Eberron's Warforged and Thoughts about the Mithral Body Feat

[realbombchu]

How does everyone feel about the Mithral Body feat? I made a (very basic) warforged rogue/fighter the other day, but I'm not sure if I should take Mithral Body.

I've heard a lot of good things about Adamantine Body, but I've also heard it offers diminishing returns. I would like to use light armor, because of the rogue levels, but I'm not sure that a +3 bonus to armor class is worth a feat. At high levels, when armor class matters less, I'm almost sure it's not.

I have a hunch that it depends on the level I expect to start at and how long I expect to use the character, but what are your general thoughts?

[Shining Wrath]

How does everyone feel about the Mithral Body feat? I made a (very basic) warforged rogue/fighter the other day, but I'm not sure if I should take Mithral Body.

I've heard a lot of good things about Adamantine Body, but I've also heard it offers diminishing returns. I would like to use light armor, because of the rogue levels, but I'm not sure that a +3 bonus to armor class is worth a feat. At high levels, when armor class matters less, I'm almost sure it's not.

I have a hunch that it depends on the level I expect to start at and how long I expect to use the character, but what are your general thoughts?

Consider the Mithral Body feat to equip your Warforged with an improved Mithral Breastplate. So it's a 4000 GP item in exchange for a feat, but the item is improved significantly because it can't be stolen, doesn't affect movement, and has zero weight - maybe 6000 GP or even 10000 GP would be a fair price.

Most good feats are worth about that much. For example, Improved Initiative is roughly equivalent to the +1 Weapon Enhancement Warning - Warning gives you +5 to initiative, II +4, but II is always on while Warning requires you to have the weapon in question in-hand.

I'd say take it for any class that is not a tank. Remember you can't put armor on a Warforged. If you want to play a Crusader, go Adamantine body. If you are playing a Cleric, or any non-tank melee class, it's a good deal. If you're playing a rogue type, it's still a good deal, but make certain to get the +1 Armor bonus (Quickness? AFB) that buys off the skill check penalty.

If you're playing an arcane caster a Warforged is probably not your best choice.

[realbombchu]

Consider the Mithral Body feat to equip your Warforged with an improved Mithral Breastplate. So it's a 4000 GP item in exchange for a feat, but the item is improved significantly because it can't be stolen, doesn't affect movement, and has zero weight - maybe 6000 GP or even 10000 GP would be a fair price.

Most good feats are worth about that much.

I guess I've never heard it explained that way. Okay, makes sense. My character's Dexterity will never be higher than 20, so I guess that's another reason to want a higher armor bonus. Thanks for your help.

[ArqArturo]

If you're playing an arcane caster a Warforged is probably not your best choice.

Not even for a Warforged Duskblade?.

[fishyfishyfishy]

Hey I had a warforged warmage named Artillery who was a perfectly capable arcane caster. And if you make it a Wizard you can take the repair spells for a bit of healing.

On topic, mithral body is fine if you plan on using your dexterity for defense and skills that require it. The ACP isn't all that bad. Adamantine Body pulls ahead if you're worried less about getting hit due to the Damage Reduction.

[Spuddles]

unless you plan on trading out evasion for an ACF, vanilla warforged dont get the benefits of roguespace.

[Red Fel]

If you're really worried about ASF and/or ACP you can simply take the Unarmored Body feat, keep the standard Warforged array of abilities and lose the composite plating.

But generally, Mithral Body is a pretty solid choice; it's an upgrade to the standard composite plating in every respect.

[tyckspoon]

unless you plan on trading out evasion for an ACF, vanilla warforged dont get the benefits of roguespace.

I don't think I've ever seen this claim made before. Mind expanding on it? As far as I'm aware the default Composite Plating feature acts a lot like armor, but is *not armor*, and so satisfies Evasions requirement to be wearing 'light or no armor.'

[Shining Wrath]

I don't think I've ever seen this claim made before. Mind expanding on it? As far as I'm aware the default Composite Plating feature acts a lot like armor, but is *not armor*, and so satisfies Evasions requirement to be wearing 'light or no armor.'

Further, Mithral Body explicitly says you are wearing light armor.

[Red Fel]

Further, Mithral Body explicitly says you are wearing light armor.

