Warforged houserule: good or evil?

[Red Wyrmling]

Several months ago, I started an Eberron campaign. Immediately one of my players fell for the warforged and he created one. Considering the advantages and almost lack of disadvantages I set up 2 houserules:

1) Warforged can under no circumstance heal naturally.

2) Warforged can under no circumstance be healed by any other means then a repair ... damage spell.

At first everything was awesome for this player, he had a wizard willing to memorise some repair spells and even better an artificer to heal and buff. But unfortunately the wizard turned to necromancy and evil and now refuses to spend spells on such silly things. The artificer, well, ... may his soul rest in peace. Now the party has to spend massive amounts of cash on oils of repair light damage and others like that, and to make matters worse for the player I have a houserule dating back a few years that says that applying oils takes quiet some time (depending on the surface that has to be oiled) destroying it's use in combat.

Am I too strict, or as he says, too evil? Or are these decisions wise.

If you don't think these rules are wise, what is your advise and opinion on warforged?

 

[DanMcS]

Am I too strict, or as he says, too evil? Or are these decisions wise.

If you don't think these rules are wise, what is your advise and opinion on warforged?

Bad call on your part. You took steps to depower a race that was never overpowered to begin with, without trying it as-written first, and now it has come back to bite you.

You're not "too strict"; too strict would be enforcing the rules even when they aren't promoting fun. You're not enforcing the rules, you're making up new and whacky houserules that demote fun.

Warforged don't lack disadvantages. They can't wear armor; they get only half bonus from regular healing. Cure wounds type spells are the most commonly cast spells in the game; getting only half benefit from them is a pretty good disadvantage right there. Combine your "no healing" rule with the one that makes oils useless in combat, and warforged are next to unplayable.

 

[devilish]

1) Warforged can under no circumstance heal naturally.

Isn't this already a disadvantage they have and not a house rule?

I could swear I just read that the other night...

 

[Anabstercorian]

You're too strict. At the very least, he should be able to purchase relatively economical Warforged Repair Kits and use those to fix himself as per the Craft rules in the Eberron Campaign Setting. As is, you're kind of being a jerk.

 

[CronoDekar]

Isn't this already a disadvantage they have and not a house rule?

I could swear I just read that the other night...

Normally, they will only heal 50% from effects from the Healing subschool. If they take the feat Improved Fortification (which makes them immune to crits) or 3-4 levels of the Warforged Juggernaut prestige class (I forget how many, but this also gets immunity to crits), then they are completely immune to healing effects.

As far as the topic maker being too strict... yeah, I think so between both denying healing and making it longer to use oils, and I pretty much agree with DanMcS (though, the DM's word is law). However, I would say add that the wizard is a pain -- he could at least cast RLDs out of a wand for the warforged char. IMO, a char that didn't care about his fellow party members would get kicked out of the party. (Even an evil char should be able to look into the long run and see that helping the party would be more beneficial in helping him stay alive.)

 

[Red Wyrmling]

You're too strict. At the very least, he should be able to purchase relatively economical Warforged Repair Kits and use those to fix himself as per the Craft rules in the Eberron Campaign Setting. As is, you're kind of being a jerk.

I am allowing this to him, as it is, he doesn't need any sleep so he can craft all night long to repair himself. I told him this at character creation and he allocated his skills accordingly.

 

[Anabstercorian]

[defensive]Well, that's not what you said in your opening post...[/defensive]

I'm not sure, then. You're basically nullifying the ability of clerics to heal warforged, which I'm sure is your idea...

Explain your rationale for the following things, if you would, because I think that would help us respond:

1) Why doesn't Cure Blah Wounds work on Warforged?

2) Why does an Oil take an unusually long time to apply?

Regarding the second one, if you're going to make an oil take more than a standard action to apply, then DECREASE THE MARKET PRICE! Then it would be much more fair to the poor guy.

 

[Red Wyrmling]

I'm not sure, then. You're basically nullifying the ability of clerics to heal warforged, which I'm sure is your idea...

Explain your rationale for the following things, if you would, because I think that would help us respond:

1) Why doesn't Cure Blah Wounds work on Warforged?

2) Why does an Oil take an unusually long time to apply?

Regarding the second one, if you're going to make an oil take more than a standard action to apply, then DECREASE THE MARKET PRICE! Then it would be much more fair to the poor guy.

The marketprice for an oil is about 1/3 of what the book says.

1) Why cure spells don't work? Because it's a construct, you can't expect the cleric to cast a cure light wounds on a sword if it's broken, why should a construct be any different. I know a living construct is regarded differently, but that only applies to the fact that it has a mind of it's own, physically it's still a pile of metal and wood artificially constructed.

2) Oils take longer to apply depending on the size of the item. If you're applying it to a weapon then a standard or full round action (for up to large weapons and large weapons respectively)is enough, if you're applying it to an armour, you would need several rounds. If you're applying it to a wounded Warforged you need to apply it to it's wounds. Since a warforged usually doesn't go down after one hit, it takes at least one full round to 10 rounds (if the warforged had plenty of hitpoints but is now down at -9 or something.)

Pointing towards the wizard: he's finding out the hard way that his selfishness is going to get him killed. It's hard to cast a spell when there are several people trying to shove blades in and out of your guts because there is no one who wants to protect you.

 

[fuindordm]

The marketprice for an oil is about 1/3 of what the book says.

1) Why cure spells don't work? Because it's a construct, you can't expect the cleric to cast a cure light wounds on a sword if it's broken, why should a construct be any different. I know a living construct is regarded differently, but that only applies to the fact that it has a mind of it's own, physically it's still a pile of metal and wood artificially constructed.

Well, the core concept of a warforged is that it's a living construct. That intrinsic duality is one of the things that makes them interesting. They are powered by magic, have souls, and some of their components are organic (wood). I think it's a mistake to force them into the role of robots.

The Races of Eberron book is supposed to have a prestige class for warforged that want to embrace the living side of their heritage instead of the construct side, a nice counterpoint to the Juggernaut.

Ben