Tome of Iron (Warforged Resource, 3.5, WIP)

[Admiral Squish]

Warforged, warriors of stone, wood, and steel. Incredible triumphs of magic and technology. Sentience where only inanimate materials once were. Strong but silent. Inanimate, but alive. Clearly magical, but mechanical as well. These bizarre contradictions play in our minds and bring an element into our games we can't find anywhere else. That's why we play warforged. Well, that's why I play warforged. I'm just here to make it more interesting for everyone.

Feats:

Aquatic Body:
Prerequisites: Warforged, first level only
Benefit: You gain plating streamlined and designed for aquatic use. Your armor bonus is increased to +4, and you have a +6 maximum dexterity bonus to AC, as well as an arcane spell failure chance of 15%. In addition, you gain a swim speed of 30 feet. This is treated as light armor.

Stealth Body
Prerequisites: Warforged, first level only
Benefit: You gain special-stealth-focused armor designed to muffle sound and hide you. Your armor bonus is increased to +4, and you have a +6 maximum dexterity bonus to AC, as well as an arcane spell failure chance of 10%. You also gain a +4 bonus on hide and move silently checks. This is treated as light armor

Arcane Body
Prerequisites: Warforged, first level only
Benefit: Your body is covered in runes that offer protective magic. Your body is surrounded by a tangible field of force that grants you a +4 armor bonus to AC, but has no maximum dexterity bonus and no arcane spell failure chance. In addition, for every three levels you possess in an arcane spellcasting class, the armor bonus increases by one. Taking this feat removes your composite plating, but is still considered to take up your body slot.

[Admiral Squish]

Warforged Template:

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'Warforged' is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature.

Size and Type

The creature’s type changes to Construct. It retains any subtypes except those that indicate kind, and gains the living construct subtype. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Hit Dice

Creature's Hit Dice become D10s. Do not change Class HD.

Speed
Speed is unchanged

Base Attack
Do not recalculate BaB.

Attacks
A warforged retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A warforged creature also gains a slam attack.

Damage
Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A slam attack deals damage depending on the base creature’s size. (Use the base creature’s slam damage if it’s better.) A medium Warforged creature's slam attack deals 1d4 damage.

Special Attacks
A warforged creature keeps all of the base creature's (Ex) special attacks, but loses any (Su) or (Sp) special attacks.

Special Qualities

A warforged creature loses most special qualities of the base creature. It retains any extraordinary special qualities that improve its melee or ranged attacks. A warforged creature gains the following special qualities.

Living Construct Traits: A warforged creature possesses the following
traits.
• Unlike other constructs, a warforged creature has a Constitution score.
• Unlike other constructs, a warforged creature does not gain low-light vision or darkvision.
• Unlike other constructs, a warforged creature is not immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain.
• A warforged creature cannot heal lethal damage naturally.
• Unlike other constructs, warforged creatures are subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, death effects, and necromancy effects.
• As living constructs, warforged creature can be affected by spells that target living creatures as well as by those that target constructs. Damage dealt to a warforged creature can be healed by a cure light wounds spell or a repair light damage spell, for example, and a warforged creature is vulnerable to disable construct and harm. However, spells from the healing subschool and supernatural abilities that cure hit point damage or ability damage provide only half their normal effects to a warforged creature.
• The unusual physical construction of warforged makes them vulnerable to certain spells and effects that normally don’t affect living creatures. A warforged creature takes damage from heat metal and chill metal as if he were wearing metal armor. Likewise, a warforged creature is affected by repel metal or stone as if he were wearing metal armor. A warforged creature is repelled by repel wood. The iron in the body of a warforged creature makes him vulnerable to rusting grasp, taking 2d6 points of damage from the spell (Reflex half; save DC 14 + caster’s ability modifier). A warforged creature takes the same damage from a rust monster’s touch (Reflex DC 17 half). Spells such as stone to flesh, stone shape, warp wood, and wood shape affect objects only and thus cannot be used on a warforged creature.
• A warforged creature responds slightly differently from other living creatures when reduced to 0 hit points. A warforged creature with 0 hit points is disabled, as with a living creature. He can take only a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury. When his hit points are less than 0 and greater than –10, a warforged creature is inert. He is unconscious and helpless, and cannot
perform any actions. An inert warforged creature does not lose additional hit points unless more damage is dealt to him, however, as with a living creature that has become stable.
• As a living construct, a warforged creature can be raised or resurrected.
• A warforged creature does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe, but he can still benefit from the effects of consumable spells and magic items such as heroes’ feast and potions.
• Although living constructs do not need to sleep, a warforged creature who has levels in a spellcasting class that prepares spells must rest for 8 hours before preparing spells.

