| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 Sep 2012 : 15:41:18
Okay, so, as I've mentioned more than once, I've been working on three articles presenting Realms-based versions of warforged.
It's been an on-again, off-again project, more off-again than on-again. My free time isn't all that copious: I have a toddler, I work long hours, and I am easily distracted by bright and shiny objects. So this project has crept along at glacial speeds -- or, when compared to the Sage, it's been lightning fast!  
I've already pinged Big Al, and these will be part of the next site update. But since a lot of people have expressed interest in this, and because I really want to, I've decided to go ahead and share. 
Why the warforged? Of the new races of Eber-whatsit, I like them the most. I'm a huge fan of droids, robots, AIs, and even cyborgs, when it comes to regular sci-fi. The fantasy equivalents are intelligent constructs, particularly free-willed intelligent constructs. We don't have many of those in the Realms, but there are a few, like Minder, Squch, and Aragus.
As mentioned in the intro's for my warforged equivalents, other Eber-whatsit races like shifters and changelings are easy enough to port to the Realms.
Changelings could be the results of ancient magical manipulation, or they could be descendants of half-doppelgangers. Either way, I'd have them extremely rare, with maybe a dozen in a city the size of Waterdeep.
Shifters could be descendants of lycanthropes who didn't get enough of the lycanthrope blood for a full change -- the Eber-whatsit backstory, with the purge of werecritters, isn't really necessary. Alternatively, a shifter could be the offspring of a cursed lycanthrope -- I, personally, have never like the D&D idea that cursed lycanthropes would have more cursed lycanthropes as offspring. Going this route, maybe it would take two shifters having kids to make a natural lycanthrope... Another idea is a cursed lycanthrope who manages to overcome the curse, and has shifter abilities as a consequence.
Warforged are a bit more tricky than shifters or changelings, though. Warforged are the results of what is essentially a fantasy version of World War I. That doesn't work as readily in the Realms. There have been some major wars, but nothing as large as the Last War.
So here's what I've come up with... Each one includes a sample NPC; I'd've been done with this somewhat earlier if I hadn't decided to include those! 
Living Constructs of the Realms, part 1: Livegolems
Living Constructs of the Realms, part 2: Elfbane golems
Living Constructs of the Realms, part 3: Eidelar
Edit: Changed the links to the files, from my own site to the main Candlekeep site, where Big Al so graciously shared them.  |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 28 Aug 2017 : 12:26:48
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
So I was off checking an obscure source for a town I've never placed (yet) in an old Dungeon magazine (#126 to be exact), and I came across another adventure about The Clockwork Fortress. Now, the adventure is presented as generic, and "can be located in any remote area in the northern reaches of your campaign world." However, the included map shows it in Greyhawk, up near the Land of Black Ice (Blackmoor). There are several things about this I find interesting, not the least of which is looks like a great adventure to set in the Endless Wastes, somwhere up near the Great Ice Sea.
It introduces something called a Niblewright, which appears to be a pre-Eberron, clockwork version of a Warforged. In fact, the one you meet may be the last of his kind (I did not read through the whole thing). I think this adventure would be ideal to introduce some FR-ish Warforged to The Realms. It has an ancient, ruined city (like RW ruins, not a D&D 'dungeon'), and the nearby fortress where the adventure takes place.
It makes a most excellent Raumathari ruin; even the name - Kolbenborg - sounds like it could have gone in a 'Rus' type region (which the Raumathari were - they are all part of the Raumvari/Gur group).
And here's the kicker - I've tied my ancient Kalmyk (a Gur kingdom) to the Finnish myths, and all of my FR lore is tied to my 'First World' theory/over-cosmology. This is supposed to be a relic of Blackmoor, and I have it where Blackmoorians WERE the human creator Race, back on that 'First World', and bits and pieces of Blackmoor got scattered all over the multiverse when the Prime Material was rent asunder (which is why you find Blackmoor in at least three official settings). I figured the original human culture around the Great Ice Sea (not nearly so icy then) was a remnant of those Blackmoorians, before the dragons and Giants (and perhaps the other Creatori) took their toll on the group and knocked them back to the stoneage.
