What do warforged do?

[Thrawn183]

Think about it, they don't eat, drink or sleep. They don't need clothes (though I have seen some artwork with them). The average person works every day so that they can afford food and shelter. A warforged simply doesn't need these things*.

I am wondering what you think your common warforged (NPC) would actually spend their time doing on a day to day basis. A warfoged fortress, for example, could simply be four walls. It's not like they need anything else.

*Yes, I could see warforged picking up work for a little while to buy something they really want like a musical instrument, they just don't need to spend money on so many of the things humanoids do.

[darkpuppy]

They still need to be repaired from time to time, but the Races of Eberron book quite handily deals with this by pointing out that Warforged, not needing to sleep, and not needing to think too deeply, occupy themselves with simple, repetitive tasks when the rest of the party is asleep, such as armour and weapon maintennance, whittling, drawing... the list goes on.

It's a fascinating book, Races of Eberron, and I'd recommend it to an Eberron GM.

[Fax Celestis]

Gainful employment. While they may not need most material goods, they do still need spell components, weapons, armor, and the material to repair themselves. Further, they probably try things like clothing to 'blend in' a little more: some people are pretty prejudiced against the 'forged, so doing whatever they can to limit that prejudice is good.

[Terraoblivion]

Just as importantly they do need contact with other sentient beings, feeling that they fulfill a useful purpose and mental stimulation, in short all the reasons apart from money that people work for.

[Greenish]

Basically, they spend much of their time trying to figure out what to do. Many probably take the first job offered to them, just to fend off boredom. Many become adventurers or sellswords, since that's what they know how to do. Some figure out another goal in life.

[Marnath]

They still need to be repaired from time to time, but the Races of Eberron book quite handily deals with this by pointing out that Warforged, not needing to sleep, and not needing to think too deeply, occupy themselves with simple, repetitive tasks when the rest of the party is asleep, such as armour and weapon maintennance, whittling, drawing... the list goes on.

It's a fascinating book, Races of Eberron, and I'd recommend it to an Eberron GM.

This. They prefer repetitive hobbies, like counting rocks nearby or braiding leather strips together. Pretty much anything you could picture an OCD person doing they might do, except they do it for fun, not as a compulsion. Personally if I was a warforged I would probably travel a lot and pick up little cool looking knick-knacks from every place I've been.

[Itous]

most warforged actully have trouble adjusting to normal life, they normally become mercenarys how ever those who do will probably become something along the lines of a weapon or armorsmith, or a seige engineer something to help in a war, although those who successfully adjust to normal life are normally tailors, artists, builders, etc.

most warforged during game downtime as the other guy said they will probably give have a simple task they can take thier time to master, if you need something they can do during thier watch things like....

Origami, Wood Carving, Puzzle Writting,

for professions as i said building is a good one, farming, fishing, tinkering, some might even decide to have a family and some how reproduce i would assume they use some of thier own body parts with another warfoged to construct a new one and then repair themselves i don't know much about that.

[RebelRogue]

How much war could a warforged forge if a warforged could forge war?

[Marnath]

some might even decide to have a family and some how reproduce i would assume they use some of thier own body parts with another warfoged to construct a new one and then repair themselves i don't know much about that.

They're built by creation forges, which are illegal to operate after the Thronehold Treaty. So no reproducing for the 'forged. Adoption on the other hand, would be a great plot hook.

[Urpriest]

for professions as i said building is a good one, farming, fishing, tinkering, some might even decide to have a family and some how reproduce i would assume they use some of thier own body parts with another warfoged to construct a new one and then repair themselves i don't know much about that.

Standard Eberron warforged can't reproduce. They were produced by Cannith's Creation Forges, but these have all been shut down, and further creation of warforged is illegal in every major Eberron nation.

Edit: Ninja'd

Though an interesting question presents itself: are there nations that don't have laws against warforged creation? Droaam, for example? It could be like stem cell research!

[FelixG]

One of my war-forged characters was making a clockwork pocket watch by hand with a magnifying glass and a series of files and scrap metal in his down time.

[Greenish]

Though an interesting question presents itself: are there nations that don't have laws against warforged creation? Droaam, for example? It could be like stem cell research!

Lord of Blades has a mostly operational creation forge up and running in the Mournlands, and House Cannith has another hidden beneath Sharn. Xen'drik has the original giant-made creation forges, some of which may remain operative.

[Zaq]

Remember that Warforged are sapient, and are every bit as smart as humans, dwarves, or anyone. I think they mostly get jobs out of boredom. Either because they want something (anything) to do, or so they can have money to do things that they want to do. This does, of course, mean that they have more disposable income than other races, because they need little other than a house. Remember, just because you don't sleep doesn't mean you don't want a home, if nothing else to keep your stuff in.

[Southern Cross]

That makes sense,given his Magneto complex....

[Marnath]

This does, of course, mean that they have more disposable income than other races, because they need little other than a house. Remember, just because you don't sleep doesn't mean you don't want a home, if nothing else to keep your stuff in.

They wouldn't even need a house, if they spend money for fire and cold resistance to keep away the weather and get a Heward's Handy Haversack for their stuff. Maybe acid resistance or blueshine too, for negating possible corrosion.

[Sir_Elderberry]

Well, any D&D person could buy themselves the spells needed to llive outside all the time. People still build houses, for much the same reason that people in the modern world don't just buy tents.

[Snake-Aes]

Races of Eberron, as said, gives a good insight to it. They're moved mostly by desires of intellectual nature, like curiosity and greed. Not having bodily needs (Immediate bodily needs. Repair is expensive in comparison to food), they strive primarily to satisfy their minds.

