3 Warforged Character Concepts

[lytokk]

Alright, making some characters out of core for once, and all the advice I've been getting from you guys has been great. I've got 3 Front runners for my character, and could use some feedback to ensure everything is done legally.

Race: Warforged
Stats: Rolled for, got: 18,11,14,14,16,16
Level 6

All characters will have maxxed out ranks in either craft armorsmithing or weaponsmithing. My group isn't what I would call optimizers. They don't set out to handicap themselves, but they also don't go out of their way to milk everything out of every choice in creation or levelling. Mid range is where I'd say they are. If something really powerful happens, its usually by accident, so i'd prefer to keep me in that range.

Adam

Size: Large
STR 24
DEX 14
CON 20
INT 14
WIS 12
CHA 10

Fighter 4/Crusader 1

Feats: Adamantine Body, Power Attack, Cleave, Vital Recovery

Manuevers: Bolstering Voice, Leading the Attack, Crusaders Strike, Iron Guards Glare and Vanguard Strike

Stance: Martial Spirit

I haven't decided on a specific weapon yet, I'm still a little shakey on the preferred weapons for disciplines, but definitely something 2 handed. Would rather not use a greatsword as I've seen swords used too many times and would like to use something different.

Also, haven't spent any of the 13k starting gold, but am looking at at least a +2 bonus to armor, perhaps a +1 or 2 weapon. Any help with equipment would definitely be appreciated. I really don't know what inspired this character, other than wanting to be big and hit things with a bigger stick. Then I realized I didn't need many more feats, so I decided to go crusader.


Swordsage

STR 16
DEX 18
CON 16
WIS 14
INT 14
CHA 10

Unarmed Swordsage Variant 4/Fighter 2

Feats: Adaptive Style, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Superior Unarmed Strike, Combat Reflexes

Manuevers 1: Counter Charge, Mighty Throw, Charging Minotaur, Clinging Shadow Strike, Burning Blad, Wind Strike, Sudden Leap

Stances 1: Stonfoot Stance, and either Step of the Wind or Child of the shadow

Manuevers 2: Mountain Hammer, Shadow Jaunt

Straight unarmed warforged with a bigger than normal punch. So about all I'm looking for with equipment is methods of healing or armor enchanting. Some STR boosts wouldn't hurt to help with trip attempts. Inspiration for this character comes from Alphonse Elric, FullMetal Alchemist.


Duskblade

STR 18
DEX 16
CON 16
WIS 12
INT 16
CHA 10

Duskblade 6

Feats: Mithril Body. I really don't have any clue where to go with feats for this guy. The way I see it, most likely increase spell power, most likely with spell penetration to overcome SR, but casters really aren't my specialty when it comes to feat choices, so most of the help I need is here

Spells
Level 0 - Acid Splash, Distrupt Undead, Ray of Frost, Touch of Fatigue
Level 1 - Kelgore's Fire Bolt, Swift Expeditious Retreat, Shocking Grasp, Ray of Enfeeblement and then either Chill Touch or Bigsbys Tripping Hand
Level 2 - Touch of Idiocy, and either Animalistic Power or Darkvision. Leaning toward Darkvision

Equipment: Wand Sheath - left bracer. Storing a magic wand and being able to use it at will. 4000 gold
Forearm Blade: right bracer Similar to the armblade, this +1 Short sword is capable of retracting into the warforged arm to remain almost completely hidden. Extending a forearm blade is a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The Warforged's hand is still fully functional while this blade is attached. 4000 gold
+1 Longsword, +1 Heavy Shield (not really used til level 7)

I did have a plan to take the Wild Cohort feat and take a riding dog as my companion. With the exception that this would be more of a warforged templatized riding dog. Inspiration for this character is an image I found of megaman while searching for him.



There you have it. Those last few weeks of giving me advice has led to these 3 characters. I appreciate any feedback I can get, and thank you for the time in helping me figure all of this out. There's also an idea for a warforged druid, ironwood body, same stats but with a crocodile familiar. Also has a taste for turning into dinosaurs. Why? Cause I like dinosaurs.

