Warforged 5e – D&D 5th Edition Race

These race details for Warforged 5e include everything you need to know for your game. I also have a list of other DnD reference info available for you on related topics.


Warforged make for an interesting race for pretty much any RPG campaign. They have a mechanical/ magical body, but a living being's soul contained within.

 

Race details for Warforged 5e come from Eberron: Rising from the Last War (which, by the way, could make for an excellent DnD Gift!).


"Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashai said.

“The soul is what matters, what the shape of the vessel.”

“What makes you think he has a soul?” Gerrion said.

“What makes you think you do?”

-Keith Baker, The Shattered Land

Behold Scyaroth, Warforged Barbarian.

Warforged 5e Traits

Your warforged character has the following traits. A few of the traits give you a choice; consider how your choice reflects the purpose for which your character was built.


Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score in­ creases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.


These stat increases may not seem incredibly significant, but they make for a terrific combination. Having the additional Constitution makes your warforged character more durable by providing additional hit points and increasing your Constitution Saving Throw.


Having an increased Constitution Saving Throw makes playing spell casting classes easier for warforged, at least so far as keeping us spell concentration goes, should you take damage.


Finally, warforged 5e provide an additional +1 to any other ability score of your choice. Obviously, you should put that point into whatever ability is most needed for your desired class. Though a +1 may not seem like a huge value, it does increase the number of classes you can realistically play by quite a bit.


Constructed Resilience

You were created to have remarkable fortitude, represented by the follow­ing benefits:

  • You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
  • You don't need to eat, drink, or breathe.
  • You are immune to disease.
  • You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep.


In my experience, most D&D groups don’t really track things like food, water, or even disease (unless it’s a sort of magical disease or curse, which is often central to the storyline). So, in my mind, the main benefits from “Constructed Resilience” are the other effects.


Having resistance and advantage against poisons and poison damage can be big in certain scenarios. Also, not being able to be put to sleep isn’t something you’ll benefit from very often, but it is extremely nice when you do get the benefit.


Overall, depending on your DM, I have to say that constructed resilience (along with the other perks to being a Warforged, which basically make it harder for you to die) can absolutely contribute to avoiding a DnD TPK.


Sentry's Rest

When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn't render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.


Since warforged 5e don’t lose consciousness while taking long rests, you basically get the Alarm 5e spell going at all times, for free.


It should be just about impossible for anyone to ever sneak up on an adventuring party at night, with a warforged in the group. Short of someone casting a spell like invisibility or at least Silence 5e, the warforged should be able to notice anyone approaching.


Integrated Protection

Your body has built-in defen­sive layers, which can be enhanced with armor:

  • You gain a +l bonus to Armor Class.
  • You can don only armor with which you have profi­ciency. To don armor, you must incorporate it into your body over the course of 1 hour, during which you remain in contact with the armor. To doff armor, you must spend 1 hour removing it. You can rest while donning or doffing armor in this way.
  • While you live, your armor can't be removed from your body against your will.


Having a flat +1 bonus to AC is really valuable, no matter what character class you’re playing as a warforged. If you want to fight on the frontlines, that +1 AC keeps you alive. Meanwhile, if you want to cast spells from the back lines, that +1 AC further aids you with Constitution saves whenever you’re casting concentration spells.


Otherwise, I’d say that the 1-hour requirement to don or doff armor isn’t really a big deal – in probably 99% of cases. Additionally, since shields do not count as “armor” in D&D 5e, it doesn’t really matter that your armor can’t be removed against your will.

Best Classes for Warforged 5e

Realistically, because warforged get a +2 to Constitution, another +1 to any ability score of their choice, a flat +1 to AC, and proficiency in an additional skill of their choice, they can play as any class. Warforged 5e are a durable and flexible race.


That being said, there are some classes where warforged 5e truly excel. Here's the facts for Warforged class combinations, which can probably help you with some great DnD character ideas as well!


Warforged Artificer

The primary stat for Artificers is Intelligence, so make sure that you spend your extra +1 ability point there. Otherwise, Artificer offers so many different ways to play that you can certainly make a warforged artificer work.


Even between the artificer specialists of alchemist, artillerist, and battle smith, I wouldn’t say that any of the three stand out terribly, as a warforged.


If you choose Battle Smith though, you will get a “Steel Defender,” which can help to soak up some damage (not that you need it, already having +2 Constitution and +1 AC). Plus every 6th-level artificer also gets a “Homunculus,” so especially counting allied creatures, warforged artificers can be quite a lot to deal with.


Thematically, a warforged 5e artificer fits in perfectly. Since warforged need to visit an artificer to change their appearance anyways, you’ve got everything you need within your own tool kit. Artificer’s are natural tinkerers, and can imbue magic into items, which is basically exactly what you are as a warforged (one large, magical item).

 

Warforged 5e Barbarian

A warforged barbarian is basically a menace to everyone who stands against them. With your extra hit points from your +2 Constitution, bonus +1 that you can put towards Strength, and natural +1 AC, the warforged barbarian is super tough and deadly.


As a Path of the Totem Warrior Barbarian, your warforged as a bear totem eventually gains the ability to give disadvantage on attack rolls to all enemies within 5-feet of you, who attack anyone but you.


Furthermore, while raging as a bear totem Barbarian, you also gain resistance to all damage types except for psychic.

Though all subclasses can work for warforged 5e, this combination is particularly brutal, as you’re already so hard to kill already. Then, you add damage resistance on top of that, and make it so that your allies are also harder to kill. Totally brutal.


Warforged Bard

A warforged bard may not maximize their advantages provided unless you put them right in the middle of the action, in combat. Since the bard’s most important ability is Charisma, you should use your +1 ability point for that purpose.


Otherwise, the bard’s “Bardic Inspiration” is basically their most valuable contribution to the party. If you have a high Charisma score as a bard, then you can use “Bardic Inspiration” more often, as a Bonus Action.


So long as you can stay in the middle of the fight, enemies should start to notice the value you bring with “Bardic Inspiration,” and then you can put your +2 Constitution and +1 AC to work.


Finally, the “College of Valor” Bard has the “Battle Magic” trait, which lets you make one weapon attack as a bonus action whenever you cast a bard spell. As a warforged who’s in the middle of combat, having that attack really makes the most out of your natural race traits.

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Warforged Cleric

Clerics can take many roles in D&D, including some that fit Warforged play style quite nicely. In particular, you may take a look at the “War Domain” cleric, which provides very useful Channel Divinity effects, such as “Guided Strike.”


Guided Strike: Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to strike with supernatural accuracy. When you make an attack roll, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.


