Warforged Reforged
The warforged were built to fight in the Last War. The first warforged were mindless automatons, but House Cannith devoted vast resources to improving these steel soldiers. An unexpected breakthrough produced fully sentient soldiers, blending organic and inorganic materials. Warforged are made from wood and metal, but they can feel pain and emotion. Built as weapons, they must now find a purpose beyond the war. A warforged can be a steadfast ally, a cold-hearted killing machine, or a visionary in search of purpose and meaning.
Version 1.5
Living Wood and Steel
Warforged are formed from a blend of organic and inorganic materials. Root-like cords infused with alchemical fluids serve as their muscles, wrapped around a framework of darkwood and steel. Armored plates form a protective outer shell and reinforce joints. All warforged share a common facial design, with a hinged jaw and crystal eyes embedded beneath a reinforced brow ridge. A sigil is engraved into the center of the forehead; this is unique to each warforged. Beyond these common elements of warforged design, the precise materials and build of a warforged vary based on the purpose for which it was designed. A juggernaut warrior is a massive brute with a heavy steel frame, while a skirmisher can be crafted from wood and light mithral to grant it lithe and elegant movement.
While they're formed from wood and steel, warforged are living humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. A warforged can focus its mind on its body as it rests, adjusting its shape and form to assume one of a few defensive postures. A warforged who expects heavy combat might focus on durability, while during a time of peace they might be content to adopt a lighter, less aggressive form.
Warforged Personality
The warforged were built to serve and to fight. For most of their existence, warforged had a clearly defined function and were encouraged to focus purely on that role. The Treaty of Thronehold gave them freedom, but many warforged struggle both to find a place in the post-war world and to relate to the creatures that created them.
The typical warforged shows little emotion. Many warforged embrace a concrete purpose — protecting allies, completing a contract, or other pursuits — and devote themselves to this task as they once did to war. However, there are warforged who delight in exploring their feelings and their freedom. Most warforged have no interest in religion, but some embrace faith and mysticism, seeking higher purpose and deeper meaning.
The typical warforged has a muscular, sexless body shape. Some warforged ignore the concept of gender entirely, while others adopt a gender identity in emulation of creatures around them.
Quirks
Whether due to some flaw in their creation or simple ignorance of how other creatures operate, warforged often acquire an odd personality trait or two. A warforged player can choose to roll or select a trait from the Warforged Quirks table.
| 1d10 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You analyze (out loud) the potential threat posed by every creature you meet. |
| 2 | You don't understand emotions and often misread emotional cues. |
| 3 | You are fiercely protective of anyone you consider a friend. |
| 4 | You often say the things you are thinking aloud without realizing it. |
| 5 | You try to apply wartime tactics and discipline to every situation. |
| 6 | You don't know how to filter your feelings and are prone to dramatic emotional outbursts. |
| 7 | You don't understand clothing beyond its utility and assume that what a creature wears denotes its job and status. |
| 8 | You are obsessed with your appearance, and constantly polish and buff your armor. |
| 9 | You are deeply concerned with following proper procedures and protocols. |
| 10 | War is the only thing that makes sense to you, and you're always looking for a fight. |
Warforged Names
Warforged were assigned numerical designations for use in military service. Many of them adopted nicknames, often given to them by their comrades. As free individuals, some have chosen new names as a way to express their path in life. A few take on human names, often the name of a fallen friend or mentor.
Warforged Names: Anchor, Banner, Bastion, Blade, Blue, Bow, Church, Crunch, Crystal, Dagger, Dent, Five, Glaive, Hammer, Iron, Lucky, Mace, Pants, Pierce, Red, Rusty, Scout, Seven, Shield, Slash, Smith, Spike, Stone, Temple, Vault, Wall, Wood.
Warforged (Reforged) Traits
Your warforged character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. A typical warforged is between two and thirty years old. The maximum lifespan of the warforged remains a mystery; so far, warforged have shown no signs of deterioration due to age.
Alignment. Most warforged take comfort in order and discipline, tending toward law and neutrality. But some have absorbed the morality — or lack thereof — of the beings with which they served.
Size. Your size is Medium. Most warforged stand about 6 feet tall and weigh about 250 pounds.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Created to fight in night or day, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet 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.
Warforged Resilience. Your artificial body lends you a remarkable fortitude, represented by the following benefits.
- You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
- You are immune to disease.
- You don't need to eat, drink, or breathe.
- You don't suffer exhaustion from a Forced March or for going without a long rest.
Unwavering Loyalty. You were created as an obedient and reliable tool of war. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and frightened.
