How a Warforged relates to organics

[Kurikaktus]

I read that a warforged character should be either hostile or aloof when relating to organic characters. Is it possible to RP in such a way where a warforged character tries to relate to organics but fails horribly.

Ex. A warforged character happily cooks a meal for his comrades. He learned that organics need "iron" in their bloodstream so he mixed some nuts and bolts in the soup.

[Coidzor]

I read that a warforged character should be either hostile or aloof when relating to organic characters.

Where? Why?


Is it possible to RP in such a way where a warforged character tries to relate to organics but fails horribly.

Probably.


Ex. A warforged character happily cooks a meal for his comrades. He learned that organics need "iron" in their bloodstream so he mixed some nuts and bolts in the soup.

Would your fellow players actually find that funny?

[Karl Aegis]

Does a gross display of incompetence really add anything to the game?

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Best to go read a couple of the DEATH books of Discworld then. The titular character of those tries really, really hard to "get" humans and act like them, but he just doesn't make the same connections they do all the time.

Examples: Within the realm of DEATH, Death has a cottage. It is all black. It is framed by a set of terribly frightful mountains, though they are actually pretty close, pretty small, and very blurry close up. He doesn't quite get 'perspective". The cottage is also bigger on the inside because he also doesn't get "Space".

He has a bathroom, although he mostly has it for his mortal acquaintances and family. Death even has a towel in there and a bar of soap. The towel is hard as stone and attached to the wall. So is the soap. He knows people have them, but he can't fathom what they're for, nor what makes them different from the wall they are up against.

He also has a bed and a desk. The bed is solid stone, because while he knows people have beds, he doesn't understand what to do with them. And he doesn't get "deskness", so his just has drawers painted on. Although I believe he can still open them if he needs something.

Basically, try to imagine the world through the eyes of something that has literally zero frame-of-reference for every mundane thing that doesn't normally really need explaining. All the philosophical/mathematical/literary stuff can be old hat to them, because someone's probably written a treatise on those things they've read, but no one writes books (especially in the typical medieval fantasy world) about what makes Desks Desks, nor Beds beds. Or towels and soap towels and soap.

[Afgncaap5]

I don't know that I'd say that a Warforged "should" be hostile or aloof regarding organics. It's definitely an option, but I don't see any reason why they can't just be competent.

Having said that, if you wanna go that route you might enjoy watching a few season of Futurama to get some of the stuff that Bender gets wrong about humans. It's mostly nonsensical and shouldn't realistically happen to someone who's got that much exposure to humanity, but it could be fun for side jokes, if humor is the main intention here. On the other hand, you might also just watch Futurama for the fun of watching Futurama.

(I vaguely recall that some Warforged related stuff in official WotC books include some Futurama references, right? Places where flavor text has humans being called "fleshbags", I think.)

[Sam K]

DEATH in Discworld and Bender (also Zoidberg - "Open your mouth. No no no, your other mouth!") are actually good references for playing someone who doesn't "get" humans. Avoid making it too obvious though; serving iron stew is probably taking it too far, unless the character is fairly dense. But little things like the warforged ordering traditional dinner food for breakfast for the party ("I don't understand. You liked the sunday roast last night?") or getting the meat for the stew all wrong ("Why is it wrong to put dog in the stew? You were fine with pig! They're both relatively intelligent animals that humans raise?"), getting clothing wrong ("So how are you suppose to know that this color represents feminine traits?") and not understanding subtle social signals and codes.

The trick to making it good, I think, is to remember that warforged aren't "robots" as such; they are alive, they can fear death, they have feelings and opinions. But they weren't born, they were made. They were never socialized into a humanoid society. They were never young. Most warforged (that didn't use int as a dump stat) will realize the obvious stuff like that organic food goes in one end and what comes out the other end is not food (even though it's organic!), or that humans have a strange obsession with putting their personal bits in contacts with other humans personal bits. It's the little things that get you. Cats are pets but rats are pests? Bob will brag about his exploits with women to his friends, but he doesn't want is family to find out? If children act in a certain way it's no big deal, but if adults do it is? People are hard to make sense of!

