Warforged
"IF ... IF WHAT THE DOMO SAYS IS TRUE," SHE SAID, "THEN YES, I have doubts." She reached out, resting her hand on his mithral shoulder. "I just don't know what to expect. I thought the war was finally over."
"Perhaps the war is never won," Pierce said. "We must simply find satisfaction in survival."
Lei tightened her grip on his shoulder, and they continued on their way.
-- Keith Baker, City of Towers
Warforged are bulky humanoids covered in plates of metal and stone. A skeleton of these materials supports woody fiber bundles that comprise a warforged's muscular system. Warforged bodies have an internal network of tubes filled with a blood-like fluid that nourishes and lubricates their systems.
The warforged were made as the ideal soldiers to serve in the devastating Last War. Although they are constructs, they have much in common with living creatures, including emotions and social bonds, and perhaps even souls.
Constructed Individuality
Warforged heads have simple humanlike features. They have heavy brows, hinged toothless jaws, and no noses. A warforged's eyes sometimes glow when he or she experiences certain intense emotions. The forehead of each warforged bears a unique rune called a ghulra. These ghulra help give warforged a sense of individuality.
Warforged possess an artificial and relatively sexless shape. They don't reproduce like other humanoids. A warforged can modify its body, adding and removing limbs as necessary. Body modification does not harm a warforged in any way; a warforged feels pain only from real injury. These physical modifications allow warforged to vary in appearance as much as any other humanoids.
Warforged can have unique personality traits, but, because they are constructs, they are restricted in some ways, though they experience joy, anger, and sorrow like their human creators. All warforged naturally seem reserved, stoic, and pensive, hiding an array of emotions behind their inexpressive metallic faces. Their faces were not designed to display facial expressions, so it can seem like they are distant to the conversation.
Despite their lack of physical facial expressions, they're not completely without them, as their eyes tend to brighten when experiencing strong or specific emotions. Some warforged have their faces modified to be more expressive for their companion's comfort, but these expressions are learned rather than natural and often appear stilted and awkward.
A New Perspective
Some warforged can be incredibly naive and lack introspection. However, others question their existence, wondering whether they have souls and about their fates in the afterlife. The more intelligent warforged create complex philosophies about what they perceive and learn. Though warforged can show loyalty to religions and organizations, typically they become loyal to a small group of comrades.
Warforged often have little life experience as they have spent most of their time working towards one specific duty, usually soldiering. If there is one interest all warforged share it is their love of working and the satisfaction of a job well done. Many create endless lists of goals and chores to feed that feeling. They take pride in their work and can work incredibly hard, traits that make them dislike idleness and failure.
Warforged excel at tasks with a single-minded efficiency, especially in combat related roles. But this can often translate to a lack of creativity and they can be easily surprised or "outflanked."
Warforged Names
Because most warforged have bodies that resemble males, they identify themselves as males and prefer to be called "he" rather than "it." Some warforged adopt female names, though most warforged have simple names related to their jobs, abilities, or military positions.
Warforged often accept the names or the nicknames that their comrades give them, although some search long for particular names that define them. Many simply take names common within another race, especially those of humans.
- Warforged Names: Amalgam, Bard, Book, Bulwark, Cart, Cutter, Falchion, Graven, Hammer, Mark, Morg, Nameless, Pierce, Pious, Relic, Rune, Steeple, Three, Titan, Unsung, Victor, Watcher, Zealot
Warforged Traits
As a warforged, you share many traits with others of your kind.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Warforged usually mentally mature after around a decade among the other races. Though they don't age, they eventually suffer from disrepair.
Alignment. Young warforged are often naïve, and easily influenced due to their inexperience. As such, warforged can mature into any alignment.
Size. Warforged are generally broader and taller than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and weighing close to 300 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Living Construct. Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You are immune to disease. You don't need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish.
Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours a day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Composite Plating. Your construction incorporates wood and metal, granting you a natural armor of 12 + your Dexterity modifier while not wearing any armor. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Alternative Models. Built for specific purposes, many different types of warforged exist. These alternative models count as subraces. Choose one of these models.
Soldier
Warforged of this model make for excellent fighters and bodyguards. They are quick to dispense justice on those they perceive as enemies.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Shock and Awe. You have proficiency with shields, and your model comes with one already attached. Your shield can be detached during a long or short rest, and while attached it occupies one hand. Whenever you crit with a melee weapon attack using your attack action, you can use a bonus action to attempt to shove a creature with your shield, making a Strength (Athletics) check against the target's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (that target chooses the ability to use). If you win the contest, the creature has disadvantage on its next attack.
Scout
Often smaller or lighter than their compatriots, scout models are quick and agile, able to reach where most others cannot.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Size. This model's height is between 3 to 4 feet tall, and is considerably lighter. Your size is Small.
Mobile. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Tactician
These warforged tend to have a higher capacity to adapt, often working to ensure the best outcome for their side.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Field Medic. You know the spare the dying cantrip. It does not count against the number of cantrips you know. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for it.
Surveyor
Excellent explorers and guides, surveyors are most often the ones to travel away from home to seek knowledge and adventure.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Darkvision. Surveyors have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light up to 60 feet in front of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Credits & Inspiration
- Keith Baker for the Eberron campaign setting, books, and the warforged themselves, as well as his redesigned 5th Edition warforged.
- u/Ge4rShift, u/SolaceKnight, and u/JamesMusicus for their warforged designs.
- Steve Prescott, Tomas Giorello, and Joshua the James for the warforged art, found in Races of Eberron on pages 18, 163, and 168.
- Cyriixx on DeviantArt for the background header, Day 2: Battlefield.
- u/iveld and any affiliated parties for the creation and maintenance of GM Binder, without which this would not look nearly as good.
- 3.5e and 4e Warforged for most of the descriptive text that is included with this document.
— Created by u/Spoolicus