Soldier's Rest. When you take a long rest, you only need to spend four hours sleeping and can spend the remaining four hours doing light activity such as keeping watch. In addition, you can sleep even while sitting or standing, and sleeping in armor doesn't impose any of its debilitating effects. Do Warforged dream of artificial sheep?
Iron Fists. Your artificial body makes your fists as hard as rocks. Your unarmed strike uses a d4 for damage.
Natural Armor. Your body is made from metal, wood, and crystal, granting you natural protection. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. 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. This is usually the language of your intended masters or the language of the creatures you were created to defeat.
Subrace. As a warforged, you were designed for a specific purpose. Choose one of these purposes as your subrace.
Auxiliary
You were build for assist and support duties, making sure that your comrades are alive and well, and ensuring maximum unit efficiency.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score and Wisdom score each increase by 1.
Support Purpose. You gain proficiency in either Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature, or Religion.
Smart Assist. You always try to maximize troop efficiency. When you take the Help action to aid an ally, you can take the Dodge action as a bonus action. In addition, the ally may add your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (your choice) to the ability check or attack roll made to perform the task you are helping with.
Command
You were build for command and control duties, diligently following orders and expecting those below you to follow yours.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score and Charisma score each increase by 1.
Command Purpose. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Combat Voice. You can cast message at will without requiring any spell components. In addition, you can amplify your voice to be up to three times as loud as normal, allowing you to be heard even in the chaos of battle. Per DM's discretion, amplifying your voice in such a manner can give you advantage on a Charisma (Intimidation) check — especially against skittish creatures or those susceptible to loud noises.
Heavy Duty
You're an imposing sight; built for raw might as a heavy-duty worker in construction or a living battering ram. You are standing a good 7 feet in height and weighing up to 450 pounds.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Labor Purpose. You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Siege Pistons. Your unarmed strike uses a d6 for damage and deals double damage to objects and structures. However, you cannot wield light weapons.
Intelligence
You were build for diplomatic and covert duties, as well as to monitor unit cohesion and run counter-intelligence.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score and Charisma score each increase by 1.
Monitor Purpose. You gain proficiency in the Insight skill.
Covert Compartment. You possess a well hidden compartment on your body. You can hide any one small item like a scroll, potion, or dagger within it. As a bonus action, you can store or retrieve an item from the compartment, and you gain advantage on your Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to do so secretly.
The compartment is not visible to the naked eye and a thorough search only reveals it on a successful DC 25 Intelligence (Investigation) check. It can only be opened against your will with a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check.
When you place an item into the compartment, you can designate a specific code word or phrase that when spoken opens the compartment even if you are unwilling or unable to open it yourself. This is usually a fail-safe in case you are rendered unconscious or die.
Sentry
You were build for scouting and sentry duties, and are usually deployed as a forward observer. As such, you are slightly smaller and more agile than your other comrades; standing about 5 feet tall and weighing no more than 200 pounds.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score and Wisdom score each increase by 1.
Overwatch Purpose. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill.
Adaptive Camouflage. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured — slightly altering your coloration to match your surroundings.
New Warforged Components
The warforged are living constructs. House Cannith has designed a number of magic items that can interface directly with the body of a warforged. Once a component is attuned, it cannot be removed unless the warforged allows it. The following items are just a few of the components that can be encountered in the world.
Disguise Matrix
Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement)
Dragonshards are embedded across your body, allowing you to change your appearance at will. You can cast disguise self as a ritual. In addition, you can cast it once without expending a spell slot, but you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. The DC to discern the illusion is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
Ground Anchor
Wondrous Item, common (requires attunement)
You can use a bonus action or reaction to deploy your ground anchor, firmly locking into place. When your ground anchor is deployed, you double your carrying capacity (including the weight you can push, drag, or lift) and gain advantage on all Strength saving throws. You also cannot move or be moved for as long as the anchor is in place. You can use a bonus action on your turn to retract the ground anchor.
Integrated Tools
Wondrous Item, common (requires attunement)
A specific set of tools is integrated into your body. You are considered proficient with the type of tool and you double your proficiency bonus for any ability checks you make with it. You must have your hands free to use this integrated tool.
Scouting Drone
Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement)
While attuned to this component, you can use parts of your own body and life force to create a tiny mechanical critter to scout your surroundings. Once per long rest, you can cast find familiar without expending a spell slot or material components. This familiar is a construct instead of a beast, celestial, fey, or fiend.
Tactical Advisor
Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement)
A Tactical Advisor is a semi-sentient entity that uses your own sensory data to analyze your surroundings for possible threats and tactical opportunities. While attuned to it, you gain a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) score, and you can give yourself and all allies within 30 feet of you a bonus to initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier.