DnD Tiefling 5e explained

Horned, hellish, and hella charismatic, the DnD Tiefling 5e species shares DNA with creatures from Dungeons and Dragons’ lower planes. While they share some common features (horns, tails, colorful skin), the different Tiefling subraces can have hugely varied ancestries and abilities. All this makes them one of the most recognizable, interesting, and flexible D&D characters to build.

This deep-dive into one of 5e’s DnD races includes the Tiefling’s core rules and roleplay tips. We’ll also recommend the best DnD classes and feats for your build. One thing to note: this is a guide to the 2014 Tiefling rules – see our other DnD 2024 Tiefling species guide for the version updated in the newest Player’s Handbook.

DnD Tiefling 5e explained:

Tiefling traits

Tieflings are mortals with a connection to a fiendish entity, usually a demonic or devilish ancestor. This manifests in many ways, such as tails, horns, scales, or glowing eyes. There are many types of Tieflings, but they share certain racial traits as a result of their infernal heritage.

Ability score increase

Your Intelligence score increases by one, and your Charisma score increases by two.

Age

Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer – making it to their centenary is a lot more common (adventuring accidents notwithstanding).

Alignment

Tieflings might not have an innate tendency towards evil, but the prejudice they often experience for their ancestral connection to the fiends may harden their hearts. Evil or not, an independent nature inclines many Tieflings towards a chaotic DnD alignment.

Size

Tieflings are about the same size and build as a Human. Your DnD size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your infernal heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Hellish Resistance

You have resistance to fire damage.

Infernal Legacy

You know the Thaumaturgy DnD cantrip. When you reach third level, you can cast the Hellish Rebuke spell as a second-level DnD spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach fifth level, you can cast the Darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a DnD long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write the Common and Infernal DnD languages.

Tiefling subraces

The DnD stats above belong to a specific kind of Tiefling, known as the ‘Asmodeus Tiefling’. There are other Tiefling subraces, but only the Asmodeus Tiefling and Variant Tiefling are ‘current’ rules.

The rest of the Tiefling types are ‘legacy content’, found in older DnD books. Most of their features are the same as the Asmodeus Tiefling. They all increase their Charisma by +2 like the Asmodeus Tiefling, but their other stat increase is not necessarily +1 Intelligence. They also replace their ‘Infernal Legacy’ spells with a different list of spells.

Variant Tiefling

A Variant Tiefling refers to any member of the race that isn’t associated with Asmodeus. Their appearance can differ greatly from a normal Tiefling, with all manner of devilish features, such as goat legs, leathery skin, or casting no shadow. Their rules are found in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide.

Ability score increase

+1 Intelligence, +2 Dexterity

Wings

Variant Tieflings tend to have wings – which grant a bonus of 30ft flying speed when not wearing heavy DnD armor.

Spells

Instead of the regular spells associated with an Asmodeus Tiefling, the Variant Tiefling gains the following cantrips and spells at levels one, three, and five:

Baalzebul Tiefling

A Baalzebul Tiefling is linked to the archdevil Baalzebul – who specializes in corruption – and the crumbling layer of hell known as Maladomini. You get +1 Intelligence and can use the following corruption-based spells thanks to your Legacy of Maladomini ability.

Dispater Tiefling

Dispater is an archdevil who’s all about intrigue and sneakiness, so Dispater Tieflings, connected to this devil through their bloodline, get +1 Dexterity, and can access these cunning spells that are perfect for spycraft:

Fierna Tiefling

Fierna is an archdevil that excels at manipulation, so Fierna Tieflings, with a bloodline connection to this devil, get +1 Wisdom. They can also access spells that will help them make friends and influence people:

Glasya Tiefling

Glasya is the youngest archdevil and Asmodeus’ daughter. Glaysa Tieflings are particularly attractive, get +1 Dexterity, and gain a set of spells which, like that of Dispater Tieflings, are geared towards subterfuge and stealth:

Levistus Tiefling

Levistus is the archdevil in charge of the cold frozen sea hell, Stygia. He’s also trapped in an iceberg. Levistus Tieflings get +1 Constitution, and can access the following cold-themed spells:

Mammon Tiefling

Mammon loves money, and Tieflings with this bloodline are apparently great at organizing their finances. Mammon Tieflings get +1 Intelligence and gain the following spells:

Mephistopheles Tiefling

Mephistopheles is an archdevil who rules the frozen hell of Cania but uses hellfire magic. He’s also the greatest wizard out of all the devils. A Mephistopheles Tiefling, connected to this archdevil through their bloodline, gets +1 Intelligence, and can access these fire-themed spells:

Zariel Tiefling

Zariel is an archdevil obsessed with battle. As a result, Zariel Tieflings make better DnD Fighters than most. They get +1 Strength, and their racial spells are related to improving their weapon attacks.