[Red Fel]

Alright, making some characters out of core for once, and all the advice I've been getting from you guys has been great. I've got 3 Front runners for my character, and could use some feedback to ensure everything is done legally.

Race: Warforged
Stats: Rolled for, got: 18,11,14,14,16,16
Level 6

All characters will have maxxed out ranks in either craft armorsmithing or weaponsmithing. My group isn't what I would call optimizers. They don't set out to handicap themselves, but they also don't go out of their way to milk everything out of every choice in creation or levelling. Mid range is where I'd say they are. If something really powerful happens, its usually by accident, so i'd prefer to keep me in that range.

Let's rock.


Adam

Size: Large
STR 24
DEX 14
CON 20
INT 14
WIS 12
CHA 10

Fighter 4/Crusader 1

Feats: Adamantine Body, Power Attack, Cleave, Vital Recovery

Manuevers: Bolstering Voice, Leading the Attack, Crusaders Strike, Iron Guards Glare and Vanguard Strike

Stance: Martial Spirit

I haven't decided on a specific weapon yet, I'm still a little shakey on the preferred weapons for disciplines, but definitely something 2 handed. Would rather not use a greatsword as I've seen swords used too many times and would like to use something different.

Also, haven't spent any of the 13k starting gold, but am looking at at least a +2 bonus to armor, perhaps a +1 or 2 weapon. Any help with equipment would definitely be appreciated. I really don't know what inspired this character, other than wanting to be big and hit things with a bigger stick. Then I realized I didn't need many more feats, so I decided to go crusader.


First: Why is Adam Large? Was there a feat involved?

Second, Iron Guard's Glare is a Stance, not a Maneuver.

Third, if you're going Crusader, go full tank. Take Combat Reflexes and Stand Still. That way, once you get Thicket of Blades, you can basically stop anything dead in its tracks if it so much as breathes near you.

Don't want to take a big sword? Good. Take a reach weapon to maximize your threat range. Take EWP: Spiked Chain and rock the trips-disarms-reach triple threat.

And remember that some of the Devoted Spirit maneuvers heal you straight-up, but some of them say things like "as a Heal spell," which is a Healing subschool spell for half-healing. Keep that in mind.


Swordsage

STR 16
DEX 18
CON 16
WIS 14
INT 14
CHA 10

Unarmed Swordsage Variant 4/Fighter 2

Feats: Adaptive Style, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Superior Unarmed Strike, Combat Reflexes

Manuevers 1: Counter Charge, Mighty Throw, Charging Minotaur, Clinging Shadow Strike, Burning Blad, Wind Strike, Sudden Leap

Stances 1: Stonfoot Stance, and either Step of the Wind or Child of the shadow

Manuevers 2: Mountain Hammer, Shadow Jaunt

Straight unarmed warforged with a bigger than normal punch. So about all I'm looking for with equipment is methods of healing or armor enchanting. Some STR boosts wouldn't hurt to help with trip attempts. Inspiration for this character comes from Alphonse Elric, FullMetal Alchemist.


Remember, Unarmed Swordsage is an "adaptation," not a proper variant. This means it hasn't been explicitly statted, so it's up to you what that means. Now, according to the annoyingly vague RAW, you give up your light armor proficiency, and gain the Monk's unarmed progression. By RAW, however, a Warforged Monk retains his Monk abilities in his composite plating, and is always proficient with it, so I would rule that Mithral Body lets you keep your Swordsage benefits. As for "unarmed progression," I would rule that does two things: first, it gives you the Monk unarmed damage for your size as listed in the table of the Monk class; second, it gives you Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.

That said, your maneuvers chosen seem schizophrenic. What are you aiming for? Which 9th-level maneuvers are you eying? Remember several things.

1: Setting Sun is good, but really shines for Small races. You will not be grappling with many larger opponents, so some of the benefits are lost on you.

2: Desert Wind is nice at lower levels, but later on they basically hand out Fire Resist in the Villain Convention goodie bags. Keep that in mind; it's good for maneuverability, weak for damage.