War Domain clerics provide options for the class to fight in close combat, which favor Warforged. Additionally, the extra Constitution from Warforged and +1 bonus to AC help create a somewhat tanky cleric character.


It’s also worth mentioning that in addition to providing additional HP at level-up, the bonus Constitution that Warforged receive also makes it easier for them to maintain concentration spells when taking damage. Since clerics have so, so many buff or debuff effects that they can use as concentration spells, the extra Constitution is a very nice bonus to have.


Just imagine casting cure wounds or bless 5e as a warforged who's so durable already that you basically can't die...


Warforged 5e Druid

There aren’t incredibly strong synergies between the Warforged 5e race and the druid class. Of course, every class benefits from having additional HP and AC, which Warforged naturally provides. However, the best case scenario for a Warforged 5e druid is to be in the middle of combat as probably a “Circle of the Moon” druid.


Circle of the Moon druids feature more physically powerful wild shape forms, providing the character with more healing options through “Combat Wild Shape,” higher CR wild shapes through “Circle Forms,” and even “Primal Strike” to overcome damage resistance.


Warforged Fighter

When it comes to D&D 5th edition, the Warforged Fighter has become a popular choice among players. The sentient constructs, forged for war, possess unique abilities that make them formidable on the battlefield, particularly in the role of fighters.

This is really a class where Warforged 5e truly excel.


A key strength of the Warforged Fighter is their versatility. With their proficiency in all martial weapons and their ability to choose from a wide range of fighting styles, Warforged Fighters can adapt to various combat situations.


Whether wielding a greatsword with unmatched strength or dual-wielding weapons with finesse, these mechanical warriors can excel in any combat role.


Furthermore, Warforged Fighters possess a unique ability called Integrated Protection. This feature allows them to embed armor into their bodies, granting additional protection without the need for external equipment. This not only enhances their durability but also frees them from the burden of carrying heavy armor, enabling them to move swiftly and strike with precision.


Combine the high Constitution and innate AC of a Warforged with the fighter’s ability to deal tremendous amounts of physical damage, and you can see why this combination is so powerful.


Warforged Fighter Playstyles

The Battle Master subclass is a popular choice for those seeking tactical prowess. With access to a variety of combat maneuvers, such as disarming foes or tripping them, Battle Masters excel at controlling the battlefield and providing strategic advantages to their allies.


Additionally, the Champion subclass is a straightforward yet reliable choice. With improved critical hit chances and increased durability, Champions become unstoppable forces on the battlefield. They are the epitome of a classic fighter, relying on sheer strength and resilience to overcome their foes.


Personally, I love the improved critical hit chance that a Champion provides. It’s so fun for to me, rolling lower numbers to deal huge damage. This subclass isn’t fancy, but it gets the job done.


Lastly, for those who prefer a more magical approach – not that you typically would, playing a Warforged –  the Eldritch Knight subclass is an excellent option. This subclass combines martial prowess with arcane spellcasting, allowing Warforged Fighters to cast spells and enhance their combat abilities.


With access to spells like Shield and Absorb Elements, Eldritch Knights can bolster their defenses and adapt to different damage types, weakness, resistances, and immunities. This could be a fun subclass to roleplay, though I have to say that it would likely not be as “strong” in combat as the other subclass options.  

Warforged 5e Classes

Haru here is actually a human nether knight, but his armor and weapons make him look like a perfect Warforged - just for some inspiration for you!

Warforged Monk

Warforged 5e monks have become a popular choice among players in Dungeons and Dragons. These unique characters combine the mechanical prowess of the warforged race with the disciplined combat techniques of a monk.


Warforged, as a race, possess several inherent advantages that make them formidable monks. Their integrated armor grants them additional AC, providing excellent protection in combat. Additionally, their composite plating ability allows them to add their proficiency bonus to Strength (Athletics) checks, making them highly skilled in grappling and other physical maneuvers.

Moreover, Warforged monks benefit from their racial traits, such as the ability to resist poison and disease. This resilience can be crucial in battles where such afflictions are prevalent.


So, what makes a Warforged monk good? In short, it’s their combination of high AC, proficiency in various Skill checks, and resistance to poison and disease make them durable and versatile combatants.


Additionally, their racial traits synergize well with the monk's core features, such as Unarmored Defense and Martial Arts. This combination allows Warforged monks to excel in close-quarters combat, delivering powerful strikes while remaining agile and protected.


Warforged Monk Playstyles

Now, let's discuss the choice of subclass for a Warforged 5e monk. The subclass you choose will greatly influence your playstyle and abilities. Here are three popular options:


  1. Way of the Open Hand: this subclass focuses on unarmed combat and control. It offers abilities such as Open Hand Technique, which allows you to knock opponents prone or push them away with your strikes. The Quivering Palm feature is particularly potent, as it can deliver a lethal strike to your foes.
  2. Way of the Four Elements: this subclass taps into the elemental forces, granting you access to a variety of elemental disciplines. You can unleash powerful fireballs, summon walls of ice, or even control the flow of water. This subclass adds an extra layer of versatility to your Warforged monk.
  3. Way of the Shadow: this subclass emphasizes stealth and deception. It grants you abilities like Shadow Step, allowing you to teleport through shadows, and Cloak of Shadows, which grants you temporary invisibility. If you prefer a more subtle and mysterious approach, this subclass is an excellent choice.


Warforged 5e Paladin

In the vast world of Dungeons & Dragons, the Warforged 5e Paladin is a unique and formidable character choice. Also, for some reason that I have a little difficulty explaining, it’s actually a pretty common choice among players.


Note that Warforged in general aren’t played a whole lot, so I don’t mean to dissuade you from playing a Warforged 5e paladin if that’s what you really want. I just mean to point out that a number of players seem to enjoy playing a mechanical paladin.

First and foremost, as with every class that Warforged touch, Warforged Paladins possess exceptional durability and resilience. Their sturdy construction grants them a natural armor, making them a formidable force on the battlefield.


Additionally, their integrated protection ability allows them to enhance their armor class further, making them incredibly difficult to hit. This innate toughness makes them excellent front-line combatants, capable of absorbing blows and protecting their allies, which one could argue, is one of the paladin’s primary roles.


Furthermore, the Warforged's unique composition grants them several other advantages. They don't require food, water, or sleep, allowing them to remain vigilant and ready for battle at all times – another often-forgot value that Warforged bring to the table.


The Warforged’s ability to withstand extreme environments makes them ideal for adventuring in harsh terrains, as they hunt down and obliterate evil. Moreover, they have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned and resistance to poison damage, making them highly resilient against certain types of attacks, which they may often face in undead enemies, or when battling dark wizards.


Warforged Paladin Playstyles

When it comes to choosing a subclass for your Warforged Paladin, there are several excellent options to consider.


The Oath of Devotion is a classic choice, emphasizing the Paladin's commitment to justice, truth, and protecting the innocent. This subclass grants powerful abilities such as Sacred Weapon, which enhances the Paladin's attacks, and Aura of Devotion, which provides immunity to charm effects for themselves and nearby allies.


Alternatively, the Oath of Vengeance offers a more aggressive playstyle. This subclass focuses on hunting down and eliminating enemies of the Paladin's cause. Abilities such as Vow of Enmity, which grants advantage on attacks against a specific target, and Relentless Avenger, which allows the Paladin to pursue foes who try to escape, make the Oath of Vengeance an excellent choice for those seeking a relentless and determined warrior.


Lastly, the Oath of the Ancients is an intriguing option for Warforged Paladins who wish to embrace their connection to nature. This subclass emphasizes protecting the natural world and radiates an aura of resilience and hope.


With abilities like Nature's Wrath, which ensnares enemies in difficult terrain, and Elder Champion, which grants resistance to damage and increased spellcasting, the Oath of the Ancients offers a unique and versatile playstyle.

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Warforged Ranger

Warforged 5e Rangers have become a popular choice among players in Dungeons and Dragons.


These unique characters bring a blend of mechanical precision and natural prowess to the battlefield. But are they really good? And what sets them apart from other ranger options?


Their inherent traits, such as their high Constitution and proficiency with medium armor, make them durable and capable of withstanding heavy damage. Additionally, their unique ability to integrate magical items into their bodies allows them to enhance their combat abilities even further.


This means that a Warforged Ranger can be a force to be reckoned with, both in close-quarters combat and from a distance. One of the key factors that make Warforged Rangers stand out is their versatility.


Rangers are known for their affinity with nature and their ability to adapt to various environments. With their mechanical nature, Warforged Rangers can easily blend into any setting, whether it be a dense forest or an urban cityscape. This adaptability makes them excellent scouts and trackers, as they can navigate and survive in any terrain.


Furthermore, Warforged 5e Rangers have access to unique features that set them apart from other races. Their Integrated Protection ability allows them to add their proficiency bonus to their armor class, making them even more resilient in combat. Additionally, their Living Construct trait grants them immunity to disease and resistance to poison, further enhancing their survivability.


Warforged Ranger Playstyles

When choosing a Warforged 5e Ranger, it is important to consider your playstyle and the role you want to fulfill within your adventuring party.


If you enjoy being on the front lines, dealing damage up close, the Hunter archetype might be a good fit for you. This archetype focuses on dealing maximum damage to enemies, making use of abilities such as Colossus Slayer and Multiattack Defense.


On the other hand, if you prefer a more supportive role, the Beast Master archetype might be a better choice. This archetype allows you to form a bond with a companion, such as a wolf or a bear, and fight alongside them. This can provide additional utility and versatility to your party, as your animal companion can assist in combat or help with tracking and scouting.


Warforged 5e Rogue

One intriguing class choice for Warforged 5e is the rogue. But firstly, let's address the question of whether Warforged rogues are good.


The answer is a resounding yes. Warforged, with their unique mechanical composition and built-in enhancements, bring a range of advantages to the rogue class. Their natural armor plating grants them a higher base AC, making them more durable in combat compared to other rogues. This increased survivability can be a game-changer, especially when you find yourself in the thick of battle.


Additionally, Warforged have the Integrated Protection feature, allowing them to integrate armor or weapons directly into their bodies. This feature not only saves on carrying capacity but also grants the Warforged rogue the ability to surprise opponents by concealing weapons or armor until the perfect moment. This can be a significant advantage in both combat and stealth-based scenarios.


What truly sets a Warforged rogue apart, however, is their unique race traits. Warforged are immune to disease, do not require food, water, or sleep, and have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned. These traits can be incredibly useful for a rogue, allowing them to explore dangerous environments, go on extended missions, and remain alert at all times.


Furthermore, their Warforged Resilience feature grants them proficiency in Constitution saving throws, making them more resilient against harmful effects.


Warforged Rogue Playstyles

Now that we've established the strengths of a Warforged rogue, let's discuss what you should consider when choosing this subclass.


If you enjoy being in the thick of combat, a Warforged rogue's increased durability and armor proficiency will suit you well as an Assassination rogue.


On the other hand, if you prefer a stealthy approach, the ability to integrate weapons and armor seamlessly into your body can provide the element of surprise as a Thief, or perhaps – in some rare cases – even an Arcane Trickster rogue.


Consider your character's backstory as well. Warforged are constructs created for war, so think about how this background can shape your rogue's personality and motivations. Are they a relic from a bygone conflict seeking purpose in the world?


The bottom line though, is that if you're looking for a unique and powerful class for your Warforged, don’t hesitate to try out the rogue.

Warforged 5e Character

Back when HeroForge made steel custom minis, my wife and I purchased a few of them for our campaigns. Steel minis naturally have a great Warforged look about them.

Warforged Sorcerer

Another unique combination that has caught the attention of many adventurers is the Warforged 5e Sorcerer. This mechanical being infused with arcane powers brings a fresh and intriguing twist to the battlefield. As always, first and foremost, the question arises: are Warforged 5e Sorcerers good? The answer is a resounding... maybe!


The Warforged race itself brings a host of advantages to the table. Built for war, these sentient constructs of course possess natural armor that provides them with additional AC, and of course the extra Constitution gives them more HP and better concentration saves, making them incredibly durable.


Sorcerers, themselves, are always amazing. They have access to a wide range of spells, including damaging spells like Fireball or utility spells like Invisibility, allowing them to adapt to various situations, which is useful when playing a race that – yes, it’s true – doesn’t 100% fit the class to a tee.  


Of course, the Sorcerer does provide Ability Score Improvements of your choice at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th levels, allowing even a Warforged to gain the necessary Charisma to become a powerful Sorcerer. This isn’t to say, basically, that a Warforged is a great fit for the sorcerer class, but rather that the sorcerer is basically a decent fit for just about any race.


Warforged Sorcerer Playstyles

When it comes to your subclass, I’d recommend taking a look at the Draconic Bloodline build, for both unique features and interesting roleplaying. Imagine, if you will, a sorcerer with a “bloodline,” when your race is actually... mechanical? Interesting thoughts, for sure.


But! The Draconic Bloodline sorcerer gains “Draconic Resilience,” giving you a base AC of 13+ your Dexterity modifier when you aren’t wearing armor, which stacks with your racial +1AC bonus.


Also, at 14th level you gain a pair of dragon wings, which sprout from your back. So, that’s obviously way cool.


Warforged Warlock

The sentient Warforged constructs, forged for war, possess a unique blend of mechanical prowess and, in a roleplaying sense, magical abilities. One intriguing class option for warforged is the warlock, offering a fascinating combination of mechanical resilience and eldritch power.


Are warforged warlocks good? Um, not necessarily, but they can be quite fun!


Warforged warlocks do have numerous advantages that make them formidable on the battlefield. Their inherent racial traits, such as their high Constitution and proficiency with armor, provide them with exceptional durability. This resilience allows them to withstand even the harshest of battles, making them a reliable front-line option for warlocks who choose the “Pact of the Blade,” or perhaps for those who choose “The Fiend” as their “Otherworldly Patron.”


Depending on your desired role, there are tons of invocations and spells available to warlocks that could conceivably complement your warlock playstyle. For example, if you want to be a tank, invocations like Armor of Shadows or Fiendish Vigor can boost your defenses, while spells like Armor of Agathys 5e can provide temporary hit points and damage reflection.


Also, if you cast spells like Hellish Rebuke 5e, with how defensive you already are as a Warlock, you can make it even less advantageous for enemies to attack you.


All of that being said, it isn’t like Warforged 5e get a bonus to Charisma, for warlock spell saves. The only real benefit that a Warforged gives to the warlock class is what they provide in the case of being any spell casting class – which is their bonus HP, concentration save from their high Constitution, and natural AC.


Warforged Wizard

With their unique abilities and versatility, Warforged can make for formidable wizards in your D&D game.


The Warforged’s high Constitution and Armor Class provide them with exceptional durability, making them difficult to take down in combat – which is really important for a wizard class, as the class itself is extremely fragile.


The innate resilience of a Warforged allows one who’s a wizard to focus on their magical abilities without worrying too much about their survivability. This, as you might imagine, is a big benefit.


Additionally, their integrated protection grants them proficiency with various armor types, further enhancing their survivability and versatility. Warforged also possess the Constructed Resilience trait, which grants them immunity to disease and resistance to poison damage.


Warforged 5e Wizard Playstyles

When it comes to choosing a subclass for a Warforged wizard, several options are available.


The School of Evocation is a popular choice, as it allows Warforged wizards to maximize their damage-dealing potential. With features like Empowered Evocation and Overchannel, they can unleash devastating spells that deal immense damage to their enemies.


This subclass is ideal for those who prefer a more offensive playstyle and enjoy obliterating foes with powerful magical abilities.

Alternatively, the School of Abjuration can be a great choice for Warforged wizards who want to focus on defense and protection. The Arcane Ward feature provides a protective barrier that absorbs damage, making the Warforged wizard even more resilient in combat. Or, consider having mage armor 5e on top of your natural Warforged AC bonus.


This subclass excels at protecting themselves and their allies, making them valuable assets in any adventuring party.

Lastly, the School of Transmutation offers Warforged wizards the ability to manipulate matter and transform objects and creatures. This subclass allows them to alter the properties of items, create temporary magical enhancements, and even transmute their own bodies.


With features like Transmuter's Stone and Shapechanger, Warforged wizards can adapt to various situations and overcome obstacles with ease.

Warforged 5e in a Campaign

Our gaming table before a big adventure towards the end of one of our year-long campaigns.

Warforged 5e Size and Other Characteristics

Warforged size is Medium.


As basically the “default” size in D&D, being medium doesn’t change any stats or add modifiers for attacks, weapons, AC, or anything else.


Speed

Warforged base walking speed is 30 feet.


Similarly, a base walking speed of 30 feet is also sort of the “default” value in D&D 5e. This simply means that warforged 5e are not particularly fast, nor slow.


Alignment

Most warforged take comfort in order and discipline, tending toward law and neutrality. But some have absorbed the morality, or lack thereof, of the beings with which they served.


Oftentimes, you see characters like fighters play towards lawful neutral. I personally find alignment to only be much help when I’m first creating a character, as a sort of guiding light for how I want to roleplay.


However, alignment can be quite helpful for your game, so it’s worth thinking about. Of course, as an organic-machine character, you could certainly make the case to play about any alignment you’d like.


Warforged 5e Specialized Design

You gain one skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of your choice.


Though having an extra tool proficiency probably doesn’t matter much (or at all), having an extra skill proficiency is pretty handy.


Also, it just feels good in D&D when your character has proficiency with something. Whether or not that extra bonus to your roll makes a difference on an individual basis, knowing that the odds are in your favor is a major mental perk.


Age

A typical warforged is between two and thirty years old. The maximum warforged lifespan remains a mystery; so far, warforged have shown no signs of deterioration due to age. You are immune to magical ag­ing effects.


Aging is another effect in D&D that most groups don’t pay much attention to. Unless you’re playing in a multi-year (or 40-year, plus) campaign, or your story is based around following a nation or group of people over decades of time, character age usually isn’t even a consideration.


Still, age can be a fun roleplaying component, and if you have something in mind for your warforged related to their age, this race leaves you with plenty of flexibility.


Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.


Having the option for fluency in any other language of your choice is very nice. In my experience, language is probably the final part of a campaign that’s often overlooked.


Perhaps you’ll occasionally run across some cryptic script in another language, where fluency would help advance the story. However, aside from roleplaying, having access to multiple languages most often isn’t a useful part of gameplay.

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Warforged 5e Lore

Need some DnD Quest Ideas or Campaign Ideas to go along with your new Warforged? Look no further.


The warforged were built to fight in the Last War. While the first warforged were mindless automatons, House Cannith devoted vast resources to improving these steel soldiers. An unexpected breakthrough produced sapient soldiers, giving rise to what some have only grudgingly accepted as a new species. Warforged are made from wood and metal, but they can feel pain and emotion. Built as weapons, they must now find a purpose beyond war. A warforged can be a steadfast ally, a cold-hearted killer, or a visionary in search of meaning.


Living Steel and Stone

Warforged are formed from a blend of organic and inor­ganic materials. Root-like cords infused with alchemical fluids serve as their muscles, wrapped around a frame­work of steel, darkwood, or stone. Armored plates form a protective outer shell and reinforce joints. Warforged share a common facial design, with a hinged jaw and crystal eyes embedded beneath a reinforced brow ridge. Beyond these common elements of warforged design, the precise materials and build of a warforged vary based on the purpose for which it was designed.


Although they were manufactured, warforged are living humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medi­cine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids.


Warforged Personality

The warforged were built to serve and to fight. For most of their existence, warforged had a clearly defined func­tion and were encouraged to focus purely on that role. The Treaty of Thronehold gave them freedom, but many still struggle both to find a place in the post-war world and to relate to the creatures who created them.


The typical warforged shows little emotion. Many warforged embrace a concrete purpose-such as protecting allies, completing a contract, or exploring a land-and embrace this task as they once did war. However, there are warforged who delight in exploring their feelings, their freedom, and their relationships with others. Most warforged have no interest in reli­gion, but some embrace faith and mysticism, seeking higher purpose and deeper meaning.


The typical warforged has a sexless body shape.


Some warforged ignore the concept of gender entirely, while others adopt a gender identity.


The more a warforged develops its individuality, the more likely it is to modify its body, seeking out an artifi­cer to customize the look of its face, limbs, and plating.


Warforged 5e Quirks

Warforged often display an odd personality trait or two, given how new they are to the world. The Warforged Quirks table contains example quirks.


Roll 1d8:

  1. You analyze-out loud-the potential threat posed by every creature you meet.
  2. You often misread emotional cues.
  3. You are fiercely protective of your friends.
  4. You try to apply wartime discipline to every situation.
  5. You don't know how to filter your feelings and are prone to dramatic emotional outbursts.
  6. You don't understand clothing beyond its utility and assume it denotes a person's function.
  7. You are obsessed with your appearance and con­stantly polish and buff yourself.
  8. War is the only thing that makes sense to you, and you're always looking for a fight.


Warforged Names

Most warforged were assigned numerical designations for use in military service. Many of them adopted nick­names, often given to them by their comrades. As inde­pendent individuals, some have chosen new names as a way to express their path in life. A few take on human names, often the name of a fallen friend or mentor.


Warforged Names: Anchor, Banner, Bastion, Blade, Blue, Bow, Cart, Church, Crunch, Crystal, Dagger, Dent, Five, Glaive, Hammer, Iron, Lucky, Mace, Oak, Onyx, Pants, Pierce, Red, Rod, Rusty, Scout, Seven, Shield, Slash, Smith, Spike, Temple, Vault, Wall.


Warforged in Games Like D&D

As you no doubt already know, there are many games like DnD out there. With all the drama that's happened with Wizards of the Coast, and with D&D's shift to a more digital platform (and higher prices), many people have been looking for other TTRPGs to try out.


Eternity TTRPG has our own tabletop RPG that we've independently published. Check out the PDF download here, and let us know what you think!

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Jacob Tegtman Eternity TTRPG Creator

Author - Jacob Tegtman

Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed this article. Tabletop gaming has been a passion of mine since I was 6 years old. I've played just about every game from Dungeons and Dragons to video games like Final Fantasy. These games have inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry, and brought me endless hours of enjoyment.


I started Eternity TTRPG - and the indie tabletop game that goes along with it (Eternity Shop) - to share my love of gaming with others. I believe that in our technology-driven age, tabletop games help bring a sense of magic and community back into our world.


If you love the site, please share it with others! I have lots of gaming-related material for you to peruse and use in your own gaming sessions. If you have any questions about the site or want to contribute, just send me a message using the "Contact" page, which you can find in the site's footer.

