# Warforged Druids?



## AuraSeer (Jan 31, 2005)

Is there a rule I've missed that would let a warforged be a druid? 

I think there would be a lot of RP potential in that combination. The character knows that his race is outside the cycles of nature, having been manufactured fully grown, so he turns to druidic teachings in an effort to understand other living things.

However, the base warforged cannot use druid abilities. He can take levels in the class, but because he's always "wearing" metal armor, he is unable to use wildshape or cast spells. I've checked all the books I have, but I can't find a way around this. Have I missed something? Is there a reason (other than flavor) why warforged must be useless as druids, and weakened as arcane casters?

If there's no balance reason, would it be unbalanced to create a feat allowing it? Call it "Organic Body" or some such, and have it lower the innate armor to the equivalent of leather (+1 AC, 0 ASF, 0% ASF). Clearly it'd be a house rule, but would it be balanced?

(A more flavorful option would be to have a template called "Dragonhide Body," giving the warforged a large non-metallic armor bonus plus some other stuff, in exchange for +1 ECL. But that could have a whole thread of its own.)


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## Patryn of Elvenshae (Jan 31, 2005)

AuraSeer said:
			
		

> Is there a rule I've missed that would let a warforged be a druid?




Nope; it's a pretty unworkable combination without a great deal of houseruling.


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## Hand of Evil (Jan 31, 2005)

warforged armor is considered 'light armor' I thought a druid could use light armor?


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jan 31, 2005)

Hand of Evil said:
			
		

> warforged armor is considered 'light armor' I thought a druid could use light armor?



 Light armor? Yes

Metal armor? No


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## Lobo Lurker (Jan 31, 2005)

Druids cannot use metal armor.

Warforged are made of wood, obsidion, & metal right? Personally, unless it's specifially stated in the book, I'd attribute the warforged's armor bonus to the stone and wood of it's construction as much as the metal.

If I had a player wanting to play a warforged druid, I'd likely be lax enough to allow it. No Adamantine or Mithril Body feats though. I really felt strongly about it, I'd make an Ironwood or Bronzewood construction feat that would allow it. But, being a construct I might make the warforged's wild shapes be more like warforged versions of the animals.

Interesting exploration.


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## Vraister (Jan 31, 2005)

The Fochlucan Lyrist from CAdv gets 'Unbound' at first level which allows light metal armor for druids.

Vraister


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## Heroditis (Jan 31, 2005)

What about a Warforged who was specifically crafted to be a Druid from construction on (using Ironwood for example), perhaps by comission by a Druidic order who want to learn about the Warforged and if they can be used to the Druids' advantage?


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## Henry (Jan 31, 2005)

You may well see something along the above lines in Races of Eberron in June; not sure, but somebody has to have given it some thought. By the book, no, because it's treated as metal for purposes of heat metal and rusting grasp, and it takes up the armor slot on the body. As a house rule, I'd allow it, the same way as I'd allow a warforged monk to get his full abilities, as long as he didn't have mithril or adamantine body.


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## Hand of Evil (Jan 31, 2005)

I thought it was discussed that the Warforged armor while affected by such spells as rust and heat was a composite but look at Mithral Body special page 57 of the ECS for even more confusion, it mentions Warforged Driuds and states that if they take this feat they cannot cast spells and such, which makes me believe that up to that point, no problem.  Oh, it is in the Adamantine Body special too, page 50.


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## Staffan (Jan 31, 2005)

The base warforged armor doesn't interfere with any class abilities other than arcane spell casting (5% arcane spell failure). So a warforged druid is eminently possible. The mithral body and adamantine body feats specifically count as wearing light/heavy metal armor, which makes them pretty anti-synergetic with druid (and monk) abilities, but the basic armor is OK.


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## Kae'Yoss (Feb 1, 2005)

Warforged druid? That poor bugger would only hate himself.


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## Jack of Shadows (Feb 2, 2005)

KaeYoss said:
			
		

> Warforged druid? That poor bugger would only hate himself.




It's funny because this was the first character concept I thought of while I was reading Eberron. It plays along the Pinochio syndrome theme but in a much larger sense. How better for a Warforged to come to terms with his inherent unnaturalness but by embracing Nature itself. Besides there also the really cool options for body modification thanks to spells like Warp Wood and Stone Shape.

Jack.


