Cambion

Description

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Cambions are born of a union between a mortal and fiend. Incubi and succubi are the most common parents, being one of the few types of fiend capable of procreation. Cambions born from these creatures often possess wings for flight and an otherworldly beauty and charm, but depending on the type of fiend a cambion is descended from, their appearance can vary wildly.

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An apologist's perspective:

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The question of nature versus nurture is rarely debated when it comes to cambions. To most observers, they look like an archetypical devil or demon, and are treated as a monstrous threat regardless of whether they deserve it.

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Tieflings are often mistaken for cambions, and persecuted mercilessly for the resemblance. But while tieflings are only distantly related to a fiend, cambions have a pure-blooded fiendish parent. The difference is striking. Physically, a cambion's appearance is more fiendish than it is mortal. Wings, cloven hooves, diabolical horns, razor-sharp teeth, and clawed hands are fairly common features. They also possess more innate magical abilities and resistances than a tiefling, and are generally far more dangerous. Many cambions do not age - more powerful ones are hundreds or even thousands of years old. But despite these advantages, given how much the world despises cambions, most of them are lucky if they reach adulthood.

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In mortal societies, cambions have an infamous reputation. The word cambion itself comes from the ancient celtic root "kamb," meaning crooked, or exchange. Much like the celtic mythology of changelings, cambions are often considered to be "false" children, the sinister replacement left behind after a supernatural being kidnaps a mortal's true offspring, and there have been reports of fiends doing precisely this, for reasons only the fiends know; perhaps they intend to seed their blood in the world of mortals, or perhaps they simply couldn't be bothered to raise their own wretched offspring. Some believe the fiends eat the real mortal child, or use it in some ritual sacrifice, or worse. Other skeptics think the mortal parents are only claiming their child was kidnapped to conceal an act of fiendish adultery, but most folk don't look too deeply into the reason why. They assume the fiend's only objectives are terror, carnage, and misery - all things a cambion child is reported to leave in its wake. As a result, many communities will kill a cambion, no matter how young, as soon as they're discovered.

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To make matters worse, cambions often appear, in their first few years of life, to be entirely normal children, and only begin showing physical signs of their fiendish heritage when they reach adolescence. This fact alone has led to extreme paranoia and mob killings in communities, where many an unruly or disobedient child (and many a tiefling) has been suspected of being a cambion.

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The cambions who survive past adolescence are usually abandoned by their mortal families, and forced to live as outcasts, hidden and constantly on the run. As a result, some cambions attempt to travel to the lower planes and seek out fiendish relatives. In hell, unfortunately, they are again shunned, this time as inferior half-breeds, or used as expendable pawns by their more powerful, pure-blooded kin. With little to no standing in devil society, it's not uncommon for Infernal cambions to be thrown into the blood war as cannon fodder. Abyssal cambions fare even worse, as their demonic kin loves to torture or eat any creature weaker than themselves.

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Ultimately, cambions have nowhere they truly belong, and almost every one of them ends up with a fairly large chip on their shoulders. As loners and half-mad hermits, they often harbor a festering resentment, abandonment issues, and a burning ambition to prove their worth, often by enacting revenge on a cruel and unforgiving world. 

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Tiefling settlements are one of the few communities that will harbor a cambion, especially if that cambion is a blood relative. But even among tieflings, a cambion's behavior is often problematic, and they are rarely liked or trusted. Tieflings are as biased and superstitious as anyone else, and they often suspect a cambion is cursed, or a spy for some malevolent fiendish parent bent on the community's corruption. As such, cambions are frequently driven out of tiefling sanctuaries, along with any other place they try to call home.

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All this mistreatment and suspicion, tragically, drives many cambions to ally with the vilest of evils, and become exactly the monsters fearful folk make them out to be. Some of the greatest and most cataclysmic events on many worlds have been the work of a cambion gone bad, and so their villainous myth becomes self-fulfilling.

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Of course, if one is to believe the most fearful superstition, cambions aren't simply misunderstood; they are monsters from birth, displaying all the characteristics of a sadistic, depraved bully even at the youngest age, and the few mortal parents who try to raise their cambion child with love and nurturing are given none in return. Most accredit this behavior to their tainted blood, but some rumors suggest this is the result of a psychic "influence" of a fiendish parent, who will speak to their child in dreams, encouraging them to perform increasingly heinous acts, and slowly leading them towards a path of evil. A few scholars believe this corrupting influence might even be thwarted with the correct arcane seals and abjurations, but their mortal parents are rarely willing, wealthy, or educated enough to try.

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In fiendish culture, cambions born of incubi, succubi, or other lesser fiends are known as "minor" cambions, and are despised by pure-blooded fiends. If the other mortal parent is a tiefling, that only is slightly better; the child is a "major" cambion, but still barely tolerated, and considered an expendable underling, at best. The survival rate of these cambions is extremely low, and the ones tough enough to endure life in the lower planes often seek escape from them, deserting their posts and finding work in Sigil as enforcers or hired killers.

