Forgeborn
Table of Contents
Background
Under Construction
Racial Features
The Forgeborn's racial features are shown on the following stat block:
The Traveler's Guide to Aellorah
Forgeborn
The Forgeborn are a race of sentient automatons that were originally constructed by the Dwarves of Reshyk as part of their Runetech advancements. A Dwarf by the name of Dain Brawnanvil created the original design, but after his cousin stole the design and presented it to the Runesmith College as his own work, Dain left Reshyk in disgrace. Years later, while attempting to dismantle Forgeborn production after King Rangrim, under the corrupting influence of Maven, attempted to use the Forgeborn as a spy network in other countries under the guise of laborers, Dain initiated a signal intended to shut down the Forgeborn. However, due to actions taken years prior in which Dain and his companions had destroyed a powerful necromantic artifact by casting it into Lys' Wellspring, a Wellspring eruption corrupted this signal, and instead of shutting down the Forgeborn across Aellorah, it awakened them.
Upon awakening, the Forgeborn were childlike, like toddlers in an adult-sized metal body. However, they learn very quickly, and in areas where they were accepted, they adapted to society quickly. However, their arrival was followed by an aftereffect of the Wellspring eruption that created the Ferroplague, a disease that disturbed the world with its similarities in virulence to the Grave Rot Plague from centuries before. The symptoms of which pointed blame at the Forgeborn for the outbreak.
The Forgeborn are still fighting for acceptance in a world that was never designed to include them, and despite the potential to live indefinitely, they struggle with the idea that they are the one race of Aellorah that, should they die, their existence ends rather than continue into the afterlife.
The Forgeborn inherit the divine domains of Metal and Forge, as well as one other according to their subrace.
Steel Frame
Your steel body protects you better than the skin flaps of your fleshy comrades. You have a natural +1 to AC and can upgrade your body by replacing parts with other materials. You must find a specialized craftsman capable of producing these components or craft them yourself. Your body can be replaced with any metal found in Aellorah, though not all of them are practical or useful. See the list of available Forgeborn Chassis for your options.
Self-Repair
You can repair yourself as an action, restoring hit points equal to 1d10 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. You can do this a number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus. Additionally, if you are targeted by the 'Mending' spell, you regain 4d4 hit points.
Constructed Nature
You were created to have remarkable fortitude, but your body is not organic. This has several advantages and drawbacks:
- You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe. You do not need to sleep, and magic cannot put you to sleep.
- You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition. You cannot contract diseases that affect blood, but you can contract Flowborne diseases.
- Potions and healing magic have no effect on you. You can be healed by the 'Mending' cantrip.
- Revivify has no effect on you. After you fail 3 death saving throws, there is no coming back. There is no afterlife for Forgeborn.
- You can be fitted with permanent arm blades so they cannot be disarmed, but they must be specially made.
Stasis
When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping, to gather Flow from the air around you to replenish your internal power. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn't render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal. If you do not take a long rest for 48 hours, you will automatically become dormant and be forced to go into stasis until you have recharged.
Subraces
The Forgeborn appear in the following racial variants:
The Traveler's Guide to Aellorah
Deliria
The Deliria Forgeborn are the unfortunate few Forgeborn who, during the awakening, were adversely affected by the corrupting influence of Maven. His presence in their minds has driven them mad. For some, they simply speak unintelligibly and act irrationally. For others, it drives them to commit unspeakable acts. Maven’s influence has also given them the ability to cause natural materials to degrade on contact with them.
Unlike other Forgeborn, their eyes glow a golden yellow. The Deliria were originally the Forgeborn constructed as combat units, and many are equipped with mounted weaponry on their chassis.
Rust
You have the ability to spread corruption to everything you touch. As an action, you can touch an object or surface made of inanimate non-magical materials, such as wood, stone, or even metal (has no effect on Shadesteel and Eskite). Using this ability, you can affect a number of cubic feet of material equal to your proficiency bonus (max of 5). The effect depends on the material:
- Wood rots and weakens, as if eaten by termites, and becomes brittle. Loud snapping and groaning sounds can be heard.
- Stone develops deep cracks, significantly compromising its structural integrity. This can be very loud.
- Metal corrodes or rusts rapidly, severely weakening it. It groans in protest.
You can do this a number of times per day equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
The Traveler's Guide to Aellorah
Experia
The Experia Forgeborn are walking repositories of information, able to recall any information they encounter without fail. They can read an entire library and recite it to you word-for-word. These Forgeborn were initially constructed to be a portable form of the Chronicle located at Hat’aellor, but with their awakening, they lost their connection to Hat’aellor and must seek this information themselves.
Archive
Your memory is perfect, and cannot be affected by magical means. You can recall everything you have ever learned, read, seen, or heard with crystal clarity. You automatically succeed on knowledge skill checks to recall information you have read or learned, and can recall the appearance of something you have seen with perfect detail.
The Traveler's Guide to Aellorah
Laboria
The Laboria Forgeborn were constructed as general purpose units to be used for building and general labor tasks, including guard patrol. They are equipped with a wide variety of built-in tools that they can use to construct things much quicker than any run-of-the-mill craftsman. They are highly sought as apprentices for various trades as they have begun to spread to other parts of the world.
Manufacture
You are equipped with a variety of Runetech tools that allow you to craft things with greater precision and much more quickly than those with clumsy biological appendages. You gain proficiency in 3 artisan's tools of your choice. Additionally, the time it takes you to craft items such as weapons, armor, potions, and other conventional goods using tools you are proficient with is halved, and you have advantage on skill checks to craft things using the tools you are proficient with.
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