Forums: Rules Discussion: Can you be a Tiefling AND a Dhampir in 2e? (2024)

Oni Shogun wrote:

Is this somehow possible?

technically yes, but mechanically not as far as I know. When it comes to having multiple heritages or ancestries in your bloodline, you're asked to decide which had the most prominent influence on your stats. However, it may be possible you could work with your GM to take the Adopted feat to represent an additional heritage and at least gain feats from it.

Yeah cause I mean you could be a race with tiefling and dhamphir heritage on paper but mechanically not sure it works cause then it would be 3 races.

But could they be a tiefling/dhampir and whatever other 3rd race isn't used? Doesn't seem like it. I kinda wanted to make a character based on Astarion from BG 3 but he's also a tiefling.

Edit: I looked at the adopted feat. You can only choose common ancestries.

Oni Shogun wrote:

Is this somehow possible?

Per the rules, no. Dhampir and Tiefling (now Nephilim) are both Versatile Hertiages, and a character only ever gets one Heritage, period (Versatile or not).

However, if you're willing to House Rule it shouldn't be too hard. I would personally use Human base statistics (8 HP, 25 foot speed, Medium size, 2 free bosts). You gain Darkvision(low-light from both, so it stacks, but you can leave it at low-light if you want) and negative healing (from Dhampir)

Then, for Ancestry Feats, instead of having access to Human + Nephilim or Human + Dhampir, you have access to Nephilim + Dhampir (so, only ancestry feats that include the Nephilim or Dhampir trait).

Bit of a kludge job but it should work well enough, at a glance.

Oni Shogun wrote:

Yeah cause I mean you could be a race with tiefling and dhamphir heritage on paper but mechanically not sure it works cause then it would be 3 races.

But could they be a tiefling/dhampir and whatever other 3rd race isn't used? Doesn't seem like it. I kinda wanted to make a character based on Astarion from BG 3 but he's also a tiefling.

Edit: I looked at the adopted feat. You can only choose common ancestries.

If you want something based on Astarion, he's a vampire not a dhampir, so maybe the vampire archetype might interest you instead. Though if you wish choose the vampire archetype, beware that it's Rare, so ask the GM first and beware of the story and mechanical implications of playing a vampire.

qwerty3werty wrote:

Oni Shogun wrote:

Yeah cause I mean you could be a race with tiefling and dhamphir heritage on paper but mechanically not sure it works cause then it would be 3 races.

But could they be a tiefling/dhampir and whatever other 3rd race isn't used? Doesn't seem like it. I kinda wanted to make a character based on Astarion from BG 3 but he's also a tiefling.

Edit: I looked at the adopted feat. You can only choose common ancestries.

If you want something based on Astarion, he's a vampire not a dhampir, so maybe the vampire archetype might interest you instead. Though if you wish choose the vampire archetype, beware that it's Rare, so ask the GM first and beware of the story and mechanical implications of playing a vampire.

He's a vampire spawn to be technical. A Dhampir is close enough and I meant in how the character is vampire adjacent and acts like astarion, with the somewhat flamboyant sarcasm and not not quite evil but not good either. I wanted a character who was "doubly damned" as being both undead and a tiefling. I suppose he still can, he just doesn't get the feats of both, but the appearance of a tiefling who has very pale skin, red eyes, fangs and other hints of his dhampir nature seems quite possible.

Sibelius Eos Owm wrote:

Oni Shogun wrote:

Is this somehow possible?

technically yes, but mechanically not as far as I know. When it comes to having multiple heritages or ancestries in your bloodline, you're asked to decide which had the most prominent influence on your stats.

Yes. For rules citation, I would point to this: Versatile Heritage: Unlimited possibilities.

Sibelius Eos Owm wrote:

However, it may be possible you could work with your GM to take the Adopted feat to represent an additional heritage and at least gain feats from it.

That is a very good houserule.

I'm just going for "looks like a tiefling but is a dhampir" at this point. His base race would be elf or human.

He's not human looking. His skin is very pale like a vampire/dhampir, he has red eyes, horns and tail. Tieflings apparently have fangs themselves sometimes too but his would be from dhampir side.

Oni Shogun wrote:

Is this somehow possible?

Only if you take the "Linking Park continuously playing in the background" ancestry feat.

Oni Shogun wrote:

They are too tame for this concept.

Then I recommend using a homebrewed dual-class Demon Hunter / Death Knight character from World of Warcraft to round it out. ;)

Finoan wrote:

Sibelius Eos Owm wrote:

Oni Shogun wrote:

Is this somehow possible?

technically yes, but mechanically not as far as I know. When it comes to having multiple heritages or ancestries in your bloodline, you're asked to decide which had the most prominent influence on your stats.

Yes. For rules citation, I would point to this: Versatile Heritage: Unlimited possibilities.

Sibelius Eos Owm wrote:

However, it may be possible you could work with your GM to take the Adopted feat to represent an additional heritage and at least gain feats from it.

That is a very good houserule.

I think the Custom Mixed Heritage is the right rules reference. It does require you to work with your GM.

Gortle wrote:

I think the Custom Mixed Heritage is the right rules reference. It does require you to work with your GM.

It is close, but it is not the same.

Mixed Heritage lets you have a heritage from a different ancestry. A Gnome with half-Kobold heritage, for example.

What OP is asking for is a single ancestry with multiple heritage choices - specifically a couple of versatile heritage options: Nephilim heritage and Dhampir heritage. Some other examples would be Elf with both Woodland Elf heritage and Aiuvarin heritage, or Gnome with both Chameleon Gnome and Sensate Gnome heritage.

"Looks like a tiefling" sounds very D&D to me.
I know you already know what you want to look like, but hopefully this will help broaden horizons a bit.
First off "looks human" as opposed to any ancestry that's small, has scales, has a tail, has a snout, has leaves, has bark, has wings, has petals, etc as all ancestries can be tieflings.

Second what exact demon, devil, daemon does your blood come from, as that could have drastically different effects on your looks and mannerisms. Knowing what type of fiend blood you have can give insight on different ways to play your character, also give your GM fuel for stories to explore.

I hope you have a GM that will work with you for this idea. Perhaps using the deep backgrounds option you could work with your GM to achieve this goal.
Sadly even taking vampire AT likely wouldn't get the mechanics you want as it's different then Dhampir, and there's no Dragon Disciple type AT for fiends. Might be able to swing it with Pactbinder or Living Vessel ATs and just say you take on aspects of the creature you are bound to, they are uncommon and rare though so still sitting at the talk with your GM spot.

magnuskn wrote:

Oni Shogun wrote:

They are too tame for this concept.

Then I recommend using a homebrewed dual-class Demon Hunter / Death Knight character from World of Warcraft to round it out. ;)

I meant Linking Park

I play both PFS and a discord tabletop. I'm thinking up secondary characters for the tabletop because we are in a very bad situation and one PC is almost dead. lol

PFS if he just looked like a Tiefling, but was a Dhampir would be fine. They already were ok with a concept for a Gnoll who actually looks like a Wolf person instead of a Hyena. There's a daughter of one of the organizers who plays a Tengu that looks like a Goose instead.