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On very rare occasions, however, the cambion's parent is an archdevil or abyssal lord; spawn of such archfiends sometimes enjoy powers beyond those of other cambions. The precious few who are recognized and accepted by their archfiend parent are known as "barons" or "marquis." They are the only type of half-breed allowed any sort of status in fiendish society, but even then, the glass ceiling is extremely low, and their survival is entirely dependent on the whim and standing of their archfiend parent. Baron and Marquis cambions are sometimes given specialized training to be envoys, spies, assassins, warlocks, and personal attendants of their dark master. Others are sent to mortal realms in disguise, usually to corrupt and collect souls.

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There has been some confusion among demonologists as to the origin of cambions. As the vast majority of them are children of mortals and incubi/succubi, who were largely believed to be a type of demon, cambions have also been classified as demonic tanar'ri. It is only recently that infernal cambions, born of devils such as erinyes or the lords of the nine, have become common knowledge. It is now believed that even yugoloth and gehreleth fiends might spawn a cambion under the right conditions, but that these children would be so rare and different in appearance from other cambions as to be nearly unrecognizable.

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It was also believed, in the past, that female cambions, formerly known as alu-fiends, were a distinct demonic species unto themselves, with more traditionally feminine powers, abilities, and behavior, but more recent studies have proven these assertions to be false, and somewhat sexist.

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(from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes - 2018 [credits])

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INFERNAL CAMBIONS: 

Some archdevils consort with mortals to produce cambion offspring. While most have the typical abilities for a cambion (as detailed in the Monster Manual), some gain abilities reminiscent of their archdevil parent.

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Signiature Spells: Cambions have the Innate Spellcasting trait. When customizing an infernal cambion, you can replace spells in that trait with ones of the same level from the list of signature spells in the cult entry of the devilish parent. The cambion can use these spells once per day each.

 

Special Traits: A cambion linked to a specific devil typically gains any special traits conferred to that devil's cultists. Some devils grant a unique ability to their spawn that replaces the cambion's Fiendish Charm trait; Zariel and Geryon have a penchant for spawning cambions to serve as war leaders among their followers. The two of them grant the Fury of the Nine ability in place of Fiendish Charm.

 

Fury of the Nine. As a bonus action, the cambion chooses another creature that can see or hear it within 120 feet. That creature gains advantage on all attack rolls and saving throws for the next minute or until the cambion uses this ability again.

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DEMONIC CAMBIONS:

Cambions spawned by demon lords sometimes manifest different abilities from a typical cambion. Graz'zt is notable among demon lords for the many cambions he has spawned across the multiverse. Most famous among them is Iuz, who combined his father's abyssal heritage and his mother's peerless arcane tutelage to become a demigod.

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Signature Spells: Cambions have the Innate Spellcasting trait. When customizing a demonic cambion, you can replace spells in that trait with ones of the same level from the list of signature spells in the boon entry of the demonic parent. The cambion can use these spells once per day each.

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Special Traits: A cambion descended from a demon can have the special traits conferred to that demon's cultists, as described in the demon's boon section. Few demons consort with mortals, and those with the charm or desire to usually grant their cambion children the Fiendish Charm ability. Cultists of Baphomet and Orcus can also use foul rituals to infuse their master's strength into a young or unborn child, yielding a cult champion who can wield special abilities; a cambion linked to Orcus replaces Fiendish Charm with Spawn of the Grave, and one linked to Baphomet replaces it with Horned One's Call.

 

Horned One's Call. When the cambion targets only one crea· tu re with the attacks of its Multiattack, it can choose one ally it can see within 30 feet. That ally can use its reaction to make one melee attack against a target of its choice. Spawn of the Grave. At the end of each of the cambion's turns, each undead of its choice that it can see within 30 feet gains 10 temporary hit points, provided the cambion isn't incapacitated. In addition, this cambion can use its Innate Spellcasting ability to cast animate dead three times per day.

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(from Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - 2015 [credits])

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A cambion is the offspring of a fiend (usually a succubus or incubus) and a humanoid (usually a human). Cambions inherit aspects of both parents, but their horns, leathery wings, and sinewy tails are hallmarks of their otherworldly parentage.

 

Born to Be Bad. Cambions grow into ruthless adults whose wickedness and perversion horrifies even the most devoted mortal parent. Even as a youth, a cambion identifies its rightful place as an overlord of mortals. It might orchestrate uprisings in towns and cities, gathering gangs of humanoids and lesser devils to serve it.

