Faerunian Warforged?

[Laman Stahros]

That gives me ideas on another faction interested in the Forged and the processes that create them....

IMO no one really knows which way is the correct way to create these golem-like Forged. I am going to treat the discovery of the Forged as something of interest to many different factions.

Ideas so far for the factions:
-Red Wizards who activate through Arcane means (binding souls - often evil/insane)
-Lantanese who activate through Arcane but different means. The Lantan versions will be the smaller Scout model seen in the MM3.
-Halruan models (undeveloped idea so far)
-Triobrands experiments (Waterdavian - standard types most like Eberron's)
-Yuan-ti - rare reptile-inspired (based on ancient methods that predate most of Faerun's other races)
-and now the Gond divine activated faction.

May I suggest that the Halruan models be the standard and Triobrand's experiments could result in the larger Charger model seen in the MM3. Triobrand seems to like weird looking creations (scaladar anyone?).

 

[smootrk]

May I suggest that the Halruan models be the standard and Triobrand's experiments could result in the larger Charger model seen in the MM3. Triobrand seems to like weird looking creations (scaladar anyone?).

That is a good idea. Triobrand versions would probably be the most varied and wildly different models.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

Well, for a possible, far-fetched, geek-intensive answer...

How about this (I apologize if it's come up before):

The warforged are the result of an errant use of the reincarnate spell, or of some means of magical soul-transference into an object. In some instances, the soul retains its memories, while in others (or possibly, most of the time), the soul has amnesia from the experience.

The basis for this idea is from the old Forgotten Realms comic (the one with the ship that had wizard, samurai, & the paladin from the original AD&D comic)--one of the crew was afemale dwarf whose soul was transferred into an iron golem. This could be the "initial" event which opened the door of placing fully-aware, sentient souls (of whatever variety) within the confines of a constructed body. More versatile than a golem, though control/management may be an issue.

Also, I think that the Gond angle is a great one for including this into FR. It just seems natural. Perhaps Gond's priests would strive to attain such a physical form at some point. Perhaps this new "form" is supposed to be an honor for the greatest of Gond's priesthood. Or, conversely, maybe these new beings are seen as a threat to the existing flesh-&-blood mortal priesthood (these mechanical beings brought forth to replace the "outdated" mortal priests, seeing as they are more closely tied to the Wonderbringer than any mortal could be).

 

[smootrk]

This thread is old at this point, but I have done a little work recently along the same lines.

Here are 2 variant warforge races that I have worked on.

Soulforged, the Thayan model
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=174798

Scaleforged, a yuan-ti variant
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=174148

I would love to see anyone else's work on variant Warforged, whether Forgotten Realms or any other setting.

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

Thayans, Shadovar, Lantanese Gnomes are all good ideas for the Origin of the Warforged in Faerun. I though prefer a Unified Multiverse so mine are from Eberron transported here by the Shadovar, wanted by the Thayans and the Gnomes and humans of Lantan where already working on some of their own, though rough in design.

 

[smootrk]

Thayans, Shadovar, Lantanese Gnomes are all good ideas for the Origin of the Warforged in Faerun. I though prefer a Unified Multiverse so mine are from Eberron transported here by the Shadovar, wanted by the Thayans and the Gnomes and humans of Lantan where already working on some of their own, though rough in design.

I love planehopping, spelljamming, other settings, etc. although I do not intend on trying to keep up with WotC's pace of book production for more than the Forgotten Realms. Others have noted that Eberron was created as a sort of 'closed' setting that does not really allow for the incorporation setting-jumping. What sort of method do you use to adapt the cosmology issues to fit this idea?

On another front, I am about to embark on a creation spree in order to flesh out my ideas for Gondsmen, Forged created to serve the of the faithful Gond worshippers. Although I have thought about souls returning to inhabit the Forged body, I think the concept of a brain in a jar method, has some interesting ramifications as well (ie. the brain of some individual is actually implanted into a warforge style body).

Which idea seems more appealing (or other ideas) to all the folks here at ENWorld? and any ideas out there for features that would serve to differeniate the Gondsmen from other models?

 

[pawsplay]

The FR has lots of planar activity. Why couldn't they be from another Material Plane? Other than that, I like the suggestion of them coming from the Red Wizards, but it's missing something. What if they were made by a specific group within the Red Wizards, from techniques stolen from gnome inventors? Using captured Mechanan creatures, powerful transmutation magic, and special facilities, they are able to manufacture warforged at an unheard of rate. There are now dozens of them... the high level ones are mostly Thayan Knights. Warforged scouts are based on original gnomish prototypes, while warforged titans are early attempts to creating a pure powerhouse.

 

[smootrk]

My original idea for incorporating warforged into the realms involved the Modrons and the greater powers of Mechanus. They wanted to achieve true deity status, so they needed a worthy race. The 'One & the Prime' seeded a variety of worlds with this new creation, which is somewhat of a variant of the inevitables, but with a greater ability for independant thought, creativity, and adaptation. Thus, the new race of Forged were created. No Forged has memories prior to the day that they first opened their eyes.

The other true inevitables are jealous of the new creations, seemingly lesser beings, but apparently these lesser beings have within them the potential for greatness even beyond them, and seem to have the favor and interest of PRIMUS. There are even great and powerful inevitables that have turned from their original programming and now serve themselves, and they even seek to remove the 'One and the Prime' from the seat of his power at the center of Mechanus.


Anyway... is this worth exploring, or does it mirror other things too closely?

 

[Sunderstone]

I would probably have them below faerun, sort of like sleeper agents (with no memories). They could be re-awakened from their long stasis by a cataclysmic event or chain of events.

Or their reawakening could be triggered by a huge expenditure of magic, like the recent battle with the City of Shade over Cormyr. As the warforged from below the cormyrian region get activated and begin moving about the realms they unknowingly begin reactivating other warforged buried beneath other regions just by being within a certain proximity (an old contingency from mysterious creators). They wont know they are reawakening anything as most of their initial "programming" has eroded over the centuries/millenia with the exception of basic motor skills and aptitudes (fighter, sorcerer, rogue, monk, etc). I would probably hold off on (possibly not allowing) the more religious-based warforged like Paladins and Clerics as they are a new (activated) race with much to learn about the currentoutside world.

You could deepen the mystery factor by having uncontrollable minor reactions when certain triggers are met. For example something in a tomb could accidentally cause the warforged eyes to glow (for a limited duration or even one minute intervals) a certain color when it's within a certain range. For example, when a Warforged Sorcerer is close to a magical writing like a glyph of warding, or an explosive rune, etc. If Warforge have infravision, you could make it that there eyes glow uncontrollably (illuminating as a torch or lantern) when they reach a dark area, etc

I dont know warforged that well as I dont own ebberon, so feel free to point out any misconceptions that I have.

 

[Elemental]

I had not thought of "brothers" for the PC... that sparks my imagination a bit.

I suggest looking up the Hellboy trade paperback The Chained Coffin & Other Stories. One of the stories in there concerns a pair of homonculi created by an alchemist and then abandoned. Whereas one of them just wants to be left alone, the other seeks to attain godlike power.