Josiah Mork: Creator of Starset RPG and Pen RPG

Interview with Game Designer Josiah Mork: Creator of Starset & PEN

By Jacob Tegtman • March 27, 2026
Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9In5gaz65s8 Transcription Jacob Tegtman (00:01.848) Hey everyone, welcome back to Eternity TTRPG, where we cover really everything tabletop gaming related, Dungeons and Dragons. Now we're finally jumping into some of my favorite topics, which is game design and getting to spend some time with great game designers up and coming, people who are established. And today we're interviewing Josiah Mork, who is the owner and lead designer for Hoodwink Gaming. So welcome to the show. Thanks for being part of the channel. Josiah (00:33.142) Thanks, it's my pleasure. Yeah, it's been great working with you on eternity and getting to swap ideas. So I'm really looking forward to being able to talk through some of that process with you. Jacob Tegtman (00:44.478) Awesome, Ben. Yeah, I've been looking forward to talking with you. We always have a lot of fun when we catch up. I think this will be a really good conversation. There's so many parts of your mini games that I've wanted to ask you about for really such a long time. And it always felt like we were working on some project or discussing something. But now I have a really good excuse to just nail you down for maybe about an hour-ish and hopefully die. Josiah (00:50.028) for sure. Josiah (01:04.972) There's always something. Jacob Tegtman (01:14.352) dive into what you've been doing and why you've made some of the decisions you've made, which I think are really interesting. I'm sure, yeah. So do you just want to maybe start by introducing yourself more, know, who you are, what you've done, and yeah, where you're going? Josiah (01:20.968) Yeah, well, hopefully I've got good answers for you. We'll see. Josiah (01:32.756) Yeah, absolutely. yeah, like you said, I'm Josiah. I'm from Michigan, living just out of DC now. I've been designing and playing board games since my early teen years, I guess I would say. I love creative writing and storytelling. That's just been an amazing way that I've found to connect with people. My actually my undergrad and my grad degrees were in communication and looking at how communication connects us and strategies and stuff behind it. And so I find a storytelling a really compelling way to do that. But before I had gotten into school and whatnot, you know, I was homeschooled. I was in late middle school and I was reading this cartoon. Maybe you are some of your viewers have seen it. Foxtrot comics. And there are some. Have you seen it? Highly recommend, highly recommend. It's really funny. But there are these two characters, they're really nerdy middle schoolers and they were playing Dungeons and Dragons in the comic. And I just thought that was the coolest thing. But my parents, know, I'm a Christian, my family's Christian, fairly conservative. And so my parents were more familiar with like the 80s, like D &D scare, very like Stranger Things season four. And so they were not really like, yeah, not really D &D fans. And so I was like, well, okay, I'll create my own. And that's how it all got started, you know? And then it was a great way to make friends in my Boy Scout troop. You know, we would play, would swap ideas, we would... Jacob Tegtman (02:51.202) Yeah. Jacob Tegtman (02:55.042) Not too far ahead. Sure. Yeah, that's awesome. Jacob Tegtman (03:08.12) time. Josiah (03:09.972) you know, go on crazy adventures with rules that didn't quite work. And then over time, you know, I just realized that there were all of these cool avenues to explore and storytelling that D &D didn't necessarily do. And so I just felt really passionate that this is my way to connect with people and connect people with each other is through writing games. Jacob Tegtman (03:30.508) That's amazing, man. Yeah, it's funny, like the ways that we get into gaming too. Like you mentioned those comics. you ever see Dexter's Lab? Okay. Okay. Yeah, was probably a little bit before. Yeah. There was like an episode that was kind of based on Dungeons and Dragons and I saw it when I was like six and that's what got me into it as well. yeah. Josiah (03:39.616) Yeah, well, I've heard of it. Yeah, I've seen clips from it, yeah. Josiah (03:52.972) It's so funny how it seems like every show, know, Community, Gravity Falls, like, there are all these shows of every different genre, and they all have like a D &D episode for some reason. And I love it, you know, but it's so random. Jacob Tegtman (03:58.679) Yeah. Jacob Tegtman (04:05.302) Yeah, like all of them. Me too. Yeah, it is. Yeah. I also like the takes that different shows have on like nerdy board games. I think was like Parks and Rec had, I forget what the game was called. Yeah, you remember it. Yeah. Yeah. That's so cool, man. Josiah (04:20.81) The Cones of Dunshire, yeah. Love that, love those episodes. Jacob Tegtman (04:29.646) So I want to dive into really all of those things more, but what games do you currently have available then? And your website will post it in the show notes as well, but it is hoodwinkgaming.com for anybody who's interested. But yeah, tell us about some of your games. And again, I feel like I want to go into all of these in more detail, but yeah, give us the summary version at least for now. Josiah (04:55.05) Yeah, so it's a little deceptive at the moment. My original titles and kind of most of the games that I do are under the pen brand. So play easily now is the acronym. We have war game and role playing game. But actually neither of those are on the market at the moment. If you go to my website. Yeah, we've got a landing page for the war game and we've got a preview for the RPG. And I've actually I've got. Jacob Tegtman (05:12.95) really? I was actually, yeah, I was checking it out like yesterday, so. Josiah (05:24.422) know, prototypes of both of those here. But they are still in development because of various different reasons of wanting to refine some ideas or just kind of ended up having to move to other projects. So they're almost launch ready. But those are the ones that they're working on for the longest, just the newest editions aren't quite together yet. Jacob Tegtman (05:29.506) Yeah. Jacob Tegtman (05:39.96) Yeah, nice. Jacob Tegtman (05:46.04) Very cool. Josiah (05:46.164) And then the one that I've been working on most recently, and that we actually have a new project launching next month for, is Star Set. So that's a grimdark survival-oriented tabletop role-playing game that we launched initially a couple years ago, and then just did a relaunch for the second edition for, which is much more crunchy, much more mechanical, and much more narrative-based. So really looking forward to building that out. Jacob Tegtman (06:14.542) That's exciting. Yeah, I can attest that game is great. I really enjoyed reading through it. Everything from the design of the book to the art to the way that you have, especially character building in that, I find super fascinating. You can just tell, yeah, the amount of attention to detail in there is like out of this world. It really feels like you guys... Josiah (06:27.148) Well, thank you. Josiah (06:34.966) haha Jacob Tegtman (06:38.478) You took the lore of the game and you baked it into every part of the game. Whereas I think a lot of games like, you know, we'll talk about D &D later. D &D is like the game that's everything. So it's like if it's in a fantasy book or movie or anything, like we'll just jam it into D &D somehow. And, you know, that kind of has its place, but for building characters and stuff, you know, like you don't, I don't know. It's supposed to be able to fit many different genres and you're Josiah (06:42.72) Mm-hmm. Jacob Tegtman (07:08.612) I think what's so cool about is that when you're playing Star set you're playing Star set Because from the very first thing you do with your character and their background and their skills even it's all based on the lore of this whole universe so Josiah (07:19.902) Mm-hmm. Well, I really appreciate that. mean, that's really the heart behind it