Being derived from automata, warforged have a slow, deliberative mind. They take much longer than a human to be bored with what they are doing, and monotone tasks can keep them entertained for days nonstop.

[Zaq]

They wouldn't even need a house, if they spend money for fire and cold resistance to keep away the weather and get a Heward's Handy Haversack for their stuff. Maybe acid resistance or blueshine too, for negating possible corrosion.

I dunno. I imagine many Warforged as being, on some level, very eager to fit into society, and that often means having some of the trappings of society. You can't invite your friends over to your built-in cold resistance, after all, and a Handy Haversack just doesn't make a good place to store conversation pieces or objets d'art.

They don't have to care about it, but it's no stretch in my mind to imagine a 'forged who at least wants a place to call their own.

I should mention that this is referring more to non-adventuring 'forged, of course. Adventurers of ANY race generally don't care about having a place to stay that's more comfortable than a Rope Trick, at least until the party wizzie hits MMM.

[FelixG]

I dunno. I imagine many Warforged as being, on some level, very eager to fit into society, and that often means having some of the trappings of society. You can't invite your friends over to your built-in cold resistance, after all, and a Handy Haversack just doesn't make a good place to store conversation pieces or objets d'art.

They don't have to care about it, but it's no stretch in my mind to imagine a 'forged who at least wants a place to call their own.

I should mention that this is referring more to non-adventuring 'forged, of course. Adventurers of ANY race generally don't care about having a place to stay that's more comfortable than a Rope Trick, at least until the party wizzie hits MMM.

Best investment ever: Wondrous Item: Key of the mansion CL13 1/day casting of mages magnificent mansion :P

[Jallorn]

This. They prefer repetitive hobbies, like counting rocks nearby or braiding leather strips together. Pretty much anything you could picture an OCD person doing they might do, except they do it for fun, not as a compulsion. Personally if I was a warforged I would probably travel a lot and pick up little cool looking knick-knacks from every place I've been.

I just had an idea for an OCD Warforged. It sounds kinda funny.

[Tyrmatt]

If I was a Warforged, I think I would find a way to earn money so I could pay a wizard to make the Eberron equivalent of a Kindle. An expensive magic item that can access books from a particular library remotely, via a kind of Sending mechanic.

I suppose also technically Warforged could simply do the same jobs as other people but be paid less. I doubt even Eberron has the concept of a minimum wage and I imagine some 'forged could even see the logic in it. Assuming they don't despise the mortal races, I can see themselves willingly sacrificing wages to allow those with greater needs to still have jobs. Or a 'forged being paid in things like books, other items that the mortal races while they WANT do not specifically NEED.

The obsessive collector also appeals to me. Warforged work menial jobs at low wages but only buy expensive collectors items, gemstones or art pieces. The idea of having a complete "set" probably appeals to the 'forged mindset: It's not perfect unless it has all the pieces, just like a warforged.

On the flip side, I can see a lot of 'forged taking to a monastic life quite well. How zen would your garden be when the guy who rakes the sand and tends the plants doesn't get bored, tired or need to stop.

[FelixG]

If I was a Warforged, I think I would find a way to earn money so I could pay a wizard to make the Eberron equivalent of a Kindle. An expensive magic item that can access books from a particular library remotely, via a kind of Sending mechanic.

I suppose also technically Warforged could simply do the same jobs as other people but be paid less. I doubt even Eberron has the concept of a minimum wage and I imagine some 'forged could even see the logic in it. Assuming they don't despise the mortal races, I can see themselves willingly sacrificing wages to allow those with greater needs to still have jobs. Or a 'forged being paid in things like books, other items that the mortal races while they WANT do not specifically NEED.

The obsessive collector also appeals to me. Warforged work menial jobs at low wages but only buy expensive collectors items, gemstones or art pieces. The idea of having a complete "set" probably appeals to the 'forged mindset: It's not perfect unless it has all the pieces, just like a warforged.

On the flip side, I can see a lot of 'forged taking to a monastic life quite well. How zen would your garden be when the guy who rakes the sand and tends the plants doesn't get bored, tired or need to stop.

I would see warforged getting payed more. A laborer that isnt as easily hurt, doesn't need to sleep ect. A half intelligent war-forged could see these benefits in themselves and market appropriately

[Urpriest]

I would see warforged getting payed more. A laborer that isnt as easily hurt, doesn't need to sleep ect. A half intelligent war-forged could see these benefits in themselves and market appropriately

Until the next warforged asks for slightly less and gets the job instead, since neither needs the money to survive. The free market pushes prices down to the cost of producing services, and warforged have very few inherent costs.

[Snake-Aes]

Well, warforged are a minority. The competition is only as high as the densest city you are going to seek a job in.

[Prime32]

I would see warforged getting payed more. A laborer that isnt as easily hurt, doesn't need to sleep ect. A half intelligent war-forged could see these benefits in themselves and market appropriately

This, of course, doesn't help the discrimination.

[ghost_warlock]

Huh. And here I thought all warforged held down two jobs to sustain their gambling addiction. Wonders abound...

[Urpriest]

Well, warforged are a minority. The competition is only as high as the densest city you are going to seek a job in.

And that city is Sharn.

[BladeofOblivion]

How much war could a warforged forge if a warforged could forge war?

AAAAAAnd Sigged.

[chiasaur11]

Listen to the exploits of Dirk Daring, the Daring Dirk of Derring Do, of course.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

What does warforged do with all its extra time?

It lives a double quadruple life.