Editing Tiefling

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2015}}
{{short description|Fictional humanoid race in Dungeons & Dragons}}
[[File:Tiefling rangersm.JPG|thumb|right|Tiefling [[Fighter (Dungeons & Dragons)|fighter]] designed by [[William O'Connor (artist)|William O'Connor]] for [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition|4th Edition]] ''Dungeons & Dragons.''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=O'connor |first=William |date=2017-09-07 |title=The Cursed Folk: Designing the Tiefling |url=http://williamoconnorstudios.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-cursed-folk-designing-tiefling.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129115849/http://williamoconnorstudios.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-cursed-folk-designing-tiefling.html |archive-date=January 29, 2018 |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=William O'Connor Studios}}</ref>]]
The '''tiefling''' ({{IPAc-en|'|t|iː|f|l|ɪ|ŋ|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-tiefling.wav}} {{respell|TEEF|ling|}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/tiefling|title=The Tiefling Race for Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Fifth Edition (5e)|website=D&D Beyond|language=en-us|access-date=June 8, 2019}}</ref> is a fictional humanoid race in the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (''D&D'') fantasy [[roleplaying game]]. Originally introduced in the ''[[Planescape]]'' [[campaign setting]] in the second edition of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' as a [[player character]] race for the setting, they became one of the primary races available for player characters in the fourth edition of the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgnow.com/product/17267/Planescape-Campaign-Setting-2e |title=Planescape Campaign Setting (2e) |publisher=rpgnow.com |date=January 6, 2015 |access-date=July 29, 2015}}</ref><ref name="PHB4E">[[Rob Heinsoo|Heinsoo, Rob]], [[Andy Collins (game designer)|Andy Collins]], and [[James Wyatt (game designer)|James Wyatt]]. ''[[Player's Handbook]]''. ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2008)</ref>

In the Planescape setting, where tieflings were introduced, they were described as being a mixture of human and "something else" with the implication that the medium-sized non-human ancestors originated from the evil "[[lower planes]]".<ref name=Clements>{{cite thesis |last=Clements |first=Philip J. |date=December 2019 |title=Dungeons & Discourse: Intersectional Identities in Dungeons & Dragons |type=PhD |url=http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1573729920432102 |pages=35–36 |access-date=December 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name=Winfield>{{cite journal|author=Lord Winfield|date=September–October 1997|title=Planescape – un bon plan|url=https://archive.org/details/backstab-magazine-french-05/page/n45/mode/2up|language=French|journal=Backstab|volume=5|pages=46–47|access-date=December 27, 2021}}</ref> In further supplements it was clarified that tieflings were usually descended from [[Fiend (Dungeons & Dragons)|fiends]] but not in the same manner as [[Half-fiend|half-fiends]],{{cn|date=December 2021}} since a tiefling's fiendish ancestry lies further up the family tree.<ref name=Winfield/> This description remained true in [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition|3rd Edition]].

In [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition|4th Edition]] ''Dungeons & Dragons'', tieflings are a race whose human ancestors made a bargain with devils to increase their power.<ref name="DiceMen">{{cite book |last=Ewalt |first=David M. |author-link=David M. Ewalt |year=2013 |title=Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It |publisher=Scribner |isbn=9781451640502 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/ofdicemenstoryof0000ewal |page=210}}</ref> Their origin is similar in 5th Edition.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Dungeons and Dragons: Player's Handbook|publisher = Wizards of the Coast|year = 2014|isbn = 9780786965601|location = Renton, WA|pages = 42|edition = 5th}}</ref>

==Name==

The name, pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|iː|f|l|ɪ|ŋ|}}, was derived by [[Wolfgang Baur]] from the [[German language|German]] word [[wikt:tief#German|''tief'']] meaning "deep, low", and the suffix [[wikt:-ling#German|''-ling'']], "offspring," alluding to their origins in the "lower planes" (in the 2nd and 3rd editions).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staggs |first=Matt |date=2014-10-15 |title=A Short History of Tieflings |url=https://www.unboundworlds.com/2014/10/a-short-history-of-tieflings/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509033800/https://www.unboundworlds.com/2014/10/a-short-history-of-tieflings/ |archive-date=2017-05-09 |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=Unbound Worlds}}</ref>

==Publication history==
One of the first artists to depict the tiefling was [[Tony DiTerlizzi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://io9.com/inside-the-fantasy-art-of-superstar-artist-tony-diterli-1707283891 |title=Inside The Fantasy Art Of Superstar Artist Tony DiTerlizzi |first=Ed |last=Grabianowski |date=May 28, 2015 |publisher=io9.com  |access-date=July 28, 2015}}</ref>