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## Lasher Dragon (Feb 2, 2005)

LOL Reminds me of the suicidal robot from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy


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## Glyfair (Feb 2, 2005)

Hand of Evil said:
			
		

> warforged armor is considered 'light armor' I thought a druid could use light armor?




Warforged are not considered to be wearing armor unless they take the Mithril Body or Adamantine Body feats.  Yes, it seems like they are because they are limited as if they are wearing armor and get an armor bonus.  However, the part about being considered to be wearing "light armor" doesn't appear until the Mithril Body feat.

This has been covered by Keith in the Ask Keith Baker thread.  A warforged druid is a good possibliity (indeed, a famous bit of fan art is here and I know there is another one I've seen with a tree on his back).


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## Lasher Dragon (Feb 2, 2005)

Would a warforged make good use of the Spellsword PrC? Seems like the perfect combo, but I don't have my books with me. Seems to me you could get those Adamantine/Mithral Body feats and use the PrC to get spell failure down to nothing.


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## dravot (Feb 2, 2005)

As a one shot, I created a warforged urban druid (urban druid is from a Dragon magazine last year) and he was pretty effective, especially since the urban druid can spontaneously cast the repair item spells that heal up warforged, plus the two seem to fit thematically.

That said, a warforged druid would be an interesting roleplay opportunity.


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## Klaus (Feb 2, 2005)

A warforged that doesn't take Adamantine Body or Mithral Body can become a druid and cast spells just fine. There's enough wood and stone in their composite plating that they do not infringe the druid no-metal code.

As a sidenote, a wildshaped druid becomes a real animal, so, in the words of Keith Baker, he gets to be a real boy for a while.


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## Kae'Yoss (Feb 2, 2005)

Glyfair said:
			
		

> (indeed, a famous bit of fan art is here




You know what this reminds me of? "Pull the other one, it's got bells on"



			
				Klaus said:
			
		

> As a sidenote, a wildshaped druid becomes a real animal, so, in the words of Keith Baker, he gets to be a real boy for a while.




Hm... I'd say he becomes an effigy (those very life-like constructs from CArc)


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## freebiewitz (Sep 17, 2009)

*Druid warforged.*

Well I think its completly legal and fine to have a warforged druid as long as he doesn't take the armor type feats. What I want to know is what kinda animal companions they get. Do they get the normal ones? Or do they get a contruct version like artificers.


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## Starbuck_II (Sep 17, 2009)

freebiewitz said:


> Well I think its completly legal and fine to have a warforged druid as long as he doesn't take the armor type feats. What I want to know is what kinda animal companions they get. Do they get the normal ones? Or do they get a contruct version like artificers.



 Unless there is a substitution level; normal only.


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## Cephid (Sep 18, 2009)

There is a feat called iron wood body that does exactly that. Made just for druids. It is in one of the eberon books or the monster manual 3.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Sep 18, 2009)

> Ask Wizards: 08/29/2007
> Q: Dear Sage
> Does a warforged druid using wild shape look like a warforged version of an animal?
> --Jerrame
> ...




If you couldn't have warforged druids, the Sage's answer would probably have indicated that.

And, as I recall, isn't there also a Feat that does away with a Warforged's armor plating entirely?


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## irdeggman (Sep 18, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> If you couldn't have warforged druids, the Sage's answer would probably have indicated that.
> 
> And, as I recall, isn't there also a Feat that does away with a Warforged's armor plating entirely?




From the FAQ



> *Is a warforged considered to be wearing armor for the purpose of using special abilities, such as a monk’s fast movement?*
> 
> The composite plating of a typical warforged doesn’t count as armor. Certain warforged feats, such as Adamantine Body (ECS 50) specifically state that the character is considered to be wearing armor, and thus would limit use of such abilities.




Despite the thread necromancy. . . .


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## Runestar (Sep 18, 2009)

Worst comes to worse, there is a feat which gives you wooden armour, right?


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## Thanael (Sep 18, 2009)

Here are two great pics of a warforged druid: Warforged Druid

Keith Baker mentions warforged druids in this online article Dragonshards -- Druids of Khorvaire, Part Two 
It mentions that they take the Ironwood Body feat presented in Races of Eberron. They could of course also take the Unarmored Body feat (also from RoE).

There is also the Reforged Prestige class, i.e. a Warforged who is trying to become a living creature. It is a 3 level PrC which you can enter at CL5 with the capstone ability removing all warforged feats and granting an equal amount of feats, and in addition Unarmored Body as a bonus feat. The class also grants them natural healing.


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