In a magical world, warforged are part organic and machine, with metal parts collecting rust. They receive no mechanical benefit to stealth checks, so tracking them by smell is reasonable. Warforged don’t breathe, but they can hold their breath for hours or even days. They are self-aware, intelligent humanoid magical constructs with metal or stone bodies, each with a distinctive ghulra rune on their forehead.
Warforged are immune to Illithid Tadpoles effects and the Body Thief effect of an Intellect Devourer. They can feel pain and emotion and are built as weapons, but they must find a purpose beyond the war. They can be steadfast allies and cold. Warforged are essentially living humanoids that can heal and be healed normally, and are not affected by mending/repair magic.
The new Warforged Raptor (FoW) is designed for aerial bombardment, similar in construction to warforged titans. Warforged were created as war machines, and they can be healed and even be poisoned, though it is not easy. Warforged have feelings, but they don’t have a sense of smell. A special Warforged component in either the Eberron Campaign Setting or Races of Eberron gives them the ability to smell.
Shatter is good against Warforged, but the easy solution is to hit them with Saves or “Damage when you start/end your turn” effects. Warforged are humanoid types and can wild shape into a beast type, like any other druid. When you wild shape, you do keep your racial abilities.
| Article | Description | Site |
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| Rising From The Last War: The Warforged | Now, Warforged are essentially living humanoids which can heal and be healed normally, and are not affected by mending/repair magic. The new … | keith-baker.com |
| Tag Archives: Warforged | The mere presence of a daelkyr causes confusion, and if it focuses its attention on you it can inflict permanent mental damage. To me this is a side effect … | keith-baker.com |
| Warforged Immunity to magical sleep missing | Warforged’s “Constructed Resilience” trait should give them Immunity to Magical Sleep similar to what elves get. | dndbeyond.com |
📹 Why should you play a Warforged?
Welcome back to the Arcane Forge! In today’s video, I talk about the Warforged; the mechanical golems you never knew you …
Do Warforged Have Stomachs?
Warforged are unique constructs that do not require sleep, breath, or traditional sustenance. They are immune to exhaustion and can't be affected by magic that induces sleep. Lacking biological organs, like stomachs or lungs, Warforged can embody male or female personas but remain sexless and incapable of reproduction.
Despite their constructed nature, they can ingest food and drink for the beneficial effects of potions, but their bodies do not necessitate these for survival. Warforged possess a magical heart or furnace that processes substances, and their internal anatomy features thin tubes that transport a blood-like substance, alongside circular crystals in place of a heart.
The traits of Warforged are versatile, enhancing any class. They are built to function in various environments and are not hindered by the biological needs faced by other races. Even though they don't have a formal digestive system or the requirement for food and drink, they are capable of consuming these items and can get intoxicated from alcohol.
As per the lore from "Eberron: Rising From the Last War," Warforged possess the Constructed Resilience trait, providing them several benefits. Whether or not they have a functional stomach is a point of speculation, with some theorizing a comparison to plants like Venus fly traps. Ultimately, while they can consume food or drink, it does not serve a necessary function for them, leading to questions surrounding their sensory perception and internal processes.
Are Warforged Living Constructs?
Warforged are a unique race in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, specifically within the Eberron setting. They are classified as living constructs, distinguishing them from typical constructs by their ability to interact with both living and construct-targeting spells and effects. Unlike other constructs, warforged are susceptible to mind-affecting spells such as Dominate Person, as well as to critical hits, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, and necromancy effects. This dual nature is further emphasized by their classification as humanoids in the 5th edition bestiary, simplifying interactions with spells that target living humanoids.
Standing over six feet tall and weighing more than 300 pounds, warforged are constructed from a blend of materials, including stone, metal, and darkwood, all infused with magic. Their designs can vary, but they commonly feature traits like hinged joints, reflecting their artificial yet living nature. Created by House Cannith in magical creation forges using technology recovered from Xen’drik, warforged were initially designed to fight in the Last War. Following the war’s conclusion, the Treaty of Thronehold granted them their freedom.
As living constructs, warforged possess a Constitution score and exhibit traits typical of living beings, such as emotions, social bonds, and potentially souls. They do not require food or breath, though they can consume nourishment if desired, and they are immune to disease. Warforged can benefit from healing magic, rest, and medicine checks, reinforcing their status as living entities. Additionally, they have the capacity for growth and evolution; for example, a warforged juggernaut can develop heavier armor plating over time.
Warforged are inherently living creatures capable of eternal existence, provided they receive proper maintenance and repairs. Their humanoid classification allows them to integrate seamlessly into societies, despite their constructed origins. This combination of living traits and construct resilience makes warforged a versatile and enduring race within the fantastical realms of Dungeons & Dragons.
Are Warforged Immune To Water?
Warforged, as depicted in sources like Eberron: Rising from the Last War, are classified as "Living Constructs." While they share similarities with other player characters (PCs) in terms of waterproofing, Warforged possess unique attributes that distinguish their interaction with various environments. Unlike other races that might suffer from scurvy or dehydration on high seas, Warforged contend with issues such as metal corrosion when exposed to saltwater. This corrosion can inflict damage, akin to rust effects, which can be repaired, highlighting a parallel between environmental challenges faced by different races.
Warforged do not require traditional sustenance; they do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, and they are immune to diseases and have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned. These traits make them exceptionally resilient in hazardous conditions, allowing them to explore dangerous areas without the typical vulnerabilities of other races. However, their dense construction means that extended exposure to saltwater can be detrimental, and they are not inherently immune to conditions like drowning. While they do not breathe, the immunity to drowning is implied but not explicitly stated, leaving room for interpretation based on specific game mechanics.
In terms of mobility, Warforged can swim and make swim checks similarly to other characters, without the fear of drowning. Their inbuilt armor, known as Composite Plating, provides a 5% arcane spell failure chance and replaces the need for body armor. This plating, while advantageous, can impose penalties on athletic activities such as swimming, reflecting a balance between protection and mobility. Warforged tend to sink due to their density but are capable swimmers, allowing them to traverse underwater environments effectively.
Additionally, Warforged's lack of need for food, water, or sleep, combined with their immunity to disease, makes them uniquely suited for colonizing environments that are inhospitable to other races. Their resilience extends to being unaffected by lack of game or water, though they remain vulnerable to extreme temperatures like burning or freezing unless their forms can resist such effects through Constitution saving throws. Overall, Warforged offer a blend of durability and adaptability, making them versatile characters in various challenging settings.
What Class Goes Well With Warforged?
Warforged are versatile characters in D&D 5e, benefiting from various classes due to their unique racial features. Wisdom-based classes like Clerics and Druids, especially when combined with Perception training and the Observant feat, can achieve high passive Perception, enhancing the group's defense against ambushes while resting. Classes that synergize well include Barbarians, due to their frontline capabilities alongside Warforged's defensive traits, and Fighters, like the Battle Master build, which emphasizes their combat-oriented design. The Warforged’s potential was also exemplified in a character played as a draconic blood sorcerer—created through a cult’s dragon blood ritual—highlighting creative roleplaying opportunities.
Additionally, a Forge Cleric could be paired with the Envoy or Juggernaut subtypes, depending on whether melee or casting is preferred. Other notable choices are Artificers, who match well with their abilities; while Monks might not fully exploit Warforged traits. Suggested classes also include Rangers and Warlocks, particularly the Fiend subclass, adding unique flavor to gameplay. Overall, the versatility of the Warforged makes them a strong contender for almost any class, excelling in roles that prioritize durability and magical enhancement, making them uniquely poignant in the Eberron setting introduced in "Eberron: Rising from the Last War." With a history of combat, Warforged have significant potential for both mechanical prowess and rich narrative development in gameplay.
Are Warforged Awake?