So it not only shoe-horns in nicely into an FR region that was already known to have 'automatons' and 'mechanical juggernauts' in the distant past (Raumathar just before the fall), but it also blends in with my homebrew lore seamlessly.
And I kind of like the name 'Nimblewrights' for The Realms way better than 'warforged', which just screams Eberron (for obvious reasons). It might be a cool way to introduce a Warforged character or three into your campaign. There also several types of 'lesser' automatons mentioned, including less-advanced (humanish) servitors, like our typical D&D clockwork golems and 'brass men'.
And now back to my research... My Preciousssssss...
Hmmm, I like this as well. Noting this for nimblewrights
Like a golem, a nimblewright is a powerful creation that combines awesome magic with elemental forces. Its animating force is a spirit from the Elemental Plane of Water. The process of creating a nimblewright binds the unwilling spirit to the artificial body and subjects it to the will of the creator.
Makes it very much fit with Raumathari magic if its a metal construct animated by a spirit from the elemental plane of water. It could be worth considering what other similar types of alternate nimblewrights they might have using different elementals. For instance, the nimblewrights fight with a nimble rapier wielding fighting style fit a water style.
Helmed Horrors for instance would fit an earth spirit, and they are also known to be free-willed and predate both nimblewrights and warforged, and they are definitely realmsian since they were first introduced here (and we even have some realms adventures in dungeon magazine involving a free-willed helmed horror from back in the 2e era ). |
| unseenmage |
Posted - 28 Jul 2017 : 03:24:40
Nimblewrights appear in 3.0 Monster Manual 2 page 162.
Hope that helps. |
| Starshade |
Posted - 29 Nov 2016 : 20:57:43
I saw reference to an apprentice of Halaster who was fond of making mechanical creatures. A little googling, I think its a second edition character named "Trobriand" from the ruins of undermountains, the deep levels. He or an apprentice of his could have tried making some humanoids as well. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 28 Nov 2016 : 22:44:24
So I was off checking an obscure source for a town I've never placed (yet) in an old Dungeon magazine (#126 to be exact), and I came across another adventure about The Clockwork Fortress. Now, the adventure is presented as generic, and "can be located in any remote area in the northern reaches of your campaign world." However, the included map shows it in Greyhawk, up near the Land of Black Ice (Blackmoor). There are several things about this I find interesting, not the least of which is looks like a great adventure to set in the Endless Wastes, somwhere up near the Great Ice Sea.
It introduces something called a Niblewright, which appears to be a pre-Eberron, clockwork version of a Warforged. In fact, the one you meet may be the last of his kind (I did not read through the whole thing). I think this adventure would be ideal to introduce some FR-ish Warforged to The Realms. It has an ancient, ruined city (like RW ruins, not a D&D 'dungeon'), and the nearby fortress where the adventure takes place.
It makes a most excellent Raumathari ruin; even the name - Kolbenborg - sounds like it could have gone in a 'Rus' type region (which the Raumathari were - they are all part of the Raumvari/Gur group).
And here's the kicker - I've tied my ancient Kalmyk (a Gur kingdom) to the Finnish myths, and all of my FR lore is tied to my 'First World' theory/over-cosmology. This is supposed to be a relic of Blackmoor, and I have it where Blackmoorians WERE the human creator Race, back on that 'First World', and bits and pieces of Blackmoor got scattered all over the multiverse when the Prime Material was rent asunder (which is why you find Blackmoor in at least three official settings). I figured the original human culture around the Great Ice Sea (not nearly so icy then) was a remnant of those Blackmoorians, before the dragons and Giants (and perhaps the other Creatori) took their toll on the group and knocked them back to the stoneage.
