Are the Warforged underpowered?

[Henry]

Let me relate a little story:

In our recent Eberron Game, the players had uncovered a plot by a circle of the Children of Winter (a nihilistic druid cult) to send a GIGANTIC scorpion to the city of Fairhaven to cause massive damage. The druids seeded the river with a special disease, incapacitating half the city including its guards, and the druid, 30 of his underpriests, and their scorpion war-tank was on its way. They party needed to get to the city quickly to warn them, but were a hundred miles away. The group's warforged RAN TO THE CITY. He ran for THREE DAYS, nonstop, passing the druidic forces. He made it before everyone by two days.

When's the last time you saw a PC run for three days, no food, sleep, or even a five minute break?

When fighting the scorpion, he drew the brunt of the scorpion's ire, which almost killed him, but the scorpion wasted all that lovely CON-killing poison on the warforged.

So to reiterate, he fought in a battle, learned of the Druidic plan, immediately turned around to run for three days to play Paul Revere, and then fought the scorpion. He earned his heroic tales that day!

 

[Quickbeam]

Henry:
Now THAT'S a story!!!

threshel & takyris:
While I truly enjoy odd race/class combos, I've got to admit that a warforged rogue hadn't even occurred to me. The Mithral Fluidity feat adds the perfect touch, and the mere idea of such a character "accidentally" bum ping into folks as he robs them is brilliant .

ivocaliban:
Maybe your remark found the heart of what initially struck me -- which is to say that the negatives are somewhat more pronounced than usual PC races. It is certainly possible, though, that I was just overlooking some of the larger benefits given the direction it seems our campaign will take. FWIW, I'm definitely not the type of player who is looking for every possible advantage or min/max opportunity...Josh can attest to this. I was just struck by an array of disadvantages (like the problems with healing) that seemed to outweigh the positives in our little group. Realizing how egocentric that perspective was, I posted this thread .

Everyone else:
Thanks for the feedback, and please keep it coming! As always, I'm pleased to know I can rely on my friends here at EN World for helpful commentary.

 

[shadowlight]

Henry's story about the running warforged is what I think the warforged should be, but I believe that since they still have a constitution score they wouldn't be to run without stopping like that...

 

[xazil]

I've played a warforged for a while now and would consider them a strong +0LA race. The healing disadvantage is less a problem once you start to buy wands of Repair Light Injuries which mages can use as well.

 

[Victim]

Immunity to negative levels is a big one to me. Characters get saves against poisons and such, but negative levels will usually cripple or kill a character without checking saves or even HP. If spellcasters can't beat the paladin's saves, they can just enervate him. Or enervate the caster and take away his good spells. Negative levels work against pretty much any PC.

 

[Spatula]

Henry's story about the running warforged is what I think the warforged should be, but I believe that since they still have a constitution score they wouldn't be to run without stopping like that...

Not at all. Forced marches cause nonlethal damage and fatigue, both of which warforged are immune to. The warforged having a CON score is actually a big boost, because they get all the benefits (extra HP, bonus to Fort saves, etc.) but are immune to most of the disadvantages that go along with being a living creature.

 

[shadowlight]

Not at all. Forced marches cause nonlethal damage and fatigue, both of which warforged are immune to. The warforged having a CON score is actually a big boost, because they get all the benefits (extra HP, bonus to Fort saves, etc.) but are immune to most of the disadvantages that go along with being a living creature.

I just reread the description in the campaign setting book and you're right. That's pretty cool...

 

[Quickbeam]

I do agree with Victim, that immunity to negative levels is a pretty huge benefit. I do find it interesting to note though, that warforged are not immune to ability drain. Even more intriguing is the fact that these two characteristics reverse if one wants to move along the Warforged Juggernaut PrC. And as Spatula notes, Henry's story does perfectly relay the monstrous benefit which immunity to fatigue and nonlethal damage can convey.

The more I read your replies, the better I feel about the warforged's racial balance.

 

[shilsen]

And as Spatula notes, Henry's story does perfectly relay the monstrous benefit which immunity to fatigue and nonlethal damage can convey.

Just for the record, warforged are not immune to nonlethal damage. Henry's story is a cool one, but by the RAW, a warforged can't pull it off.

 

[Desdichado]

Where the heck did this RAW acronym come from anyway?