The Warforged, a popular race introduced in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition's "Eberron: Rising From The Last War," possess unique characteristics regarding rest and consciousness. Unlike other races, Warforged do not require traditional sleep. Instead, they enter a state known as "Sentry’s Rest," where they remain inert and motionless for at least six hours. During this period, they are fully aware of their surroundings, allowing them to monitor their environment and remain vigilant against potential threats. This standby mode ensures that Warforged can remain functional and observant without the need for sleep, making them exceptional guardians and sentinels.
Despite not needing sleep, Warforged still require periods of rest to heal, regain abilities, and recover from exertion. Failing to rest adequately can lead to exhaustion, similar to other races that neglect long rests. While they can remain active for extended periods, the necessity to rest ensures that their mechanical bodies sustain optimal performance. This balance allows Warforged to function efficiently in both combat and non-combat scenarios, providing continuous support to their allies.
Warforged also feature distinctive runes called "ghulra," symbolizing truth, which are inscribed on their foreheads. These runes are unique to each individual Warforged, marking their identity and enhancing their connection to their origins. Additionally, Warforged are resistant to poison damage and have advantages against being poisoned, further emphasizing their resilient nature.
In various editions and sources, such as the "Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron" and "UA: Eberron Races," the traits of Warforged have been refined. They are depicted as untiring and immune to traditional sleep deprivation, though they are not entirely immune to exhaustion from other sources. Their ability to remain perpetually awake, combined with their need for rest to maintain functionality, makes them versatile and reliable characters in any adventuring party.
Overall, the Warforged blend mechanical endurance with sentient awareness, offering a unique and enduring presence in the world of Eberron. Their ability to remain alert without traditional sleep, coupled with their need for strategic rest, makes them both formidable and dependable allies in various challenges.
Do Warforged Count As Constructs?
Warforged are unique entities known as "living constructs," which blend traits of both constructs and living creatures. According to the Eberron campaign setting, they are classified as humanoids rather than constructs. This categorization is significant, as warforged are affected by spells and abilities meant for living humanoids, leading to their classification as such. Unlike purely mechanical constructs, warforged characters derive their statistical features—Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saving throws, and skill points—from their chosen classes. Notable examples like the Warforged Soldier in "Eberron: Rising from the Last War" confirm their humanoid classification.
Despite their artificial origins and construct-like appearances, warforged experience a range of emotions similar to their human creators, including anger, pain, and fear, indicating their sentient nature. They are recognized as one of the playable races in the Eberron setting, standing between 6 and 6. 5 feet tall and weighing approximately 270 to 300 pounds, with bodies made from durable materials like metal or stone.
While they are often considered constructs, the official sources clarify that they do not possess the traits that would categorize them as such. Consequently, warforged receive the benefits of healing magic, resting, and medicine checks like other humanoids. Their status as sentient beings grants them rights akin to those of humans in their world, highlighting their complexity as both artificial and living entities. Thus, although they embody aspects of constructs, warforged are fundamentally humanoids in terms of gameplay mechanics and narrative.
Can Warforged Get Drunk?
After numerous iterations, the warforged were enhanced to have sensations, allowing them to eat, drink, and even experience intoxication if they so desired. Later iterations integrated plating, further enhancing their ability to bond. Warforged can consume alcohol and feel its effects but do not require food or drink for sustenance. Although they have immunity to poison and nausea, they can still enjoy the euphoric sensations associated with alcohol. Historically in D&D 3. 5, their immunity to poison suggested they could not get drunk, but this has evolved in later editions. The current official guide, Eberron: Rising From the Last War, states that warforged possess the Constructed Resilience trait, which provides several benefits, including a lack of need for food or water.
While lacking traditional digestive or excretory systems raises questions about where food or drink goes, the consensus is that warforged can simulate states of drunkenness for social reasons, despite their unique physiology. They are also capable of keeping up with drinks against dwarves due to their distinctive resistance, creating the possibility of lively taverns. Ultimately, whether a warforged experiences intoxication or not is dependent on individual interpretation by the Dungeon Master and player choices.
Therefore, while the general answer is yes, warforged can drink and feel the effects of alcohol, they don't experience intoxication in the conventional manner due to their unique construction, leading to varied role-playing opportunities within the game.
Can Warforged Get Lycanthropy?
Under the original 3. 5 rules, warforged could not become werewolves or most undead, but the 5E rules classify them as humanoids, allowing for potential lycanthropy. Lycanthropy in 5E is considered a curse rather than a disease, hence warforged can theoretically transform into wereforged. Despite their immunity to disease, which could imply immunity to lycanthropy, this is ultimately decided by the DM. In 5E, since warforged are categorized as humanoids, they can also become undead, unlike in previous editions.
The transformation and adaptation of warforged are contingent upon their environment; a warforged may cultivate resilience during combat or a more fragile form in peaceful contexts. Furthermore, the origins of warforged can be creatively interpreted to fit various narratives, allowing them some versatility in character evolution.
Since resurrection spells apply to warforged—they possess organic components—there are no explicit 5E restrictions against them becoming undead or being affected by curses like lycanthropy. This aligns with the notion that warforged can be considered living creatures, making the mechanics of their transformations and potential for curses more flexible in comparison to earlier editions. As for the transformation process, it remains unclear whether they would physically change like organic races or simply adapt akin to shapeshifters by adjusting their armor and form. Overall, it seems that in 5E, warforged can engage with both lycanthropy and undead transformations, but the specifics depend on dangerous interpretations of game mechanics by the DM.
Does A Warforge Have Intellect?
The intellect devourer specifically targets brains, but the warforged race is described as having components made of wood, stone, and steel, without a traditional organic brain. However, they are sentient beings with intellect, suggesting a capacity for mind control and other intellectual effects. No specific immunities protect warforged from the effects of Illithid tadpoles or intellect devourers; thus, mechanically, they are vulnerable.
The debate hinges on whether warforged possess a form of "brain." While they lack an organic brain, they could still be affected as they possess brain-like components created from metal and alchemical materials.
According to the race's description, warforged are humanoids capable of healing and are ageless, made from enchanted materials that allow them to feel pain and emotions. They were originally constructed as weapons, now seeking purpose beyond warfare. The consensus indicates that they have souls, a fact supported by various sourcebooks and statements from the setting creators.
Warforged must rest in a motionless state for six hours instead of sleeping, appearing inert but conscious. Despite their origin, they have shown varying degrees of intelligence and emotions, which complicates their classification. Although some forms exist, such as the headless warforged beggar, the race includes diverse personalities and capabilities. Ultimately, while warforged face potential effects from creatures like intellect devourers, they remain defined as sentient, robot-like beings within the D&D multiverse, created amidst the tumult of war they never wished to engage in.
Can Warforged Feel?
Warforged, constructed from wood and metal, possess the ability to feel pain and emotions despite their weapon-like origins. Created for warfare, they now seek a purpose beyond it, embracing roles as steadfast allies, cold-hearted killers, or thinkers exploring meaning. While they experience a range of feelings akin to humans—such as fear, hatred, anger, joy, and sorrow—their emotional expressions remain hidden behind their featureless metal faces, making them appear reserved and contemplative.
Warforged share the same five human senses: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Although they endure emotional experiences, some might argue that they lack the capacity for traditional expressions like smiling or crying, which can lead them to be perceived as mostly emotionless constructs. Ultimately, their portrayal can vary based on individual settings and the perspectives of game masters.