[JeenLeen]

I would think with, how warforged were created and lived, they would have a basic understanding of organic biology and workings, but I could be wrong (and certainly you could flavor them as you want in a given setting). I agree some things probably wouldn't click as making sense or being easy to comprehend/intuit, particularly with social interactions.

On the topic of just not getting certain things, I remember a funny thing from the fey book for Exalted 2nd edition. It went something like:
Some fey also don't understand the human obsession with food. Think about it. You save seed, then plant it, tend to it, harvest it, store it, cook it, eat it. All that work simply for the sake of defecation? And then humans tend to hide the end result and find it repulsive. Ludicrous!

In another thread, someone mentioned the idea of warforged finding certain things private that normal humans wouldn't. For example, the idea of a blacksmith working in the public would be similar to seeing a couple engaged in intimate acts in the middle of the street.

But both of those really only makes sense if warforged are raised separately from humans with a different set of social mores.

[(Un)Inspired]

Warforged are organic.

[MyrPsychologist]

I imagine a warforged character could be contemplative and spend its time considering what it truly means to be a sentient being. What actually is consciousness? Do the gods have a place for them? Are they even real? And other such metaphysical thoughts that have plagued mankind. This sort of warforged could easily view other sentient beings as his brothers traveling down the road of self discovery and do their best to make the most out of their life and personal relationships. They would behave like any other race really that questions its origin and place in the cosmos.

Or you can do the whole immigrant trope like zoidberg. That would work too.

[Red Fel]

Just fine. How do you relate to organics?

I think the impression that Warforged must have some sort of difficulty with people comes from (1) the racial Cha penalty and (2) the fact that they're freaking robots. Because I see no reason that a Warforged would put metal bits into food, anymore than a Dwarf might ask an Elf - sincerely, and without malice - if the tree under which they're sleeping is a family member. It's a combination of cultural ignorance and tactlessness, which can be applied to basically any character, irrespective of race.

Can it be funny? Sure. Or terribad. But you don't have to be a robot to say, "Oh, I thought all Dwarves ate stone and drank oil. Isn't that what you guys do underground all day?"

Also:

Warforged are organic.
This. Warforged technically contain wooden components, as well as metal.

So... Yeah. Calling people "organics" doesn't quite work. "Pathetic flesh-bags" has always worked fine for me, however. "Inferior meat-sacks" is also an option.

Side note: What exactly would a superior meat-sack be like?

[Flickerdart]

I read that a warforged character should be either hostile or aloof when relating to organic characters. Is it possible to RP in such a way where a warforged character tries to relate to organics but fails horribly.

Ex. A warforged character happily cooks a meal for his comrades. He learned that organics need "iron" in their bloodstream so he mixed some nuts and bolts in the soup.
You're pretty much thinking of Bender from Futurama. He tried to cook once and didn't understand why the crew couldn't stand to eat his food - the sodium content was way short of a lethal dose!

[Zyzzyva]

<SNIP>

This, mostly. The bolts example is trying way too hard; seasoning the soup with rust flakes is still probably a bit too much, but it's a little more plausible.


Side note: What exactly would a superior meat-sack be like?

I don't understand the question. :smallsigh:

[Coidzor]

Most warforged (that didn't use int as a dump stat) will realize the obvious stuff like that organic food goes in one end and what comes out the other end is not food (even though it's organic!),

Especially considering warforged can eat things as well.

Probably view the need humans have to excrete waste as part of their inefficient inferiority as meatbags.

[Maglubiyet]

Warforged might even be jealous of humanoids.

[Sam K]

But both of those really only makes sense if warforged are raised separately from humans with a different set of social mores.

Well, the point is that warforged aren't raised. They're created as adults; while they may age (especially emotionally) a newly created warforged isn't a kid. They don't get a chance to play and socialize and learn to find their place in a group. They're thrust into the world with fully formed minds and no experiences. And since they were created for war, their minds probably weren't originally intended to be good at socializing with others (doesn't mean they can't learn, though).


Side note: What exactly would a superior meat-sack be like?

Still nowhere near as good as a murderbucket.

[TechnoWarforged]

I read that a warforged character should be either hostile or aloof when relating to organic characters. Is it possible to RP in such a way where a warforged character tries to relate to organics but fails horribly.

Ex. A warforged character happily cooks a meal for his comrades. He learned that organics need "iron" in their bloodstream so he mixed some nuts and bolts in the soup.

