[2022] Tieflings in Mendev

A lil somethin somethin: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page here.

Last week we spoke of aasimars, descendants of good-aligned creatures from other worlds. Today we will look at tieflings, a mixture of humans and fiends. They made their first appearance in the Wildcards DLC for Pathfinder: Kingmaker, and appreciation for them in the community has been huge ever since.

Tieflings are both something more and something less than mere mortals. Outsider blood provides them with special abilities, but also makes them a target of fear, disdain, and hatred. Most tieflings don’t know anything about their outsider ancestor – the evil legacy may sleep for multiple generations, only to appear later in a child of two ordinary-looking humans.



The most common tiefling heritages are:

Hellspawn (Devil-Spawn). These tieflings are born of lawful evil outsiders from Hell. While often rigid, stubborn, and highly focused on sticking to plans and schedules, hellspawn also have a rare talent for penetrating others’ facades. They know a lie when they hear one, and can often determine what hidden vice or secret shame motivates another.

Pitborn (Demon-Spawn). Descendants of Chaotic Evil denizens of the Abyss. Pitborn delight in destruction, especially while unleashing their havoc on what others consider valuable or precious. Perhaps because of this volatility, others tend to simply defer to pitborn, an act that often grants them the dominance they crave.

Motherless (Qlippoth-Spawn). These tieflings carry the heritage of mysterious and twisted original inhabitants of the Abyss. No woman survives the birth of a baby whose qlippoth ancestry has emerged. At best, qlippoth-spawn rip their mothers apart during labor. At worst, they tear themselves out even earlier.

Foulspawn (Demodand-Spawn). Descendants of Demodands, a race created by the titans during their war with the gods. Crude and boorish, they take delight in giving offense and scandalizing polite society. They enjoy breaking taboos even more than breaking laws, especially if it means degrading or repulsing an innocent.

Hungerseed (Oni-Spawn). Tieflings, bearing the blood of oni, evil spirits that manifest as twisted humanoids. Endowed with brawny muscles and thick bones, hungerseed always seem poised to explode into some larger, even more powerful form, and have a voracious appetite for sensory pleasures and carnal delights.

Shackleborn (Kyton-Spawn). Bearing the blood of the denizens of Hell, who put themselves above its laws and limits, shackleborn are fascinated by mutilation and torture. Though they prefer to practice their cruel art on others, they accept that sometimes the wheel must turn and greet their own moments of anguish and confinement with an odd serenity.

Grimspawn (Daemon-Spawn). Descendants of creatures from Abaddon, that wish to destroy all life. Dreary and pessimistic, grimspawn are so enthralled by death, disease and dilapidation that they often dedicate themselves to ending lives from behind the scenes as macabre saboteurs.

Faultspawn (Asura-Spawn). These tieflings bear the blood of Asura, creatures of Hell born as a result of failure or mistake of the gods. Lacking any sense of empathy or pity, faultspawn often abhor all ways of life but their own. They inflict severe emotional and physical pain on others, and never stop picking at the resulting psychological scars.

Spitespawn (Div-Spawn). An innate sense of jealousy and pure malice drives these tieflings to spread misery and despair. Unable to experience joy themselves, they devote their lives to promoting gloom, all the while hiding the hatefulness that lurks at their core.

Beastbrood (Rakshasa-Spawn). Descendants of Rakshasa, evil outsiders with animal heads. They regard themselves as deserving of appreciation and opulence. Through deceit and sheer willpower, they often achieve privileged stations in society.



For many decades, Mendev has been waging an endless war against demons invading Golarion through the Worldwound. It’s no surprise that tieflings are a common sight here, more than anywhere else on Golarion. Some of them are the direct offspring of demonic invaders, born during the war. Others came here for the gold and glory. Some are called by their blood to become cultists and demonic followers, joining the invasion. And there are also those who refuse to accept their evil heritage and become crusaders, protecting Mendev and proving to the whole world that there is always a choice.

In Mendev, most half-breeds are treated just like anyone else, especially in the cities near the Worldwound, where the common threat unites and reduces prejudices. Unfortunately, that is not the case for tieflings. Their appearance constantly reminds others of the enemy, provoking hatred, fear, and disgust. Only a few tieflings are able to break this wall of distrust by carrying out selfless and brave deeds. Others are doomed to be always treated with disdain here. That’s the reason why some of them gather in packs to survive. The Thieflings of Kenabres are a good example of this.

A tiefling’s life is far from easy, and searching for adventure is often the only choice – a way to find a new life and break free from the seal of darkness laid upon them. Or, conversely, to take revenge on the world that has cast them out. Tieflings make great rogues, powerful mages and magi, and even more powerful sorcerers, thanks to the outsider power in their blood. Those who accept the call of evil may also become priests of various evil entities.

But what happens if a tiefling becomes the Commander? Where will they lead the Crusade? Will they lean toward good or evil? It is time for you to write this story in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous!