Demonspawn
—Buutavaranom Velavu , The Cosmic Scar
Inheritors of the dark and terrible powers of the Abyss, the scar upon the cosmos, demonspawn are produced wherever mortal corruption and demonic influence intersect.
Wrought of Sin
A popular superstition is that a loveless marriage is sure to result in a child that manifests all the malcontent and animosity of their parents, a demonspawn bearing the form and abilities that reflect those misdeeds.
The truth is simpler. A demonspawn is a mortal child whose blood is infused with the power of the Abyss. A union between a demon and a native of the material plane is the most likely scenario to produce one, but these unfortunate halfbreeds can also be the descendants of those who formed a pact with a demon, or the children of someone who earned the ire of a Demon Lord.
Moreover, demonspawn produce chaos, and are produced by chaos in turn. Children born in the aftermath of wars or great disasters are more likely to be demonspawn, and a demonspawn being born is said to be an omen of incoming tragedy or destruction. In more than one case, the havoc wreaked by panicking crowds in response to a child being born with a spiny tail or serpents extending from their head has been cited as evidence that demonspawn are sure to bring devastation wherever they may be.
Children of the Darkness
Unlike true demons, demonspawn are not innately bound to evil. While many would obsess over their profane origins or their unsettling appearance, it is their mortal blood that makes them truly unique, freeing them from the cosmic chains that would compel them to be unfailingly cruel or self-centered. Some still are, but each one has the capacity to grow, change, and become better or worse over their long life in a way that no normal fiend ever could.
Many seek out the answers of their birth in the hopes of gaining some greater understanding of themselves. They might contact the demon they believe to be their ancestor, or seek to study the history of the Blood War to glean some insight into the circumstances that might have produced them. Others wish merely to master or amplify the natural abilities they were born with, finding themselves students to dark and ominous teachers. Still more wage active war against the forces of good, enemies of life itself.
A Thousand Forms
Like regular demons, demonspawn are all unique from each other in some way. No two are exactly alike in their appearance or capabilities, though many share common traits such as large horns or oddly colored skin. Many have the innate ability to weave spells or lay curses upon those that disrespect them, or are possessed of extraordinary size, strength, or durability. Still others display odd features such as a third eye or arm, or bones that twist and bend like springs. Demonspawn are known to live for hundreds of years, though as with everything about them this is subject to variation. Some have been known to become wrinkled and frail after only a dozen years of life, while others are still at the pinnacle of health after centuries.
Some demonspawn very closely resemble their parents or siblings who show no sign of demonic corruption. In such cases, the child may grow to a significant age before discovering the dark powers that set them apart from their peers. Other times, they bear pronounced and extremely visible markers of their nature. They range from being hauntingly beautiful to unspeakably hideous, some having large tusks that extend from their mouths or noses that flare and turn upwards like a bat. A forked tongue might flit in and out of their mouth as they speak, or they might have plates of bone that protrude from their skin. Some might have pitch black skin that turns ashy and grey after prolonged sun exposure, or they might be white as paper with eyes that resemble hazy blue gems. Still others might be brightly colored red or blue, or shift color slowly throughout the day or in accordance with their mood.
Demonspawn Race v1.1 for D&D 5e
Created by: u/NotTheDreadPirateArtist Credit: Xabier Urrutia - Knär'ahr Yoh'nï
Demonspawn
As a demonspawn, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. You are Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. 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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Defiance of the Damned. When you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to reroll the d20 and use the higher roll. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Child of Chaos. Choose three of the trait options below when you select this race. You can select them yourself or determine them randomly. If a trait grants you the ability to cast a spell, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it when you cast it with the trait (choose when you select this race):
| d20 | Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | Abyssal Fortitude. Your hit point maximum increases by half your level (minimum 1). |
| 2 | Black Magic. You know one cantrip of your choice from the warlock spell list. |
| 3 | Bone Turner. You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws you make to avoid or end the grappled condition on yourself. Without squeezing, you can move through and stop in a space large enough for a creature one size smaller than you. |
| 4 | Creeping Doom. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. At 5th level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free. |
| 5 | Curse Weaver. You can cast the hex spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast it with this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast it using any spell slots you have. |
| 6 | Dark Titan. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. |
| 7 | Ever-Open Extra Eye. You have proficiency in the Perception skill, and you are immune to being blinded while you aren't incapacitated. |
| 8 | Fell Presence. You can cast the cause fear spell with this trait. Once you cast it with this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast it using any spell slots you have. |
| 9 | Fuming Reaver. When you score a critical hit on an attack roll, the attack deals extra fire damage equal to your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. |
| 10 | Inferno Keeper. You know the produce flame cantrip. |
| 11 | Instrument of Destruction. You gain proficiency with any two simple or martial weapons of your choice. |
| d20 | Trait |
|---|---|
| 12 | Joy from Pain. Whenever you suffer a critical hit, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack with advantage. |
| 13 | Labyrinthine Recall. You always know which direction is north, and you have advantage on any Wisdom (Survival) check you make to navigate or track. |
| 14 | Pentapedal. You have an extremity you can use to grasp things, such as a tail or extra limb. The extremity functions as a normal limb with a reach of 5 feet and can lift a number of pounds equal to five times your Strength score. It cannot wield weapons or shields or do anything that requires manual precision such as using tools or magic items, or performing the somatic components of spells. The extremity can interact with objects, make shove or grapple attempts, or make unarmed strikes. |
| 15 | Savage Talons. You have claws which you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. While you are missing half or more of your hit points, the damage of your claws increases to 1d8. |
| 16 | Serpent's Tongue. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception), Wisdom (Survival), and Intelligence (Investigation) checks that involve smell. |
| 17 | Snake Hair. Creatures that are grappling you or are grappled by you are poisoned until the grapple ends. |
| 18 | Sufferance. Cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage that you take is reduced by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus. |
| 19 | Unnatural Armor. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your unnatural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your unnatural armor. |
| 20 | Waking Nightmare. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend all 8 hours doing light activity, such as keeping watch. |
Optional Demonspawn Feat
If your DM allows the use of feats from chapter 6 of the Player's Handbook, your demonspawn character has access to the following special feat.
Abyssal Awakening
Prerequisite: Demonspawn
Your demonic heritage manifests as great wings sprouting from your back. You gain the following benefits:
- You have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. Unless your Strength score is 17 or higher, you lose this flying speed while wearing heavy armor.
- You gain one additional option from the Child of Chaos trait. Whenever you gain a level, you can replace one option you chose from that trait with a different option.