Warforged Wildshape suggestions?

[Hypersmurf]

Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor. A druid who wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield is unable to cast druid spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.

I don't have Eberron... don't Warforged count as wearing metal armor, though?

-Hyp.

 

[Anti-Sean]

I don't have Eberron... don't Warforged count as wearing metal armor, though?

-Hyp.

The ECS has no commentary regarding the druid class in the warforged racial description, nor regarding the warforged race in the druid class description. The two warforged body feats, however, (Adamantine Body and Mithral Body) both explicitly mention that a warforged druid taking either feat cannot cast druid spells or use any supernatural or spell-like abilities of the class. Your average warforged is built from a composite of marterials, mostly wood and stone (along with obsidian, iron, and others). There isn't enough metal in its body unless it was specifically constructed with the composite plating/alloying described by the two warforged body feats.

 

[Psimancer]

I don't have Eberron... don't Warforged count as wearing metal armor, though?

No, not unless they take the Mithral or Adamantine Body feats...

* * *

If you REALLY need to get your mind around it, think about it like this:

When you ‘transform’ you actually shift your true form into another dimension (astral, ethereal, umbra, etc) and build a ‘though construct’ for your mind to inhabit on the material plane…

It’s not perfect, but it maybe enough for you to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ability. Enjoy…

 

[Hypersmurf]

Okay - I suspect that's what I was thinking of.

Cool.

-Hyp.

 

[Anti-Sean]

That's how a DM ruled it in a game in which I had a warforged druid. He didn't get up to the level to get wildshaping before the game dissolved, but we had discussed that. He would turn into an Animal, but keep the Living Construct subtype. We envisioned it as transformers-esque. I liked the idea.

From the SRD entry for Polymorph (which Wild Shape references):

The subject’s creature type and subtype (if any) change to match the new form.

Given that, I'd rule that the 'forged loses its Living Construct subtype and becomes a flesh and blood animal. Granted, if y'all prefer otherwise, by all means, that's the way you should play it. Sadly, I see the potential for the fleshy animal vs. 'forged animal debate to last as long as the "Is it OK for my PaladinBot to slaughter orc babies?" debate, if given enough time. Hopefully with less vitriol, however...

 

[Jdvn1]

don't Warforged count as wearing metal armor, though?

-Hyp.

... Warforged are made of metal?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor. A druid who wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield is unable to cast druid spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.

I don't have Eberron... don't Warforged count as wearing metal armor, though?

Actually, and surprisingly, no.

They start out with "Composite Plating," which provides a +2 armor bonus to AC and takes up the armor / robe slot, and which can be enhanced just like normal armor.

If, however, a Warforged character takes the Adamantine or Mithral Body feats, they are treated as wearing heavy or light metal armor, respectively, for class abilities and other restrictions that depend on armor.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

It is easy to imagine a warforged, struggling to find its own individual and racial identity, responding to the wildshape ability in any number of ways, perhaps preferring to spend most of its time wildshaped, instead of in its own form. The RP possibilities have me chomping at the bit to play a warforged druid!

What might be even more fun, though a little suboptimal, is the Warforged Druid who goes through this-- and is so horrified by the experience that he will never do it again. Druid 4/Fighter X with a mild phobia of living creatures. (Not enough to give penalties, but enough to keep it from ever being totally comfortable around living things again.)

 

[Gez]

I somewhat expect to see Ironwood Body amongst the Warforged feats in Races of Eberron. And why not?

 

[Flyspeck23]

What might be even more fun, though a little suboptimal, is the Warforged Druid who goes through this-- and is so horrified by the experience that he will never do it again. Druid 4/Fighter X with a mild phobia of living creatures. (Not enough to give penalties, but enough to keep it from ever being totally comfortable around living things again.)

Consider this stolen... for an NPC, that is.
Great idea!