📹 Top 5 Most BANNED Races In D&D
This video started as a Top 5 MOST POWERFUL Races, but I switched it up to talk about something a little more interesting, the …
My DM wasn’t very up for the idea of a robot in their campaign. We then came up with the idea that my character was a puppet animated with a type of magic (maybe like Pinocchio). Basically, there are always thematic work arounds for allowing certain things into your game so that it’s generally not an issue.
the moment my dm told me about warforged and mentioned they usually have a hidden weapon built into their arm, i was sold. after playing around me and my dm decided to turn my character into a side villain. the character was a rouge with the healer feat, and had proficiency with a herbalism kit, and had a pet dog named Captain. the character was a serial killer who used a modified arm-blade this being a needle that did a d1 of piercing, and can inject one flask of fluid as an action. so i made sure to collect poisons, and slimes from dungeons and load them up. It was a lot of fun playing the secret bad guy and it was cool getting to eventually have my “IT WAS ME DIO!!” moment. So my character died but i passed on his pet dog as my dying wish.
I can actully see a opportunity for warforged in more survival based campaigns,hes immune to natrual hazards so he can serve as a straight man to the partys hilarity when their fighting for survivial,it would even allow certian combat encounters to be made harder since the dm and players would always have atleast one person that is combat ready despite the setting.Though the players and dm would have to be willing to play up the contrast between the warforged who is totally chilling and the party who is constantly dieing to make it really interesting.
I’m currently working on creating a Draconic Warforged (Warforged Half-Dragon) who’s also a Dragon Rider (homebrew class). He was created near the end of the War as an experiment by infusing the soul of a dragon and quenching the warforged in the blood of the same dragon. The day he was “born” a Brass dragon was also hatched and paired with said Character, then put in an alternate dimension where time moves faster. The only way they could get out of this pocket dimension is to bond as dragon and rider.
This was a really interesting article with amazing artwork. In my world, the equivalent to warforged is a species of automatons usually called the rusted. They were built by ancient advanced empires hundreds of years ago and were gifted sentience by the god of joy, but have been dormant for the past few centuries after a world-spanning calamity destroyed those civilizations.
I’m playing my first ever campaign as a Druid warforged created by a nature goddess, given to a dying elven race to protect their villages, but this warforged failed and stayed in the village for about a thousand years, carved wooden villagers because of how lonely he was, befriended the local Forrest wildlife, I guess it’s kinda like an iron golem who failed. I’m still creating the character so I’m not really sure how to kill off all of the villagers but hey if anyone has any ideas I’m all ears
Such amazing art and discussion! I love the Warforged, and you brought up so many amazing things about ways to play them, and I love the way you’ve used them in your world. I can’t believe how much awesome art was in this. as someone who loves your style this is amazing! Also I would definitely love to see one of these articles on Dragonborn.
Nice change of pace. In my world the Warforged were created as cheaper alternatives to iron golems and like them are powered by Ichor (like how the Transformers run on energon) however they are a new innovation (parts of my world are in transitional periods from medieval to steampunk) so there are only 12-20 individual across the world. However a small group have found the remains of Talos the first iron golem (who was the first prototype iron golem made of bronze) and plant to literally build an entire pantheon around him so the can truly be their own people. PS: I would love to see you do Hill Giants
I once had the idea of a mage creating a golem and putting all his lifeforce into the spell in a bit for imortality; begging the question wether this resulted in a golem possessed by a somewhat amnesiac ghost or a sentient golem with false memories. That would also work for a warforged when you’re in a setting were they aren’t canon.
In my world the warforged were created as a response to a group of wizards creating symic hybrids (called warbred in my setting, and yes that’s a work in progress) intending to use to conquer the empire the campaign I’m planning is set in while the regular army was of at war with a different kingdom. However they both made the “mistake” of not brainwashing them to their side so shortly after both armies realized that they were essentially slave armies and unified, so out of fear of this frankly enormous army the emperor ceded one particular archipelago of the west coast. This is also why biomancy is super illegal I’m my world.
A few years ago I came up with a “Green Knight” concept using a warforged. In my version he wakes up with no recollection of his past and my whole short story is him debating then deciding that his past was irrelevant. “When people die and come back they call it reincarnation so maybe I should just be greatful to be here now. Now is what matters. Mother has a purpose for me.” So he is brought back by the Raven Queen, who he refers to as “mother”. His only concern or desire is to know if he has a soul. He really wants a soul. I’m using the oath of the Ancients paladin. He pays homage to The Raven Queen, mother and he is a Hexblade bound to Raven Queen again. So no conflicts between his patron and his God. It’s all about what ‘mother’ wants. He loves his mother’s, bringer of his life. His head is made of sandstone, a jackal head with thick green vines connecting his wood and steal casing. His hair is living ivy. Any metal is painted green. Maybe at Higher Levels he’ll be plated with jade. His eyes glow a soft white from the sockets. He wears a cloak made of Raven feathers. Even though he doesn’t need to breathe he has a fear of drowning. I am looking forward to playing him or it one day.
I’ve got a character idea for the more magical warforged(sorcerers and wizards). A warforged with a magic core. I was thinking of having a warforged with a raw magic core that allows it to use magic. The idea is it is the eccense(essence?) of a very old and powerful creature like a dragon that was filled into a mechanical core. The core would glow several different colors and would glow a particular color before the warforged used a specific damage type or spell catagory. Was thinking this could work for an eldritch knight warforged. What do you think?
I’ve had the thought of a bladesinger but the old alternative bladesinger from the Complete guide to Elves. Lots of back story being taught this elf only fighting style by a master that he saved from death. Obviously a skirmisher fits best into this idea. It’s not likely that I’ll ever find anyone to play with up here tho. This is the wasteland for in person tabletop.
Yet another great Arcane Forge article. I haven’t gotten around to creating a warforged character yet, but I may try it now. My homebrew setting allows for them, as well as a homebrew race I need to cobble together called ‘Nana Dolls’. Think human-sized dolls used as governesses for aristocratic families.
I’ve had like this concept about an artificer warforge who used to be some experimental prototype that was abandoned in some dump for 40 years before escaping with an old wild west disguise and seeing how the underground gangs or corrupt people hurt or destroyed people lives decided to build bombs and weapons that shoot lighting to kill anyone who dared to hurt others.
Warforged race in general is what made not only me getting into d&d but also my number 1 favourite race and not only that but they can work literally half the classes in d&d especially with the creativity goes far and beyond when making a character like this I can’t see anyone not playing this race if you don’t play it at least wrong then your mad go play it and don’t be quick to judge just because it’s overpowered and probably better than majority of races but that’s my eyes on it take it as a grand assault
We started playing 5e with Everron and I decided to go with a Warforged sorcerer of wild magic. He was brand new created at the beggining of the campain. Its creator was clearly making it in undergrownd and when he was about to imbuing it with magic, a wild magic event triggered, and he (a tinker gnome) fused/merded into the warforged leg, now looking like a tiny Han Solo in carbonite in its leg XD
This is definitely a nice change of pace from your usual Monster Mondays, not to say that I don’t enjoy those! I’d very much love to see your takes on other player races as well! I’m a fairly new DnD player so I’ve made only one character for a still-running campaign (a kobold), so I figured it’d be nice to see other people’s takes on why they decided to, or would want to play as one. A close second to another race I’d want to see would be kenku; idk if it’s because I’m just new so I’m in this weird phase, but I tend to think of character concepts for the less “civilized” races 😅
Thank you for such an easy to follow back ground and some ideas througn in. ive been flicking throuhg to find something thst doesnt have shouting and flashing pics and words covering the screan. Im dislexic 66 year old… So no help during younger years . Just stand at back of class facing wall…. Right… My lovely son over these last few years of lockdown etc. Huge op on my part, guided me onto board games then D&D. Hook line and sinker moment. Oh how i love my Pretty dice. we play on line …DM in Sweden. we in england. im a Wood Half Elf private investigator. Has meant spells but can be one of the people at the back and assistine the mad fighters we have. Yes a rbbit 6″ tall……. Off subject. My son is now going to start up a new campain with him as DM. He does others too. So im going solo, but with a lovely group of peopl. we will be around a table too.. scarey.. Son has set me up as a Monk. I really loved the idea of a robot. thought of this before he talked of Warforged. So thats how i will beginn. The Charactor can easily be written out if im finding things difficult. Your explenation has really inspired me, I thank you for that. To have an insite of the background fits perfect with how i want to play my charactor. We begin soon. Just the others to form their chosen charactor. Two newbe’s could mean the game slower but son is playing as if all beginners. Others understand and excited to go back to basics. A long msg sorry. I feel ive missed out in so much fun. So pllease keep to your none madness posts.
