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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tzarevitch" data-source="post: 1601658" data-attributes="member: 1792">The only difference is consumables. Equipment still has to be moved to the front even for a warforged unit. Presumaly they also need equipment to be repaired too since they don't do it magically, unless one is using magic that is. Those are homonculi. They are not self-aware and are by no means "alive". They are mobile extensions of their creator and nothing more. It says as much under their description. Warforged are thinking and self-aware and capable of self-improvement. That is a huge advance over most constructs and that undoubtably costs money. The only constructs that I am aware of that are really self-aware are the maug in the Fiend Folio (who fill a similar role to the warforged BTW and also cost 10,000gp to make). They still need the specialists to repair their equipment unless trained to do so. The difference between them and living troops is that they don't need consumables. The closest things I can find to the Warforged are the Maug and they cost 10,000gp to build. I find it very hard to believe that you can functionally build a mechanical person for much less than that. Perhaps 5,000gp at lowest. I agree that they warforged are specialist troops regardless of what the Eberon book says, my argument is that WoTC watered their capabilities down so much that they are not much better than a standard soldier and they aren't. They are slightly more durable (marginally higher CON and 25% resistance to crit hits).  They don't require consumables (a minor consideration). They are not subject to disease (a useful consideration in the long run), and they are tireless (again useful) but this hardly represents a huge improvement over an equivalent human or an orc and you don't need to spend up front capital to make them. You also aren't dependent on a artifact (which must be an astronomical sum of money itself) for their creation. They also make a very poor comparison to the Karrnathi battle undead both of which are tougher, stronger and equally as tireless and fill a similar battlefield role. You can also raise undead faster and by reusing materials (corpses of those who fought and died) to boot. I think my point got lost in the argument I made earlier. I am not saying that they aren't useful, particularly in small numbers and as specialist units such as shock troops or commandos. I am arguing that in making the warforged playable at +0 LA, they watered their capabilities down too much to the point where they are not much better than ordinary troops that you can muster much more cheaply and in vast numbers. I can still see the nations of Eberon building them in small numbers as specialist troops because they do have some advantages, just not that many. Personally I love the concept of the warforged. I just think they should have given them the full set of construct capabilities and increased their LA to +2 or so. THAT would have made them a worthwhile improvement over human troops because they are resistant to damage, and can function in all enviornments day or night.  They don't have inherent knowledge. They don't have base skill bonuses, bonus feats or anything that they start with that would indicate inherent knowledge. It would seem that they learn it before they are shipped out. Again, something you have to do with regular troops. Tzarevitch</blockquote>

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