Quite specific: Made a tiefling variant with sword and whip, going bladelock

[Sonlun]

Google drive hosted pdfs of:
Char. sheet lvl 1: https ://drive .google .com/open?id=0B5w1m6R1NvSFWXBHQ0VzbGpmQTg
Char. sheet lvl 5: https ://drive .google .com/open?id=0B5w1m6R1NvSFcTRqcTlZWG5pUEE

Short version:
I made a tiefling variant centered around a sword and a whip. How do you like it? Feedback on balance appreciated.

Long version:
So a friend and I pretend we get into fights and name calling occasionally, and we want to take it to the next level in D&D 5e. The basic idea is two tieflings, one with infernal (devil) heritage and one with abyssal (demon) heritage, at they do not like each other. Perhaps some sort of friendship will evolve, but they'll never prance around singing songs together.

WotC have released Unearthed Arcana: That Old Black Magic with an abyssal tiefling variant, but it doesn't make much sense. So I've taken things into my own hands, and have attempted to make a race based on a tiefling with a balor father.

The character is going to be a bladelock (Fighter1/Warlock19), wielding a sword and a whip, as a balor. Thanks to the variations allowed in SCAG, I'm altering the character to resemble a balor himself. The aim is not to be a powerhouse, but a believable character fun to play, yet still relevant as a damage dealer (also at later levels). Now, I know Eldritch Blast is really powerful, but this character will only use EB when necessary, preferring to go melee.

I based the race on the infernal tiefling, and have tried to not make the new features and traits too weak or too powerful. However, I admit the whip with it's bonus action cantrip and "treat as light weapon"-trait may be on the strong side, but I figured a bladelock already has a busy bonus action and therefore perhaps balanced. In addition the build requires the feat Warcaster as both hands are busy.

In essence I changed:

• Hellish Resistance
• Darkvision
• 1 Charisma ASI
• Thaumaturgy cantrip

For:

• Abyssal Fortitude (Increase Max HP by half levels)
• Winged (Flying speed 30 feet)
• Innate Fighting Style (Treat whips as light weapons, treat longswords as light weapons when level 14)
• Fiery Whip cantrip:

------
Fiery Whip
(Abyssal Legacy)
Evocation cantrip
Casting time: 1 bonus action
Range: 10 feet
Components: V, M (a whip)
Duration: Instananeous

As part of the action to cast this spell, you must
make a melee attack with a whip against one creature
within the spell’s range, otherwise the spell fails.
Flames engulf your whip as you lash against your target.
On a hit the creature must succeed on a Strength saving
throw (Strength DC) or be grappled and pulled up to 10
feet in a straight line towards you.

At 5th level, the melee attack deals an extra 1d4 fire
damage to the target. The damage roll increase by 1d4
at 11th level and 17th level.
------

Any feedback on what you like, dislike, or would do different is appreciated!

[Ziegander]

Point by point:

Abyssal Fortitude is a really poor substitute for resistance to fire damage. At least make it 1 additional hp per level.

Winged for Darkvision? No way.

I don't think you should be taking away the +1 to Charisma, at least not without replacing it with another +1 to a different ability score. None of the PC races have a bonus to just one ability score, and while it's technically legal to design one this way, it breaks standard in a way that doesn't feel right to me.

I guess you feel that Darkvision and +1 Charisma is worth the flight speed, but Flight is an incredible boon that cannot be sold short. Even the Aarocokra isn't allowed at some tables, and flight is essentially all it has.

Treating whips and longswords as light weapons is really odd, specific, and not really necessary. Are you imagining this as a race or as a specific character? Because racial traits aren't there to model your being raised by a Balor father to wield the weapons of his ancestors. I could see racial weapon proficiency with whip and longsword, and even treating whips as light weapons. Adding in a racial trait at 14th level is really wonky, though, perhaps it would be better to simply say something like, "you may use two-weapon fighting to make a bonus attack with a whip in your off-hand even if the weapons you are wielding aren't light."

Fiery Whip cantrip is waaaaaay too good. Noooooope. Even if it more closely modeled the cantrips in Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, it would still be better than them. It's also off-puttingly specific in design that just doesn't make sense for what it is. Is it a racial trait or is it a cantrip? Right now, for some reason, you've made it both. As a general cantrip, the specific whip requirement is jarring. As a racial feature, though, it doesn't need to be a cantrip.

My advice for Fiery Whip would be to roll it in with whip & longsword proficiency, call the whole thing Abyssal Fighting Heritage, and just add something like, "If you hit with a whip attack on your turn, as a free action, you may engulf the weapon in flames, dealing 1d6 additional fire damage to your target and pulling them 10ft in a straight line toward you on a failed Strength save. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 10 + your proficiency modifier + your weapon attack modifier. After using this ability, you can't use it again until you complete a Short or Long Rest." Increase the fire damage as you gain levels like a cantrip, and you're probably good to go.

In closing:

It looks like you've created a "race" and given it all the traits you want your specific character to have and be competent at. That's not really how race design works, and you can't make racial traits more powerful so that they counteract specific weaknesses in builds or classes. Racial traits need to stand and be evaluated on their own merits.

[Sonlun]

I don't think you should be taking away the +1 to Charisma, at least not without replacing it with another +1 to a different ability score.

Actually, I changed it from +2 Cha & +1 Int to +1 to Cha and Str.

I appreciate your comment, and I can see how the attempted race variant seems a bit overpowered and going beyond what racial traits should provide. I will head back to the drawing board again.