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 bloodlike 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. 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, though, as
they are constructs, those are restricted in some ways. They
experience anger, pain, fear, and hatred 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 a sense of
introspection. However, many others are the opposite and
question their existence, they wonder if, as constructs, they
have souls, and ask what becomes of them in the after life.
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, both traits that make them dislike idleness
and failure.
Warforged can excel at most tasks, having a single-minded
efficiency, especially in combat related roles. But this same
single-mindedness 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.
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 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 mature mentally after around a
decade among the other races. Though they do not age,
eventually they 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 do not
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
each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware
of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and
other events as normal.
Magical Healing Limitations. Healing spells and magical
healing effects (be it divine or arcane, or even a normal
healing potion) only heal for half the normal amount when
used on a warforged, even if the spell says it has no effect on
constructs.
Instead, using the cantrip mending will allow the
Warforged to be healed depending on the spell slot used to
cast it. Casting mending as a 1st level spell will recover hit
points equal to 1d8 plus the spellcasting modifier of the
original caster. When this spell is cast using a spell slot of
2nd level or higher, the healing incrases by 1d8 for each slot
level above 1st.
Casting mending as a cantrip will have no healing effects
on a Warforged.
Armament Attachment. You can spend one minute
attaching or unattaching armor, a one-handed weapon, shield,
or arcane focus to your body. Weapons and shields must be
attached to one's arms, and when successfully attached
completely occupy that arm's hand, but an arcane focus can
be attached in any place that is on the front of the body and
conspicuous, like the chest, the forehead, the palm, the back
of the hand, the forearm, etc.
Any attached object cannot be removed from you
unwillingly unless you cannot take actions.
An attached club, dagger, handaxe, light hammer, mace,
and sickle can be hidden in your forearm. You can spend a
bonus action to hide such an attached weapon, freeing up
your hand, or have it pop in to place, occupying your hand.
You can also store some small items, like potions, inside of
these forearm compartments.
Warforged Resilience. You have advantages on saving
throws against poisons, and have resistance against poison
damage.
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Composite Plating. Your construction incorporates wood
and metal, granting you a natural armor of 12 + your
Dexterity modifer so long as you are 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
percieve as enemies.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by
1.
Shock. You have an uncanny sense of where danger is
coming from. During your turn, you have an additional +2 AC
for attacks against you.
Awe. You have a shield built into your arm. You gain
profciency with shields. As a bonus action, you can deploy or
retract your shield across your arm. When deployed, this
shield grants a +2 bonus to AC.
Juggernaut. Your model displays the might and power a
true warrior should have. You gain proficiency in the Athletics
skill.
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 by 5 feet.
Covert. Your model allows you to go places most other
Warforged cannot. You gain proficiency in one of the
following skills: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth.
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 cantrip mending. It does not
count against the number of cantrips you know. Intelligence
is your spellcasting modifier for it.
Inquisitive. Your model gives you the capacity to store
more information. You gain proficiency in one of the following
skills: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, or Religion.
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.
Floodlight. You know either the cantrip dancing lights or
light. It does not count against the number of cantrips you
know. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it.
Introspective. Your model makes other Warforged regard
you as their guide. You gain proficiency in one of the
following skills: Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine,
Perception, or Survival.
Infiltrator
Unlike most warforged, the infiltrator model has a much
more human design, in both shape and manner, and can
quickly pick up on quirks and mannerisms of other races.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by
1.
Darkvision. Based on your unique design, you 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.
Envoy. Your model helps you connect to the other races of
the world. You gain proficiency in one of the following skills:
Deception, Intimidation, Performace, or Persuasion.
Credits & Inspiration
Keith Baker for the Eberron campaign setting,
books, and the Warforged themselves, as well as
his redesigned 5th Edition Warforged.
Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons & Dragons,
publishing the 3.5th Edition and 4th Edition
Eberron campaign setting, the Unearthed Arcana
column and the Eberron playtesting PDF.
u/Ge4rShift, u/SolaceKnight, and u/JamesMusicus for
their Warforged designs.
Tomas Giorello for the Warforged art, found in
Races of Eberron pg. 163.
u/stolksdorf and any affiliated parties for the creation
and maintainance of the Homebrewery, without
which this would not look nearly as good.
-- Created by u/Spoolicus