Fiendish Heritage for Infernal Bastards (Tiefling Feats and Traits)

[JohnnyWhoa]

This one may be obvious, but I've never seen a trait so utterly rip apart a feat before. Can you benefit from the alternate racial abilities granted by the Fiendish Heritage Feat(which replaces the Darkness SLA) if you take the Infernal Bastard Trait, which removes the standard See in Darkness SLA?

I ask because I'm rolling a Tiefling Witch and could use more level 0 spell slots. If you can't benefit from that, then I'm not interested in this one as an option, but does anyone know of other options?

[zza ni]

see if your gm will let you take this even though ur not a wizard (and or not in the pathfinder,although if im not mistaken this ap start with getting you to work for them)

[Wonderstell]

Well, first of all (taken from the link you provided):

Editor's Note wrote:

This feat and the variant system is no longer necessary; tieflings can now utilize the variant heritages (including rolling on the table) by default, similar to aasimars, as per the Blood of Fiends supplement.

Alternate heritages may be chosen normally based on the new rules, but rolling three times and choosing the most favorable ability is still unique to this feat.

The variant tieflings does not require the Fiendish Heritage Feat anymore, as it's now considered a part of the race.

Any effect that specifically calls out the Darkness SLA should not work with the Variant Tiefling Heritages.

For example, you could not take the Fiendish Darkness Race Feat since it lists the Darkness SLA as a prerequisite. But you can switch out your Variant SLA for the Light from the Darkness Alternate Racial Trait found in the description of the Tiefling race, since it only calls out on "the spell-like ability racial trait".

With that said, the Race trait you linked doesn't make use of the Darkness SLA you don't have, so a lenient GM would allow you to take that trait. But RAW says no.

[Warped Savant]

Keep in mind that the Infernal Bastard trait was specifically written to balance tieflings with other races for the Council of Thieves AP. It's not meant as something that will make your character better.
I don't have my book on my right now, but I believe the suggestions in the CoT players guide was something along the lines of "if a player wants to play a tiefling the GM may want to have the player take the 'Infernal Bastard' trait, penalize them by a level, or have the player take the Fiendish Heritage Feat".

Talk to your GM, see what they say. I would have it so that you lose your Darkness ability (or anything that replaces it), you gain the level 0 spell, and you lose your resistances (or anything that replaces them) and get the +2 bonus to the resistances you lost.

[JohnnyWhoa]

Sorry, I should have specified what I used Fiendish Heritage for - that was to be able to take the three rolls on the tables and pick an alternate ability and physical feature, not to take one of the alternate pre-builts. I got absurdly lucky and rolled a 46 on the abilities table, netting me an additional +2 to INT, so I'm not about to give that up. That does still require the feat, right?

I didn't think it'd work, but thanks for confirming. That trait almost feels like a drawback more than a trait with how much it takes, but I can see how they may have felt that Tieflings needed nerfed at one point.

And @Zza Ni: I saw that one, but it's pretty clearly written as a wizards only thing, so I don't want to cheese it and try to qualify for something I can't. Any other good options you can think of?

[SheepishEidolon]

JohnnyWhoa wrote:

I ask because I'm rolling a Tiefling Witch and could use more level 0 spell slots.

You could go with the three cantrips you have, and pick a first hex that works multiple times per day in combat. A longspear and a light crossbow are cheap also, you can even afford a scroll with a level 1 spell. At this early level, actions like total defense and aid another can make sense, too.

At level 2 you will already get the 4th cantrip.

If you still want this 4th cantrip at level 1, via a trait:

The Lantern Bearer (cosmic): Light 3/day
The Patriarch (cosmic): Know direction 3/day
Magical Talent (magic): Your choice 1/day
Chosen One: Light 1/day, masterwork longsword

There are more, like Arcane Dabbler and Wendifa Apprentice, but the cosmic ones should be about the best. See Archives of Nethys for mostly complete lists.

[JohnnyWhoa]

Those are all nice options, but I'm largely looking for either a new slot or some at-wills - I'm strongly considering the Tatterdemalion archetype, which locks 3 of my cantrips permanently as prestidigitation, mage hand, and open/close - certainly not bad choices, but the fourth then will pretty much always have to be detect magic. I'm a big fan of small cantrips like Light, Mending and, through a trait, Create Water, however, so I'm looking for ways to add something to that mix.

[JohnnyWhoa]

Nevermind! I think I've found my answer: a cracked orange prism ioun stone will give me one more prepared spell, and that opens up some options for fun.

Thanks for chiming in options everyone! I was not aware of a lot of these and they'll definitely be considered with future characters! Much appreciated!