Warforged Creation Shopping List

[Jürgen Hubert]

This is not exactly what you're asking, but are you sure that the PC's will want to try and get it running again? You said they will "stumble across" the forge so it sounds like they're not actively looking for one. And you cite the difficulties in getting it running so maybe the PC's will decide it isn't worth the hassle.

No, I can't be completely sure, but there are two reasons why they might try to do this:

- They are fairly greedy, and this does present a major windfall for them. Greed might override common sense here.

- They are already planning to claim the island they will find it on for themselves (it's a fair bit off the south coast of Breland) - they recently became the rulers of a small tribe of pureblood yuan-ti and looking for a new home. So whether they use it or not, they will likely stay in the vicnicity anyway - so they might figure that they might as well use it.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

I do think, while this might be true, it certainly shouldn't be obvious from the materials. Where warforged souls come from is one of the mysteries of the setting. For example, the kalashtar want to know because they don't seem to come from existing spirits, but being able to create a spirit has some repercussions they are concerned with.

While you can certainly decide to solve this mystery in your campaign, I think if it was obvious for those building the warforged, it really wouldn't be a mystery.

Personally, I'd say that while there might definitely be something unsettling about the truth about the warforged, it should not neccessary to know it to actually operate the Creation Forge.

"Just push this lever, and a new warforged will be created. Don't worry too much about the fine details..."

Why? Well, for one thing it would be too hard to keep this a secret if everybody involved in the manufacture of the warforged had to knew about this - after all, tens of thousands of them were created. The people who came up with the theorethic principles of building them? Maybe... and maybe not. But the "technicians" of House Cannith who had to keep the Forges going day in, day out? I don't think so.

But the real reason is so that the PCs can discover it after building more warforged - and so that I can see the look on the players' faces when they discover the Unspeakable Truth.

The Angst! The Angst!

 

[I'm A Banana]

Personally, I'd say that while there might definitely be something unsettling about the truth about the warforged, it should not neccessary to know it to actually operate the Creation Forge.
....
But the real reason is so that the PCs can discover it after building more warforged - and so that I can see the look on the players' faces when they discover the Unspeakable Truth

If you do decide to go with the idea that the warforged are sentient souls re-bound to automatons, you can still keep it fairly obscure...

For instance, what if throwing the lever just sucked up souls from a nearby area that were leaving for their final rest? Infinite supply, just tap the local criminal element for your own pleasure.

Or what if it tapped into the Astral or Ethereal plane? Or a moon? Snapping up souls as they pass through it, opening up planar rents and sucking down spirits, jacking them into the artificial body.....

Certainly, once the PC's realize that their creations were once living breathing beings entitled to eternal rest that they are perverting for the creation of their own army, they may be reluctant to do it....

 

[MavrickWeirdo]

Dragon's Blood

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

As expected, they took the bait.

Bwah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!


Aehm. Today's session ended with the PCs setting out from their Tropical Island to Sharn, where they seek passage to Xen'drik in the hopes of finding a certain type of artefact they need to operate the Creation forge (the same type of object like it appears in the introductory adventure in the ECS). Once they realize the sheer cost of speedy passage to Xen'drik, they will likely try to sell part of their current plunder, thus possibly attracting undue attention in Sharn.

Until they return, they have left the small tribe of yuan-ti they conquered/liberated back on the same island where they found the inactive Creation Forge (without telling the yuan-ti about it, of course). One of the female yuan-ti also convinced the PCs to (a) leave her in charge during their absense and to (b) cement her position through marriage to one of the PCs. Things are going to be interesting once they return...