So it not only shoe-horns in nicely into an FR region that was already known to have 'automatons' and 'mechanical juggernauts' in the distant past (Raumathar just before the fall), but it also blends in with my homebrew lore seamlessly.
And I kind of like the name 'Nimblewrights' for The Realms way better than 'warforged', which just screams Eberron (for obvious reasons). It might be a cool way to introduce a Warforged character or three into your campaign. There also several types of 'lesser' automatons mentioned, including less-advanced (humanish) servitors, like our typical D&D clockwork golems and 'brass men'.
And now back to my research... My Preciousssssss... |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 29 Aug 2016 : 10:18:07
quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
Wooly, could you please explain in a little more detail what the elfbane golems look like in your mind's eye. Any images you might have for inspiration would be great too. Would the rogue Ripper be scavenging weapons or fighting with claws or what?
Humanoid bodies, with slightly longer arms. Their faces look elven, but with leering expressions and exaggerated features -- things like longer ears and wider mouths. The idea was specifically to look freaky to elves. Some scro learn the elven language just to insult elves in their own tongue as they attack/kill them; that kind of mindset was present here.
As for their bodies, wooden bodies covered with armor in various shades of green and yellow. No real pattern to the coloration; elven ships did not have a uniform appearance, and the organic nature of their wings meant there was a lot of variation. You may want to Google "elven man-o-war" -- that's exactly the kind of ship that crashed and was later sourced for the armor of the elfbane golems.
As for Ripper, he's all about his claws -- they're always available and a lot scarier for his victims.
I've never statted him up, but I picture him have some ranger/druid abilities like passing without trace and doing the treewalking thing of stepping into one tree and out of another (or just stepping into a tree and waiting to ambush someone that walks by). |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 29 Aug 2016 : 06:46:17
Wooly, could you please explain in a little more detail what the elfbane golems look like in your mind's eye. Any images you might have for inspiration would be great too. Would the rogue Ripper be scavenging weapons or fighting with claws or what? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 19 Jul 2015 : 14:09:37
quote:
Originally posted by The Arcanamach
I was just wondering...Wooley, do you classify Jingleshod as a warforged or just some unique form of life?
As I recall, he was undead, something akin to a death knight.
Ed once told me this, via email, about death knights:
quote:
Yes, there are death knights in the Realms, and they're generally called, yep, death knights, though of course there are local nicknames and variants such as "doomhelms."
|
| The Arcanamach |
Posted - 19 Jul 2015 : 10:53:53
I was just wondering...Wooley, do you classify Jingleshod as a warforged or just some unique form of life? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 13 Feb 2015 : 22:15:03
quote:
Originally posted by unseenmage
I found one of the times I was referred to ancient Toril as the source of Warforged. As a Faerun newbie I did mistake the ancient civilization rferenced though.
Turns out It was Raumathar who had/has a tower full of battle-constructs somewhere. My apologies for the mistake.
Here's the link to to the comment on GitP Forums. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=15428812&postcount=22
Ah. I'll have to refresh my memory of that, when I get home and can grab the book.
My livegolems also original from ancient Raumathar; it's the most obvious source. |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 13 Feb 2015 : 21:41:59
I think I just read recently about Netherese constructs. Perhaps in a dragon magazine. I think they were quite makeshift in nature though. |
| unseenmage |
Posted - 13 Feb 2015 : 21:21:34
I found one of the times I was referred to ancient Toril as the source of Warforged. As a Faerun newbie I did mistake the ancient civilization rferenced though.
Turns out It was Raumathar who had/has a tower full of battle-constructs somewhere. My apologies for the mistake.
Here's the link to to the comment on GitP Forums. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=15428812&postcount=22 |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 13 Feb 2015 : 20:12:00
I can't say I'm recalling anything about the Netherese having construct armies, or a tower full of war-constructs. This isn't to say it's wrong; I'm not an expert on the Netherese. |
| unseenmage |
Posted - 13 Feb 2015 : 19:35:17
Everytime I've asked around about FR warforged I get directed to the Netherese and their Construct armies.
