5e Warforged

The following is my version of the Warforged Race for Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. A lot of this is heavily influenced by Kieth Baker's blog.
A link to it is here. keith-baker.com/extra-life-hac…

                The acclaimed warrior race of sentient constructs forged for war and conditioned for its practice. The Last War leaves them to wander for purpose or continue to fight, yet even now; their military might outshines even the greatest of peoples.

                Antisocial and often hesitant to speak to outsiders, Warforged tirelessly trudge along in search of purpose. Others become hired hands, workers that offer their services to any that offer shelter from storms and a means to keep their idol hands and ever working minds busy. Still some rise up against their original creators, forming coalitions and bands of marauders to devastate settlements in search of vengeance.

                At first glance, this race appears to be humanoids of great stature encased in heavy armor, though upon closer inspection, it becomes obvious that they are, in fact, living wood and metal. Their eyes are unblinking crystal lenses that shine with light, ranging in color from yellows to oranges, to intimidating reds. They typically possess strong, heavy jawlines and expressionless faces of metal. Warforged possess three-digited hands and feet with only two large toes. Variation is common, however, as the process of forging their bodies is never exactly the same twice. All Warforged possess unique markings located on the center of their foreheads called a Forgemark. Each Forgemark is different from the next, granting those with keen eyes and a knowledge of the metal race insight into determining one from the next.

                                Dense and Strong

                The Warforged are a powerful race of half-constructs. They are forged of sturdy metals and dense, magic-infused wood, making them far more resilient than other races. The entire race, even females, possesses a body structure that looks like massive male humanoids of their appropriate size. The Warforged Commandos stand between 6 and 7 feet tall on average and weigh between 300 and 450 pounds. Scouts stand approximately 3 feet tall and weigh 40 to 60 pounds.

                                Sleepless Minds and Endless Lives

                Warforged are very construct-like. As such, they do not sleep, eat, or breathe. This truth leaves the Warforged in adventuring bands highly susceptible to boredom. They often take up pastimes like counting grass or following each groove in the wood of their Composite Plating: anything to keep their mind busy in the dead of night.

                Due to the training methods Warforged were subjected to in order to motivate them as soldiers, the vast majority of them see life as the preservation of their own consciousness, to insure that they can continue to experience the world around them.

                Warforged also do not age and as such cannot die from old age. They do not grow from children like other races; all Warforged are created in the prime age of their life and never age. Instead, for the first 6 months or so of wakefulness, they possess youthful curiosity and a readiness to learn any information that they can much like an infant.  Past this brief time of intellectual development, their minds taught to be rigid and stern, and they often lose their curiosity about the world. From that point on, they are, more or less, who they will always be.

                                Unnatural Tirelessness

                Warforged are incapable of sleep and are always aware, making them perfect guards and even construction workers. They rest only short times and are highly resilient, and so they can often outperform many other races.

                                Genderless

                The Warforged possess no gender, but they still usually see themselves as masculine or feminine in personality. A Warforged must adapt a gender identity and sexual preference.

                                No New Warforged

                 A unique quality of the Warforged is that they are incapable of reproduction and following the end of the Last War, when they were recognized as a true, sentient race, it became decidedly unethical to produce more. This fact makes it painfully clear that one day, the last Warforged may die, signaling the death knell for this proud warrior-race.

                                A Metal Government

                A feature shared only by most Halflings, Warforged possess no government of their own whatsoever, as so few of the species takes up an interest in politics. As such, the species will likely never form a unified government or establish a land its own. This paints a stark picture that without some sort of governmental initiative, new Warforged will never be made.

                                Warforged Names

                Warforged gain their names based upon their specific task, their body build, their physical strength, or even just because they are made of metal and used as tools. As such, there is no such thing as a typical Warforged name, though it is common practice to name Warforged after what they do, how they act, and so on, with no distinction between gender identities.