===''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition===
The tiefling was introduced in the ''[[Planescape Campaign Setting]]'' (1994)<ref name="DiceMen"/><ref>[[David Cook (game designer)|Cook, Zeb]]. ''[[Planescape Campaign Setting]]''. ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1994)</ref> with more information in the first ''[[Monstrous Compendium|Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix]]'' (1994)<ref>[[Allen Varney|Varney, Allen]], ed. ''[[Monstrous Compendium|Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix]]'' (TSR, 1994)</ref> and ''[[The Planewalker's Handbook]]'' (1996).<ref>[[Monte Cook|Cook, Monte]]. ''[[The Planewalker's Handbook]]''. ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1996)</ref>

===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition===
The tiefling appears in the ''[[Monster Manual]]'' for this edition (2000)<ref name="EvolutionFantasy">{{cite book |last=Tresca |first=Michael J. |title=The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games |publisher=McFarland |year=2010 |isbn=9780786458950 |pages=81–82}}</ref> under the "planetouched" entry.<ref>[[Monte Cook|Cook, Monte]], [[Jonathan Tweet]], and [[Skip Williams]]. ''[[Monster Manual]]: Core Rulebook III'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2000)</ref>{{page needed|date=April 2021}}

The '''fey'ri and tanna'ruk tieflings''' appeared in ''[[Monsters of Faerun]]'' (2001).<ref>[[James Wyatt (game designer)|Wyatt, James]] and [[Rob Heinsoo]]. ''[[Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2001)</ref> The tiefling is presented as a player character race for the [[Forgotten Realms]] setting in the ''[[Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting]]'' (2001),<ref>[[Ed Greenwood|Greenwood, Ed]], [[Sean K. Reynolds]], [[Skip Williams]], and [[Rob Heinsoo]]. ''[[Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2001)</ref> and the tiefling and fey'ri appear as player character races in ''[[Races of Faerûn]]'' (2003).<ref>[[Sean K. Reynolds|Reynolds, Sean K.]], [[Matt Forbeck|Forbeck, Matt]], [[James Jacobs (game designer)|Jacobs, James]], [[Eric L. Boyd|Boyd, Erik L.]] ''[[Races of Faerûn]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2003)</ref>

===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3.5 edition===
The tiefling appears in the revised ''Monster Manual'' for this edition (2003) under the '''planetouched''' entry.

The '''tiefling paragon''' was introduced in ''[[Unearthed Arcana]]'' (2004).<ref>[[Andy Collins (game designer)|Collins, Andy]], [[Jesse Decker]], [[David Noonan (game designer)|David Noonan]], and Rich Redman. ''[[Unearthed Arcana]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2004)</ref>

The tiefling appears as a player character race in the ''[[Planar Handbook]]'' (2004),<ref>[[Bruce Cordell|Cordell, Bruce]], Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel.  ''[[Planar Handbook]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2004)</ref> and ''[[Races of Destiny]]'' (2004).<ref>[[David Noonan (game designer)|Noonan, David]], [[Eric Cagle]], and [[Aaron Rosenberg]]. ''[[Races of Destiny]]''. ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2004</ref>

===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition===
The tiefling appears as a player character race in the ''[[Player's Handbook]]'' for the 4th edition (2008),<ref name="PHB4E"/><ref name="DiceMen"/> and again in ''[[Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms]]'' (2010).<ref>[[Mike Mearls|Mearls, Mike]], [[Bill Slavicsek]], and [[Rodney Thompson]]. ''[[Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms]]''. ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2011)</ref> Tieflings also have a racial book dedicated to them in this edition, ''[[Player's Handbook Races: Tieflings]]''.