Evidently there's a reference somewhere in FR lore to an old tower that is still filled with war-constructs from that era.
When I use warforged in my FR games they're remnants from that bygone age or newly created by surviving Netherese mages.
Apologies for not knowing exactly what I'm talking about, I just know that on more than one occasion this has been the suggestion to me by more Realms savvy individuals. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 12 Feb 2015 : 16:22:30
No changes, other than changing the links in my first post. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 18 Aug 2014 : 01:20:20
quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
What, if anything, would a Crown of Stars be capable of planetside?
The same as a minor spelljamming helm. The main thing about a crown of stars is that it's portable and not bolted to the ship.
I would expect that a crown of stars would work quite well for Dretch's goals, but we don't know that there is one anywhere handy for him to find, or that he knows what one is... In fact, in the description of the item in the original Adventures in Arcane Space boxed set, it says that more than one groundling sage has been befuddled by the purpose of a crown of stars. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 18 Aug 2014 : 01:17:00
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
The presence of the Spelljammer ship in Myth Drannor is explained in the "Fall of Myth Drannor" sourcebook.
-- George Krashos
I'll have to look thru again; it's obviously been a long time. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 17 Aug 2014 : 23:17:21
Just to quote the stuff for the Monarch Mordent that George mentions (which I'd never noted)
The Three Greenwing Wars: These three battles were so named for their primary ally, a spelljamming elf man-o-war ship! The Spiders#146; Assault. Responding to a magical plea for help from a grounded ally among Cormanthyr#146;s wizards, the Elven Imperial Fleet of Realmspace sent Captain Oncith Ilbenalu (NPC) to aid the elves with his green crystalline-winged man-o-war battlecraft, the Monarch
Mordent, and his trusted crew of bards, wizards, and crack archers. Dominating the three battles in which it participated, the
Monarch provided air cover and heavy weaponry with its ballistae and catapult that aided the ground troops immeasurably. In
fact, its arrival changed the tide of the war in the northern forest and gave outmatched and outnumbered elves some significant
victories. With the Third Greenwing War, Captain Oncith#146;s pride overcame his sense as he maneuvered too close to the treetops
and the Army of Darkness forces that his helmsman could not maneuver effectively. When Gaulguth the nycaloth flew skyward,
there was little beyond ineffectual missile fire to stop him from using his great axe Heartcleaver to shatter one of the ship#146;s wings
at its base! With the magical shock slaying the helmsman immediately, the Monarch Mordent crashed into the trees and atop
nearly 200 members of the Army of Darkness. Since that lost battle, the photosynthetic wings continued to grow, and large crystalline webworks wrapped around the clearings and the trees in this northern glade now called Monarch#146;s Fall Glade. While most
animals shun the amber-and-emerald crystal webs and walls, many elves used this as a redoubt and shelter both during and
long after the war. |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 17 Aug 2014 : 14:25:39
What, if anything, would a Crown of Stars be capable of planetside? |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 17 Aug 2014 : 14:24:22
In the 2e Complete book of Elves it states that there is always at least one ship from the Eleven Imperial Armada (or someting along those lines) on station around/above Evermeet. I assumed the Queen or King (Zaor?) of Evermeet sent the ship to aid in the defense of the city. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 17 Aug 2014 : 14:21:42
The presence of the Spelljammer ship in Myth Drannor is explained in the "Fall of Myth Drannor" sourcebook.
-- George Krashos |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 17 Aug 2014 : 12:26:30
quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
Wooly, I'm sure this isn't the correct place for this, but it is related, and here I am certain you will read it and hopefully some of our newest Scribes will view it as well. As our resident Spelljammer loremaster, I thougt you would best poised to answer this question...What type of helm do you think was used to power the Monarch? I found reference to a Crown of Stars Do you think this appropriate? If not, what and why?
Going strictly by the lore, it couldn't have been a crown of stars -- the crown of stars works on ships up to 50 tons, and the Monarch Mordent, as a Man-O-War, would have been 60 tons.
