once per minute as a swift action you may cast darkness; this is a spell-like ability that provokes no attacks of opportunity, and lasts for two rounds. Caster level is equal to your level.
• Passive Ability - Shadow Vision: You can see through darkness and magical darkness as though it wasn't there.
• Utility Ability - Shadow Receptacle: Your essentia pool is permanently expanded by 1. If you don't have one this feature grants you one point of essentia. You can invest, once per day, one essentia point into you Darkness ability to increase the duration to one minute

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