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View Full Version : How do rust monsters affect warforged?



FabulousFizban
2020-09-18, 06:25 PM
EDIT Should they have a vulnerability to rust monsters?

Cygnia
2020-09-18, 06:31 PM
Related -- are Warforged in any danger from Bags of Devouring?

HappyDaze
2020-09-18, 06:35 PM
Instant death, no save. Seems the most fair way to do it.

Pleh
2020-09-18, 07:18 PM
Looks like DM discretion.

I am a fan of the idea that rust monsters are dangerous to warforged, but remember they are made from wood as well as metal. Now, sure, skinning a person is usually still deadly, so there's good argument that a rust monster is just plain lethal to warforged.

But I dislike how disproportionate this is. Most monsters want to eat the adventurers, but most can't kill them with a single touch.

The rust monster attack says it doesn't affect enchanted metal and you could argue any living metal must be enchanted.

So I would probably rule it as partially effective against warforged, in the spirit of keeping it a kind of threat in the balance range the game intends. In 5e, rust monsters are still cr 1/2, so I'd compare it to a Giant Wasp, whose poison deals 3d6 damage. Warforged can make a Dex save to avoid being touched by the attenae, just as the rules say for normal humanoids protecting their armor.

Luccan
2020-09-18, 07:20 PM
My default would be to say they don't do anything they can't do to humanoids. Otherwise examine the exact wording in the edition you want to play and make determinations from there.


Instant death, no save. Seems the most fair way to do it.

I know you're joking, but even if you were to declare them specially effected by the rust monster's attack, magic items (and Warforged should totally count as magic) get a save in 3.5 and are outright immune in 5e. Alternately you could argue that Warforged are made of a metal that doesn't rust.

OldTrees1
2020-09-18, 08:01 PM
Depends on the edition, but usually the rust monster's effect is not instant against armor. A Warforged's skin is metal armor. Its innards are wood and metal. So I would have a rust monster be more effective against a Warforged (degrade the AC, deal +X% damage) but will not be an instant kill.

And since a warforged is living metal, however they heal that edition will still work against these wounds.

Dr paradox
2020-09-18, 09:12 PM
In terms of absolute simulationism, I guess I'd agree that Warforged are made of magic metal, and thus immune to rusting, at least for vital components.

However, if I were playing a warforged, I think I'd want a reason to be especially afraid of these buggers. Being a robot is the fantasy, and having robot fears is part of that fantasy: thus, rust.

I'd go with CR appropriate damage (3d6 for 5e sounds about right to me), plus some amount of dexterity damage. Let's say 1d4, fixable with a long rest and some WD40.

Kol Korran
2020-09-19, 12:21 AM
Warforged were first created in 3.5e Eberron.
The subject of rust monster attacks is dealt with right in the race description & rules. Since I'm not sure I can directly quote, the summary is:

The bodies of waeforged are vulnetable to rust attacks (inclusing those by rust monsters). Those cause 2d6 damage with a reflex save for half damage.

If you are playing other editions, you may be able to extrapolate from that.

Kaptin Keen
2020-09-19, 02:21 AM
Warforged were first created in 3.5e Eberron.
The subject of rust monster attacks is dealt with right in the race description & rules. Since I'm not sure I can directly quote, the summary is:

The bodies of waeforged are vulnetable to rust attacks (inclusing those by rust monsters). Those cause 2d6 damage with a reflex save for half damage.

If you are playing other editions, you may be able to extrapolate from that.

To me, that's how it should be. Not the 2d6, save for half. No, it should be in the race description: If your race has some extra-special weakness, that information needs to be in the race description.

Hence I'd say, if it isn't - then it isn't. So Warforged have no special weaknesses.