3: Never take Stone Dragon stances. They clash badly with anything that requires maneuverability, because they vanish if you take a five-foot step. Take one of those nice Shadow Hand stances for concealment.


Duskblade

STR 18
DEX 16
CON 16
WIS 12
INT 16
CHA 10

Duskblade 6

Feats: Mithril Body. I really don't have any clue where to go with feats for this guy. The way I see it, most likely increase spell power, most likely with spell penetration to overcome SR, but casters really aren't my specialty when it comes to feat choices, so most of the help I need is here

Spells
Level 0 - Acid Splash, Distrupt Undead, Ray of Frost, Touch of Fatigue
Level 1 - Kelgore's Fire Bolt, Swift Expeditious Retreat, Shocking Grasp, Ray of Enfeeblement and then either Chill Touch or Bigsbys Tripping Hand
Level 2 - Touch of Idiocy, and either Animalistic Power or Darkvision. Leaning toward Darkvision

Equipment: Wand Sheath - left bracer. Storing a magic wand and being able to use it at will. 4000 gold
Forearm Blade: right bracer Similar to the armblade, this +1 Short sword is capable of retracting into the warforged arm to remain almost completely hidden. Extending a forearm blade is a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The Warforged's hand is still fully functional while this blade is attached. 4000 gold
+1 Longsword, +1 Heavy Shield (not really used til level 7)

I did have a plan to take the Wild Cohort feat and take a riding dog as my companion. With the exception that this would be more of a warforged templatized riding dog. Inspiration for this character is an image I found of megaman while searching for him.


Dictum Mortuum has an exceptional handbook (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/08/duskblade-handbook.html) on Duskblades. Read. Learn.

Consider a Bloodstone weapon. It acts as a spellstoring weapon for Vampiric Touch, which it maximizes. Vampiric Touch is necromancy, not healing, so you get full benefits from it. This will be your bread and butter.

Since Duskblade is both an Int-based caster class and a melee class, consider Knowledge Devotion. Your skill points may be low, but putting them into the appropriate Knowledge skills translates into delicious damage boosts.

As a side note, it has been hypothesized that a Warforged Duskblade channeling spells into a Battlefist would be awesomely hardcore.


There you have it. Those last few weeks of giving me advice has led to these 3 characters. I appreciate any feedback I can get, and thank you for the time in helping me figure all of this out. There's also an idea for a warforged druid, ironwood body, same stats but with a crocodile familiar. Also has a taste for turning into dinosaurs. Why? Cause I like dinosaurs.

Everyone likes dinosaurs. Sadly, I don't know Druids, so I can't help you there.

But if you ever want to make your Warforged a Dinobot, consider the Dragonborn template...

[lytokk]

First: Why is Adam Large? Was there a feat involved?


+ 1 Level adjustment giving +6 str, -2 DEX, +2 con. was about the best I could come up with and my players feel these are appropriate adjustments


Second, Iron Guard's Glare is a Stance, not a Maneuver.

oops


Third, if you're going Crusader, go full tank. Take Combat Reflexes and Stand Still. That way, once you get Thicket of Blades, you can basically stop anything dead in its tracks if it so much as breathes near you.

Don't want to take a big sword? Good. Take a reach weapon to maximize your threat range. Take EWP: Spiked Chain and rock the trips-disarms-reach triple threat.

And remember that some of the Devoted Spirit maneuvers heal you straight-up, but some of them say things like "as a Heal spell," which is a Healing subschool spell for half-healing. Keep that in mind.

Thanks for the input Red. I kinda wanted to avoid the spiked chain, for some reason, I've never liked it as a weapon. but I'll see if i can come up with anything better, which I doubt.




Remember, Unarmed Swordsage is an "adaptation," not a proper variant. This means it hasn't been explicitly statted, so it's up to you what that means. Now, according to the annoyingly vague RAW, you give up your light armor proficiency, and gain the Monk's unarmed progression. By RAW, however, a Warforged Monk retains his Monk abilities in his composite plating, and is always proficient with it, so I would rule that Mithral Body lets you keep your Swordsage benefits. As for "unarmed progression," I would rule that does two things: first, it gives you the Monk unarmed damage for your size as listed in the table of the Monk class; second, it gives you Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.

That said, your maneuvers chosen seem schizophrenic. What are you aiming for? Which 9th-level maneuvers are you eying? Remember several things.

1: Setting Sun is good, but really shines for Small races. You will not be grappling with many larger opponents, so some of the benefits are lost on you.

2: Desert Wind is nice at lower levels, but later on they basically hand out Fire Resist in the Villain Convention goodie bags. Keep that in mind; it's good for maneuverability, weak for damage.

3: Never take Stone Dragon stances. They clash badly with anything that requires maneuverability, because they vanish if you take a five-foot step. Take one of those nice Shadow Hand stances for concealment.

i admit that the manuevers are all over the place. i really just didn't know what to take. All I can say is, I wanted to make a character who can pretty much just throw the mobs all over the battlefield. I settled on setting sun as a school to use, and kind of just went from there. Hadn't really made a plan.



Dictum Mortuum has an exceptional handbook (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/08/duskblade-handbook.html) on Duskblades. Read. Learn.

Consider a Bloodstone weapon. It acts as a spellstoring weapon for Vampiric Touch, which it maximizes. Vampiric Touch is necromancy, not healing, so you get full benefits from it. This will be your bread and butter.

Since Duskblade is both an Int-based caster class and a melee class, consider Knowledge Devotion. Your skill points may be low, but putting them into the appropriate Knowledge skills translates into delicious damage boosts.

As a side note, it has been hypothesized that a Warforged Duskblade channeling spells into a Battlefist would be awesomely hardcore.

hmm, I hadn't considered the battlefist, at least for this guy. have to give that some thought



Everyone likes dinosaurs. Sadly, I don't know Druids, so I can't help you there.

But if you ever want to make your Warforged a Dinobot, consider the Dragonborn template...

my problem with the dragonborn template is it removes so much of the original creature. Losing the fortification, I think the lack of need for food and sleep and oxygen. But yes, I was considering a dinobot, was going to dump INT just for the fun of it too.

[Red Fel]

+ 1 Level adjustment giving +6 str, -2 DEX, +2 con. was about the best I could come up with and my players feel these are appropriate adjustments

oops

Thanks for the input Red. I kinda wanted to avoid the spiked chain, for some reason, I've never liked it as a weapon. but I'll see if i can come up with anything better, which I doubt.

Well, there are others. A glaive or guisarme is a popular choice, for example. If you end up going full-tank, your goal should be to extend your reach.


i admit that the manuevers are all over the place. i really just didn't know what to take. All I can say is, I wanted to make a character who can pretty much just throw the mobs all over the battlefield. I settled on setting sun as a school to use, and kind of just went from there. Hadn't really made a plan.

Aha, now I see. Battlefield control via chucking. I get it. I like it. Go with it!


hmm, I hadn't considered the battlefist, at least for this guy. have to give that some thought

It's just a cute little suggestion. Remember, Arcane Channeling works with your weapon. That's any weapon, in theory even unarmed strikes. So have fun with it if you want. Alternatively, put it in a reach weapon, and then you can really "reach out and touch someone." Bazinga.


my problem with the dragonborn template is it removes so much of the original creature. Losing the fortification, I think the lack of need for food and sleep and oxygen. But yes, I was considering a dinobot, was going to dump INT just for the fun of it too.

Actually, you lose the fortification, and the composite plating (unless you took a plating feat) but you keep almost everything else. You keep ability modifiers, and everything under the Living Construct subtype, including the lack of need to eat, sleep or breathe, the various construct susceptibilities to elements, various immunities, and the half-healing. You keep your Living Construct subtype, so you keep those benefits which come from it. It's part of what makes Warforged such a great race for Dragonborn (like Raptoran, who keep their wings, and Water Orcs, who keep their outrageous ability scores).

