I'm going to be resurrecting my personal project of having customizable planetouched PC races. There will be something like 5 outerplanar planetouched races, for each 'alignment pole' and neutrality...
Each planetouched race will have a few subraces which determine the types of abilities they can choose, their racial ability modifiers and the general themes associated with them. Not much mechanics are going to be decided at this stage, just concepts. In fact each subrace is going to have three different sets of racial ability adjustments to choose from, with names like noble-heritage (an emphasis on int and cha bonuses) or warrior-blood (emphasized on str and con bonuses).
First on the list is Tieflings:
Previously I had them divided into Tanar'i, Yugoloth and Baatezu, but I realized there are other fiends out there including non-Tanar'i Demons, non-Baatezu Devils, Gehreleths, Hordelings, Night Hags and more.
So I want to divide Tieflings into a few subraces, maybe three, though I need a good name for the three that's means they aren't necessarily connected to Tanar'i, Yugoloth and Baatezu, but mostly are. I also don't think Abyssal or Pit Tiefling would be good, since it constrains them to a particular plane of origin. Rather the names should be based off of themes, maybe they should have an easy to say subrace name, and then some estoteric less pronouncable name.
Aasimar:
I originally had Aasimar divided that celestial heritage with Archons, Aasimon, Eladrin, Guardinal and Asuras. But I need to cut them down to roughly three themed subraces...
Lawful Planetouched:
Between MMII, FF and Dragon Magazine 297, there's 3 lawful planetouched subraces. We got the Axani, Mechanatrix and Zenythri as subraces already, now we just need a general name for all lawful planetouched. I'm biased towards Axani because I like them, and the name is close to Axiomatic.
Chaotic Planetouched:
Between MMII and Dragon #297 there's 2 chaotic planetouched races. We have Cansin and Chaonds, and I might need a third, along with a general name for all chaotic planetouched.
Neutral Planetouched:
Without nothing better to go on, I'll use Tuladhara that was conceived of on this page. There'll be most likely 3 subraces. One will be sort of Rilmani themed. Another will be essentially 'Planar Mongrel-folk' and be really weird mixed up planetouched with heritage from all over the planes. The third I don't know yet.
Basic Tiefling stats:
+1 LA
Medium Humanoids
6 special abilities (includes abilities like Outsider type, energy resistances, racial stat bonuses, spell-like abilities, skill bonuses and more) from 3 special ability menus: All Planetouched list, Tiefling list, and their subrace list.
So far I have this for Tieflings, but only the basic idea since I need more ideas, names, and concepts for each type:
Abyssal Tieflings aka Lilim
These are the Tieflings spawned from Tanar'i, Obyriths, Shadow Demons, Gehreleths, Hordelings and many more Demons and things from Pandemonium, The Abyss and Carceri. These Tieflings have the essence of chaos within their blood and thus have more varied appearances then the rest of their Tiefling brethen. Their passions tend to be less controlled then their bethren no matter what their morality happens to be, due to the nature of their heritage.
They are children of corruptors, destroyers and scheming overlords, many of these Tieflings go through life completely reliant on themselves as they have very little to trust from others, even those of their own kind. Though in many cases they do band together to survive and find their ways throughout life, each one knows instinctively theirs is their own path to take.
Initial Racial Stat Modifiers: +2 dex, +2 cha, -2 wis
Infernal Tieflings aka Hellions, The Wretched
They are Tieflings spawned from Baatezu, Rakshasa, Kytons, Barghests, various Devils and terrors from Baator, Acheron, and Gehenna. They may have the essence of law in their blood, though it's not always in their nature as the children of tyrants. These Tieflings are some of the most common, and never seem to fit in well with outsiders.
Among their breathen they seek unity more among their kind then the others do. Some of the ambitious have tried to draw together nations of Tieflings or even all planetouched together, except that among Tieflings they give off the strongest sense of 'wrongness'. Many Tieflings try to defy fate, but the Infernal Tieflings instinctively know that their ancestors are always watching and waiting for them, no matter what they do as their blood comes from them.
Initial Racial Stat Modifiers: +2 dex, +2 int, -2 cha
{I probably need better names for this type of tiefling}
Gloomspawn Tieflings aka Desolate Ones, Gloomlings, Mi-Gons, Lothans, Nilhon
These Tiefling are the spawn of Yugoloths, Gehreleths, Hordelings, Night Hags and many of the terrors, deceivers and corruptors of the Gray Waste, Carceri and Gehenna. Perhaps the most capable of all Tieflings of living amongst outsiders of their kind, these Tieflings are natural manipulators, schemers and deceivers. In many ways they are the most ambitious of the Tieflings, no matter what their morality might be. It's perhaps a curse from their ancestors that they tend to be the least physically powerful of all Tieflings.
Most gloomlings feel and know that someday they can surpass they're fiendish ancestors. To them it's a careful game that must be played out slowly and with subtlety. Among Tieflings they're perhaps the most paranoid of their kind. These Tieflings work well with others, Tieflings and non-Tieflings alike, as they know they can use others towards their own purposes and needs.
Initial Racial Stat Modifiers: +2 dex, +2 int, +2 cha, -2 str