[[William O'Connor (artist)|William O'Connor]], the artist responsible for designing tieflings in this edition, commented that there were few artistic depictions of the race in previous editions. However, with the tiefling becoming a core player race, the 4th edition design team "wanted to radically update their appearance to make them look more intimidating and 'cool'. [...] The horns and the tail were the defining elements of the race so my first direction was to make them as prominent as possible. Part of the design of the 4th edition was to integrate the design into being a miniature game so part of the process was to make the character's silhouettes easily recognizable from a distance".<ref name=":0" /> O'Connor highlighted a conversation he had with the creative director [[Stacy Longstreet]] who described tieflings as a "cursed people" which helped him figure out "their cultural aesthetic".<ref name=":0" /> O'Connor stated that:<blockquote>My immediate touchstone was of course vampires, and I worked to give the tielfing that sexy, dark and gothic appeal despite their "deformity". I carried this idea over into everything about them, their clothes and equipment. I wanted everything to have a twisted aesthetic as if all of their prized heirlooms and weapons, all the relics of a lost past, were also cursed and contorted into horrible but beautiful shapes, imagining that the forms of the weapons should reflect the shapes of their tails. Elegant and deadly like the tielfing themselves.<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th edition===
The tiefling appears as a player character race in the ''Player's Handbook'' for the 5th edition (2014). Variant tiefling options appear in the ''Sword Coast Adventure Guide'' (2015) and ''[[Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes]]'' (2018). ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'' specifically outlines the nine tiefling bloodlines of the Archdevils of the [[Nine Hells]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=DiSalvo |first=Paul |date=2022-05-01 |title=Dungeons & Dragons: Guide To Tiefling Bloodlines |url=https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-and-dragons-glasya-levistus-dispater-tiefling-bloodlines/ |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=TheGamer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Morgan |date=2022-01-02 |title=Dungeons & Dragons: What to Know About 5e's Tiefling Subraces |url=https://www.cbr.com/dnd-5e-tiefling-subraces/ |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}</ref>

The ''[[One D&D]]'' [[playtest]] released in August 2022 updated the base tiefling<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baird |first=Scott |date=2022-08-26 |title=One D&D: Every Change To The Playable Races |url=https://screenrant.com/one-dnd-dungeons-dragons-playable-races-changes-differences/ |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US}}</ref> to have "options encompassing all the Lower Planes. Infernal tieflings are tied to lawful evil planes like Acheron or the Nine Hells, abyssal tieflings to chaotic evil planes like the Abyss or Pandemonium, and chthonic tieflings to neutral evil planes like Gehenna or Hades. The options differ in their damage resistances, and in the spells they learn at first, third, and fifth level".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Isaac |date=2022-08-27 |title=One D&D: 10 Biggest Changes To Published Races |url=https://www.cbr.com/one-dnd-published-races-biggest-changes/ |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Fictional history==
In the setting of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th Edition, the tieflings trace their origins to the ancient human Empire of Bael Turath. In the Empire, the noble class was completely obsessed with preserving and gaining power. Rumors of their schemes and obsession with power reached a realm called the [[Nine Hells]], located around the [[Plane (Dungeons & Dragons)#The Astral Sea|Astral Sea]]. The [[Devil (Dungeons & Dragons)|devils]] that resided in the Nine Hells gave the ruling classes of Bael Turath visions while they slept, containing the directions for a grisly, month-long ritual that would extend their rule into eternity. The details of the ritual have been left unclear in the books from the ''Player's Handbook'' series describing the events, though it is described as being very horrible. As the ritual demanded the participation of every noble house, those that refused were wholly slaughtered. Once this was done, the ruling class began their ritual. Afterwards, devils from the Nine Hells began to appear, and the nobles gladly made pacts with them. These pacts gave power to the nobles and their descendants forever, but also gave them the devilish features of horns, non-prehensile tails, sharp teeth, and red skin. From that point forward, the former humans were the race known as the tieflings.

In the 5th Edition, the overlord of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus, is cited as the ancestral source of their devilish features.

==Aspects==
In earlier versions of ''Dungeons & Dragons'', 3.5 and previous, tieflings have any of a number of features that reference (directly or indirectly) their fiendish lineage. These include horns located on their heads, pointed sharp teeth, extra fingers, cloven hooves in place of feet, tails, and unusually colored eyes. They exude a feeling of "evil" even though their race has become civil and no longer lusts for power. Many races distrust or outright hate tieflings, seeing them as [[Devil (Dungeons & Dragons)|devil]] worshippers. Tiefling villains often live up to this reputation, whereas player characters have the choice to abandon this stereotype.

In 4th edition and later, tieflings are a core character race<ref name="D&D4E for dummies">{{cite book |last1=Slavicsek |first1=Bill |author-link1=Bill Slavicsek |last2=Baker|first2=Rich|author-link2=Richard Baker (game designer)|last3=Mearls|first3=Mike|author-link3=Mike Mearls |year=2008 |title=Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition For Dummies |publisher=[[For Dummies]] |isbn=978-0470292907}}</ref> and have had their appearance altered from 3.5 and earlier.<ref name="EvolutionFantasy"/> All tieflings possess large thick horns of various styles on their heads, prehensile tails approximately 4 to 5 feet in length, sharply pointed teeth, and their eyes are solid orbs of red, black, white, silver, or gold. Tiefling skin ranges through common human shades right into the reds, ranging from brick red to a ruddy tan. Tiefling hair, which starts behind their horns, ranges from dark blue to purple to red in addition to more normal human colors.