My 3.5 warforged was my favorite character. He was a warforged warlock named Sentient Armored Machine Unit 5 or S.A.M.U.5 for short. He was created by the rogue secundus modron on Mount Celestia using Moradins soul forge. No pact needed and when the experiment was over the modron just casually tossed him into the prime where he found himself in the realms. Actually played him into demigod-hood with the cold portfolio. By the end of it I was vying to take over in the north as the good spirit of winter and steal followers from the frost maiden.
My setting has no single origin for them but the term warforged is a blanket term for various magically animated humanoid constructs throughout history and around the world, and various empires and people have made these types of beings as labor forces, soldiers, and other purposes, but most by now have outlived their original purposes and have to integrate into society. The different makes of warforged are mechanically the official, UA, and a few homebrew stat blocks of warforged. They can be made of almost any material and can mod themselves.
Oooooooohhhh, this gives me so many more ideas! I’m planning on playing a warforged bard who has instruments for body parts. Imagine them like a tuba warrior but as a robot haha I still gotta work on their story a bit buuut what I currently have is this: they’re a very happy and energetic character and are fascinated by human(oid) emotions (especially joy/happiness) because don’t fully understand them themselves. So their goal is to make as many people happy as they can cuz they love seeing people smile. Also, I could imagine there being fun rp opportunities with evil people who do cruel things and stuff
Now that you mentioned a purple worm, I’d also like to show you another old aedition monster, ‘Leveller (Bodendruker) Basically it’s carnivorous kaiju elephant that has cthulhuesque face and appetite for underground greatures like bullettes and Purple worms. I’d love to give links to few sites and fan-made sheets that made me interested but my comments keep dissapearing if I do that, so hope this comment wont
I need more of these articles in my life! In my steampunk setting, warforged are constructed illegally by individuals for any number of reasons. These constructs are almost always partially biological. While they have an outer armor of thin metal plates, an internal skeleton, and mechanical muscles filed by azurite (a discovered energy crystal that fuels the technology) they have the internal organs of a human. If someone is making one of these, they obtain and preserve the digestive, respiratory, circulatory, excretory, and a few other systems with necromancy magic and way too much alcohol. These biological bits are magically linked to the inorganic exterior. Finally, they must kill a humanoid and extract its brain. Pins constructed of the stomach lining of a stillborn, soul eating god, (although few know of that part) are inserted into the brain to prevent the soul from leaving. The memories, personality, and thoughts of the soul dissolve and the soul is like that of an infant, only with adult intelligence. These creatures do need to eat, sleep, drink, and breath to maintain their biological parts. These constructs often wake up as if an infant in an adults body. They are bombarded by senses that they have never felt before and a body they have never used. They often later learn language and how to survive. What their purpose is lies in their creator’s hands. I have the idea for a warforged character following this lore. They were abandoned after their awakening. The disguise their strangeness with ornate clothing and a expressionless, androgynous porcelain mask.
I enjoy a certain amount of juxtaposition so the idea of a Warforged medic in a survival-heavy setting appeals to me. Imagine a Cleric with a good Medicine skill and proficiency with the Healer’s Kit. I would be responsible for keeping the rest of the party alive and would feel guilty if someone died from exposure to the elements.
EXACTLY. There is always a way. Always! It CAN work. You just need to figure out how. This is absolutely a hill I’m willing to die on. Players and DMs need to work together on concepts like this. I’m very much against gatekeeping content – I’m not unaware of the reasons people give for it – but it’s a bugbear of mine and a DM who remembers rule zero and put it at the heart of everything they do should at least attempt to find a way to help their players have their fun the way they want to, as long as it doesn’t disrupt the actual fun of other people. Don’t allow stuff that lets the game degenerate into unplayable chaos, but an idea like Warforged? Embrace it! For instance, in my game, arcane necromancy is currently illegal. No clever reason for it; a big set up for a possible plot thread the players might face later is the fact that my Vecna-proxy got a whole bunch of Evil Wizard in the setting’s peanut butter and ruined it for everyone. He was defeated at great cost, etc. etc, various cliches abound, and so on. So what does one of my players want to play? The warlock with the undead patron. Why? He wants to cast Finger of Death, because he is a total dick. 😉 and yes, I told him that any warlock can cast it… he doesn’t care because he likes the thematic resonance. He also knows that necromancy is illegal (currently). So, I have a problem, except that I don’t. That’s a MASSIVE storyline right there! I can use that! I can build that situation into my game and we can have fun exploring it.
Bit of a weird request, but I just found out about an rpg game called demon: the descent which is part of the world of darkness games (like vampire the masquerade) and it has one of the most intriguing premises I’ve heard of in a long time of playing ttrpgs, and I’m curious if you would consider taking a stab at a version of it’s biotechnical horror aesthetic?
How to off-set the survival aspect problem: I have am unused Warforged Devine Soul Sorcerer. Their physical stats are garbage. They aren’t going to do so hot when it comes to skill checks or saving throws for str or dex. They have an AC of 12, and Sorcerer means no armor proficiencies. A d6 hit die means they wont hit triple digits until the mid teens levels. If I want AC and a good physical stat that isn’t con, I’ll have to use all of my ASI to buff dex, discouraging taking feats like Tough to buff health, or other ASIs to buff spell casting mods. They’re absolutely a support character. Functionally only really useful for (twin) casting healing and/or buffing spells. This character being a warforged is really only for rp (and con buff.)
Even though a Warforged does not need to eat, sleep, or drink anything. Then should not you just limit what they do need then. What a Warforged does not have unlimited supply when come to what powering them. That power source is limited thus they have to constantly resupply to it as if they ever run out then what happens is they go offline completely. They are basically fully deactivated without the ability to think, move, or act anymore. They remain offline until someone or something else manages to resupply them enough of their power source to come online again. The dangers to a Warforged going offline is that while they are offline they are completely at the will of whoever finds them as they alter, erase, or remove anything and they will never know it happened. Another idea that Warforged could have an unlimited power supply however a built in flaw to ensure that they can not venture too far from where they were stationed originally is that their consciousness is tied a limited produced resource that they must have on a normal basis. Like how humans can go weeks without food but only days without water. A Warforged that does not have this limited produced resource will lose their consciousness and just revert back to being mere automaton that can only follow orders unable to think on their own until supply with said resource again. However similar and properly worse then the previous idea is that once they revert back to just a mere automaton if they do not get said resource within next 24 hours to restore their consciousness to normal.
I like warforged being effectively if a WMD needed to find a hobby. Like you aren’t allowed to make more but the ones that were already made have literally nothing better to do. Like some decided to figure out the difference between “yes sir” and “yes mam” and stumble upon gender carving their wooden chassis accordingly. Some heard about a crusade and as such dedicated themself to a church just to be technically part of an army again. And others might just choose a direction and wonder off into the wilderness becoming druids fascinated with natures beauty getting in touch with their tree side
I love Warforged, but people tend to misunderstood them. They aren’t robots, they are living, sentient, humanoid constructs kept alive by alchemical fluids. No gears, no software, no power cores, etc. They are more like Pinocchio than C-3PO. They don’t sleep or eat or breathe. They still have to rest or take levels of fatigue, at least in 5e. They didn’t in 3.5e. They work just fine in survival settings. They freeze and rust. They just don’t need food. You could argue they need replenishment of alchemical fluids but that isn’t specifically in any editions description.