[lytokk]

hmm... Dragonborn template on th warforged druid... Could I use the breath weapon while wild shaped? in which case, I'm gonna roll this one out too. The only problems are A) figuring out what the hell this thing is going to look like and B) figuring out a backstory for this guy. The current idea was that he was built by a dwarven cleric of Moradin, after loosing his sight and being granted amazing crafting powers (as the current DM I have the authority to make this NPC, and in general he'll be a tool to make sure the party can get items crafted for them if they need them). Bahamut does feature in my campaign setting, and in truth, may be useful based on what I had planned for the whole pantheon...

basically all of the old gods died in a giant battle of the gods which left the landscape scarred. After the gods died, divine spells no longer worked, and a portal to the abyss opened up. The hellspawn began their 1000 years of darkness to take over the land. After a certain point, the dragons knew (as te most powerful creatures in the land) that they would need to step in and after power struggles, they managed to recreate the powers of the gods and ascend. No one in the world figured out the gods had died, only divine spells stopped working, exception the dragons. So in order to protect the mortals, they took on the roles and names of some of these gods, in order to empower worshipers. Making Bahamut become Moradin would work out pretty well actually. Basically this would all be revealed slowly to the party.

[Red Fel]

hmm... Dragonborn template on th warforged druid... Could I use the breath weapon while wild shaped? in which case, I'm gonna roll this one out too. The only problems are A) figuring out what the hell this thing is going to look like and B) figuring out a backstory for this guy. The current idea was that he was built by a dwarven cleric of Moradin, after loosing his sight and being granted amazing crafting powers (as the current DM I have the authority to make this NPC, and in general he'll be a tool to make sure the party can get items crafted for them if they need them). Bahamut does feature in my campaign setting, and in truth, may be useful based on what I had planned for the whole pantheon...

basically all of the old gods died in a giant battle of the gods which left the landscape scarred. After the gods died, divine spells no longer worked, and a portal to the abyss opened up. The hellspawn began their 1000 years of darkness to take over the land. After a certain point, the dragons knew (as te most powerful creatures in the land) that they would need to step in and after power struggles, they managed to recreate the powers of the gods and ascend. No one in the world figured out the gods had died, only divine spells stopped working, exception the dragons. So in order to protect the mortals, they took on the roles and names of some of these gods, in order to empower worshipers. Making Bahamut become Moradin would work out pretty well actually. Basically this would all be revealed slowly to the party.

I don't know about Wildshape mechanics - remember, I don't play Druid.

As a rule, Dragonborn looks just like the base race, only more draconic; scales, slitted eyes, pointy teeth, etc.

Backstory is easy. Take a character who would have been somewhat good, make him supergood, have Bahamut take notice. Note that, since Dragonborn must be good, and Druids must have a neutral component, that basically fixes your alignment at NG - which is an extraordinarily easy and fun alignment to play.

Note also that Dragonborn sort of forces your character to revere Bahamut. As long as you're not a Cleric or Paladin, it's not a problem to serve multiple divine masters (e.g. Bahamut and Moradin - in fact, both are LG, and both live in Celestia, so they probably get along reasonably well; your proposed plot point is an added bonus).

Remember, Dragonborn is an acquired template - it is applied after character generation (although it can be applied at level 1). The idea is that a character receives the call, agrees to serve, and hops into an egg. So your Warforged wasn't built Dragonborn; he became one.

[lytokk]

From the SRD, under the Alternate forms ruling


•The creature retains the spell-like abilities and supernatural attacks of its old form (except for breath weapons and gaze attacks). It does not gain the spell-like abilities or attacks of its new form.

dang... that kind of puts a damper on the build. Fire breathing dinosaurs are just too cool for there to not be a way around this.

[Ignominia]

I recently played a Warforged Duskblade... Used power attack and a 2 handed weapon (halberd) was keeping up nicely with our Orc barbarian for raw damage output. And I didn't have to worry about freeing up a hand to cast, as I would if I went sword and shield...

