When you are creating your character you have the option of choosing between the many fantastical races including those listed above, but that is not your only option. You also have the option of choosing a character lineage. If you choose a lineage, you might have once been a member of another race, but you aren’t any longer. This chapter outlines three new lineage options: Contract Bound, Faefolk, and Underdark Survivor.
With the signing of an infernal contract, a contract bound is reborn into their new form. Contract bound are individuals who seeked audience with powerful devils or perhaps in the face of a devil's wrath struck a deal. The signing away of one's soul in place for power and hellish abilities.
Contract Bound are the results of encounters with devils, sometimes willing, but more often not. The nature of the deal struck with this fiend has altered the life of your character. The Contract Bound Origins table provides suggestions for how your character gained their lineage.
| d8 | Origins |
| 1 | Before you were even born, your parents struck a deal with a devil for riches. The price of the deal was your soul. |
| 2 | On death's door, you called out to the world for help. The response you received was a burning contract appearing in your hands. |
| 3 | Thrust into the Nine Hells upon your death, you saw an opportunity to get out. You struck a deal with a powerful devil and reclaimed your place amongst the living. |
| 4 | You formed a pact with a fiend, in exchange for their power, you act as their bounty hunter. |
| 5 | You were visited by an Archdevil in your dreams and offered a contract. Thinking it to be a dream and nothing more, you signed. When you woke up, the contract lay before you. |
| 6 | Unbeknown to you, one of your parents was a devil. |
| 7 | When your village was raided by devils, you gave up your soul to save the life of a childhood friend. |
| 8 | You were kidnapped by an imp at birth and raised to become a soul collector. |
You have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. You are a Fiend.
Size. You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when
you gain this lineage.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Ancestral Legacy. If you replace a race with this lineage,
you can keep the following elements of that race: any skill
proficiencies you gained from it and any climbing, flying, or
swimming speed you gained from it.
If you don't keep any of those elements or you choose this
lineage at character creation, you gain proficiency in two
skills of your choice.
Sight of the Devils. You gain darkvision out to a range of
60 feet. As an action, you can gain the ability to see normally
in darkness, both magical and nonmagical up to the range of
your darkvision for 1 minute. Once you use this trait, you
can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Devil's Hide. You have resistance to either fire damage or
poison damage (choose when you gain this lineage).
Soul Collector. Your new abilities as a contract bound
allow you to absorb the essence of those you slay in combat.
When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, you gain
temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. Once
you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a short
or long rest.
Devil's Tongue. Whenever you make a Charisma
(Deception) or Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can roll a
d4 and add the number rolled to the total ability check. You
can speak, read and write Infernal.