That said, if it had been a crown of stars, it would explain why it's been so difficult for Dretch to find.
So you could handwave it and say that maybe the Monarch had been stripped down to be lighter, or it was perhaps some variant similar to a crown of stars...
One does have to wonder exactly why a spelljammer got involved in a groundling war. Perhaps the captain was from Myth Drannor... Or maybe the Monarch was some sort of experimental ship that someone in Myth Drannor had been working on -- which would give a reason for its involvement and possibly explain a unique helm. |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 17 Aug 2014 : 10:32:58
Wooly, I'm sure this isn't the correct place for this, but it is related, and here I am certain you will read it and hopefully some of our newest Scribes will view it as well. As our resident Spelljammer loremaster, I thougt you would best poised to answer this question...What type of helm do you think was used to power the Monarch? I found reference to a Crown of Stars Do you think this appropriate? If not, what and why? |
| Drustan Dwnhaedan |
Posted - 28 Feb 2014 : 23:17:44
Haven't seen this thread in a while. And all this talk of warforged and spelljammers has reminded me that I really need to get back to work on my dad's/my D&D world. (Due to various RW reasons (including playing in 3-4 different campaigns!), I haven't had as much free time to do this. The fact I'm trying to create twelve different world's for my campaign's Crystalsphere (did I spell that right?) really isn't helping, either. -__-') |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 Feb 2014 : 23:58:46
quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
If that is true, how do the gadzooks and other starflies fly?
Well, neither one of them flies in a gravity well -- the gadabouts are used in space, for moving from one ship to another, and the starfly plants drift or attach themselves to comets.
It does seem like a gadabout can move its wings, at least a little... Though they aren't given a flight speed. I would say that the gadabout was modified to have that ability, while elven ships were modified to be rigid and strong. And the latter would apply to elfbane golems, since they are crafted, in part, from a downed elven spelljammer. |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 26 Feb 2014 : 23:40:30
If that is true, how do the gadzooks and other starflies fly? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 Feb 2014 : 04:25:43
quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
Wooly, what say you to giving the Elfbane golem wings? Them flitting around like dragonflies is intriguing. I'd love your opinion and anything you can contribute to the current Fey'ri scroll. I think I may run with this, do you have time/interest in consult?
It's not my vision for them, but I don't see any reason why Tolmakh couldn't have further modified one as an experiment... I was mostly going for a straight translation of warforged, but run with what works for you.
Keep in mind, though, that the crystalline plant used for elven spelljammers (and Dretch's lair) is like ceramic. Wings made of that material wouldn't be good for much other than gliding. |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 26 Feb 2014 : 01:53:01
Elfbane golems, Dretch, Dragonslair, the Diamond Staff of Chomylla, Vault of the Dracolich.. so much to work with.... |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 26 Feb 2014 : 01:13:53
Wooly, what say you to giving the Elfbane golem wings? Them flitting around like dragonflies is intriguing. I'd love your opinion and anything you can contribute to the current Fey'ri scroll. I think I may run with this, do you have time/interest in consult? |
| The Arcanamach |
Posted - 06 Nov 2013 : 03:56:47
I think you'd have to come up with a creative way to keep them under control in a fantasy setting...a Borgish demi-forged would be a great twist on the species. Keeping the species 'in check' would require some kind of highly specialized spell or mythal methinks. The idea may best be left on the planes to keep them from over running the Prime as well.
And I just had a thought...what if it were celestials who initially created them (perhaps by 'manipulating' modrons into doing it) as a means of keeping the lower planes in check? (I love the idea of 'good' going overboard and screwing things up because, as they say, the 'road to Hell is paved with good intentions'). |
| The Masked Mage |
Posted - 06 Nov 2013 : 03:51:06
I don't know about everyone else, but what I liked most about the Warforged were their appearance - great look to them. What I liked least was that they were a character race. |
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