Tiefling names

In keeping with their demonic provenance, DnD Tiefling 5e names tend to incorporate nods to various epic-sounding Old Testament bible characters and/or Latin-sounding overtones. Their names often have at least one ‘Z’ or ‘X’ in them, and often end in ‘ius’; ‘ios’; ‘ias’; or ‘iath’ – or, of course, the classic angelic/demonic name suffix ‘iel’.

A few traditional Tiefling names might be:

• Moriath
• Axariel
• Zaxion
• Baranius
• Kaivas
• Ixorios

Tiefling virtue names

Some DnD Tiefling characters prefer not to have their name reflect their demonic heritage, and may either choose a name from another culture – or they can choose what’s called a Tiefling virtue name.

These are one word long, and they are chosen to represent a given abstract concept, value, or obsession that shapes your character’s sense of self. A few possible virtue names could be:

• Absolution
• Suffering
• Tumult
• Excoriation
• Endless
• Gleaming

Tiefling name generator

As ever, the internet is rife with tools for spitting out the perfect name for your DnD character – here are a couple of our favorite Tiefling name generators:

• Fantasy Name Generator
• Codex Nomina

Tiefling classes

These are the best classes to choose for your Tiefling:

Tiefling Warlock

A Tiefling Warlock is one of the most stereotypical builds there is. Maybe it’s the inherent association Tieflings have with demons that drives them to make pacts with those sorts of powers. Maybe it’s the horns, or the Charisma casting. Whatever it is, ‘Tiefling’ and ‘Warlock’ are almost synonymous in Dungeons and Dragons.

The DnD Warlock has very limited access to spells, so the inherent magic of a Tiefling is a solid way to expand their repertoire. You won’t have much need for that Intelligence stat increase, but we think booksmarts are overrated anyway – unless you’re planning to play a DnD Wizard.

Tiefling Sorcerer

Another glass cannon spellcaster (but one that plays very differently from the Warlock) is the Tiefling Sorcerer. Once again, you’re casting spells with your Charisma. And once again, your choice of race gives a nice boost to a limited range of spells.

We’d argue the DnD Sorcerer is the most complex of the Tiefling-friendly classes, so bear that in mind when choosing your build. That does also mean it can be incredibly powerful, though.

Tiefling Bard

A Tiefling Bard has significantly more spell slots than a Warlock, but they’ll still benefit from the extra options at early levels. Plus, given the DnD Bard tendency to play party Skill Monkey, you might actually be able to put your Intelligence stat to good use.

Charisma is still the main stat to focus on here. It fuels your magic, and it helps you charm your way out of any sticky social situations.

Tiefling Paladin

If you want at least some martial combat prowess, a Tiefling Paladin build is your best bet. You’ll still have a bit of magic to manage, but hey, at least you can capitalize on the Zariel Tiefling’s smiting powers now. That always seems to go to waste in our other builds.

Ignore Intelligence entirely here, even with the stat boost. A DnD Paladin is MAD (multiple ability score dependent) enough as it is, so you’ll need all your points to boost Strength and Constitution as well as Charisma.

Roleplaying a Tiefling

Tieflings are born with infernal blood. This means that someone in their family, perhaps several generations back, had dealings with a devil. The legacy of this interaction lingers, and new members of the family will enter the world with horns and tails as well as the regular humanoid features.

This unique origin has a lot of impact on how you might want to roleplay your Tiefling. Firstly, it means the Tiefling race doesn’t have a specific homeland or place of origin. Your Tiefling can be from anywhere, and they can have any kind of background.

We recommend thinking carefully about where your Tiefling is from. It might change how they were treated growing up, which can have a lot of impact on someone’s personality and beliefs.

In traditional D&D lore, Tieflings are a marginalized group, feared and discriminated against because of their lineage. It doesn’t matter that a Tiefling had nothing to do with their great-great-grandmother’s devilish activities: people will still judge them. If you’re interested in exploring this aspect of the Tiefling race, your character might have spent their pre-campaign lives avoiding non-Tieflings, and you might find it difficult to trust others.

Not everyone wants to roleplay fantasy racism, however. And in recent years, the Forgotten Realms has been presented as an increasingly diverse and tolerant place. So, if you prefer, your Tiefling might have lived somewhere more cosmopolitan, where their neighbors aren’t so judgy about ancestry.

Remember that, despite your ties to the Nine Hells, your Tiefling can have any alignment you like. Perhaps your Tiefling chose to rebel against the evil implications of their origin, and they’ve become the noblest Paladin the Realms has ever seen. Or maybe attempting to learn about their family history led them to some chaotic evil places. The multiverse is your oyster.

Need more ideas? Here are some of our favorite DnD character builds. And here are the very best DnD one shots you can play your brand-new Tiefling in.

This guide directly presents rules text for the DnD Tiefling, published by Wizards of the Coast under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.