      Militaristic Personalities

     Ability Score Increase. Increase your Constitution Score by 2.
     Ageless. You do not age and cannot die from old age or ever reach the end of your prime physical condition.
     Alignment. Warforged tend towards lawful alignments due to their militaristic training and are often the Lawful Neutral alignment, but other alignments are equally likely.

     Construct Resiliency. Your unnatural, forged body grants special benefits.
     -You are immune to disease.
     -You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
     -Do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe but can still benefit from consumable items, such as potions.
     Half-Living. You heal only half as much from magical healing and only heal up to half your maximum health, rounded down, from completing a Long Rest. If you possess more than half your maximum hit points before completing a long rest, you do not regain any hit points.
     Ever Watching. You do not sleep.  For you, a Long Rest is only 4 hours. During this time, you are completely aware.
     Self-Stabilizing. You have Advantage on Death Saving Throws.
     Composite Plating. You begin play with a set of armor of your choice infused into your body. You must choose from the following list and immediately receive the bonuses associated with your choice. There are no prerequisites to use your composite plating and you can make use of it without difficulty.
        Adamantine. You are forged with the dense metal, Adamantine in your body. You are treated as wearing Heavy Armor and cannot wear any other armor or robes. If your Strength Score is less than 13, your base walking speed is reduced by 10 ft. Your Armor Class is calculated as 16 and you have disadvantage on Stealth Checks. If you are a Barbarian or Monk, you may not apply your Unarmored Defense Feature if you take this ability. Your armor with this ability increases by 1 at level 5 to 17 and again at level 8 to 18.
        Ironwood. You are forged of dense, thick wood. You are treated as wearing Light Armor and cannot wear any other armor or robes. Your Armor Class is calculated as 11 + your Dex Modifier. For a Druid, this ability is not considered metal armor. If you are a Barbarian or Monk, you may not apply your Unarmored Defense Feature if you take this ability. Your armor with this ability increases by 1 at 5th level.
        Mithral. You are forged with Mithral plates that cover your body. You are treated as wearing Light armor and cannot wear any other armor or robes. Your Armor Class is calculated as 12 + your Dex Modifier. If you are a Barbarian or Monk, you may not apply your Unarmored Defense Feature if you take this ability. Your armor with this ability increases by 1 at 5th level.
        Standard Composite. You possess normal armor plating for your kind. You are treated as wearing Light armor and cannot wear any other armor or robes. Your Armor Class is increased by 1 and you have disadvantage on Stealth Checks. If you are a Barbarian or Monk, you may apply your Unarmored Defense Feature if you take this ability. You cannot permanently magically enchant your armor bonus higher than it is with this ability.
       Unarmored. You possess no inherent armor plating and are treated as wearing no armor at all. You can wear robes or armor of any kind and your Armor Class is calculated normally. If you are a Barbarian or Monk, you may apply your Unarmored Defense Feature if you take this ability.
     Natural Weapon. You can never be disarmed because you are a weapon. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage.

    Languages. You speak Common.

    Scout.

    A Warforged Scout is a significantly smaller and more nimble iteration of the Warforged. A Warforged of this model possess the following traits.

                Ability Score Increase. Increase your Dexterity Score by 1.

                Size. Your size is Small but you are quite formidable for your size. You stand just above 3'4'' tall on average.

                Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 ft.

                Composite Plating. You may choose any form of Composite Plating except Adamantine.

    Commando.

                A Warforged Commando is what many first envision when imagining Warforged in general. They possess the following traits.

                Ability Score Increase. Increase your Strength Score by 1.

                Size. You are Medium in size and stand 6’10’’ to 7’ tall on average.

                Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

                Composite Plating. A Warforged Commando may choose any form of Composite Plating.

 

Warforged Random Height and Weight

   

Sub-Race      Base Height    Height Modifier    Base Weight    Weight Modifier

   

Commando    6’6’’               +2d4                  250 lb.            X25 lb.

   

Scout            3'               +2d4                  40 lb.              X2.5 lb.