Can a tiefling with an variant heritage take a racial trait that replaces Skilled or the SLA? On one hand, the variants have still have the Skilled and SLA, just with different spells/skills involved. One could interpret, for example, a Pitborn's Shatter SLA as the default for the race. Only one alternate racial trait (Underworld Guide from Blood of Shadows) specifically mentions that it replaces the DARKNESS SLA. On the other hand, racial traits probably (I can't find the text atm) follow similar rules to class archetypes where you can't trade something out twice.
My motivation is that I want to play a certain tiefling bloodline because the stat adjustments and flavor are perfect, but some of the options on that d100 chart look really tasty.
The Fiendish Heritage feat (yes I know it's outdated and unnecessary) might be the only rules-legal way of getting the alternate ability modifiers AND a chance to roll on the d100 chart.
Can a tiefling with an variant heritage take a racial trait that replaces Skilled or the SLA?
Yes.
My motivation is that I want to play a certain tiefling bloodline because the stat adjustments and flavor are perfect, but some of the options on that d100 chart look really tasty.
Anything to do with the d100 chart is wandering into DM territory. Ask before hand if you CAN roll and if the DM has any special rules about the chart. And remember that there are several non-tasty options on the chart too. +3 rds of hold breath or ability to eat sand aren't exactly exciting.
The d100 chart only looks tasty if your DM is foolish enough to let you pick your abilities from it. If they actually make you roll for random abilities, not so much.
As to your question, my belief is that it would work just fine. The alternate heritages do not replace skilled or SLA, they just provide different options for those abilities.
The d100 chart only looks tasty if your DM is foolish enough to let you pick your abilities from it.
It all depends really. The chart can help with people making the character they want with some pretty unique abilities that are hard to get elsewhere. As long as the DM doesn't allow for things like doubling up on stats and such, most picks are ok IMO. For instance, I've seen an extra resistance, swim speed and small size picked and they seemed all in line with a replacement of the SLA. I've also thinking of making a tiefling that uses the +5' speed off the chart: I don't think it'd be a tough sell to trade it out for the SLA.
I wonder why "small creature traits" is on the chart at all. Don't tieflings take the size of their parent race? I guess if you wanted to be small and human-born or something.
I wonder why "small creature traits" is on the chart at all. Don't tieflings take the size of their parent race? I guess if you wanted to be small and human-born or something.
Small parent race is a choice while the chart is a random roll: so there is that. Secondly, we used it because the Dm didn't allow non-human tieflings.
I played a small human tiefling. The background story was human so being a halfling etc. wouldn't have made sense.