when we were working on it is, we had a story that we wanted to tell and really created the universe to tell that story. And one of the things, you know, that I picked up studying communication is that, you know, we are attracted to details. And even if it's details that, we haven't necessarily experienced in our own lives. Jacob Tegtman (07:24.963) Yeah. Jacob Tegtman (07:33.324) Yeah. Josiah (07:45.324) hearing vivid details or strong emotions in other people's stories lead us to be more connected with them. And so that was something that we really trying to flesh out in Star Set. hopefully, from the sound of it, it hopefully worked pretty well. Jacob Tegtman (08:00.352) I think so, yeah, absolutely. So, what do we talk about first, man? Like, what do you want to talk about first? Josiah (08:01.452) Thank you. Josiah (08:11.672) man, I could talk about games for hours and hours, so I better let you guide that conversation. Jacob Tegtman (08:14.944) You Okay, I just want to make sure we cover like the big things before we dive into the nitty gritty here. Yeah. Yeah. Josiah (08:24.332) Oh yeah, I mean, I kind of touched on, I guess I'll throw it out there. I'll throw it out there because it's really important to me and kind of the company into my story. you know, I really do, we're about to, you know, dig into the nitty gritty, like you said, and Dungeons and Dragons and all the different games that are out there. And I just think, you know, before whether you're a designer or a player, whenever you kind of step into a game, I think the most important thing and what's in the mission kind of a hoodwink that we try and do differently is that Jacob Tegtman (08:33.379) Yeah. Josiah (08:53.446) The games are just kind of an excuse. Really, the games are just an excuse to get together with people and to have FaceTime with people. And if working in social media has taught me anything, it's that people need that more than anything. And that's why we call it Hoodwink Games, because we kind of have all these substitutions. get hoodwinked into thinking that socializing is something that it's not. And really, it's just fellowshipping with people and joining community and FaceTime with people. and talking about the things that matter with people. And the way to do that from going from stranger to best friend is in my experience games. And so that's kind of the heart behind it. Jacob Tegtman (09:30.658) That's been a cool one. Yeah. You know, it's interesting you bring that up too, because this is something I've been thinking a lot about recently, especially as everybody's been seeing more AI come into their work, into their lives. And I feel that more than ever, people are wanting that human, real human interaction. And so as good as video games are looking nowadays and as fun as MMOs are and stuff like that, and I like all of those, I don't think I've Josiah (09:43.628) Mm-hmm. Josiah (09:53.004) Mm-hmm. Jacob Tegtman (10:03.53) found anything that's as fun is sitting around playing a tabletop role-playing game, especially in person. mean, even, you over FaceTime like this is fun, but something in person about it just makes it one of the best experiences. Josiah (10:09.729) video. Josiah (10:13.142) Mm-hmm. Josiah (10:18.686) It really does. It's those shared memories and those shared jokes. And, you know, I work in politics, doing social media for politics. And the thing that just aggravates me the most about politics, but also religion, people say don't talk about politics or religion because people care about it so much. And it's like those are things that we care about the most. So we should be able to share those with people. But you can't because as soon as you bring them up, you know, there are all these walls. Jacob Tegtman (10:39.48) Sure. Josiah (10:48.062) and games when you've played for a couple hours with somebody and slayed the dragon and made a couple jokes, then it's like, well, okay, now your opinion isn't the thing that I'm defining you on. The thing I'm defining you on is that, you know, you're a half drunk elf paladin or something like, and it just makes it easier. Jacob Tegtman (10:48.416) I guess. Jacob Tegtman (11:04.014) Yeah, that's so true. That's so true. Yeah, it definitely does break down those walls and give you that sense of shared history, even if it's like a shared mental history, theater of the mind. So, yeah. Josiah (11:17.27) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It's great. Jacob Tegtman (11:21.428) I agree, man. Especially when you're doing... So I haven't read through all of the lore of Starseq. There's just so much in there. I've read through a good deal of it. But I think one of the things that also stands out about at least that game, because I know Penn's still in the work in progress... Josiah (11:38.599) the Jacob Tegtman (11:39.446) that, you know, it does cover a lot of political things and it covers a lot of religious things and you aren't like pushing a view on anybody, but just inherent to human life is politics and religion. so games let you approach these topics like in ways that allow you to explore what could be, but in a safe way and have conversations about what could be without feeling like you're being attacked or told. Josiah (11:53.856) Mm-hmm. Josiah (12:01.6) Thank you. Josiah (12:05.836) Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's really the, again, I'm really glad that you feel that way about the game, because that was one of the number one priorities of it, is there are just really hard conversations that should be had. And that game kind of came out of COVID, where there were a ton of hard conversations people were having. And I think you could spend every day, every minute of every day with people. Jacob Tegtman (12:14.306) Yeah, for sure. Jacob Tegtman (12:23.394) That's right. That's right. Yeah. Josiah (12:33.664) but if they're not people that you feel like you can have hard conversations with, then you haven't really been in community at all. And so having a medium like that, where, like you said, I don't wanna tell anybody what they should believe. There are things that I believe are true about God and about the world and about politics and stuff, but those things have to exist relationally for them to mean anything to you. so... Jacob Tegtman (12:39.788) Yeah. Jacob Tegtman (12:50.542) Sure. Josiah (12:58.954) to have that space to kind of explore and talk and then role play through just makes it fun for one thing, but also makes it so much more personal and so much more impactful, I think. Jacob Tegtman (12:59.374) Yeah. Jacob Tegtman (13:10.772) I agree. So what is the next thing that you said you're working on with StarCert? I think I missed that when you mentioned earlier. Yeah. Josiah (13:16.436) Yeah, so my co-writer, Emily, and her husband Ryan, who did some of the art for Star Set, they have actually written and illustrated the first campaign for it. It's called Echoes on Mars, and that's going to be launching on Kickstarter next month. Jacob Tegtman (13:31.822) Okay. Okay, cool. That's exciting, man. So what number of Kickstarter will this be for you? Josiah (13:38.092) Thank Josiah (13:42.294) That's Josiah (13:46.806) seven maybe six or seven. I'm doing this one well I should say the plan is to do it on Kickstarter but changing a lot of things. I'm still talking to them. My wife is behind me. I still want to talk through some of them with her because it had a lot of very negative Kickstarter experiences and learned a lot. So we're to do this one if we end up doing it on Kickstarter very slim down and very different than some of the other ones. So it's a constant learning experience. Jacob Tegtman (13:48.43) Sort of. Yeah. Jacob Tegtman (13:54.094) Sure. Jacob Tegtman (14:16.43) Yeah, I just remember I feel like every year or so I feel like you're launching something on Kickstarter successfully. So at least from the outsider's view looking in, it's like man Josiah just knows what he's doing with selling games. Josiah (14:30.208) You Well, I know a little bit more than I did last time and that's the goal. Yeah.
An anime-style character with long white hair

