RP/Class Questions: A Tiefling disguised as a Satyr

[TechnOkami]

Ok, so here's the rub: Tieflings have demonic/devil blood, it comes out in their everything.

I want to make a Tiefling who is living as a Satyr through the Background feature of being a Charlatan, because he wants to be treated normally and it creates interesting RP if it ever gets discovered. He's essentially wearing a fuzzy suit on the lower half of his body. He already has the bent goat legs w/ hooves, and he either 1.) has a small tail, 2.) physically cut off his tail to make it fit into a smaller one, or 3.) has no tail to begin with.

Classes is where I'm having the most trouble in the decision making, and I'll explain why.

I'm not rolling him as a Bard. I don't like the Bard class. If I were to make a caster, I'd rather roll anything else. It's just not my jam.

So, we have the following options then as far as classes go:
-Druid
-Oath of the Ancients Paladin
-Fey Pact Warlock
-Ranger
-Rogue (the other class that gets Expertise for Performance, but I really don't want to make another Rogue)
-a Cleric of a Nature God

I've been bouncing this idea back and forth between the walls of my skull and I haven't been able to come to a good decision in my mind.

Help.

[JeenLeen]

By the fluff in the PHB, tieflings have large tails, so I think you'd be on cutting it off or asking your DM to waive that. Since it doesn't matter much, I reckon most DMs would be fine with letting you have a goat-like and/or short tail.

But from how you talk about classes... I don't really get what you are looking for for a class or why you limit yourself/are limited to those options. If you don't like bards or rogues, don't use them.
Do you want a high Performance skill? Would you rather not be a caster? Do you want your class to compliment being a charlatan? (Keep in mind that is your past, so you could have forsaken most of those ways, but just use your old skills to keep your identity safe.)

A satyr doesn't necessarily have to be a nature-themed class, though I guess it would come more naturally.

On the classes you note:
Nature Cleric is a pretty cool class, power-wise, giving decent melee and good AC. Use Shillelejah to wield a staff and get heavy armor proficiency.

Warlocks can get the Disguise Self invocation, which lets them hide as another being pretty easily. The tiefling warlock in my real-life game tends to do that when we're in towns.

Ranger is generally thought to be a subpar class, at least if you go by the PHB version. Fighter 2/Druid x would probably give you comparable melee and magical power. (I'm not saying that's an optimized class combination, but it is a way to capture the ranger feel.)

[Quoxis]

By the fluff in the PHB, tieflings have large tails, so I think you'd be on cutting it off or asking your DM to waive that. Since it doesn't matter much, I reckon most DMs would be fine with letting you have a goat-like and/or short tail.

SCAG has optional Tiefling appearance rules, by RAW Tieflings don't even have to have horns and tails so long as they have cat eyes, sharp teeth, blue skin or GOAT LEGS. 1d4+1 (so at least 2) of these can be taken instead of the normal appearance described in the PHB. RAI i don't know if you're supposed to be able to only trade in your big horns for small ones (also on the optional list) or that you can get completely rid of them, but that depends on GM. Same goes for reddish skin and tail.
Just so that you have an official rule to point at when you roll persuasion on your GM ;)

[TechnOkami]

Side note: This character idea was originally for Adventurer's League.

Other side note: I've completely revised the character in totality to something entirely different.

[Quoxis]

Side note: This character idea was originally for Adventurer's League.

Other side note: I've completely revised the character in totality to something entirely different.

Does that mean no scag? I thought official material was allowed (sometimes without Aarakocra and winged variants of races)?

[Princess]

By the fluff in the PHB, tieflings have large tails, so I think you'd be on cutting it off or asking your DM to waive that. Since it doesn't matter much, I reckon most DMs would be fine with letting you have a goat-like and/or short tail.

But from how you talk about classes... I don't really get what you are looking for for a class or why you limit yourself/are limited to those options. If you don't like bards or rogues, don't use them.
Do you want a high Performance skill? Would you rather not be a caster? Do you want your class to compliment being a charlatan? (Keep in mind that is your past, so you could have forsaken most of those ways, but just use your old skills to keep your identity safe.)

A satyr doesn't necessarily have to be a nature-themed class, though I guess it would come more naturally.

On the classes you note:
Nature Cleric is a pretty cool class, power-wise, giving decent melee and good AC. Use Shillelejah to wield a staff and get heavy armor proficiency.

Warlocks can get the Disguise Self invocation, which lets them hide as another being pretty easily. The tiefling warlock in my real-life game tends to do that when we're in towns.

Ranger is generally thought to be a subpar class, at least if you go by the PHB version. Fighter 2/Druid x would probably give you comparable melee and magical power. (I'm not saying that's an optimized class combination, but it is a way to capture the ranger feel.)

The fluff in "Planewalker's Handbook" (1996) is the best fluff for tieflings and indicates some, but hardly all of them, have tails. Plus, SCAG clarifies numerous tiefling bloodlines exist and they vary quite a bit. Some of them also have cloven hooves and could easily pass for a Satyr to a non-expert. (And very few PC's or NPC's are likely to be experts on fey vs. fiend distinctions.) There is nothing difficult to work with about this concept at all, unless the DM is being difficult, at which point they can and should be overthrown.

As for the OP, Any of those options work with the theme you have in mind but mechanically the PHB Tiefling stats line up best for Warlock thanks to the +2 cha if that's what you want. Also, if Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide is available for you that suggests an alternate Tiefling option can be +2 dex, +1 int and that lines up perfectly for an Arcane Trickster. All of those ideas are fine, though, so really you should probably answer the question, now that you have a background idea, "What does this character do in a life or death situation?" and let that guide your class choice, because that's what class features ultimately determine. If there's a fight, or a hazard, how does "Totally Normal Satyr*" act in that situation? Do they boldly face down threats head on with a weapon? Paladin. Blast them away and hope to finish them first glass cannon like? Warlock or Rogue makes more sense. Cleric and Druid provide a more supportive option, potentially, since they are better at focusing on teamwork with buffs and the like, or a Moon Druid can try and kill all of those roles at once thanks to wildshape.

Also, regarding not liking bards, is it the mechanics that you don't like or the musical theme itself? Fluff is easy to change so long as the DM is on board, and you can always ask nicely to use magic wands instead of musical instruments to refluff a bard as a very unusual warlock/priest of a fey or nature deity, for instance.

This is a very interesting idea and even if the OP seems to have abandoned it I think it has potential for someone else in the future.

[Finback]

If you're looking for a set of satyr legs to cover one's own, don't ask Torgo.

hE tAKeS cARe oF tHe pLaCE wHiLe tHE mAstEr is AwAy. (https://bmj2k.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/torgo-walking.png)