Warforged Warforged Lore Arcana DC 15: Warforged are sentient, free-willed constructs, birthed from the eldritch blending of arcane and divine magics in the depths of a creation forge. While their exteriors and extremeties vary wildly and can be extensively modified by a skilled enough craftsman, at their core each has an intricate system of alchemical fluids and arcane machinery, so precise and esoteric that few can credibly claim to understand it. Arcana DC 20: Those warforged who modify themselves heavily enough leave behind many of the bounds of mortality, becoming unstoppable juggernauts of living arcana or crystaline conduits of psionic power. Such warforged are often fitted with alchemical failsafes, set to destroy their bodies and everything nearby to protect the trade secrets of their engineers. History DC 10: Originally created for battle, warforged that take on other tasks approach them with the same unerring focus and passionate devotion they were designed to bring to war. In combat, warforged choose a singular foe and pursue it to the exlusion of all others. Religion DC 20: While the arcanists that tend the mighty creation forge may protest to the contrary, its eldritch machinations stretch far beyond any of their understanding; they know only enough to manipulate the levers of the great machine, yet the divinity of its deepest workings are infinitely beyond their reach. Scavenging Warforged. While most modification adopted by warforged are bespoke and crafted to harmonize with their specific dweomer frequencies, parts scavenged from fallen warforged can be refurbished and repurposed by a skilled engineer, typically requiring expenditure of half the gold required to build it from scratch, or one quarter of that required to buy it (if it available for sale at all). Warforged Modifications Modification Price Requires Attunement Battlefist 500 gp No Retractable Armblade 600 gp No Grapplebolt Launcher 1,200 Yes Alchemical Failsafe 2,500 gp Yes Augmented Battlefist 5,000 gp Yes Inferno Oil Atomizer 5,500 gp Yes Bladed Body 6,000 gp No Juggernaut Chassis 6,000 gp No Light Bending Alloy 10,000 gp Yes Deep Crystal Chassis 12,000 gp Yes
Warforged Soldier Tactics Warforged typically choose which target to mark based on a combination of how capable it appears of endangering their mission and how capable they feel of engaging it. Once they have chosen their target however, they rarely pay any attention to what is happening elsewhere in the battle until their chosen target is defeated. If their target is attacking at range while flying, the warforged will use its grapplebolt launcher and then attempt to move behind cover, dragging the target down while remaining in relative safety. Warforged Greenshadow Tactics Warforged Greenshadows stay in cover and engage from as long a range as they can manage, using their climb speed to reach inaccessable vantage points. If locked in melee by a single creature, they dash away, or use their battlefist and move their full speed away if engaged by two or more foes. The greenshadow typically takes the Hide action and retreats if reduced below 20 hit points. Psyforged Tactics Psyforged begin combat with their Inertial Armor while they attempt to close with their target, switching to their Decelleration Field to slow pursuing defenders and prevent attacks of opportunity, then to their Dazeglow once they reach their target if it poses a threat in melee. They use their Inflict Distress any turn they cannot reach their target, and their Recall Agony whenever available after their target has resolved its turn, prior to which they save their reaction for Rapid Assessment if their target is a spellcaster. Warforged Soldier Medium construct/humanoid (warforged), any alignment Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor) Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) Skills Athletics +5, Perception +4, Survival +4 Damage Resistances Poison Senses Passive Perception 14 Languages Common Challenge 1 (200 XP) Single Minded Focus. When initiative is rolled, the warforged marks a creature as its target. The first attack the warforged makes each turn against that creature is made at advantage. Actions Multiattack. The warforged makes two attacks, one of which may be with its Grapplebolt Launcher. Retractable Armblade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage. Grapplebolt Launcher. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 40/80 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage and the bolt embeds itself in the target. Until a creature removes the bolt as an action with a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check, the target cannot move away from the warforged, the warforged can't attack with this weapon, and the warforged may spend 5 feet of its movement to drag the creature 5 feet towards it. Reactions Rapid Assessment. As a reaction when a creature marked as the warforged's target begins to cast a spell, the warforged moves up to half its speed or makes a melee attack against it.
Encounter Groups CR 20 Encounter 13,000 XP 1 Githyanki Xenomancer (CR 9) 2 Psyforged (CR 6) 1 Clockwork Caretaker (CR 4) CR 21 Encounter 9,700 XP 1 Warforged Juggernaut (CR 10) 2 Warforged Greenshadow (CR 4) 8 Warforged Soldier (CR 1) Warforged Greenshadow Medium construct/humanoid (warforged), any alignment Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor) Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) Skills Nature +3, Perception +5, Survival +7 Damage Resistances Poison Senses Passive Perception 15 Languages Common Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Single Minded Focus. When initiative is rolled, the warforged marks a creature as its target. The first attack the warforged makes each turn against that creature is made at advantage. Light-Bending Alloy. The greenshadow is invisible to creatures more than 30 feet away from it. Actions Multiattack. The warforged makes three attacks with its Greenshadow Armbow. Battlefist. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 5 feet away. Greenshadow Armbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage. Reactions Rapid Assessment. As a reaction when a creature marked as the warforged's target begins to cast a spell, the warforged moves up to half its speed or makes a melee attack against it. Psyforged Medium construct/humanoid (warforged), any alignment Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor) Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) Skills Arcana +6, Insight +8, Perception +5 Damage Resistances Poison, Psychic Senses Passive Perception 15 Languages Common, Telepathy 30 ft. Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Single Minded Focus. When initiative is rolled, the warforged marks a creature as its target. The first attack the warforged makes each turn against that creature is made at advantage. Deep Crystal Resonance. As a Bonus Action, the psyforged gains one of the following benefits until it uses this ability again. Dazeglow. A creature hit by one of the psyforged's melee attacks must succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence saving throw or be unable to make more than one attack on its following turn. Deceleration Field A creature hit by one of the psyforged's melee attacks loses its reaction and moves at half its speed until the beginning of the the psyforged's next turn. Inertial Armor. The psyforged gains +2 AC. Actions Multiattack. The psyforged makes two melee attacks. Augmented Battlefist. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning plus 9 (2d8) force damage. Inflict Distress. One creature the psyforged can see within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence saving throw or take 22 (4d10) psychic damage and be Frightened and unable to concentrate until the beginning of the psyforged's next turn. Reactions Recall Agony. As a reaction when a creature within 30 feet that is marked as the psyforged's target takes any damage, the psyforged forces it to succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence saving throw or take the same amount of psychic damage. Rapid Assessment. As a reaction when a creature marked as the psyforged's target begins to cast a spell, the warforged moves up to half its speed or makes a melee attack against it.
Warforged Juggernaut Tactics Warforged Juggernauts charge into the midst of their enemies, initially using their Chainclaw Flail and War-Door Shield Smash to clear a path to their target or cluster enemies together to affect with their Bladed Body. Once they close with their target, they try to position themselves to keep at least two enemies in range of their flail, and use their Inferno Oil Atomizer whenever available if it isn't already active, using it first in their multiattack so it affects five of their attacks. They try to use as much of their movement as possible each turn, clearing away potential attacks of opportunity with their attacks to position themselves for another Bladed Body charge next turn. If the fight appears lost, they always use Alchemical Failsafe at the earliest opportunity as long as one or more foes are within a 20 foot radius of them. Warforged Juggernaut Large construct/humanoid (warforged), any alignment Armor Class 18 (Natural Armor, Shield) Hit Points 190 (20d10 + 80) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) Saving Throws STR +9, CON +8 Skills Athletics +9, Intimidation +10, Perception +7 Damage Immunities Poison Senses Passive Perception 17 Languages Common Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Single Minded Focus. When initiative is rolled, the warforged marks a creature as its target. The first attack the warforged makes each turn against that creature is made at advantage. Constructed Perfection. The warforged has advantage on saving throws against any effect that would incapacitate it, and any critical hit against it becomes a normal hit. Bladed Body. If the juggernaut moves at least 20 feet in a straight line on its turn, each creature within 5 feet of where it ends its turn takes 7 (2d6) slashing damage. Actions Multiattack. The warforged makes three attacks with its Chainclaw Flail, one of which it may replace with its War-Door Shield Smash or Inferno Oil Atomizer. Chainclaw Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d12 + 5) bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 10 feet in a direction of the warforged's choice. If this attack misses, the warforged may make a second attack roll against another creature in range as part of this attack. War-Door Shield Smash. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone and unable to stand on its following turn. Inferno Oil Atomizer (Recharge 5-6). Until the end of the warforged's next turn, attacks made with its Chainclaw Flail deal an additional 7 (2d6) fire damage. Reactions Rapid Assessment. As a reaction when a creature marked as the warforged's target begins to cast a spell, the warforged moves up to half its speed or makes a melee attack against it. Alchemical Failsafe (1/Day). As a reaction when the warforged is reduced below 30 hit points, it activates a violent alchemical reaction within itself. The warforged begins to glow and shake, and at the beginning of its next turn the warforged explodes. Each creature within 20 feet of it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 35 (10d6) fire damage, or half as much on a success.
Art Credits Warforged copyright Wizards of the Coast A warforged emerges by Steve Prescott Warforged Juggernaut copyright Wizards of the Coast Bisk, Goblin King by Rae Elderidge I've Got a Subreddit! Want more monsters like this? Come check out r/bettermonsters, where I post all my work. Don't see something there? Drop a request and I'll usually get it to you within a day if I've got something on hand, and I'll shoot you a message when it's ready if not. You Found the Free Books! The Part Where I Shill My Patreon Want to support the creation of content like this? I post new monsters with lore and tactics to my patreon five times a week, joining the more than 1300 already there, indexed in a big PDF along with formats for Foundry and 5eTools.