Within the setting of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th Edition, tieflings are characterized as charismatic and self-reliant, and make excellent [[Warlock (Dungeons & Dragons)|warlocks]], [[Warlord (Dungeons & Dragons)|warlords]], and [[Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)|wizards]].<ref name="D&D4E for dummies"/>

In ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th Edition, tieflings do not associate with a specific god or gods. Their lack of faith also means [[Paladin (Dungeons & Dragons)|paladins]] and [[Cleric (Dungeons & Dragons)|clerics]] are seldom, if ever, found. Tieflings have no homeland and are very rare due to a long-lasting war with the [[Dragonborn (Dungeons & Dragons)|dragonborn]], another race seen in the 4th edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. Most tieflings prefer to be adventurers and rarely ever adventure with their own kin due to the prejudices of other races (people are concerned when two or more of their kind travel together).

In most editions, tiefling naming conventions consist of ancestral Infernal names. In 3.5, tieflings use human names until they seek to differentiate themselves from their parents, after which they usually take fiendish "names" of Infernal or Abyssal origin that sound menacing. In 4.0 onwards, tieflings usually take an ancestral Infernal name, although some young tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, choose a name that signifies a concept and then try to embody the concept.

In most editions, tieflings are described as slow to trust, but those who do earn their trust and loyalty earn a firm friend or ally for life.

==Alignment==
Unlike half-fiends, tieflings are not necessarily of evil [[Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)|alignments]]. Tieflings of all alignments exist, including good, although many take more shady jobs, such as that of thieves, assassins or spies. Tieflings are often portrayed as [[antiheroes]].<ref name="EvolutionFantasy"/>

In a standard 3.0 and 3.5 game, tieflings tend to have an unsettling air about them, and most people are uncomfortable around them, whether they are aware of the tiefling's unsavory ancestry or not.

In 4th edition, tieflings have the same alignment choices as any other starting character.

In 5th edition, tieflings do not have an innate tendency towards evil, though many usually end up going down that path due to the prejudice against them. Also due to the prejudice against them, tieflings have a fierce independent streak and are inclined towards being chaotic.

==In various campaign settings==
Tieflings appear in a number of campaign settings, including the following notable examples:

===In the ''Forgotten Realms''===
In the ''Forgotten Realms'' [[campaign setting]], both tieflings and aasimar are more common than in other settings. Tieflings even have [[Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)|elven]] and orc counterparts (Fey'ri and Tanarruk, respectively). In the 3rd Edition of Dungeons and Dragons, less common varieties of the tiefling were introduced, including a dwarven counterpart, the [[Maeluth]] and a halfling counterpart, the [[Wispling]].

===In ''Planescape''===
In the ''Planescape'' campaign setting, tieflings are a common race available to player characters, though they are mistrusted and reviled by many inhabitants of the planes.

===In Exandria===
In the campaign setting of ''[[Critical Role]]'' the first tieflings, also known as Devilkin, were created in the city of Vasselheim after a cabal of warlocks performed a ritual to contact fiendish forces, causing the birth of the first generation of tieflings. Asmodeus is often seen as the god tied to this particular race, although some myths mistakenly attribute their creation solely to him, and later than they have actually existed in this world. Despite the initial prejudice against them, after many centuries tieflings have become accepted in Exandria, even if they are not very common. Still, they prefer to avoid rural environments prone to superstition.

===In ''Pathfinder''===
In the ''[[Pathfinder Roleplaying Game]]'', tieflings are commonly known by the colloquial term Hellspawn. Due to limitations in the [[Open Game License]], they are referred to exclusively by this term in the ''Pathfinder Tales'' novels. In the empire of Cheliax, tieflings are subjugated and often enslaved, despite the royal house's affiliation with Hell. Some tieflings have a stronger connection to one of the fiendish races, such as the grimspawn, who are descended from daemons, and the pitborn, who are descended from [[Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)|demons]]. There are also Kyton and other Fiend ancestries, with Devil ancestry Tieflings being called Hellspawn or Hellborn.

===Notable tieflings===
Livonia Darktongue appears in the book ''Weapons of Legacy'' in 2005.

===In ''Urban Arcana''===
Tieflings are a playable race in ''[[Urban Arcana]]'', which is based on the premise that races from ''Dungeons and Dragons'' exist on earth. Most tieflings in Urban Arcana are humans with horns, although more obvious appearances exist. To regular humans who cannot perceive shadow, they appear to be cynical humans—the horns are not visible to those unable to perceive shadow.

