Warforged question

[Prest0]

I've read through both the Eberron core book and the Races book and I don't remember seeing this mentioned anywhere. Forgive me if I merely overlooked it.

Are Warforged capable of facial expressions? If so, to what extent?

 

[shilsen]

It's not spelled out explicitly anywhere that I can remember, but since all the official illustrations of warforged I've seen display a completely metal face, with the only moving part being a hinged jaw, I'd say they're capable of very limited facial expression.

 

[Kurotowa]

Not greatly. I had a Warforged who had modded himself with eyebrows, in order to convay emotion better. But he was trying hard to assimilate. I figure most of them will do a lot with tone of voice.

 

[Deadguy]

I assume that a general Warforged is not capable of any significant facial expression. However, do not forget that a great deal can be read into body posture, and that they can generally express.

To round it out, for my own Eberron game, I also have the colour of Warforged eyes changing somewhat depending on their mood. People with experience of the 'forged learn to read moods from their eyes much as we read facial expressions.

 

[ThirdWizard]

To round it out, for my own Eberron game, I also have the colour of Warforged eyes changing somewhat depending on their mood. People with experience of the 'forged learn to read moods from their eyes much as we read facial expressions.

I like that and I'm totally stealing it. Yoink!

 

[Klaus]

The lack of easy-to-read expressions is part of the Cha penalty they have.

I didn't use the "color coded" eyes, but I use light-intensity. Where a human squints his eyes, a warforged pupils contract to pinpoints. Where a human stares intently, the light increases.

For a possible way to describe warforged expressions, please watch the amazing animation "The Iron Giant". It's something else.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

In the Dreaming Dark series, it is stated that Pierce's facial expression doesn't change (it's incapable of it), but his friends can sometimes read his emotional state by the way he moves his limbs, the stance he takes, who or what he is looking at, etc.

(Of course, warforged have no bonus to Bluff. Where's the "Stone-faced" feat?)

 

[Kurotowa]

(Of course, warforged have no bonus to Bluff. Where's the "Stone-faced" feat?)

Bluff's more about telling a convincing lie than just keeping a straight face. Maybe it's a small help, but most Warforged don't know anything beyond the straight forward life of the battlefield. So what little variation there is evens out. Any Warforged who gets good at exploiting their poker face will, duh, have ranks in Bluff to represent that.

 

[Klaus]

I'd increase the DC by 2 for someone trying to use Sense Motive on a warforged.

 

[Deadguy]

I'd increase the DC by 2 for someone trying to use Sense Motive on a warforged.

That wouldn't be unreasonable. At the same time perhaps increase the DCs for Warforged to influence someone through Diplomacy by 2? Lacking the ability to emote they find it harder to offer an appropriate response during negotiation. Just an idea...