Warforged Druids?

[AuraSeer]

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.)

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

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.

 

[Hand of Evil]

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

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

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

Light armor? Yes

Metal armor? No

 

[Lobo Lurker]

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.

 

[Vraister]

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

Vraister

 

[Heroditis]

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?

 

[Henry]

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.

 

[Hand of Evil]

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.

 

[Staffan]

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.