==In other media==
In the PC game ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'' the player character is joined by [[Annah-of-the-Shadows|Annah]], a tiefling fighter/thief with a rat-like tail. In ''[[Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn]]'' the tiefling bard NPC Haer'Daelis can join the party. In ''[[Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark]]'', Valen Shadowbreath, a tiefling weapons master, is a recruitable henchman and potential romance option. Arden Swift is a tiefling NPC who plays a minor role in the last act of the campaign. In ''[[Neverwinter Nights II]]'', tiefling is a playable race and Neeshka, a female tiefling rogue, can join the party. Tieflings are also a playable race in the online MMORPG ''[[Neverwinter (video game)|Neverwinter]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/massive-delving-into-high-fantasy-in-mmos/Content?oid=2980119 |title=Massive: Delving Into High Fantasy in MMOs |work=Boise Weekly |date=September 4, 2013 |access-date=July 28, 2015 |archive-date=October 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007043905/http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/massive-delving-into-high-fantasy-in-mmos/Content?oid=2980119 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Two variants of Tieflings are among the playable races in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Online]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://massivelyop.com/2019/03/28/ddo-masterminds-of-sharn-sells-pre-orders-targets-april-30-release/ |title=Dungeons and Dragons' Masterminds of Sharn is up for pre-order, targeting April 30 release |work=Massively Overpowered |date=March 28, 2019 |access-date=April 2, 2019 |author=Justin Olivetti}}</ref>

The ''[[List of Forgotten Realms novels#Brimstone Angels|Brimstone Angels]]'' novels by [[Erin M. Evans]], set in the [[Forgotten Realms]], feature the tiefling warlock Farideh as the main character.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://io9.com/5883847/a-fantasy-heroine-whos-closer-to-jean-grey-than-frodo-baggins |title=A Fantasy Heroine Who's Closer to Jean Grey than Frodo Baggins |publisher=io9.com |date=February 9, 2012 |access-date=July 28, 2015}}</ref> One of the main characters in the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons (IDW Publishing)#Fell's Five|Dungeons & Dragons]]'' comic by [[John Rogers (writer)|John Rogers]], Tisha Swornheart, is a tiefling warlock.<ref>{{Cite book| last=Rogers |first=John| author-link=John Rogers (writer)| title=Dungeons & Dragons ''Volume 1:'' Shadowplague | publisher=[[IDW Publishing]] | year=2011}}</ref> The ''[[Pathfinder Roleplaying Game#Related products|Pathfinder Tales]]'' novels by [[Dave Gross]] feature the tiefling Rogue Radovan Virholt as one of the two primary protagonists.

[[Sophia Lillis]] portrays Doric, a tiefling [[Druid (Dungeons & Dragons)|druid]], in the 2023 film ''[[Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keenan |first=Alex |date=2022-10-16 |title=D&D: Honor Among Thieves' Token Tiefling Is A Missed Opportunity |url=https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves-token-tiefling-problem/ |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US}}</ref> Doric also appears in a prequel novel – ''The Druid’s Call'' (2023) by [[E. K. Johnston|E.K. Johnston]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-04 |title=The Dungeons & Dragons Movie Is Getting 2 Prequel Novels |url=https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-and-dragons-movie-prequel-novels-release-date-1849615170 |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=Gizmodo |language=en}}</ref>

==Analysis==
Johnny L. Wilson called tieflings "the paranoid, loner obverse" of [[Halfling (Dungeons & Dragons)|halflings]], who "believe that life is out to get them". Looking at the 2nd edition of the game, Wilson found them "suited to be great thieves" and "great point persons" due to favorable [[saving throw]] bonuses.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_177.pdf|first=Johnny L.|last=Wilson|title=Planescape: Torment|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|issue=177|pages=62–66|date=April 1999|access-date=December 27, 2021}}</ref>

Philip J. Clements assumed tieflings are popular as player characters because they allow for "identity tourism" of a racial outsider: Tieflings in the game world "are often treated as dangerous outsiders. Yet D&D's default assumption is that the players will portray heroes. The idea of playing the racial outsider who nonetheless protects the people who wrongly revile them is a well-known trope built into D&D". Clements found this stereotype associated with the tiefling problematic, as the "solution is usually to focus on individual good, rather than confronting deeper, systemic problems of racial politics".<ref name=Clements/>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/planetouched.htm#tiefling Tiefling] – [[d20 System|d20]] [[System Reference Document]] entry

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