Mithral Body says you are treated as wearing light armor. The base Composite Plating, however, describes itself as "similar to" light armor, but doesn't say you're "treated as wearing" light armor.

In fact, the official FAQ (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20030221a) has this to say:
Is a warforged considered to be wearing armor for the purpose of using special abilities, such as a monk’s fast movement?

The composite plating of a typical warforged doesn’t count as armor. Certain warforged feats, such as Adamantine Body (ECS 50) specifically state that the character is considered to be wearing armor, and thus would limit use of such abilities.

[lytokk]

In addition, according to RoE, the standard composite plating does not prevent monk AC progression since it is not armor, as well as does not prevent druids from using their special abilities.

But Mithral Body I believe is a pretty decent feat, as you never lose it, even when going wildshape ranger and changing forms. Free wilding clasp and masterwork mithral breastplate. I wish I could remember where I read that part about keeping the AC bonus. It might have also been in that same paragraph in RoE. Or it was due to the fact that you have access to all feats and class abilities while wild shaped.

[Spuddles]

I don't think I've ever seen this claim made before. Mind expanding on it? As far as I'm aware the default Composite Plating feature acts a lot like armor, but is *not armor*, and so satisfies Evasions requirement to be wearing 'light or no armor.'

my mistake, was thinking of the wording from adamantine body

[torrasque666]

In addition, according to RoE, the standard composite plating does not prevent monk AC progression since it is not armor, as well as does not prevent druids from using their special abilities.

But Mithral Body I believe is a pretty decent feat, as you never lose it, even when going wildshape ranger and changing forms. Free wilding clasp and masterwork mithral breastplate. I wish I could remember where I read that part about keeping the AC bonus. It might have also been in that same paragraph in RoE. Or it was due to the fact that you have access to all feats and class abilities while wild shaped.

A warforged druid who takes Mithril Body just destroyed his entire class. He is always counted as wearing metal armor and thus loses all his Su and SpL abilities. Ironwood body specifically mentions that it is the exception.

Forgot that Rangers can also wildshap and/or missed the bit about it being a Ranger.

[lytokk]

A warforged druid who takes Mithril Body just destroyed his entire class. He is always counted as wearing metal armor and thus loses all his Su and SpL abilities. Ironwood body specifically mentions that it is the exception.

Forgot that Rangers can also wildshap and/or missed the bit about it being a Ranger.

I was referring only to the standard composite plating not interfering with druid's wildshape. Mithral or Adamantine of course would. I figure adamantine plating would still interfere with a wildshape ranger's shapechange mostly since they give up combat styles, which are lost when wearing medium or heavy armor. But as there's no official ruling for it, thats just my interpretation.

*edit swordsaged before I even hit the quote button, just didn't notice.

[ArqArturo]

I was referring only to the standard composite plating not interfering with druid's wildshape. Mithral or Adamantine of course would. I figure adamantine plating would still interfere with a wildshape ranger's shapechange mostly since they give up combat styles, which are lost when wearing medium or heavy armor. But as there's no official ruling for it, thats just my interpretation.

*edit swordsaged before I even hit the quote button, just didn't notice.

I don't think Mithral Body doesn't interrupt. Other than that, wilding clasp on the plating would turn it into a nice monster.

Also, wild-shaping warforged makes me think of dinobots :p.

[lytokk]

I don't think Mithral Body doesn't interrupt. Other than that, wilding clasp on the plating would turn it into a nice monster.

Also, wild-shaping warforged makes me think of dinobots :p.

Dinobots were pretty much why I looked so much into warforged armor plating feats and wildshape. I can reliably pull off all of them with the exception of slag/slug and sludge. Granted, Grimlock is going to be a megaraptor, but that's cause the Cave Tyrannosaurus in the miniatures handbook is 9hd and primeval from frostburn caps out at 8hd. Mithral Body Dragonborn Warforged non-spellcasting wildshape ranger prestiging into primeval using glidewing (ECS, for swoop) cave triceratops (miniatures handbook for swoop) or megaraptor (MM1 for grimlock) pulls off those 3 easy. No need for a wilding clasp so long as you pick up mithral body, since you don't lose feats while wild shaped. I just wish I'd get a chance to play one of these guys. Dragonborn is mostly just for the breath weapon, easiest way I found to get a reliable one.