My DM designed an Aarakocra character with me that he was happy with in terms of balance. My character had been captured and tortured and in so doing his wings were injured severely. They never fully healed, and so, flight speed is limited to 30 and time is limited to 1 minute. As you level, this ability gets stronger. Speed and time increased every time you hit a feat / ability score increase. It was such a fun character. I didn’t want to go monk with him. I went with a circle of the stars druid. Was tons of fun. Our campaign spanned (in game time) almost 1/3rd of his normal lifespan. I made it all the way to level 18 and gained the timeless body trait. That meant suddenly my character didn’t have 20 years left to live. When that power suffused into his body, as my DM described it, he immediately gained an understanding of the new nature of his body and the way he ages. Suddenly he realized he had more than 200 years of potential life ahead of him. It was a really cool role playing moment.
As a DM myself, I don’t like banning races. I’m pretty magic item generous, so flying is a thing that most of my players will get, so why not let them do it early? I enjoy thinking of scenarios to give the flying race a challenge. Also, RAW races are kinda boring. Let your Yuan-ti be good for all I care!
Personally, I think a warforged in a survival game could be really cool rp-wise, especially if it’s in cold weather. Think about it, the warforged would be fine, but everyone else wouldn’t be, which brings up a lot of emotional dilemmas. Warforged can’t provide warmth, supply food (unless they go get it themelves), or much else, so they have to do their best as the ONE person who isn’t affected by all this. Plus you could argue wear and tear on them due to prolonged exposure to certain elements if you really wanted to, then you’d have the one person who can function well slowly losing that function as they try to provide for everyone else. Bonus points if someone is injured and cant move.
I adore my warforged oath of the crown paladin. His not needing to breathe has saved our butts in a recent stealth section. Shoved him, his steed, and the magic chariot he rides, into a portable hole so that I didn’t disadvantage up the rest of the otherwise stealthy party of warlocks and monks. I would argue that a SINGLE warforged in a party mitigates the survival bypass nicely, as everyone else still needs to eat. Additionally it opens up a number of utlility options. Ship needs an anchor? I gotchu fam!
1:27 I feel like dying at 30 has the potential to be really good for role-playing; your team members will live much longer, and if the campaign is paced in such a way that people mature between arcs, it can give way to interesting party dynamics as the Aarakocra grows old and the others don’t. If homebrewing is involved, the DM could come up with some stuff about how important family values and the oral tradition is to the Aarakocras (partly as an explanation for the fact that this society of Aarakocras, at least on some level keep up with the other civilizations that exist in the same universe as they do, despite their short life span and thus short social memory); we could even have highly traditionalists societies, with transcending notions of a “nest atop a mountain where the sun never sets”, or ancient rivalries with other people around them that they call “egg eaters” or something, which would play really well into the roleplaying aspect as well. Though I suppose if you go in depth enough with any race/society, you’re bound to make it interesting. So dunno if it counts. Definitely adding this version of the Aarakocras to my homebrew though.
One of my DM’s was against me playing an aarakocra until he saw my backstory… Part of an elite unit known as Terra Swoop Force, this aarakocra ranger/rogue was trained as a scout and hunter seeking abberations and undead that lurk in the underdark. Nimble, with keen eyes and experience surviving away from society in hostile environments, one could easily mistake Cricket for fearless… However, his passion for flight underground came from more of a stick motivation than the carrot of peace and valour. He is deathly afraid of storms and strong winds, something he can safely avoid underground. Thus, he is very much terrified of flying outdoors and in the open air. This lead to a hilarious incident in an early session where we were tracking an assassin across the rooftops, and the party were encouraging Cricket to fly up and spot them from a higher rooftop. Instead, he found a nearby ladder and climbed up much to the confusion of the party. Additionally when trying to jump between rooftops instead of flying, he rolled really badly and just fell off a roof. He then had to explain his fear to the party, but did get a nat 20 + 7 on his survival to find tracks and lead the way to said assassin.
It’s worth noting that the “you can switch proficiencies” kind of already existed in the base rules before Tasha’s. The PHB states “if a character would gain the same proficiency from two different sources, they can choose a different proficiency of the same kind (skill or tool) instead” (PHB 125). This entry is under customizing your background, but the wording specifically states that it can be any two sources. Nothing in the book says you need to choose a class proficiency that you don’t already have. Let’s say you’re a Lizardfolk and you take lineage proficiency in Animal Handling and Perception. Then you roll a Barbarian, pick Animal Handling and Perception as your class proficiencies, and then literally choose any skill you want based on the wording of the above rule. Basically laundering your proficiencies. You can do the same with Backgrounds, but you also have the ability to customize your Background already so the point is moot.
Pureblood Yuan-ti/Satyr + Oath of the Ancients Paladin is just the biggest middle finger to every single spellcaster in the game. I’m fairly certain a Yuan Ti or Satyr Ancients Paladin at level 8 could solo a lich with some decent rolls. Edit: If you REALLY hate enemy spellcasters. You can also multiclass 6 levels for lore bard and grab yourself counterspell. Because the only person who should be able to use magic to any major effect on the battlefield is you, obviously.
I often just allow my players a feat at 1st level no matter the race; so I’m not stuck with a bunch of variant humans and I allow point buy to go into negatives below 8 to get additional points to spend then making the max cap 16 for points spend not including racial bonuses. Seems to have been working very well for the last couple years I’ve been doing it and allows me to boost combat difficulty a little.
Its funny I like the big bird men for there back story potential, almost ever one iv made normally starts the game as a clipped bird, it eliminated the hate of there flight and gave great rp moments for when they get new wings (via story or regenerate spell) or gain a spell that let’s them fly. (Example of backstories, entertainer – circus clipped wings as a child to keep them around. Slave- well don’t want the bird flying away. Criminal- ended up broken and unusable due to a deal gone bad. Just a few but solves a problem ^^)
I’d also like to point out the Vedalken race for a singular reason. Advantage on ALL Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. Not just against magic but any saving throw. On top of having a 500~ yesr lifespan, a free d4 to one skill and toolkit of your choice, and 1 hour a day of free underwater breathing. They are fantastically broken for spellcasters with an already high average mental saving throw bonus
We were once doing a very dark survival session and the DM made sure not to tell us, and he got to know that I coincidentally made a warforged twilight cleric with a feat that gives him goodberry, and as a cleric he has access to create/destroy water and lesser restoration. Literally broke the session at level 4.
8:00 – Warforged are based on golems. I remember in Dragon magazine back in 4e, they talked about them all having the word “truth” on their foreheads in Primordial and are most commonly made of stone, though sometimes there’s metal and/or wood involved as well. In real-world myths, golems have the word “truth” on their foreheads in Hebrew and are most commonly made of stone. I just thought this might be interesting to share. I haven’t seen 5e mention it anywhere yet.
I’ve always been miffed by alignment in D&D, particularly because of how evil is interpreted. Basically, if you’re good, you’re good because your guy does things out of the goodness of their heart, right? Not necessarily because you want to serve a greater good, and it can manifest as small gestures, and it doesn’t have to be in service of the greater good. You just have to do it because you think it will benefit someone else but yourself. Being neutral is basically minding your own business. But being evil is almost always treated as being evil for evils sake. Like, why can’t you just be evil cause you don’t give a shit about others? You’ll get it your way no matter how many corpses you have to walk over, no for some reason DMs just automatically assume and try to force you to play a murder hobo because they just can’t accept that evil characters can fit into and just be general dicks without being a menace. Like a Yuan Ti could be evil and be perfectly able to get along with everyone else until their own interests diverge from the group or society. Long story short, evil characters can work if you’re a good DM and not lazy.
