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In the many worlds ofDungeons & Dragons, few monsters are as feared as devils. Greeted with stares and whispers, shunned, and outcast by all respectable folk, tieflings must make their own way in the world, for good or ill. Some become the monsters that everyone expects, but others rise to the occasion and become true heroes.
Tieflings can be some of the most fascinating characters at a game table. Build your tiefling character thoughtfully, and you’ll have a hero whose story can captivate your table for many sessions to come.
Updated June 23, 2025 by Marissa Fiore:The Dungeons & Dragons 2024 Player’s Handbook has launched, changing a number of species and how you create characters. This guide has been updated to reflect the way tieflings have changed and how to best build one based on the 2024 ruleset. It has also been updated to conform to current standards.
What Is A Tiefling?
One of the first things to know about tieflings is that theyhave a connection to the Lower Planeswhich are home todevils, demons, and fiends. While the 2024 Player’s Handbookdoesn’t tell you how to play your tiefling character or that they must share similar outlooksas these ancestors or parents, that is the reason they appear as they do.
There arethree different legacies, which players will pick from when creating their characters. Those are:
Each of these tieflings have different connections to the Lower Planes such asCarceri, Hades, and Gehenna, as well asthe Nine Hellsthemselves. However, although the lore states that this tugs on the tieflings born in or of these places, it focuses more onwhat that does for their physical appearance.
Most tieflings havelarge horns, though the exact shape those horns take varies wildly. Some tieflings have curly horns like a ram, and others might have long horns like an ibex.
However, your legacy decisionshouldn’t be based on just description alone. Each legacygrants you different traits. That will be explored just below.
Tiefling Traits
With this species, you are allowed to determineif you would be a small or a medium-sized creature. No matter what you decide, your speed will be the same, which is30 feet of movement.
Use Case
Darkvision
You can see indim light within 60 feetof you as if it were bright light and darkness like it were dim light.
This ability is useful for navigating dungeons and caves and makes you a great party scout.
Infernal Legacy
Yougain a resistance based on your legacy. At higher levels, you gain the ability to castdifferent spells based on the legacyyou choose.
These aren’t the most powerful spells in the game, but they add a bit of extra flavour.
Hellish Rebuke is especially great for the early gamebecause it lets you blast your enemies if you get damaged.
Otherworldly Presence
You gain the abilityto cast Thaumaturgy.
While a cantrip, it can give youa boost to Intimidation checksand allow you toalter your appearance.
Depending on which of the three 2024 Player’s Handbook legacies you choose, youget a specialized resistance, as well as spells. These spells can be castonce without a spell slotand then youmust regain that use through a long rest.
Once you pick your legacy, you thenpick what your spellcasting ability will be. You can choose fromIntelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. You’ll want to pick what you plan to have yourhighest ability score set as. Check out any of the spellcasting classes you’re deciding between to see what their spellcasting ability is.
Poison damage
Necrotic damage
Fire damage
The type of campaign you’re in may influence your choice of the resistances or the spells you gain. If youplan on being a Necromancer, for example, youmay want to go Chthonicbased on the matching theme. You can then focus ontaking other spells besides the ones listed,as theydon’t count against your known spell number.
Or, in that same example, you could decide to pick another legacy that willgive you access to spells you otherwise would have to pass upor don’t have access to.
Tiefling Variants
Mordenkaiden’s Tome of Foesand theSword Coast Adventurer’s Guidebothadd several tiefling variantsto the game. The Tome of Foes' variants are themed around different Princes of Hell, while the Adventurer’s Guide’s variants focus on different abilities your hellspawn might have.
Base/Asmodeus (PHB)
Thaumaturgy/hellish rebuke/darkness
Baalzebul (MToF)
Thaumaturgy/ray of sickness/crown of madness
Poison damage and charm abilities make you more able to control the battlefield.
Dispater (MToF)
Thaumaturgy/disguise self/detect thoughts
Abilities make you a good scout or spy.
Fierna (MToF)
Friends/charm person/suggestion
Makes you a fantastic party face, though watch out for drawbacks.
Glasya (MToF)
Minor illusion/disguise self/invisibility
An even better choice for a scout or spy.
Levistus (MToF)
Ray of frost/armour of Agathys/darkness
Great for a tanky warlock or sorcerer.
Mammon (MToF)
Mage hand/Tenser’s floating disk/arcane lock
Best for an old school game where ‘getting the treasure out of the dungeon’ is as big a challenge as surviving it.
Mephistopheles (MToF)
Mage hand/burning hands/flame blade
Another one that’s good for a more melee-focused character- a paladin could get some mileage out of this.
Devil’s Tongue (SCAG)
Vicious mockery/charm person/enthrall
Good for a character who wants a touch of bardic whimsy without having to play a bard.
