Tiefling Heritages vs ARG Alternate Racial Traits

[Ampersandrew]

I'm wondering how Tiefling Heritages in Blood of Fiends interact with the alternate [sic] racial traits in the Advanced Race Guide.

Are the heritages sub-races or variants of the base race?

If they're variants (like an archetype for a class), then the Asura-Spawn's hideous laughter spell like ability has already swapped out the base Tiefling's darkness spell like ability and therefore Asura-Spawn are not eligible for Soul Seer (for example).

If they're a race in their own right, then they're eligible to swap out their spell like ability and fiendish sorcery for Soul Seer. Or indeed any other swaps the player wanted to make.

[Abyssian]

PRD/Soul Seer Tiefling Alternate Trait wrote:

Soul Seer: Rare tieflings have a peculiar sight that allows them to see the state of a creature's soul. They can use deathwatch at will as spell-like ability. This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability and fiendish sorcery racial traits.

It replaces spell-like ability, no matter which one the tiefling has.

[Ampersandrew]

Got a rules basis for that? or is it an opinion?

I was kind of looking for a reason (with maybe a reference) why it's one way or the other.

[Isil-zha]

It doesn't say that it trades the 'darknesss spell-like ability' of the tiefling it only states 'spell-like ability', which suggests that it does not matter which one the tiefling actually posesses.

[lantzkev]

Isil-zha and Abyssian are both correct.

When you read the entry what does it say it's replacing? Do you still have that ability on the alternates? then the answer is yes you may, just like they have said.

It's pretty straight forward actually.

[Isil-zha]

If on the other hand you replace the SLA by rolling on the table then you wouldn't qualify anymore (even if you rolled another SLA) because you replaced 'spell-like ability' with 'random substitution trait'(for lack of a better word)

[Ampersandrew]

Isil-zha wrote:

If on the other hand you replace the SLA by rolling on the table then you wouldn't qualify anymore (even if you rolled another SLA) because you replaced 'spell-like ability' with 'random substitution trait'(for lack of a better word)

Ah, right. The penny drops!

The fact that they're saying that the variant Tiefling Abilities replaces "a tiefling's spell like ability" and the fact that any tiefling can do this means that all tieflings have a replaceable spell like ability. Even the one's with a heritage.

That's good enough for me. Thanks for you input.

[blackbloodtroll]

Same with skilled.