Composite Plating:The plating used to build a warforged creature provides a +2 armor bonus. This plating is not natural armor and does not stack with other effects that give an armor bonus (other than natural armor). This composite plating occupies the same space on the body as a suit of armor or a robe, and thus a warforged creature cannot benefit from the effects of magic armor or magic robes. Composite plating can gain a magic enhancement bonus and magic armor properties as armor can, using the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat. The character must be present for the entire time it takes to add this enhancement. In addition, spells and infusions that normally target armor, such as magic vestment and armor enhancement, can be cast with the composite plating of a warforged creature as the target.
Composite plating also provides a warforged creature with a 5% arcane spell failure chance, similar to the penalty for wearing light armor. Any class ability
that allows a warforged creature to ignore the arcane spell failure chance for light armor lets him ignore this penalty as well.

Light Fortification (Ex): When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on a warforged creature, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.

Saves
Do not recalculate saves.

Abilities

A warforged creature gains +2 con, and takes a -2 penalty to wisdom and charisma.

Skills
Do not recalculate skills

Feats
A warforged creature qualifies as though he were a warforged in regards to all warforged feats.

Environment
Any.

Organization
Any.

Challenge Rating
+1

Treasure
As base creature

Alignment
Any

Advancement
As base creature.

Level Adjustment
+1

Warforged Shapes:

[Admiral Squish]

Material Variant Warforged:
The following abilities, unless otherwise noted, are in addition to the normal warforged traits.

Adamantine

Emberforged

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• +2 dex
• Flameheart: The emberforged's body is constantly glowing with heat just beneath the surface. This heat deals 1d6 damage to any creature that touches or is touched by the emberforged. Metal weapons conduct this heat.
• +1 LA

Fleshstitched

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• +2 str, -2 cha
• Lightning Fuel: The fleshstitched is immune to electricity damage. If he would normally be damaged by an electrical effect, he is healed 1 HP/HD for every 10 damage the attack would have dealt.
• +2 natural armor.
• The fleshstitched does NOT gain composite plating, and cannot gain the effects of any other plating feat.
• +1 LA

Glass

Porcelain

Quicksilver

Stonecarved

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• +2 Con, -2 dex
• A Stonecarved's base land speed is 20 feet.
• Stability: +4 to checks to resist bull rush, or trip while standing on the ground
• +4 natural armor.
• The Stonecarved does NOT gain composite plating, and cannot gain the effects of any other plating feat.
• +1 LA

Straw

Vines

Wood

[Admiral Squish]

Warforged Features:

Scanner Eyes:
These eyes can be of any color, most commonly green or blue, and grant increased knowledge of your opponent.
As a swift action, you can assess any opponent within 30 feet, as with the assess opponent use of sense motive depicted in Complete Adventurer. The results are always within one category. In addition, you can concentrate to learn more of an opponent you have targeted with this ability.
1 round: Determine creature type and/or BaB category (1/1, 3/4, or 1/2)
2 rounds: Determine if the creature is capable of arcane spellcasting, divine spellcasting, psionic manifesting, initiating maneuvers, using spell-like abilities, or dealing precision damage (Rogue, scout, ninja...),
3 Rounds: You begin to pick out the target's weaknesses. You gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls made against the target, and the target takes a -1 to saves against all effect originating from you. This bonus and penalty increases by one for each round you continue to concentrate on the target, up to a maximum of +10. The effect last one minute after you stop concentrating.
(Insert price)

Recording Eyes:
These eyes are usually much the same as your usual eyes, though these bear a shutter-like second eyelid.
You can perfectly recall everything you see and hear, and can make search and spot checks even on scenes you've only glimpsed, albeit at a -2 penalty for not being able to change the angle or move things. In addition, you can project any image you have seen as though using the spell silent image.
(Price)

Processor:
You have a small processor embedded somewhere in your frame.
You gain a +4 to all intelligence-based skills and checks, and a +4 bonus to initiative. In addition, you may fire your processor into overdrive once/day, gaining an insight bonus equal. to your intelligence modifier to all attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for one minute.
(Price)

Sensor Array:
This array takes the form of a slightly enlarged cranium, which is packed to the brim with sensors of all sorts.
You gain a +4 bonus to listen, search, and spot checks, and blindsense out to 30 feet.
(price)

