Warforged ECL 0???? Yeah right!!!!

[howandwhy99]

Warforged are nearly an unplayable race at early levels. They receive enormous benefits against some of the Primary challenges early 1-4th level characters face: starvation, sleep deprivation (including fatigue and exhaustion), poison, drowning, sickness and disease, and the Dying state. In return for these challenge-shortcircuiting abilities they aren't allowed to heal naturally. Who wants to play a PC that can't heal? This really makes warforged almost unplayable unless a cleric is around to heal them. Fortunately Healing spells affect warforged, but unfortunately only for half healing strength - meaning almost all a cleric's spells will be taken up healing a race more likely to be a frontliner than not. The other alternative is for a Wizard to learn and prepare a rare "repair damage" spell which is a full-powered heal spell pretty much useful on warforged only.

Don't get me wrong. I like the idea of Golem characters who are sentient. It's a classic bit a la Frankenstein. It just removes too many of the challenges involved in low level play (some of my favorites). In mid to high level I think they work fine.

 

[MerricB]

Warforged are nearly an unplayable race at early levels. They receive enormous benefits against some of the Primary challenges early 1-4th level characters face: starvation, sleep deprivation (including fatigue and exhaustion), poison, drowning, sickness and disease, and the Dying state. In return for these challenge-shortcircuiting abilities they aren't allowed to heal naturally. Who wants to play a PC that can't heal? This really makes warforged almost unplayable unless a cleric is around to heal them...

It's a good reason for the Warforged PC to take ranks in a Craft skill - they can then repair themselves. It takes 8 hours and heals hp equal to Craft check less 15, but as they don't sleep, they can then stay up all night...

Cheers!

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

There are fewer "stupidly broken" options out there then you might think. The core books offer some options but they just can't cover everything so that is why I use more books. It has nothing to do with power.

With the sheer number of options in the non-core books, most of which were definitely not designed with Eberron or warforged in mind, I don't think they're reasonable in a discussion of warforged balance.

The "stupidly broken" thing, by the way, could be perfectly reasonable as long as the character isn't a warforged. I don't think it's reasonable to expect the people who wrote Spell Compendium or whatever splatbook to be using warforged, thri-kreen and other exotic races.

 

[Kurotowa]

It's a good reason for the Warforged PC to take ranks in a Craft skill - they can then repair themselves. It takes 8 hours and heals hp equal to Craft check less 15, but as they don't sleep, they can then stay up all night...

Funny thing about that. If you have full ranks in Craft and a Warforged Repair Kit (aka masterwork tools), then when you Take 10 you get a result of 15 + your character level. Or in other words, if an Int 10 warforged keeps one Craft skill at full they can emulate a night of natural healing. My gearhead side always loves elegant little things like that.

And for the record, I don't think warforged are too strong. What the are is differently strong. They have immunities and abilities outside those normally seen, and if thrown into a standard adventure they can do some unexpected things. This is only a problem if the DM doesn't put the same consideration into planning for the warforged abilities as he would the Wizard's spell list of the Fighter's feats. The Fighter has Great Cleave? Don't expect that minion mob to last long. The Wizard is packing Suggestion? Watch for her to try and recruit one of the enemy lieutenants. The warforged is immune to energy drain? Then grappling the vampire while the party takes free shots should be planned for.

 

[Crothian]

With the sheer number of options in the non-core books, most of which were definitely not designed with Eberron or warforged in mind, I don't think they're reasonable in a discussion of warforged balance.

Eberron has a place for everything in D&D according to the books. The Players Guide does a great job of showing how much of the non core material can fit in the setting.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Have a bad guy sunder that Wand(s) of Repair and see how quickly the warforged learns how to sweat.

DS

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Eberron has a place for everything in D&D according to the books. The Players Guide does a great job of showing how much of the non core material can fit in the setting.

You should see Keith Baker's stance on that.

In any event, that's a a flavor issue, not a balance issue.

 

[Odhanan]

The thing that sort of surprises me is the assumption that Warforged would be balanced under certain conditions but shouldn't be allowed under a certain set of other conditions (lots of level-draining undead, lots of poison etc).

I think this is taking the problem backwards.

As a DM, I'd allow a Warforged at our Ptolus table, just like nearly any type of character that would be cool for the game, and then I'd modify the challenges of the adventures to fit the group configuration and provide a worthwhile challenge. If you do it that way, the conditions of the adventure fit the group and period. There's thus no problem of balance arising.

 

[Gundark]

Gundark,

They won't be much 'invincible" once they reach the Spires of Long Shadow. Trust me, even Warforged can be turned into Spawn.

Well we are on the return to the whispering cairn...next adventure

Like I said I really liked the concept of warforged, but I don't like how they were put into practice.

Immune to energy drains? Most of their immunities I get...But energy drain??? that one was the thing that pushed it over the top for me. In my next campaign I'm gonna house rule that one.

What are the Iron Born like from the book of Iron might?

 

[Crothian]

You should see Keith Baker's stance on that.

If you want people to see something, you should show it to them.