My Yuan-ti Pureblood was an adaptation of a character I had created for a sort of book I was “writing” in my head. My DM suggested that race since it was the closest mechanically to what this character was able to do. While I was reading on Yuan-ti to see if they were a good pick I came across the issue of them being evil, to which my DM told me “don’t pay attention to that”. Me, being sort of a stickler for lore and all that stuff, came up with the idea of my character being lawful neutral because his moral code is the law of the country he works at, given that he is sort of a cop/detective. I ended up with a character that will lay down his life for the citizens as it is his duty, but has no qualms whatsoever about killing people, so long as they have been caught red handed doing something bad enough. It lines up pretty well with what I had planned for my original character, so it works for me.
I honestly think human variant should be the default human race. When you have races like elves who require half the time to sleep while in a meditative state so you can’t be taken by surprise, some of the best and most versatile sub races in dnd, considering great bonuses in some of the best stats in the game and resistance to being charmed and immunity to sleep, aging to be nearly a century making you virtually immune to aging effects and INNATE CASTING….. who cares if humans get ONE feat Edit: to those saying that “oh sharp shooter, lucky, GWM etc.” Thats not the human’s fault. You can argue these feats at ANY point of the game is over powered. The cool thing about dnd is you are a DM… if you think a feat is too strong level 1 level lock it to level 4…. Having a few good feats should not be the reason humans should get LITERALLY nothing. Compared to other races who get almost everything to complement their kit. Everyone is trying to invalidate my argument by mentioning the most powerful feats when in reality they are probably gunna get that feat down the line anyway. Is it really THAT broken for a level 1 human to have the skilled expert feat? Or the chef feat if it fits their character. SMH I would hate to be in your game sounds like a no fun zone
I do not have a problem with the Custom Origin myself. It makes sense that some members of some races differ greatly from their counterparts. What I struggle with is the races that come after this, who have precisely no inherent racial ASIs whatsoever, and moreover few other defining features of the race in question. Having a means to make a character who differs from the norm is great; having a race with no norm, or God forbid barely an ounce of lore to justify them, winds up making players feel less special for “not being with the norm”.
I think that Custom Origin can be managed with easily. The whole point is to be a creature that doesn’t fit in any preconcieved race (like, you want to be a mushroom man?). So as a DM, I would DEFINITELY ask for the chosen feat to be coherent to the newly-created race, and not just picked for min-maxing your class. As for varient human, I tend to authorize it because baseline human is just so…meh. Maybe just ban certain feats from getting picked?
I feel the custom origin is the greatest adition to the game in regards to race. It means you can finally play that elf raised by orcs. It also makes custom races so much easier, as you can just take an existing race, use the custom origin to tweak them, add flavor, and boom. You got a new, custom race. Like, you want to play a bear man, who’s people are one with the land? Take the half-orc, swap the CON boost for WIS, and the orcish language for silvan, and you have an easy custom race.
If Warforged are “too technologically advanced” you might not want to have magic then. Because they’re literally constructs that were given actual life instead of the semblance of it. It would be like trying to argue that it doesn’t make sense for necromancers to exist in a fantasy world. Magic handwaves all the “technology” bits. And flavorwise you could do whatever you wanted. I’ve literally played in a homebrew game, where the end of the quest was to stop a ritual conceived by a rogue Priest of Moradin to create life. It created that settings version of the Warforged and basically fed off the lives of the living for fuel for the ritual.
Dependant on the campaign, poison immunity of yuan-ti (and grungs) is actually insane. I only got a short way in BG:DIA, and my player that played a grung basically halved or was entirely immune to about half the damage the party took. On a different note, I don’t feel variant human is OP. They don’t get a ‘free’ feat, they get that feat, and 1 of each type of proficiency. No special abilities, just normal feats a bit earlier. This doesn’t go for custom origin however, as it’s ability to give a +2 to a single stat results in it being able to get a stat to 20 up to 2 levels faster than any other build (and that’s with both builds min/maxing for 20 in said stat – it’s just generally better at min/maxing)
In an old game I played in, the DM ended up nerfing the Aarakocra sorcerer’s flying speed through a story plot point because of how he used it. Of course, he did nearly die in the first session because he flew about 100ft in the air and went to spy on a collection of bad guys (this was at level 1 🤦♀️) only to be spotted and shot down… I’ve never had a DM ban me from using a variant human but then I don’t really play a human character very often. My brother’s actually playing a Warforged in the game I’m currently running and it’s led to some REALLY good RP moments between the party.
Honestly, I don’t see Tasha’s Custom Origin being banned because it changes what races “should be”. I feel like that’s kind of a BS concept on it’s own. What’s wrong with playing against type? For example, in the case of the orc sorcerer… what if the orc character was born physically weaker but with magical gifts or, even better, was born into a line of shamans or mystics? There’s nothing saying orcs wouldn’t have the equivalent of Clerics trying to speak to their god/s or to divine/scry where the tribe would be more successful hunting or travelling. Sure, orcs TEND to be a physical and imposing race, but I think even they would see the benefits of those in their tribe who can tap into the fabric of nature and reality itself to bolster their ranks or rain death down in a large area. And even if not, having a character who’s atypical can make for some awesome roleplay potential. Going back to the orc sorcerer again – what if their frail form and magical gifts made them an outcast from their orc tribe? What if they escaped before being executed for being weak and have been travelling alone, trying to become stronger? What if they’re still being pursued to this day and have difficulty finding a safe place to rest as nobody trusts them, either because of their orc heritage or because everywhere they go, the orcs will find them and raise the town to try and kill the fugitive? There you go! I just wrote a backstory for our example character that uses the custom origin, but still plays into the races “should be” a certain way.
I really liked this article, seeing someone else that doesn’t ban aracrocka but balances it is great. I forgot how broken it is tho. The rest of the races I never really checked and I’m happy you made this so now I know which ones I need to be prepared! Edit: all Tasha’s adittions in my table are welcomed, since they give a lot of roleplay potential and build flexibility. I can also understand why people could dislike it tho, and yes newbies struggle a lot with that that’s why I don’t even mention it when they are beginning to familiarize with the game.
Thought about playing an Aarakocra monk who had his wings cut off in an goblin raid. This particular tribe of goblins realised that in ambushing Aarakocras and cutting off their wings, or at least maiming them as soon as possible, it would make fighting them easier. My character would have been one of a few survivors of this raid as he was a juvenile and hid away with his brother and sister. Now fully grown, he seeks to find a skilled artisan who can fashion prosthetic wings for him and his siblings, all the while learning the ways of the fist and talon to better defend himself on his journey. I feel like this is a great way for me to play the cool bird people race while avoiding the inherent issue with playing a bird person, while also allowing plenty opportunity for roleplay. – No flying speed, but stats still lend themselves to the monk playstyle – Makes sense to have met the party in the city, as he’d be looking for a skilled craftsman – Encourages urban exploration from a roleplay perspective – May have uncontrollable fear/aggression when facing goblins, a common enemy in most campaigns so its a flaw that actually comes up in play – Once he reaches level 12 or so, then that can be when he finds a craftsman skilled enough to make him a set of wings, could be a whole side quest for him to look out for materials and funds whilst adventuring and bring it back to the guy. For me the human/animal races are really cool, loxodons are another favourite of mine. So I’m kinda just throwing this idea out there as inspiration for character ideas that still let you play the race but gain flight at a more balanced time.