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Pawns of the Mighty. A cambion forced to serve its fiendish parent does so out of admiration and dread, but also with the expectation that it will one day rise to a place of prominence. Cambions raised in the Nine Hells serve as soldiers, envoys, and personal attendants to greater devils. In the Abyss, a cambion carries only as much authority as it can muster through sheer strength and force of will.

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Spawn of Graz’zt. The demon lord Graz’zt is fond of procreating with humanoids who have made pacts with fiends, and he has sired many cambions who help him sow chaos across the multiverse. These cambions are characterized by charcoal-black skin, cloven hooves, six-fingered hands, and unearthly beauty.

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(from Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix. I - 1994 - [credits])

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In the event that a tanar’ri mates with a human female, the resulting offspring is a cambion. The type sired depends on its parentage: a lesser or greater tanar’ri fathers a major cambion, whereas a true tanar’ri fathers a Baron/marquis. In either case, the mother does not survive the birth.

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Cambions are ugly and terrifying. They are humanoid, but have pitch-black, slightly scaly skin covered with pockmarks; sharply pointed ears: and mouths filled with crooked, sickly fangs. Cambions often adorn themselves with spiked armor and weapons. They can communicate using telepathy.

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Cambions, like alu-fiends, are freaks and outcasts. Never accepted in human society and only poorly tolerated in the Abyss, they feel bitter and hateful towards all things.

However, their stealth and detachment make them excellent assassins. The balors use them as personal bodyguards and advisors. Most cambions overcome their bitterness and take pnde in serving so high a power.

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One in ten cambions is not chaotic evil, but neutral or even good, because its human mother was of good alignment. These wretched creatures are doomed to a miserable existence as lone wolves because they are rarely accepted by a good-aligned community.

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Combat: Cambions have keen senses and are never surprised. Cambions use ornate weapons and armor. Many have a magical weapon (75% chance), most likely of common make (i.e. +1, +2, etc.), but 15% likely to be special (referee's choice). Magical armor is likely (75% chance), most likely of common make (+1, +2, etc.), but also 15% likely to be special.

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In addition to those available to all tanar’ri, cambions have one to four of these spell-like powers: detect magic, fear (by touch), levitate (7 times per day), and polymorph self (3 times per day). Any cambion with 16 or higher Intelligence has wizard abilities. They have spells as wizards of a level equal to their Hit Dice (major 4th level, baron/marquis 6th level) and a randomly determined spellbook.

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As stealthy as thieves, they can climb walls (95%), hide in shadows (80%), and move silently (80%) in bulky metal armor without penalty.

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(from Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix. I - 1994 - [credits])

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Alu-fiends, the horrid female offspring of succubus and human, look like comely human females with attractive, powerful features. Only their sharp, upsloping eyebrows and wings indicate the truth.

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Alu-fiends usually communicate using telepathy, but can sometimes speak additional languages.

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Alu-fiends tend to be hateful, even by tanar’ri standards, because of their dual nature. They view themselves as outcasts, neither human or tanar’ri. Other tanar’ri view them the same way, as lowly and without purpose. Only the alu-fiends’ power keeps them in contention as a lesser tanar’ri race.

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If an alu-fiend can somehow hide her wings, she is mistaken for a human 70% of the time.

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Interestingly, about 20% of alu-fiends are chaotic neutral or true neutral in alignment. This usually occurs when a succubus mates with a non-evil human and the offspring retains a hint of her father’s morality.

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Combat: Alu-fiends have an innate intuition that warns them of impending danger 75% of the time. They have no natural attack forms save fists and teeth (normal human damage). About 75% of them carry enchanted weapons, often gifts from their evil mothers. These weapons are most likely of common make (i.e. +1, +2, etc.), but there is a 15% chance for a special weapon. The fiend relies heavily on a special weapon and never willingly parts with it.

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Alu-fiends can restore their own bit points at the expense of their opponents. This requires a normal melee hit (1d8 damage, of which the alu-fiend gets half, rounded up).

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These creatures have base Armor Class 5, the heritage of their unnatural mother. Enchanted armor or protective items can improve the base AC. As with weapons, 75% of ah-fiends wear enchanted armor of common make (+1, +2, etc.). There is a 5% chance such armor is special (e.g. plate mail of etherealness, etc.).

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For both magical armor and weapons, choose appropriate items from the tables on pages 139-140 of the DMG.

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In addition to those available to all tanar’ri, all alu-fiends, regardless of intelligence, have the following spell-like powers: charm person, dimension door (once per day), ESP, shape change (to a humanoid form of approximately their own height and weight only), and suggestion.

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All alu-fiends have infravision to 240’. Alu-fiends are affected only by cold-wrought iron or magical weapons.

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Fully 10% of alu-fiends have Genius intelligence; they have all the spell-like powers of their sisters and are also actual mages. Genius alu-fiends are 1st- to 12th-level mages with full spell ability and can choose spells from any school. Genius alu-fiends are never specialist wizards.

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