Woven Armor:
This feature makes the warforged's armor resemble a basket of woven steel ribbons, some of them vanishing out of sight. As a swift action, a warforged with this feature can retract or extend his armor, the ribbons of metal vanishing into his body.
When retracted, a warforged loses the benefits of any plating he may possess, including the armor bonus, ACP, max dex bonus, and any effects that might be enchanted into it. He can wear armor and robes while the armor is retracted.
(price)

Conductive Plating:
This feature pattern's the warforged's armor with pinstripes of darker material that absorb and direct electricity.
A warforged with this feature gains immunity to electricity. In addition, if the warforged is struck by an electrical attack, he can make a melee touch attack to redirect the charge. If he makes this attack within one round of being struck by the attack, he deals electricity damage equal to the damage he would have taken to the target. Every round thereafter, the damage dealt by this attack decreases by half.
(Price)

Somantic Plate:
This feature engraves a number of runes and leylines into the armor of the warforged, allowing them to circumvent any motions the armor is too bulky to perform.
A warforged with this feature ignores the Arcane Spell Failure Chance for his composite plating, or any Arcane Spell Failure Chance provided by a feat.

Expansive Frame:
This feature is an ingenious way to bulk up a warforged, fusing his frame into a larger exoskeleton-like device. A warforged with this feature is significantly bulkier than he was originally, though his head remains the same size.
A warforged with this feature gains the powerful build special quality. In addition, he may choose the variety of plating to be had on his exoskeleton.
(Price (Composite), Price (Mithril), Price (Adamantine) )

New Components:
Coming Soon

[Admiral Squish]

(Reserved for Anything Else)

[Admiral Squish]

I INTENDED to start putting actual content on this by now, but I've gotta go to class, so it'll have to wait for this evening.

[Mulletmanalive]

As a simple suggestion, couldn't you just produce a stripped down version of the Warforged race type and apply it to other races to produce the warforged shapes?

The warforged charger isn't far removed from a Gorrilla with the Warforged race slapped on it...

[Admiral Squish]

Well, it's not just races, there's other shapes included too. Like, a version with a sorta alternate form, and a version with an iron defender companion automatically.

[ErrantX]

Well, it's not just races, there's other shapes included too. Like, a version with a sorta alternate form, and a version with an iron defender companion automatically.

They're more than meets the eye! (They're robots in disguise!)

-X

[Prime32]

Best way currently is to take the tattooed monk class for the tattoo which grants alter self.

[Admiral Squish]

Well, The feat I just added makes it pretty easy.

[Lyndworm]

Just so you know, Warforged already keep their Living Construct subtype when the use Wildshape. I'm pretty sure that their AC bonus stays, too.

[Admiral Squish]

Looking over the exact wordings, the MMIII warforged entry, and the text for Alternate form, I believe you're correct, actually. In some ways, a plus, as you don't need a feat to be a warforged bear now, and in others, a minus, as the only awesome thing I have for this project that's actually completed to any reasonable degree is now superfluous. Nuts.

[DracoDei]

I have a warforged drider-form (not related to an actual drider at all, just that conveys his shape pretty well, although he only has 6 legs, with his humanoid torso replacing the... whatever, it doesn't matter). The point is that I offered him a winch with grapnel at one point... don't remember if he took it. Anyway something that allows climb-check free, assention that only takes one arm would be a nice thing to have... improved version would make the grapnel faster to use because it shoots out, rather than having to be swung in a circle to build up speed to throw. Rope and grapnel should be easy to replace... unless you are dealing with the grapnel you can actively make let go, or the spike that can allow you to shoot into a smooth wall and will stick in and not come out until you want it to.


... please tell me this hasn't been done yet?

There was a Mega Man based PrC in the same contest as my Society Members (the full name is too long to repeat here... you will know it when you find it in my extended signature).

[Admiral Squish]

Grapple hook... I hadn't thought of that. I WILL tell you some of the more fun things I did think of, though, to keep the thread alive while I work my mechanics magic.

Features: These are deeper than components, but there's too many feats already. These will be available as sorta warforged-only grafts. They include epic/awesome options such as:

Scanning eyes: Allow for enemy assessment with sense motive, much like the C.War or C. Adv rules, but with better range and accuracy. Plus, additional info with concentration, including things like caster/manifester/initiator/melee specialties, and any spells active on them, maybe any defensive special abilities.

Recording eyes: Allows you to record, with perfect accuracy, anything you see and hear, and possibly offers other bonuses to vision. You can projected recorded images as with silent image and ghost sound.