How to deal with each op race as a DM Aarakocra : Hold person spells, dungeons/caves etc that have no room to fly in, enemy aarakocra, etc. Pureblood Yuan-ti : Use spells that target non-magical things to deal damage. Enlarge/reduce your allies. use mundane means to restrain them/ Grapple + rope/manacles are great for this. Can’t make use of your advantage on check/save if you are never made to make a check/save. Satyr : Same as above. Ram only works if they move in a straight line. Obstructions will make this more difficult to use. Custom lineage free feat : Get creative and pay attention to the feat they take and what benefits it gives. Heavy armor master? well that bbeg just so happens to have weapons/abilities that overcome that. Spells work just as well. Warforged : Two words, Rust monster.
8:44 The main issue I have is, to use that example, a half-orc could always have been basically anything, you could have a half-orc wizard with STR as your dump stat. I actually have a half-orc wizard character around somewhere. The idea that certain races can’t do things because it wouldn’t be min-max in a role-playing game is just daft. And believe me, I both like to minmax and I suck at role-play. It’s trying to solve a problem that just wasn’t there.
Yuan-to purebloods are crazy strong and imo crazy interesting. I think having a yuan-ti in the party who is no longer associated with the empire and just in life for themselves can be really cool. I think the idea of a character having no emotions at all is interesting and is fun to role play. Being emotionless doesn’t mean you’re necessarily evil either, just that you probably aren’t some lawful good or chaotic good hero.
Ha! That Warforged holding the anchor is art I commissioned for a campaign. The artist is Gaston Garcia and he is brilliant! Unfortunately the campaign never got started but the premise for the character was very simple: He was lost at the bottom of the sea, inactive for a long time. He was accidently dredged from the sea floor by a dropped anchor. With no memory of his past, he served as the protector of the ship, took the name Anchor, and kept the anchor that found him as his weapon!
I think the actual problem with Yuan-Ti was the immunity to poison, which immunity to a damage type eliminates a boat load of challenges, and then they have a lot of great stuff besides that, such as the magic resistance. However, they nerfed both of those recently with the updated races, so I think they are fine to use now.
I personally like the idea of tasha’s custom origin and I allow it in my games under a few additional conditions: 1. you can only replace mental ability score improvements (Wis, Cha, int) with other mental ASIs. Same goes for Str, Dex, Con. 2. Languages can be replaced when there is a good reason for it in the backstory (it’s a great motivation for players to think about their backstory). 3. Skills cannot be replaced, unless there is a hell of a good reason for it.
About the warforged, there’s a really neat way to make them work in a survival game. While they were designed for war, that doesn’t mean they don’t need repair, or even upkeep. Make them find some method of getting an oily substance to keep their parts moving smooth. maybe a woodpecker starts going at their wooden pieces, or maybe their arm got damaged by a tree or something and they need to fix it, lest it become useless. It would definitely keep things balanced, because food, water and shelter may take time to acquire and effort to keep, but any source of oil for the warforged will also take time and energy to have, and maintenance will be costly, possibly even requiring improvisation with pieces that aren’t designed or intended for the purpose that hinders them with the lower quality, and will need replacement/repair far faster than standard issue parts would.
I’ve been using a variant of tashas custom lineage for almost as long as I’ve been dming. I feel like forcing certain races to be certain classes limits people’s creativity when it comes to character building. And so what if some things seem broken? At the end of the day, all that matters is that my players have fun so if I have to work a little harder to balance encounters then so be it.
“…the only reason to be a half orc beyond roleplay reasons…” Oh no, if only this game was more roleplay focused. Legit, I hear that compaint and I never get it “Now why would you play/do/get X now unless you wanted to” yeah…that’s the point. It’s a game meant to have fun. Why is that a problem?
My thing with the Yuan-Ti being evil, is that it is their society that is evil. Like how Roman society was evil. And a “Good Roman” would then have to be evil as well. Yuan-Ti aren’t without emotion, they think emotions are bad and you should not have them, source: a flaw for a Yuan-Ti character is that they feel emotions and are ashamed by it.
Honestly, I like Tasha’s Custom Origin, which by the way also applies to character alignment too iirc, and also the errata removing those ridiculous minuses from races like Kobolds and Orcs, because it moves the narrative away from what TV Tropes calls “Unfortunate Implications.” Simply put, if the writers are perfectly fine with the fantasy counterpart to your race or culture being universally stupid, weak, or evil by default, then it implies unfortunate things about said writer’s perspective, like ignorance or outright racism. This is especially problematic at times because most of the conventional player races are most often clearly modeled after Western and Central Europe, while many of the unconventional and/or “monster” races commonly take inspiration from more “exotic” places like Africa, Asia, or the Americas. Generally, players who complain especially loud about Custom Origin also seem like the type who would be far happier playing AD&D for the sake of giving women -2 Strength on top of all that baggage.
Tasha’s custom origin is the fix the biggest problem with races. Changing up where the stats go for a group of players who while aren’t power gamers also want to feel powerful means they I often rarley see anything outside the normal wheel house. Dwarves are non existent because outside barbarian they don’t do much. And such yet elves and variant human are the go to options because they are both strong and easy to optimize without caring. Sigh another party of elves and humans.
“Tasha’s custom origin is controversial!” LOL my tables been doing exactly this for more than a decade across various editions and I know we aren’t alone. If people are really upset about this I think they need to remember people like options, and don’t want to be punished for playing against type.
My next character: Amerikroma (Eagle sound) becouse every action Is a free action (Eagle sound) Basically, a sorcerer with the variant for dragons, and the Quickened metamagic, to blast people from the Sky. Lvl 4 magic sniper, eldritch blast taken as cantrip and 72 meters blast Is unlocked, the terrore of the sky. (Eagle sound) I’m not going as an artificier for guns becouse we don’t use that manual (yet).
I guess to me banning things is odd. Can’t you as a DM just be creative enough to handle this? Let someone play Yuan-ti but make sure they understand they have to explain why they’re good or neutral and why they’re not emotionless…or perhaps they’re attached to someone and its a strange new feeling which makes them want to do more. Challenge the players to think outside of the box and really just push yourself as a storyteller to do more with these races. Banning anything are tables I don’t play at as a personal preference.
Actually, about the last point bout warforged, we were doing an old fantasy based campaign, and I talked to my DM about warforged. My idea was that he was a blueprint made by a dwarf that has performed miracles. My character was basically a sentient smaller golem that was made by magic. Because of this, he was a wild magic sorcerer named Pr0t0. His goal was to find out what happened to his creator, and when he did, to avenge his death and take back his blueprints before there was an army of golemforged controlled by the BBEG.
All of our Aarakocra’s near death experiences have involved falling from the air after getting hit and falling prone/taking damage. And they can’t fly much while in dungeons or buildings which means that melee enemies will still be a big threat there. There is definitely room for abuse but I think it really depends on how both the player and GM play around it. For example when our aarakocra scouts ahead for danger, it comes at the caveat of they can also be seen by things on the ground, making an otherwise useful stealth skill more situational. We also have a custom lineage artificer that uses gun-type weapons & my kobold paladin is using the MMotM version which has Tasha’s rules on stats, so maybe my opinion is different but our party hasn’t had many issues getting into danger & almost dying regardless 😂
I played a Raptoran Archer in an evil 3.5 D&D game. Together with a rogue (sneak) and a sorcerer (big area spellcaster), I was basically the steel cannon of the group. Amazing dex, nothing ever hit me, plus that special rapotran bow did extra damage and I specialized in outputting as many arrows as possible. Amazing for crowd control and distraction while the other two took care of things from the shadows. Would recommend that balance of making a great flyer, but legit handicapping them by making them the tank as well. It made for some fun gameplay (except the dungeon we did. My char was 100% useless in that one. But that was part of the character too).
Custom Origin solved most of the problems most of my players, and most newcomers I’ve encountered, had with the character creation — specially when it came to roleplaying without feeling useless in combat. I understand why some DMs would ban this race, but the hate I’ve seen some veterans give it is just honestly irrational.