Hellfire (SCAG)
Thaumaturgy/burning hands/darkness
Winged (SCAG)
No spell-like abilities; wings
You can fly up to 30 ft; useful for any character who wants to close with or get away from enemies with ease.
Zariel (MToF)
Thaumaturgy/searing smite/burning smite
Great for any tiefling who wants to play a melee-focused character, especially a paladin.
Your Dungeon Master (DM)may or may not allow you to play as these variantsas they aren’t from the 2024 ruleset and would be based onthe Legacy Rules.Always check with your DMwhile building characters.
TheAdventurer’s Guide features a winged tiefling variant, and it’s a great pick.Fly speed is a powerful thingand can allow you to take your movement action in very different ways than thosewho are stuck with only a set walking speed.
Winged characters are banned from Adventurers' League play. Wings at a low level are incredibly powerful; they give you more movement options and let you get away from enemies more easily.
What Class Should You Consider?
In the 2024 Player’s Handbook, ability scores areno longer given to species. This opens upmore possibilities when it comes to your classas there’s no right or wrong choice. However, there are still some classes that suit tieflings better than others.
Charisma-based spellcasting andextra spells blend greatwith your class abilities.
Bard/Rogue
Tieflings' Darkvisionmakes you a fantastic party scout. Glasya variant tieflings especially shine in this role.
Paladin
The best martial option for a tiefling;pick Charisma as your spellcasting abilityif you choose this class. Zariel variant tieflings shine here.
Artificer/Wizard
Since you canchoose Intellegence as your spellcasting modifier, you can build your tiefling seamlessly into these classes.
Any charactercan be any species and class combination, of course, but being a tiefling doesn’t do much for a cleric except add a pinch of infernal flavor andadd a couple of spells that clerics don’t usually keepin their arsenal.
If you’rea new player or intimidated by the spell listsof some of these classes,playing as a rogueis a fantastic choice, as it gives you a lot of starting skills and proficiencies. And, if you get a knackfor using your legacy spells, you’re able to then becomean arcane trickster.
Tiefling Feat Options
Tieflings have access to some really neat feat options. You’ll wantXanathar’s Guide to Everythingto take advantage of thespecies-specific feats, but even if you’re rolling with the good old Players' Handbook, you have some solid options.
Sourcebook
Infernal Constitution
Increases your Constitution score by one point. This feat also gives youresistance to cold damage and poison damageand gives youadvantage on saving throws against being poisoned.
The best tiefling species-specific feat thus far. A Constitution bonus is great for any character.
Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
Flames of Phlegethos
Gives aone-point increase to Charisma or Intelligence. This feat also lets youreroll oneson spells that do fire damage andwreathes you in flamewhen you cast a spell that does fire damage.
For warlocks and wizards. Super cool from a fluff perspective. The gameplay effects aren’t optimal, but who doesn’t want to be wreathed in flame?
Eldritch Adept
Gives youa free warlock invocation.
A good pick for any tiefling. A warlock can always use more variety in their invocation selection; a non-warlock tiefling will get more abilities that use their high Charisma.
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Actor
Gives you aCharisma bonus, makes you better atpassing yourself offas a different person, and lets youmimic the speechof other creatures.
A great choice for a roguish tiefling, a tiefling who’s the party face, or anyone who wants to min-max Charisma.
Player’s Handbook
Resilient
Gives you aboost to any ability scoreandadvantage on savesusing that ability score.
If you’re a squishy spellcaster, this can give you some sorely needed extra survivability - pick Dexterity or Constitution.
Just as with choosing a legacy that falls outside of the 2024 Player’s Handbook, you’ll want tocheck with your DMif they will allow you to picka feat that comes from a different sourcebook. If they allow it, all of the above choices would work wonderfully with your tiefling.
Differences In The 2024 Player’s Handbook
While the lore of tieflings being from or born to those who call the Lower Planes their home hasn’t changed much, therecommendation of which alignments to be have changed. The 2024 ruleset is much more open to your character havingdiffering morals and alignmentsthan those fiendish ancestors.
And, sticking with lore for a bit, the 2024 rulesdon’t mention naming mechanicsat all. This has been removedfor every species, which naturally means you can name your tiefling anything you want.
Though you aremissing out on virtue names, you can, of course, still use them from the 2014 PHB.
Tieflings did have Infernal Legacy before, butit wasn’t a selection. It was only the name of the trait thatgifted tieflings their spells. These were locked to onlyThaumaturgy, Hellish Rebuke, and Darkness. Now, there’s more variety and the option to pick a different spell set.
In that same vein,all tieflings had fire resistance. That was it. Youdidn’t have an optionto choose one that was different or better suited to your character.
The ability tochoose your sizeis also something new to the 2024 ruleset versus the 2014 Player’s Handbook. Before, you werelocked into being a medium-sized creature. Keeping that 30 feet of movement regardless of size is a nice touch, letting youcustomize your character’s appearance without penalty.
