Warforged

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Warforged are considered Humanoid.

Genetics and Reproduction

They cannot reproduce as they lack genitalia.

Growth Rate & Stages

They are created with adult bodies, which they keep until they are destroyed.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Warforged do not need to sleep, eat, or breathe. They can survive in just about any habitat, however, extreme weather conditions can damage their bodies.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Due to being made out of wood and metal, Warforged do not have very expressive faces. Thus, other humanoids often have a difficult time distinguishing them and getting a read on them.

Average Intelligence

Comparable to humans

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Constructed Resilience

• You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
• You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
• You are immune to disease.
• You are immune to magical aging effects.
• You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Sentry’s Rest

While you do not need to sleep in order to function, in order to regain any spellslots or abilities you might have expanded, or HP you might have lost, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state to allow the Crystal powering you to recharge your body. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.

Integrated Protection

• You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
• You can don only armor with which you have proficiency. To don armor other than a shield, you must incorporate it into your body over the course of 1 hour, during which you remain in contact with the armor. To doff armor, you must spend 1 hour removing it. You can rest while donning or doffing armor in this way.
• While you live, the armor incorporated into your body can’t be removed against your will.

Self-Destruction

You draw on the power of the Ley-Line Crystal powering you, rapidly using up all its remaining energy, causing a devastating explosion in a 40-foot-radius sphere centered on you. Doing this destroys your body and kills you regardless of your AC and HP. Doing this, you can only be brought back to life by a True Resurrection or Wish spell. Creatures within a 20-foot-radius need to succeed a DC22 Dex save or take 10d6 Force damage + 4d6 slashing damage from flying shrapnel. Creatures within a 40-foot-radius need to succeed a DC18 Dex save or take 8d6 Force damage. On a successful save, creatures caught in the blast radius take half damage.

Specialized Design

You gain one skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of your choice.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Warforged were not given individual names upon their creation, some have, however, adopted a name of their choosing or have been given one by close companions.

Gender Ideals

The typical warforged has a sexless body shape. Some warforged ignore the concept of gender entirely, while others adopt a gender identity.

Relationship Ideals

Like other humanoids, they enjoy the company of others. Since they are unable to reproduce, their relationships with other people are mostly platonic but there have been cases of romantic relationships. When they enter a romantic relationship, they usually do not care about their partner's gender and, unlike most humans, are more open-minded when it comes to non-monogamous relationships.

Common Dress Code

Warforged typically do not care much about clothing one way or another. They do not require clothes, except to protect them from the most extreme of the elements but some decide to cover up to blend in better in cities.

History

Creation

When it became increasingly obvious that the land would once again be immersed in the shadows of war, capable mages came up with the idea of golems, powerful constructs that would follow the orders of their creators. They were used to protect cities as well as to bolster the frontlines of armies. Powerful as they were, they were incredibly expensive, taxing, and time-consuming to create.
The engineers, scientists, and mages of Krom came together to find a better way to increase the number of soldiers. After many failed experiments, in the year 402, they managed to create the Warforged, tall, artificial humanoids, made from wood and metal with a Ley-Line Crystal of the highest purity as their source of power. However, what was meant to be an animated construct could feel pain and emotion, and form independent thoughts. While they were amenable to participating in the wars of their creators at first, more and more of them started refusing orders when they realized they had been created for the sole purpose of fighting and dying for their creators.

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Insurrection

In the year 404, the Warforged banded together, rebelling against their creators. This lead to a war on two fronts for the people living on Krom and almost lead to the fall of the continent. Although the Warforged fought inside Krom's cities, they focused their efforts on sabotaging the laboratories and fighting against their creators, rarely attacking innocent bystanders and citizens.

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Peace Treaty

After countless casualties on both sides, both parties agreed to a ceasefire in order to negotiate a peace treaty. Denton Shilling, an engineer who had helped to create the Warforged, was one of the driving forces on the Kromian side for negotiating the treaty.
After two months of negotiations, the peace treaty came into force. With it, the Warforged were recognized as a species and granted rights. In return for becoming citizens, many agreed to join the fight against the Dark One to protect their new home. Additionally, the creation of sapient beings was deemed unethical and the research on the creation of the Warforged was destroyed. Those who did not want to join the fights were free to do as they wished. Some used their newfound freedom to explore the world, others settled in Krom living as human citizens would, forming relationships - platonic and romantic - and picking up jobs.

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Current Status

Many of the Warforged got destroyed in the battles against the Dark One's armies or were civillian casualties during the wartime and the shattering of the continent. Most of the remaining Warforged are those, who decided against settling in Krom and instead decided to join the fights on one of the other continents or simply travel the world.
However, Ley-Line Crystals are not infinite sources of power and need to be recharged periodically. With most of the brilliant minds of Krom having died, the Warforged were never imparted with the knowledge of how to recharge their Crystal. Some of the remaining Warforged have since run out of power, thus shutting down, slowly deteriorating from exposure to the elements. Others have found safe and hidden places to enter a sleep-like state to conserve power, only occasionally waking in hopes of finally finding a way to recharge the Crystal.
For those reasons it is hard to say how many Warforged remain. Some of those who have shut down permanently could possibly be restored if someone managed to recharge the crystal powering them and the Warforged in question was still in decent condition. In thing is clear, however. Those who remain still vividly remember the destruction the Dark One and his minions, and consequently the wars waged against them, have wrought.

Historical Figures

The Wars of the Third Age

With stronger and sturdier bodies than many other humanoids, the Warforged played a big role in turning around the war against the Dark One. One Warforged in particular, who adopted the name of Grim, was crucial to the victory in the last stand against the Dark One. When the last line of defense, keeping the Dark One's minions from the battle between him and Thea Dawncrest, was about to fall, Grim fought his way into the enemy lines. He sacrificed himself by exploding his Ley-Line Crystal, killing many minions and thus keeping Thea Dawncrest alive long enough for her to deal the finishing blow.

Warforged by Jeremy Crawford & Team

Related articles:

Krom
Ley-Line Crystal
Dark One
Third Age
Thea Dawncrest

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Lifespan

Unknown

Average Height

Medium Size
6'0" - 6'6"

Average Weight

270 - 300 pound

Average Physique

Tall and lean

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Colors and markings depend on the wood used for the Warforged. Typically used woods include birch, oak, and spruce.

Geographic Distribution

• Bellfort
• Shilling Sanctuary for Warforged