[lytokk]

huh, I didn't actually think about not having a free hand to cast with the sword/shield combo. Maybe I should look into a 2 handed weapon then. Or does level 7 duskblade, which gives you the ability to cast spells while using a heavy shield completely nullify the need to have a free hand?

[Red Fel]

huh, I didn't actually think about not having a free hand to cast with the sword/shield combo. Maybe I should look into a 2 handed weapon then. Or does level 7 duskblade, which gives you the ability to cast spells while using a heavy shield completely nullify the need to have a free hand?

As a rule, shields aren't worth it. You're either going to want to two-hand your weapon for maximum power, or you're going to dual wield because you aren't thinking clearly like that idea.

At later levels, AC becomes less important than things like SR, DR, miss chance and concealment. Don't worry about a shield for those passives. I say focus on a two-handed reach weapon.

[dysprosium]

For turning into dinosaurs, you may like Wildshape Ranger (Unearthed Arcana) going into either Primeval (Frostburn) or Master of Many Forms (Complete Adventurer).

Mithral plating for your first level feat and best part is that it stays even when wildshaped.

Primeval would allow you one (but only one) dinosaur form to turn into once you get into the class.

Master of Many Forms would allow you to turn into different kinds of dinosaurs but for the best parts, you need to be higher level.

But as for your initial three, I like the Duskblade best personally though a warforged Crusader tank seems like a cool concept too.

[lytokk]

Primeval looks like a good prestige class to get into if I want to do a single dinosaur, but now a concern with that is getting/keeping a breath weapon. I mean, whats the point of being a dinobot if you can't breathe fire? Dragonblood doesn't work, as its not a breath weapon granted by a class, therefore, can't use it when wildshaped.

[Red Fel]

Primeval looks like a good prestige class to get into if I want to do a single dinosaur, but now a concern with that is getting/keeping a breath weapon. I mean, whats the point of being a dinobot if you can't breathe fire? Dragonblood doesn't work, as its not a breath weapon granted by a class, therefore, can't use it when wildshaped.

Well, there is another thing you can get from Dragonborn - wings. You can get your own set of wings via the Wings aspect, which will start with a glide speed and a reduction to falling damage, and later advance to a full flight movement. As an added bonus, since a Living Construct is immune to exhaustion, there's no limit on your flight. And if you end up staying in light armor (or the plating equivalent), you need no additional feats to function - the wings work right out of the box.

Admittedly, you lose the wings while in Wildshape too. Again, it's the downside to Wildshape.

[lytokk]

my thought was no wings, since I'll be able to wildshape into something with wings, so they aren't really necessary. I'd rather have fire breath anyway. As I said, fire breathing dinosaurs are cool, and you only have yourself to blame for putting that possibility in my head. If only I can figure out a way to get it to work.

But wings wouldn't be bad all things considered. could be fun.. have to give it all some thought.

[Red Fel]

my thought was no wings, since I'll be able to wildshape into something with wings, so they aren't really necessary. I'd rather have fire breath anyway. As I said, fire breathing dinosaurs are cool, and you only have yourself to blame for putting that possibility in my head. If only I can figure out a way to get it to work.

But wings wouldn't be bad all things considered. could be fun.. have to give it all some thought.

If you do go with the breath weapon on a Dragonborn, be aware of two things.

First, be aware of the action economy. An action spent using a breath weapon is an action that could have been spent doing something else. For many players, that "something else" is more useful or effective.

Second, be aware of utility. For example, a breath weapon in a narrow hallway is extremely effective, in that it's virtually impossible to dodge. By contrast, spraying breath weapon across a broad, featureless plain may not be the most effective use of an action. Also, consider taking the Entangling Exhalation feat, which turns your damaging breath weapon into a snare, and is great for battlefield control.

But yes. Finding a way to use your breath weapon while Wildshaped would be awesome, but I don't know if it can be done.

On the other hand, the Dragon Wild Shape feat from Draconomicon lets you turn into a Dragon, complete with all Ex and Su abilities (but not spells or SLAs).