My friend plays aarakocra and I DM but I wholeheartedly love it, because he is a squishy wizard, who’s character is a lawful good nerdddddd but he plays from a giant distance and swoops in to “um actually” and it’s hilarious. We play for gits and shiggles so genuinely, as long as he’s having fun, I’m having fun
I love how Aarakocra had a bonus to wisdom but can be an adult at 3 years old when wisdom can be based on experience. It looks like WotC did an errata so the Aarakocra did get a huge rebalance. Now similar to the new flier owlin the Aarakocra “has a fly speed equal to it’s walking speed” so base 30ft. But also like the owlin you can put +2 to any and +1 to another or just +1 to 3 different stats. As for the Owlin, I’m using that versitility to make a winged owlin-bear barbarian of the bear totem. Sounds flavorful to me.
I mean for the warforged, you can always change it so that they have an internal chamber full of acid that breaks down chemical components to be used to create a kind of battery acid for their battery cells. In this way, the robots have to eat food to survive, and you can also make it that if they don’t shutdown their higher level functions like sight and hearing while resting, then it will continue to drain their resources. IDK I think it’s a good fix to keep a warforged in a game.
My regular DM once in a past campaign didn’t allowed a player to play as a yuan-ti. While writing a backup character, I came up with a yuan-ti wild magic sorcerer and asked what could be changed, since I remembered that he mentioned the race was to overpowered. He just said “magic resistence at lvl 5, that’s all, I just don’t agree they getting that at lvl 1”. When I mentioned Poison Immunity, he said “I assure you, you’ll find it very useful for the whole party from the start.” The player in question in the past campaign was at lvl 3 and wanted as they were in the book.
The first DnD game I have ever played was supposed to be a short level 1-5 campaign. The DM handed out prebuilt characters he made that were randomized outside of the core stat each class needs to function and the constitution stat. He basically gave me a god walking amongst men of a character that broke everything. He gave me an Aasimar Peace Cleric with a starting AC of 16 and 14 hp. I rarely got hit, I did just as much damage as everyone else at the table at those levels, I could buff and heal my party as needed, and by 3rd level I had a fly speed of 30 feet. There was also a Satyr Warlock and a Warforged Rogue in the party (both also built by the DM) but they seemed not as powerful. But maybe that was just because we didn’t fight any magic casters and wilderness survival wasn’t a main focus.
I had a player who wanted to be an Aarakocra but knew I wouldn’t want to deal with the flying. So we came up with the idea of being the “runt” of his family, standing 3ft tall and couldn’t fly but could glide if he had enough of a drop. He chose to make the character a warlock with Pact of the Blade and fought with a 6ft great sword. Strength didn’t matter since it was his pact weapon.
I have an Aarakocra Ranger (and her flock of 7 royal siblings) I’ve only gotten to play her twice, both campaigns were canceled (or I left because of…reasons) and my friend suggested the following restriction to get the chance to play her again -can’t fly indoors unless the ceiling is 30ft tall -can only fly for 1 in-game minute during combat, and 10 outside of combat -take 30 in-game seconds to rest before you can fly again Which makes sense! Makes it a bit less broken XD
Several years ago, I had a character that was run as a warforged sorcerer. The character wasn’t made for D&D, just translated into it as best we could with pretty much just the standard 5e stuff available to us. There were a few custom adjustments made specific to the character, too; some boons like being pretty much impossible to blind by any expected means (echo-location ftw, but yes, sudden, loud, unexpected noises could be disorienting), as well as losing or handicapping some of those racial benefits. Survival was no issue in our campaign due to its setup, and the DM even said, “Yeah, just assume any common item you might need can be found in the treasury of our awesome stolen ship.” This included a free diamond suitable for casting Chromatic Orb. Still was weird to play a potent magic user who was missing the “glass” part of “glass cannon.” Due to odd character setup (which had me maintaining 3 separate character sheets for one character) along with just fun-times absurdity, I even got to survive being blown apart when the enemy in one battle determined that I was too big of a problem. Just uh, had to deal with a much smaller body for a bit and acknowledge a grudging respect for the party’s artificer for patching things up. (My character had a heck of a Napoleon complex, to put things simply, and the artificer was also the party leader.)
I let my players have undead combo races such one of them chose to be a skeleton aarokocra i remember one of them had the idea when the party got trapped in a dungeon cell he took himself apart bone by bone placed himself outside the cell got some keys and freed the party later i also let my players have races that seem like they would fit into the world of dnd or races that plain are in the world but arent available as long as they are at least semi-humanoid so no dragon race but i pretty much let them come up with their own races and let the party decide yay or nay on whether or not it fits in and i come up with balanced stat boosts
i let one of my players be a mind flayer – sorcerer class – Aberrant Mind sub class – that had lycanthropy they could control. I honestly imagined a tentacle werewolf and laughed at the absurdly and monstrosity it was. Obviously i took out alot of the monster effects each one had, and gave them the mask of many faces as a talisman to blend into to society. I let them do custom lineage and honestly it was amazing – the role play of a mind flayer who is passion dead mixed with a werewolf which is all about primal desires made for a complex roleplay that often felt like a Dr. jackal and mister hyde character.
Easy fix for natural flying: flying for an extended period (use the Fly spell’s duration) risk exhaustion (like going without a long rest, you’d roll a constitution check and gain a level of exhaustion if you fail). The check would be rerolled and get harder for every additional minute or two spent natural flying. Taking a short or long rest would reset the DC counter and refresh uses of safe flying. Add onto that having a number of free 10 minute uses based off proficiency bonus, and the player will have plenty of uses without trivializing everything in the early game.
Me to my players: Ight, remember you guys have a lvl one talent and no race restrictions, it’s time to have fun. The way to balance the feat at lvl 1 thing is basically what they are doing now for One D&D which I am sure you talked about already, but I just limit the choices my players have to anything that doesn’t give you a stat or that is race required like dragon hide, just general feats like tough, alert and even mobile even though it makes me hate monks even more, have a good one mate, love your vids o/
Custom origin is cool if its used to create a character that is about being an outcast from their normal society or “the exception to the rule” of a race. Maybe 90% of a race is one way but sometimes they evolve differently. An intelligent but weak Orc could be the “runt of the litter” who is always mocked by their clan Aarakocra flight can be tempered really easy, and also in quite fun ways that sometimes lead to high risk/reward situations and extra drama. It’s hard to fly in strong wind, in tight spaces, or where there are lots of obstacles. Flying above a battlefield means you don’t have cover from anywhere and everyone can see you and there are ways for various types of enemies to knock you prone or reduce your speed to 0, which can make you fall out of the air and take fall damage. If the DM wants a challenge to be immune to flying or at least be really difficult on that approach, they can just make whatever scenario play out indoors or in a cavern complex or somewhere with gusty winds. DM’s can also homebrew how flight works a little – add acrobatics rolls for take off and landing, with DCs dependant on the situation. One time an NPC of mine attempted to land on a fishing pontoon – I rolled in the open, got a nat 1 and it was hilarious. Someday I really want to play or maybe DM a game with just Aarakocra heroes
I’m gonna be DMing soon for the first time. Both me and my Players never played DnD (But some other Pen and Papers). I already created some characters with some of my players using the tashas custome origin rule, without the whole subclass changing thing… that sounds stupid and op. I might let them change their subclass occasionally if it makes sense for the character rp-wise but not just on the fly. Also were gonna have a lot of homebrew stuff that they suggest, because that sounds interesting, maybe a bit complicated and a lot of work sometimes for us (mostly me probably) but interesting. I’m really excited for running the game, because I think they are the kind of people who will mostly roleplay so Tashas custome origin rule just adds to the fun.