Armorfolk; Homebrew Construct race

[ldcnuke]

Here's a PC race I created for D&D, it is approved by several experienced DMs. Tell me what you think. They exist in my homebrew world called Scorn.

• Armorfolk
• The Armorfolk are the product of a long forgotten wizard attempting to create an army of animated armor golems. He realized that a soldier that can rationalize is a lot more useful than a soldier who cannot, so he decided to give the creatures basic human feelings and thoughts by using the iron from his blood as a material component. However, the results surpassed what he expected, and seeing that a madman was creating them, his creations banded together and captured their creator. They then forced him to tell them the “recipe” to make more of them, killed him, and burned down his tower. They began to call themselves Armorfolk, and went southeast to the place they would eventually settle down and create a small city. After several hundred years, the Armorfolk are beginning to make a very small appearance on the “civilized” lands once more, for better and worse…

• Iron and Steel Armorfolk have the following abilities and traits:

• No Constitution score, -2 Charisma
• Medium sized Construct
• Low Light Vision
• +6 natural armor bonus to AC
• An Armorfolk’s body incurs a –4 Armor Check Penalty and a 10% arcane spell failure chance.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
• Cannot heal damage on their own, but can "heal" with craft armor checks and the craft construct feat with an appropriate skill check. A Fabricate spell fully heals an Armorfolk.
• Armorfolk receive the Craft Construct (Armorfolk only) feat for free, and they get a +4 familiarity bonus on craft (armor) checks.
• Armorfolk can repair themselves with a series of checks. As per the normal feat, a construct can be healed by up to 20 points a day, but each point of healing costs 50 GP in raw materials. In order to heal it, however, the 'healer' must make two craft (armor) checks. One check has a DC of the base armor type, and the other check has a DC of 20 for the masterwork component.
  
• Armorfolk have no sense of taste, smell, or touch, but they have a feeling for how hard they are pushing on things, etc.
  
• Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
• Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
• Armorfolk gain 10 bonus hit points because of the toughness of their metal bodies.
  
• Since it was never alive, an Armorfolk cannot be raised or resurrected by anything short of a Wish or Miracle spell.
• Armorfolk cannot wear additional armor
  
• Armorfolk do not eat or breathe. They automatically shut down for 4 hours after 20 hours of being awake in order to restore their soul to armor connection. They can rest prematurely, but after 20 hours, they shut down again, regardless of when they rested.
  
• Languages: Common. Bonus languages: Any, except secret languages such as Druidic
• Favored class: Fighter

I changed the bonus 10 HP for medium sized constructs for the sake of reducing the level adjustment. I don't like level adjustments. I also made some other changes to make the level adjustment lower, such as narfing the self-healing big time. If you still think they are too broken, say what I can do to change it, not just what is wrong.

[anphorus]

I love the concept of this. I can just imagine the big bruiser type Armourfolk being made of Full Plate, with the smaller, cleverer administrators being made of chain or scale mail. The old wise elder armourfolk having patches of rust. Would it be possible for someone to wear one of the armourfolk as a disguise or can they not be taken apart?

Cool idea.

[Neko]

Very cool looking. Looks like it would work well.

[Umarth]

IMO these need a Level adjustment:

They get all of the following:
Low Light Vision
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
+6 natural armor bonus to AC
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
Not at risk of death from massive damage.
DR 3/-
Craft Construct
+4 armor crafting
Armorfolk do not eat, sleep, or breathe.



Balanced by:
No Constitution score, -2 Charisma]
Funky Healing
Hard to bring back from the dead.

Based on just the shear number of immunities they are going to need a level adjustment. Everything considered I'd probably peg them at least LA+4 maybe a bit more.

The healing also isn't clear do "cure" spells work on them?

Have you looked at the warforged in Eberron they might work well for this idea.

[ldcnuke]

IMO these need a Level adjustment:

They get all of the following:
Low Light Vision
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
+6 natural armor bonus to AC
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
Not at risk of death from massive damage.
DR 3/-
Craft Construct
+4 armor crafting
Armorfolk do not eat, sleep, or breathe.



Balanced by:
No Constitution score, -2 Charisma]
Funky Healing
Hard to bring back from the dead.

Based on just the shear number of immunities they are going to need a level adjustment. Everything considered I'd probably peg them at least LA+4 maybe a bit more.

The healing also isn't clear do "cure" spells work on them?

Have you looked at the warforged in Eberron they might work well for this idea.

Cure spells do NOT work on them, also keep in mind that they can't wear additional armor, and they have an armor check penalty. In addition, do you know how much a Wish spell costs? Way more than any character should have before they can cast it.

[Nahal]

Yeah, I think they're fine as-is. Dunno if I'd play one, but I don't see anything wrong.

[Icewalker]

I dunno. All the immunities and stuff would require an LA, but that resurrection thing is pretty nasty. I don't really like the idea of having something very powerful but hard to resurrect as a balance. Nevertheless, very cool idea.

The lack of cure spells isn't actually an issue. There is a repair light damage spell which is just about identical to a cure for these guys, it was basically made for warforged.

[ldcnuke]

I love the concept of this. I can just imagine the big bruiser type Armourfolk being made of Full Plate, with the smaller, cleverer administrators being made of chain or scale mail. The old wise elder armourfolk having patches of rust. Would it be possible for someone to wear one of the armourfolk as a disguise or can they not be taken apart?