You might want to start with some data

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/59794463.jpg

[Coidzor]

Warforged might even be jealous of humanoids.

For having/being able to poop instead of just being completely efficient about the food they take in? :smallconfused:

Interesting angle. :smallamused:

Probably sets up a lot of potty humor, too.


Side note: What exactly would a superior meat-sack be like?

Super Meat Boy? Meat Golem?

[pwcsponson]

There was an age old idea that dogs didn't actually feel pain, and that their reactions to pain were entirely automatic and without consciousness or feeling.

I played a war forged that didn't understand the meaning of pain, since it is wood and metal and such. He understood mortality (I think therefore I am, make it stop thinking and it no longer is) but not the subjective qualities of pain. It is unquantifiable.

Your war forged would see that nobody eats non-organics. It's a quantifiable thing. He doesn't have to know why, just that they don't. There's no reason to cook inedibles. There is however a reason to cook bland/terrible food if trying something new (especially if your brand of war forged have no concept of taste).

Edit: Things should be relatable on an objective basis. Or a consensus. Your war forged, the human, and the elf agree trees are green. Your war forged, human, and elf disagree on the definition of "a restful sleep".

[TrollCapAmerica]

You might want to start with some data

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/59794463.jpg

Best response ever

Really A warforged may not be able to experience the same sensation as alot of organics do but as mentioned earlier unless they dumped Int like crazy they should be able to conceive of how things work

[Red Fel]

Still nowhere near as good as a murderbucket.

Murderbucket: It's a Thing!TM

[Kurikaktus]

Would your fellow players actually find that funny?


Does a gross display of incompetence really add anything to the game?

Reading from this, It makes me wonder how it is with other groups. I've only played with a few people I know personally and mostly our runs are filled with shenanigans. Example, a Drow casts darkness whenever all the monsters are dead and its time to loot...Then whenever something confusing happens a favored soul of Khorn swings his mace violently in the air...he hits someone and that someone retaliates. Basically at times the greatest threat to the party are the members themselves.




Especially considering warforged can eat things as well.

Probably view the need humans have to excrete waste as part of their inefficient inferiority as meatbags.

Didnt even imagine warforged having a mouth






In another thread, someone mentioned the idea of warforged finding certain things private that normal humans wouldn't. For example, the idea of a blacksmith working in the public would be similar to seeing a couple engaged in intimate acts in the middle of the street. .

I like this, I could say I'm trying to be intimate with the metal whenever I try to craft weapons.




[COLOR="#0000FF"]
So... Yeah. Calling people "organics" doesn't quite work. "Pathetic flesh-bags" has always worked fine for me, however. "Inferior meat-sacks" is also an option.


Meat Sack or flesh bag is indeed a better term than organics. Organics just sounds to space-y and may not seem appropriate in a DnD setting

I havent really decided if I want to be outright hostile to these "FleshBags" yet or at least Try to relate with fleshbags while not really understanding some cultural things

[Milo v3]

Didnt even imagine warforged having a mouth

Really? I've never seen a picture of a warforged that didn't have a mouth.

[Forrestfire]

It's noted as an option in Dragon #352. Warforged basically come however they were built, up to and including humanoid-looking robots or just having a blank plate for a face.

[Coidzor]

Gotta have your warforged armies that you're selling to buyers be able to drink the potions that you're selling to your customers for their armies, after all.

[Prime32]

Didnt even imagine warforged having a mouthThe tracker mask component (gives the wearer the Scent ability) includes a note that many warforged seek it out just because it lets them smell and taste things properly.

[Zyzzyva]

Reading from this, It makes me wonder how it is with other groups. I've only played with a few people I know personally and mostly our runs are filled with shenanigans. Example, a Drow casts darkness whenever all the monsters are dead and its time to loot...Then whenever something confusing happens a favored soul of Khorn swings his mace violently in the air...he hits someone and that someone retaliates. Basically at times the greatest threat to the party are the members themselves.

You guys wouldn't happen to play Paranoia much, now would you? :smallwink:

But in that sort of campaign, sure! Toss some bolts in the stew.

[Xerlith]

Side note: What exactly would a superior meat-sack be like?

Lei D'Cannith