Warforged
Whether for combat, labor, peacekeeping, or assistance, the Warforged are a race that has been largely valued for their utility and durability. Some view them as the ultimate weapon in the form of a common person, others view them as a potential threat if not properly contained and controlled.
Durable and Reliable
Warforged are reknowned for their reliablitly and ruggedness -- of course, they were built specifically for that purpose. Originally these mechanations were designed to protect kings and nobles in times when a soldier that needed rest wouldn't suffice. In addition, at the time of their original creation, warforged rarely had a strong sense of self-idenity, making them a prime candidate for menial work of any sort
This reliability and efficiency in their work lead to cities incresasing their incorporation of warforged into tasks that were deemed too dangerous, taxing, or just repetative for normal citizens to take on. In such cases, complaints have arisen about jobs becoming 'redudant' by design, but one can't argue with the results.
Similar Shells, Contrasting Cores
While most warforged are designed and built by artificer guilds under the commission of local kingdoms and clients (most always for combat), others are developed for more mundane tasks, like labor, or survelience.
The outer chassis of these entites end up looking relatively similar to the untrained eye, making one suspect that all warforged are built for the same purpose. However, subtle differences in both the plating and cores that drive each warforged help define what tasks they might excel at.
A slightly more stout frame with adamantine plating could act as the outer protection for a core tuned for defensive measures, while a streamlined, mythril plated warforged could house a core optimized for mobility and evasiveness.
The variations in these cores ultimately lead to some intrepid arcanists to experiment with granting a warforged with more autonomous functionality. Once this threshold was passed, more elaborate cores soon came about, to the point where fully self-sufficient, sentient varients of the warforged were possible.
Built For Success In All Things
Regardless of how they are built and coded, warforged ultimately are meant to do whatever they are tasked to do with the highest degree of efficiency and effectiveness.
This extends to their own attitudes about themselves, especially in those who are fortunate enough to be autonomous as warforged. While no formal culture exists for them, self-sufficient warforged seem to move with an eager sense of purpose, using their granted talents to help achieve more than their functional brethren could even do, and more than their creators could have ever envisioned.
Unliving, but Not Lifeless
While still uncomfortable for some to comprehend, several warforged now exist as entities that are like any other living creature...aside from being a construct that doesn't need to sleep or eat to live. Still, the myriad of cores that have been developed allow for a striking array of warforged in both functionality and personality.
It is no longer uncommon to find a warforged minstrel performing a ballad with just enough flourishes and imperfections to pass as a typical bard, nor is it unsual for another to be seated at a table nearby, cracking wise with other regulars between hands of cards.
With the gift of self-awareness, these special warforged know that their destinies lie in their own hands -- hands that, until now, were devised solely for the wishes of their makers.
Now, they get to define their own destinies, unbounded by expectations other than their own.
Utilitarian by design, not by choice
Despite relatively similar appearances, warforged that have gained autonomy can have a wide range of personalities. This can create disconnects with other races who aren't used to the notion that a warforged can actually think independently!
Still, the warforged as a race form their opnions of other races and persons through their own interactions. As a race, the cultural opinions they take on stem more from where they were made and who they interfaced with early on, rather than through their own independent culture.
Warforged Names
Warforged conventionally have names assigned to them either to define what their intended role is upon creation. In cases where large numbers of them are required, designation numbers might be used to further distinguish otherwise indistinct units.
Naturally, variants of these names in the tongue of their creator's native language exist.
Some self-aware warforged take it upon themselves to assign a new designation, with most names alluding to what they view their own purpose.
Designations: Soldier, Carrier, Shield, Envoy, Archive, Platoon, Grunt, Shadow, Disruptor, Minstrel, Dealer
Warforged Traits
Your warforged character has an array of functionalities imbued into its systems, the byproduct of generations of the finest engineering and magical tuning.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 2.
Age. Warforged do not mature like regular creatures, as they are constructs. Behavior for warforged may vary, but they are considered adults as soon as their cores are activated. Assuming they are properly maintained when needed, warforged can operate endlessly.
Alignment. Conventionally, warforged are codified with a set of protocol and rules within their cores, making them nominally lawful in that respect. Self-aware warforged can vary from this, and even in their own way embrace traces of chaos. By their nature, warforged tend to be neither good nor evil, unless by design. Autonomous warforged still tend towards neutrality, unless their paths cause then to stray.
Size. Warforged can vary in size, but most fall between 6 and 7 feet in height, weighing between 250 and 400 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet, but may be modified based on your specific shell and core.
Living Construct. Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You are immune to disease. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can injest food and drink if you want.
Stasis Rest. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and can notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Specialization. Instead of having conventional subraces, Warforged are generally built for a particular purpose. When making a warforged, choose from the following specializations.
Juggernaut
You were built to be in the front line of combat, or to act as a bodyguard able to handle enemies up close and personal. That added reinforcement limits your ability to be quiet about your motions.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength increases by 1.
Impact Reinforced Shell. Your shell is optimized for handling heavier blows. Your bonus to AC increases to +1, but you have disadvantage on Stealth checks as if you are always wearing heavy armor.
Combat Core Configuration. You have proficiency in Athletics, and can use your reaction to resist being knocked prone. This feature cannot be used again until after a short or long rest.
Scout
Moving without being noticed was your original configuration, whether it was to avoid being caught by the enemy, or simply to avoid annoying your creator when you moved around.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 1.
Optimized Shell Gearing. Moving swift was a key design element for you. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Recon Core Configuration. You have proficiency in Perception, and Darkvision within 30 feet.
Tactician
Whether your creator needed help with calculations, or an army unit needed a better understanding of optimal strategy, you were built to handle the mathematical task at hand.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence increases by 1.
Advanced Interpolation Sensors. Your shell's ability to respond to danger is almost supernatural. You can apply your proficiency bonus to Initiative checks.
Strategy Core Configuration. You have proficiency in History, and learn an extra language of your choice.
Adept
Typically found themselves in the realm of assistants, servants, or other similar lines of work. These warforged are not optimized for combat measures; However, they still present utility in versatility.
Ability Score Increase. Your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma increases by 1.
Streamlined Shell Design. Your shell is less bulky than a combat warforged, but not optimized for scouting. Your base walking speed increases to 30 feet.
Variable Core Configuration. You gain proficiency in two skills or tools of your choice.