Cool idea.

They can be taken apart to attatch things like magical helmets and bracers and things, but it requires a Craft (armor) check to put back together. An armorfolk can be resized for a person to wear, in fact, a king in my homebrew campaign setting had an armorfolk resized for him to wear, and the armorfolk acts as his advisor.

[Umarth]

Cure spells do NOT work on them, also keep in mind that they can't wear additional armor, and they have an armor check penalty. In addition, do you know how much a Wish spell costs? Way more than any character should have before they can cast it.

Yah but when Goldy bites the dust bringing in his "brother" Silver isn't to hard to do.

Like Icewalker said hard to resurect probably shouldn't be used as a balance for LA.

I'll break it down a bit more so you can see my reasoning:

First each ability on it's own:
{table]{table=head]LA | Ability
0|Low Light Vision
0|Darkvision out to 60 feet.
+2|+6 natural armor bonus to AC
+2|Immunity to all mind-affecting effects
+2|Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
+3|Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
+2|Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
+.5|Not at risk of death from massive damage.
+1|DR 3/-
+.5|Craft Construct
+0|+4 armor crafting
+.5|Armorfolk do not eat,
+1|sleep, or
+1|breathe
-0|No Constitution score (hurts fighters helps wizards. One less stat to spend points on)
-0|-2 Charisma
-2|Funky Healing
-.5|Hard to bring back from the dead.
-0| Armor Check Penalty
-1| Can't wear additional Armor
+11|Total
[/table]

Then looking at the total package I see that a lot of stuff overlaps so I'd knock some off of the LA for that.

Then I'd compare it to some human characters and just guessing it would be equal to arround a 4-5th level character maybe 6th.

I'd also compare it to some other LA races (and this has way more than many with a 1-3 LA).

This race is easily the best arcane caster race you could get your hands on if it's LA is 0.

Think about what it gets me:
Ability to heal myself,
Armor,
DR,
Immunities out the wazzo,
Exsist in hostile enviroments,
Immune to sneak attaks, crits, and ability drains.
free feat,
and that's not all.

It's just to much in one package.

[Abjurer]

It sort of is a worforged...

I think it should have harness, instead of damage reduction.

[jjpickar]

Get rid of the damage reduction and take away some of their immunities. Mind -affecting spells should work on them as well as stunning. Immunity to poison and disease can stay but make them sleep or shut down so that sleep spells and affects will work. I think that can bring down the level adjustment to 0.

[ldcnuke]

alright, thanks. I'll try that.

[Icewalker]

Yeah, I agree with jjpickar. That sounds like it'd balance it, and I kind of like those additions.

The idea of near impossible resurrection is still a bit off I think, but its ok I guess.

[ldcnuke]

It's the same resurrection rules for outsiders, and it makes sense to me to make a construct which is not affected by healing spells to also not be affected by resurrect spells.

[2.5 cats]

Interesting, but as other has said, they remind me of the warforged race from Eberron (Their creation story is pretty similar).

I'd also point out (though you probably know this), that a race "proficient in no armor" can still wear leather armor (or masterwork studded leather) without penalty. An armorfolk in mw studded leather is AC 19, plus shield/dex. Seems a bit strong. (With warforged their body is their armor, so they can't wear additional armor.)

[Icewalker]

Pretty sure "Their body is their armor" also applies to beings that are constructed from...armor.

I think that was what he was trying to say when he said whatever it was he said. No additional armor, not just not proficient.

[ldcnuke]

yeah, icewalker got it. I'll change the wording. They are a lot like warforged, yes, but I don't like Eberron, and most of my DM's don't allow Eberron things anyway.

[Kyace]

Bit of an off the wall question, but if you don't have an ability score, do you only roll 5x 4d6b3 or roll 6x 4d6b3 and drop the worse?

Also, not being able to eat and drink means no potions. I see nothing that says they are immune to mind affecting spells, since they have an int score they are affected.

You say they need to rest 4 hours a day or risk their soul escaping or something. What happens if they don't rest? Do they automatically shut down for 4 hours? Does their soul leave them? Are theyfatigued? Do they turn evil and kill everyone?

Other questions: Can they wear magic items meant for normal living creatures? If someone casts Animate Objects on them, does that act like dominate person or hold person?

Also, I'd suggest removing the craft construct feat since they don't need it to heal themselves. Maybe give them a +2 familiary bonus to all craft checks instead (After all, after you've fixed yourself for the hundredth time, making a sword shouldn't be too hard).

Something else to consider is since these are basically walking suits of armor, maybe give them a max dex bonus to AC as if they were wearing armor. And maybe give them hardness due to being made of metal (maybe 1/5 as much hardness since they have to have joints and be lighter to be move), but take away their natural armor since unlike wearing armor, they themselves take damage when the 'armor' is hit. Thus an iron armorfolk would have hardness 2, but an AC of 10+dex, maybe with a max dex still.

Honestly, I like it, but I'm a bit biased since I like Fullmetal Alchemist a lot.

The idea of one of these being a wizard/sorcerer just gives me an evil grin. Maybe let them refit themselves with mithral for 3,000 gp and a DC 20 craft armor check (base price 9k) for no arcane magic failure and 3 hardness.
Or refit themselves with Adamantine for 5,000 gp and DC 20 craft armor check (base price is 15k) and they gain 4 hardness (and adamantine weapons do not ignore this hardness).

PS: I really like your race.