Processor: Bonus to intelligence and initiative, possibly reflex to represent faster reaction times.

Sensor Array: Blindsense/sensor-related bonuses. Listen, spot, the works.

Woven Plating: Allows for you to retract the armor granted by any 'X plating' feat. While retracted, you don't gain any of the bonuses but can wear clothes or armor.

Conductive Skin: Electrical immunity. In addition, lets you make a melee touch attack within a few round of an electrical attack to deliver the same damage to a target.

Somantic Plate: Remove ASF on any sort of plating you may be wearing.

Expanded Frame: Powerful build

Extradimensional pocket: Portable hole in your chest. Comes in consuming and storing varieties, or both in one. Consuming allows you to force enemies in and hold them in stasis. Storing lets you retrieve stored items with a thought.

Rocket Fist: Slam attack with throwing/returning, possibly bearing piercing weapons.

Drill Arm: See the above mention of big freakin' drills.

Cannon Arm: Attack action ranged touch attack that deals energy damage of your choice. Think samus's blaster. Megaman fits, too, however.

Rocket Boots: Or jump jets, depending on how you want to think about it, but the effect is the same.

Extra Segment: Makes your legs look lupine or feline, and gives you speed/jump bonuses. Not as cool as jump jets, but cheaper.

for now, that's all the teasing you're gonna get. Rest assured, there is much more planned for this particular thread.

[lightningcat]

I started working on a warforged PrC that uses homunculi to improve its own abilities, and am interested in any one elses ideas. Yes, I'm partially basing it off of the idea of the minicons from Transformers: Energon.
Plus, I have my Warforged upgrades.

[Admiral Squish]

Hmm. Your energy cannon is nice, but not what I was intending. I do like the multi-arms, though, that sounds like it could be pretty awesome.

[Bayar]

A warforged that eats other constructs to gain temporary bonuses would be so awesome.

[Frog Dragon]

Dwarven Warforged. +4 Con, -2 Wis, -4 Cha? Sing me up! Can I be a DFA or a barbarian?

[Prime32]

Dwarven Warforged. +4 Con, -2 Wis, -4 Cha? Sing me up! Can I be a DFA or a barbarian?

Dragonborn dwarven warforged: -2 Dex, +6 Con, -2 Wis, -4 Cha

Tip: Gain the dragonblood subtype somehow (eg. dragonborn). Take the Draconic Tail and Prehensile Tail feats. Attach an armbow to your tail. Flavour the tail as being on your chest or shoulder.

[SilentNight]

Awesome project, looking forward to more content. I'll try to contribute if anything comes to mind.

[Admiral Squish]

Alright, I did some (A lot) of work while I was in class today. Trying out stats for some of the variants and features. But, unfortunately, I'm no good at all with pricing, so I'm gonna need help with y'all to put decent price tags on these.

[Prime32]

Rather than all these warforged variants, couldn't you make warforged itself into a template? Possibly with loss of abilities like dragonborn.

[Admiral Squish]

Now, that could work, but the thing is unless you pare off almost EVERYTHING about the base race, then anything with the warforged template would land at +1 LA, at least. Warforged is already considered to be the upper end of LA 0, throw extra abilities in and we will probably have to knock it up a notch. Plus, some of the things don't make any sense. Why would a warforged gnome, for example, have a racial hatred of kobolds?

[Gorgondantess]

Dwarven warforged is horribly overpowered- an even better choice than dragonborn- and emberform and fleshstitched are kindof like a tiefling: too weak for LA +1, too powerful for LA +0. At least remove the ability bonus for LA +0, or remove the penalty for LA+1.

[Chambers]

Quick Draw Wand Component.

[Admiral Squish]

Nah, I'm already making samus's blaster, Robocop's gun would just be too much.

Okay, I'm gonna be coming up with a warforged template to use instead of these race-things. Make it simpler. It'd PROBABLY be +1 LA for simplicity's sake.

Just the stat bonus/penalties? None of the other stuff is too out there?

[EdroGrimshell]

How about a feature that gives an extra pair of arms?

[Admiral Squish]

I'm working on it! It's on the list. Really. I actually have a list. Probably gonna be under shapes.

[dgnslyr]

Plus, some of the things don't make any sense. Why would a warforged gnome, for example, have a racial hatred of kobolds?

Hatred of kobolds was programmed into its mentality by its (presumably) gnomish creators? The gnomish hatred of kobolds seems like a cultural thing, so a warforged built by gnomes and designed to look like a gnome would have those bits of gnomish culture programmed into it.