[lytokk]

Good points all, especially with the breath weapon, yes I could use a different more effective move, but, the reason to do it is the same reason to go TWF, it looks awesome. And as I said, my group isn't a high powered group, so hindering myself a little bit just for coolness sake is I believe, permissible, and a good way to make sure I don't outshine everyone.

[lytokk]

Alright, after searching every source I could find, there's no way to use a breath weapon while wild shaped, unless you gain one through class levels, which is a level of dipping I'm not prepared to take. It seems the easier method would be to use wild shape, and then just rule of cool it in that magical attacks come from my mouth as opposed to my fingers.
So I'll go ahead and replace Adam with this druid idea, Natural spell feat at level 6, capped out wisdom with all skill increases going to that. I may still do dragonborn, just with the wings this time. Not entirely sure with that. First level feat Ironwood body, 3rd level feat, dunno. Could take Improved Damage reduction in order to take the DR from 2 to 4, but that seems less than optimal. As for items, basically anything to increase my wisdom or my charisma, which will be hurt by the warforged race.
On more reflection, is the ironwood body worth it as a feat? the DR is nice, but its only a +1 AC and while I want to keep the plating look while wild shaped, it may not be ruled in. Found on the DDO website yesterday that warforged druids lose their composite plating while wild shaped.

[Red Fel]

Alright, after searching every source I could find, there's no way to use a breath weapon while wild shaped, unless you gain one through class levels, which is a level of dipping I'm not prepared to take. It seems the easier method would be to use wild shape, and then just rule of cool it in that magical attacks come from my mouth as opposed to my fingers.
So I'll go ahead and replace Adam with this druid idea, Natural spell feat at level 6, capped out wisdom with all skill increases going to that. I may still do dragonborn, just with the wings this time. Not entirely sure with that. First level feat Ironwood body, 3rd level feat, dunno. Could take Improved Damage reduction in order to take the DR from 2 to 4, but that seems less than optimal. As for items, basically anything to increase my wisdom or my charisma, which will be hurt by the warforged race.
On more reflection, is the ironwood body worth it as a feat? the DR is nice, but its only a +1 AC and while I want to keep the plating look while wild shaped, it may not be ruled in. Found on the DDO website yesterday that warforged druids lose their composite plating while wild shaped.

First off, unless your Druid is going to be in constant Wild Shape (which is a possibility), having the Ironwood Body upgrade isn't a bad thing. Consider the fact that, unless you take Dragonborn template or the Unarmored Body feat, your Warforged will have Composite Plating, which means he cannot wear body armor. As long as you're going to have that limitation, you might as well get the built-in. (Although, note that, if you take Dragonborn, it gets rid of your composite plating unless you take a feat. So you could use that to free up the torso slot.)

Ultimately, your Composite Plating (of any sort) will probably not carry over into your Wild Shape, so if you plan to spend all of your time in an alternate form, that's not as big a priority. But outside of Wild Shape, I think Ironwood Body is fairly good, unless you plan to go out and buy leather/wooden armor.

Also, as I mentioned, if you really want to use a breath weapon while wildshaped, take Dragon Wild Shape and become a dragon directly. Problem solved.

[lytokk]

Fair enough, I think I'd still take it, and work towards getting the Wild enchantment put on it.

[dysprosium]

Ultimately, your Composite Plating (of any sort) will probably not carry over into your Wild Shape, so if you plan to spend all of your time in an alternate form, that's not as big a priority. But outside of Wild Shape, I think Ironwood Body is fairly good, unless you plan to go out and buy leather/wooden armor.

Composite plating actually does carry over through wildshape as does their standard immunities (Races of Eberron) -- which is why I had suggested the Wildshape Ranger in the first place.

[lytokk]

thanks Dy, that means I don't need to spend the extra +3 bonus on wild armor. have to look at that book a little closer later.

[Red Fel]

Composite plating actually does carry over through wildshape as does their standard immunities (Races of Eberron) -- which is why I had suggested the Wildshape Ranger in the first place.

... Guh. See, this is why I need to not post these things from work.