Tiefling Subraces In DnD 5e, Explained (2024)

Tieflings have been part of since the Player's Handbook. This basic version of the Tiefling had several amazing racial abilities in addition to fantastic lore involving their biological connections to the Lower Planes. Tieflings could be born of a relationship between a Fiend and a Humanoid or come about after their parent or grandparent made a deal with an infernal creature.

While originally there was only one option for Tiefling characters, Wizards of the Coast expanded on this devilish species with Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. The book included nine unique subtypes for the Tiefling, each based on the bloodlines of different greater Fiends. Each subtype replaces the secondary ability score increase and changes the spells in the Tiefling's innate spellcasting, allowing players to customize their Fiendish character.

Updated on April 7th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This feature about the various types of tieflings has been updated with new information and now adheres to CBR's current publication standards.

Bloodline Of Asmodeus

Bonus: Thaumaturgy, Hellish Rebuke, Darkness

The classic Player's Handbook subtype, Asmodeus Tieflings are perfectly built to be ranged spellcasters. They are often the key to a perfect warlock build if the player wants a classic warlock character to get themselves used to that eldritch class.

Asmodeus tieflings add a +1 bonus to their Intelligence score, which combined with their default Charisma bonus, makes them a perfect option for bards, sorcerers, and wizards. Their Infernal Legacy feature gives Asmodeus Tieflings access to Thaumaturgy, an excellent role-playing cantrip, as well as the defensive spell Hellish Rebuke and a utility spell in Darkness.

Bloodline Of Baalzebul

Bonus: Thaumaturgy, Ray of Sickness, Crown of Madness

Within D&D lore, Baalzebul's domain focuses on corruption and temptation, and players can build on that to develop their character. They get a bonus to their Intelligence score and swap Hellish Rebuke and Darkness for Ray of Sickness and Crown of Madness. Class-wise, Baalzebul Tieflings are well suited to be spellcasters, but they also make great Paladins, as they can take advantage of the racial concentration spells while saving their spell slots for divine smites.

Paladin roleplaying is always fun, and it's doubly so when the character is a tiefling, a species famous for customization and self-expression. Any player looking to take that route ought to choose the bloodline of Baalzebul over all other tiefling types.

Bloodline Of Dispater

Bonus: Thaumaturgy, Disguise Self, Detect Thoughts

Dispater Tieflings are perfectly built to be spies and infiltrators, as their magic allows them to discover secrets through deception and divination. Dispater Tieflings have a bonus to Dexterity, which makes them well-suited to be high Charisma rogues or bards that specialize in deception.

Their racial legacy feature allows them to cast Disguise Self and Detect Thoughts, both of which can be used to gain more information from NPCs or manipulate social situations. The perfect rogue build is based more on clever roleplay and advanced skills than innate spellcasting, but if a bloodline of Dispater tiefling enters the rogue class, then they're practically unstoppable with their rogue-centric innate spellcasting.

Bloodline Of Fierna

Bonus: Friends, Charm Person, Suggestion

Whereas Baalzebul Tieflings focus on physical corruption and pain, Tieflings from the Fierna bloodline focus on emotional and mental manipulation. They gain a Wisdom bonus, which combined with a proficiency in Insight, can help them better read those around them.

Fierna Tieflings can make amazing clerics, specifically of the Order and Trickery Domain, as they have a free cantrip in Friends and two of the best enchantment spells in the game: Charm Person and Suggestion. These types of tieflings are also ideal if the player doesn't want to just fight their way through every problem, and instead talk and charm their way in or out of something. D&D is sometimes more memorable if the party uses everything except combat to complete a quest.

Bloodline Of Glaysa

Bonus: Minor Illusion, Disguise Self, Invisibility

Masters of illusion, Glaysa Tieflings are descended from Hell's very own prince of crime, so their abilities are designed to complete heists and other criminal endeavors, such as the adventures found in the Keys From the Golden Vault book. With an additional Dexterity bonus, Glaysa tieflings make great rogues, specifically Arcane Tricksters thanks to their magical capabilities.

