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View Full Version : Do half-celestials have a name? (like cambions?)



Eladrinblade
2013-10-16, 04:45 PM
Half-fiends can be called cambions. Do half-celestials have a name like that?

Rhynn
2013-10-16, 05:15 PM
A D&D cambion is technically a specific type of half-fiend: begotten on a female mortal by a tanar'ri (calling it "male" is a bit inaccurate, as per Faces of Evil: the Fiends). An alu-fiend is begotten by a male mortal on a succubus. Cambions are themselves male, and alu-fiends are female. (This per AD&D 2E and Planescape; I don't remember what the 3.5 Expedition to the Demonweb Pits says about cambions, which are IIRC presented as their own creature there.)

Anyway, I can't think of any specific types of half-celestials from D&D. Doesn't mean there aren't any.

Weirdlet
2013-10-16, 08:37 PM
If the word isn't already in use for another type of monster, you might try 'nephilim', for the old half-angel myths.

Rhynn
2013-10-16, 09:02 PM
That is a pretty danged good option, actually; the Enochian Nephilim are the offspring of humans and the Grigori (Watchers), great fallen angels who taught humans all the arts and skills of civilization. It's a good name to use if you need one.

VariSami
2013-10-17, 07:37 AM
To fill in for Rhynn, in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, Cambions are actually children of Tanarīri and Tieflings, which makes them "more infernal" than a simple Half-fiend. The Marquis and the Baron Cambions are children of Tieflings and unique Tanar'ri (for example, Demon Princes).

Rhynn
2013-10-17, 07:57 AM
Also, you could call your half-celestials Rephaim or Rephaites.

Eladrinblade
2013-10-18, 02:25 AM
Nephilim isn't a bad option (though it is vaguely sinister sounding), but my players wouldn't respond well to the ancient aliens reference (not that I should care...). Anyway, I went with "Azata" (the name for Eladrin in pathfinder).

hamishspence
2013-10-18, 06:15 AM
To fill in for Rhynn, in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, Cambions are actually children of Tanarīri and Tieflings, which makes them "more infernal" than a simple Half-fiend.

Technically it says "planetouched" rather than "tiefling" - as written, you could make the offspring of a tanar'ri and a aasimar, a cambion.

I think the rule is that the planetouched parent must be female, but I'm not sure.

Interestingly, despite being "more infernal" (they have the Evil subtype, and are considered demons, not mere Native Outsiders) they are less evil - "Often Chaotic Evil" rather than the "Always Evil" of a half-fiend.

And it gives a proportion for the number of cambions that are Not Evil: 10%. This is usually due to the mother being Not Evil.

GoblinArchmage
2013-10-18, 05:26 PM
Obviously they would be cambioffs.