Warforged: Like them or loathe them?

[mhacdebhandia]

While I agree that I don't want to see them in the PHB1, or for them to become a "standard" part of D&D to be sprinkled throughout all the settings willy-nilly, I do think there's room for them in some settings outside Eberron. All you have to do is change the background and flavor.

I do agree; however, I think that there's a major difference between "appears in the list of Player's Handbook races" and "appears as a playable monster in the Monster Manual" - and the warforged are better-suited to the latter option.

If for no other reason, it's simply that many non-Eberron uses of the race will, like your own, be in a less PC-friendly context - slave-soldiers of an arcane empire, "terracotta warriors" standing in an ancient tomb until awakened, et cetera. Good opponents, possible PCs in the right situation, but not given the same kind of "PC status" as they are in Eberron.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I do agree; however, I think that there's a major difference between "appears in the list of Player's Handbook races" and "appears as a playable monster in the Monster Manual" - and the warforged are better-suited to the latter option, if for no other reason than that many non-Eberron uses of the race will, like your own, be in a less PC-friendly context - slave-soldiers of an arcane empire, "terracotta warriors" standing in an ancient tomb until awakened, et cetera. Good opponents, possible PCs in the right situation, but not given the same kind of "PC status" as they are in Eberron.

Oh, I agree. And my vote on the poll was "Not in the PHB1."

I'd prefer to see them in the 4E Eberron core, and maybe an MM. I can live with them being in a future PHB. But I agree that their place is not in PHB1.

 

[drothgery]

I voted 'meh' because I'm not really too concerned which races are in PHB1 beyond human, elf, dwarf, and halfling. I play a lot of Eberron, and I'm sure than gnomes and warforged (and changelings and shifters and kalashtar and Khorvar half-elves) will be around by the time the 4e ECS comes out.

Still, I think the Moogle had it right a few threads ago (even if I don't like tieflings as PCs at all, let alone in the PH1). Including a few non-LotR-esque 'out there' races in the PHB1 is probably a good idea. And warforged were one of the best new race concepts WotC's put out in a while.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I dislike warforged and do not seem my self ever using them in a game I run. They are not a tradditional D&D or fantasy race either and I do not feel they should be the first 4e PHB. That said, I understand many do like them and I think adding them to the game later would make sense.

As far as balance issues go, I think its reasonable to assume the 4e designers would fix them regardless of when they are added to the game.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

I think having Warforged as a playable race is OK, but I don't want them in the first core book.

 

[pawsplay]

There's no option for "I'm okay with warforged being PCs."

There's a conceptual problem with warforged PCs... it means in every D&D core world, warforged are relics of a recent largescale war.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

That's not true, at all.

That's their origin in Eberron - but in another setting, they could have a completely different origin.

 

[KarinsDad]

I think most of Eberron is a hodge podge of many other genres.

I don't want warforged in my non-Eberron campaign (or books), just like I do not want elemental powered planes and trains in my non-Eberron campaign (or books). Ditto for Artificers, Shifters, etc.

To me, this is Eberron specific material and does not belong in core DND.

And yes, I agree that Eberron is a Star Wars rehash with traveling to exotic environments being the main occupation. Core worlds in the middle of the map, outer rim locations beyond that.

Droids = Warforged, Starfighters = Airships, meh


And finally with respect to Warforged, I really don't like the fact that they are Living Constructs as opposed to Constructs. Having to drastically change the game mechanics of constructs to make them a PC race (for balance reasons) shouts that they should never have been a PC race in the first place, even in Eberron. It's a kludge. IMO.

 

[pawsplay]

That's not true, at all.

That's their origin in Eberron - but in another setting, they could have a completely different origin.

"... if the world is overrun by 300 year old warforged with completely different viewpoints from Eberron warforged."

 

[Mallus]

It's a kludge. IMO.

So then they're perfect for core D&D!