Instead of Thaumaturgy, members of the Glaysa Bloodline instead learn Minor Illusion, and as they level up they receive Disguise Self and Invisibility, the latter of which helps to set them apart from their Dispater counterparts. Tiefling subtypes like these make wonderful rogues, just like the bloodline of Dispater, so a player looking to make a tiefling rogue can choose either one.

Bloodline Of Levistus

Bonus: Ray of Frost, Armor of Agathys, Darkness

While many Tieflings are known for their connections to fire, those descended from Levistus are as cold as ice. Their frozen heritage makes them somewhat sturdier, which helps to explain their Constitution bonus. Levistus Tieflings are the most offensive of the bloodlines, as they are the only subtype to gain an offensive cantrip, Ray of Frost. Combined with Armor of Agathys, this greatly increases their martial capabilities, making them well-suited to be fighters, paladins, and even barbarians.

Also, the lore behind Levistus can make for some interesting roleplay, with Levistus being the bitter rival of the archdevil Geryon, who currently rules Stylgia, the cold layer in the Nine Hells. If a is Geryon, then a bloodline of Levistus tiefling and Geryon may have some interesting — and vicious — words for each other as the encounter begins.

Bloodline Of Mammon

Bonus: Mage Hand, Tenser's Floating Disk, Arcane Lock

Tieflings from Mammon's bloodline have abilities designed to ensure they can take anything they want and keep everything that is theirs. With a bonus to their Intelligence score, Mammon Tieflings can make excellent Artificers and Wizards, making them competitive with gnomes for those classes.

Unlike the other tiefling subtypes, Mammon's inherent spellcasting is focused on manipulating objects rather than people. They learn Mage Hand to help with pickpocketing and lockpicking, along with Tenser's Floating Disk and Arcane Lock, both of which can help to hide a character's most precious possessions.

Bloodline Of Mephistopheles

Bonus: Mage Hand, Burning Hands, Flame Blade

Counterparts of sorts to the Levistus Tieflings, Mephistopheles Tieflings focus on fire instead of ice. However, while the Levistus subtype focuses on offense, Mephistopheles Tieflings gain an Intelligence boost and get a utility cantrip, Mage Hand, to offset their other spellcasting.

Mechanically, Mephistopheles Tieflings are better built around ranged fighting and primary spellcasting classes. There Draconic Bloodline sorcerers and Circle of Wildfire druids are great options to build on this tiefling subtype's fire-based abilities.

Bloodline Of Zariel

Bonus: Thaumaturgy, Searing Smite, Branding Smite

More than any of the other subtype options, Zariel Tiefilngs are best designed to thrive in melee combat, as they are the only ones that get a bonus to their Strength score. This makes them a great fit for melee-focused martial classes like fighter and barbarian.

However, their spellcasting focuses almost completely on Smite Spells, getting Searing Smite at third level and Branding Smite at fifth. The combination of this STR score increase and smites makes Zariel Tieflings one of the best racial options for Paladins and Hexblade Warlocks.

Dungeons and Dragons

A fantasy roleplaying tabletop game designed for adventure-seekers, the original incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax in 1974.

Franchise

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

January 26, 1974

Publisher

Wizards of the Coast , TSR Inc.

Designer

E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson

Player Count

4-8 Players Recommended

Age Recommendation

12+

Length per Game

3 hours +

Expansions

Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

Summary

Dungeons & Dragons is the fantasy tabletop role-playing game that has persevered for nearly 50 years and continues to grow strong. Created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the game first made publication in 1974 and now falls under the Wizards of the Coast publishing wing. A typical game of DnD consists of 4-6 players, with one player acting as the Dungeon Master. Players can take a sheet and by consulting the various rule books and expansions, can create their own character with weapons, skills, and physical appearance. Once all characters are created, the Dungeon Master sets them off in a campaign of their choosing or design, where players will have to follow the rules of the DM as they roleplay their way through storylines. The characters will level up, find equipment, and experience permanent changes based on the way the story plays out. A roll of the dice can mean the difference between a successful hit, and a painful end. The most recent edition of Dungeons & Dragons is the 5th edition rule book.