Interview with TTRPG Renaissance Man: Mildra the Monk

By Jacob Tegtman • March 25, 2026
Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si26EW5kj4Q Transcription Summary Final Fantasy Legend Edition TTRPG discussion covered the game's high customization and free distribution via mythos inspiration and iterative research. Final Fantasy Legend Edition Origin Legend Edition is a medium-complexity TTRPG developed over 4 years to emulate the entire Final Fantasy mythos, avoiding a focus only on the SNES era. The core goal was to create a neutral sandbox emphasizing high customization that supports high fantasy, steampunk, and futuristic settings. Design Philosophy and Research The game is distributed for free to continue the tradition of high-quality, free fan-created content within the TTRPG community. Extensive research was conducted on the IP, including cut content and Ultimania books, which led to the design pillars of iteration and experimentation. Customization and Unique Features Character creation allows hybrid archetypes via the selection of 3 classes from over 50 available options with variable progression speeds. Unique Legend Edition features include row-based combat and active defenses, creating a tactical risk-reward system. Details Introduction to Final Fantasy Legend Edition Project : Jacob Tegtman welcomed Mildra The Monk, the lead designer and spearhead of the Final Fantasy Legend Edition project, to the Eternity TTRPG channel for their first interview of this kind. Mildra The Monk expressed appreciation for being hosted and agreed to begin by discussing their background and the nature of the project (00:00:00). Mildra The Monk's Background and TTRPG Contributions : Mildra The Monk introduced themself as a content creator who has reviewed games, run playtests, and conducted over a thousand interviews in the last five years. They cover third-party D\&D material, indie games, and fan games such as Naruto 5e and Dungeons of the Dragoning, the latter of which started as an April Fool's joke that combined five different RPGs (00:01:03). Most recently, they served as the lead designer and project lead for the Final Fantasy Legend Edition TTRPG (00:02:26). Running a Final Fantasy Legend Edition One-Shot : Mildra The Monk mentioned they had been running a one-shot using the Legend Edition for the past few weeks with rotating party members and ran one for Jacob Tegtman as they were planning content on the game (00:02:26). They noted that a community member has been developing a work-in-progress Roll20 sheet for the game, which had recently received a significant update (00:03:26). Virtual Tabletop Support for Legend Edition : When addressing the question of virtual tabletop support, Mildra The Monk stated that they have not done any real coding in at least ten years and lack the skill set to build a custom sheet from scratch for platforms like Roll20 or Foundry. They acknowledged the community's support, noting that people are using their own time to support the game with tools like the Roll20 sheet (00:03:26). Summary of Final Fantasy Legend Edition : Legend Edition is a medium-complexity TTRPG that took about four years to create, aimed at emulating the Final Fantasy mythos. The project originated from Mildra The Monk's pet peeve that previous tabletop versions of Final Fantasy heavily skewed toward the SNES era (IV, V, and VI), neglecting entries like VII, XIV, and XVI which appeal to newer generations of fans (00:04:21). The goal of Legend Edition is to use the recurring Final Fantasy mythos as a neutral sandbox for tables to build campaigns in any direction, prioritizing customization (00:06:43). Game Design Flexibility and High Customization : The game was designed to be equally viable in high fantasy settings, like Final Fantasy III or IV, as it is in steampunk settings, such as Final Fantasy VI or XIV, and futuristic entries, such as Final Fantasy VIII or XIII. Jacob Tegtman noted that playing the game demonstrated that the number of classes and intricate character details allow players to create characters fitting any Final Fantasy experience they desire (00:06:43). Reasoning Behind Free Distribution of Legend Edition : Mildra The Monk explained that the game is available for free because they came up as a tabletop player seeing high-quality fan games that were just as good as paid games, and they wanted to pass along that torch to the community (00:09:44). They expressed the desire for someone to take their work, hack it, and put up their own version, continuing the chain of free content (00:11:02). Research and Design Philosophy for Legend Edition : A major focus of the project was capturing the soul of Final Fantasy, which involved extensive research, including reviewing existing games, cut content from games, behind-the-scenes interviews, and Ultimania books (00:11:02). The core philosophy derived from this research was "iteration and experimentation," which led to the game's foundational design pillars (00:12:16). The Inspiration to Focus on Final Fantasy : Mildra The Monk is a devoted Final Fantasy fan, but other factors drove the project, including a desire to carry on the lineage of prior Final Fantasy TTRPG fan projects like the mid-90s Returners project (00:12:16). A core motivation was bridging the gap between video games and tabletop gaming, using Final Fantasy because its consistent mythology allows for adaptation that goes beyond merely replicating the video games (00:14:29). Avoiding the Trap of Literal IP Adaptation : Mildra The Monk highlighted a common problem with tabletop adaptations of existing IPs, where designers attempt to adapt the source material wholesale, citing the early TSR run of Indiana Jones as an example where they only allowed players to play as movie characters. Instead, people generally prefer to create their own character within the world, such as being a student at Xavier Academy rather than playing as the X-Men (00:15:49). Emulating the Mythos Over One Game : Mildra The Monk emphasized that designers should emulate the overall mythos of a franchise rather than hyperfocusing on one game or one era (00:17:00). For Final Fantasy, this is supported by recurring elements such as job names, play styles, spell names, summons, and abilities that maintain a consistent theme (00:18:09). Classes, Character Creation, and Flexibility : The customization in Legend Edition is demonstrated by the character creation system where players select three classes with different progression speeds, allowing for a unique hybrid character from over 50 classes (00:21:27). This approach is a compromise that provides the strong thematic elements of the job system without restricting player choices, such as customizing weapon lists to be setting-agnostic and avoid favoring one style of fantasy (00:20:06) (00:22:24). Key Design Pillars of Final Fantasy Legend Edition : Mildra The Monk outlined the three major pillars of the game's design: "mythos not setting," "customization is king," and the **phase structure** (00:24:24). The phase structure involves four acts—preparation, exploration, encounter, and downtime—which is loosely inspired by the Asian four-act format (kishōtenketsu) and the Town-Field-Dungeon trinity pioneered by Dragon Quest (00:25:34). The Research Process as a Favorite Part of the Project : Mildra The Monk stated that the research phase was one of their favorite parts, which allowed them to discover early concepts for the video games that were eventually cut (00:27:50). Examples included the early name for Materia being "spheres," which was later revisited for Final Fantasy X, and a puzzle tattoo mechanic for Final Fantasy X's sphere grid, which was cut (00:28:33). Inspirations and Creative Liberties in Design : The research led to design inspirations such as an unused Chocobo Lancer concept art from Final Fantasy XI resulting in the Chocobo Knight class in Legend Edition, addressing the long-desired idea of Chocobo cavalry (00:29:32). The team took certain liberties, like creating the speed-based Dervish to serve as an answer to the Berserker class, and the Ravager as a spell-spamming class, drawing from inspirations like Final Fantasy XIII (00:31:48). Development of the Yo-kai Class : The Yo-kai class began as an idea for a controllable summon, similar to the Aeons in Final Fantasy X, but was changed to avoid replicating one game (00:31:48). The final concept for the Yo-kai, as avatars for Eidolons, was inspired by the design of Yoko in Bravely Second and the concept of the rider or shioal spiritualist in Voodoo (00:32:43). Impact of Extensive Research on Project Quality : Jacob Tegtman acknowledged that the depth of research, spanning Final Fantasy lore, mythology, and diverse concepts like Voodoo, enabled Mildra The Monk to create over 50 classes, each with up to seven tiers of abilities, amounting to hundreds of unique mechanics that synergize well (00:33:58). Mildra The Monk affirmed that this extensive research, modeled after the preparation of Star Trek producer Harve Bennett before producing *Wrath of Khan*, was a necessary baseline (00:36:10). Historical Context of Final Fantasy Combat System : Mildra The Monk highlighted Hiroyuki Itto, the pioneer of the job system and the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, noting that he cited American football and Formula 1 as inspirations for ATB (00:39:09). Mildra The Monk asserted that the shift toward action-based combat, seen in games like Final Fantasy XV and XVI, was an evolution building on foundations laid decades ago by Itto, not a radical shift (00:40:15). Snapshot of Unique Legend Edition Features : For those unfamiliar with Legend Edition, Mildra The Monk listed key differentiators, including high customizability in the job system, easy creation of hybrid archetypes, fewer but more impactful skills, and multiple character creation/advancement methods (00:41:59). Jacob Tegtman added the unique row-based combat and active defenses, such as parrying and evading, which create a tactical, risk-reward philosophy in the design (00:43:17). Future Vision and Upcoming Projects for Mildra The Monk : Immediate future plans include overseeing support elements like new Excel and HTML solo-play sheets, as well as writing world book guides, which are lighter books focused on emulating individual Final Fantasy entries like FFIII or FFVIII (00:45:13). They are also considering TTRPGs based on 2D fighting games, aiming for a defined setting like a fighting game version of Night City, and they intend to create a fantasy-themed mech game and a Wuxia-themed RPG (00:46:24). Ongoing Efforts to Promote the TTRPG Community : Mildra The Monk is continuing their mission to showcase the totality of tabletop role-playing games by highlighting the international scene, including content from Brazil, Germany, and Sweden (00:50:01) (00:52:17). They mentioned forthcoming streams covering the Spanish Anima Universe, Sword World, and *We's Blade*, a game compared to *Panzer Dragoon* (00:51:15). Availability and Support for Mildra The Monk : Mildra The Monk can be found streaming regularly on YouTube and Twitch, on Twitter where they highlight artists and indie games, and in their personal Discord (00:55:07). While Legend Edition remains free, they have set up support mechanisms like Ko-fi for those who wish to leave a tip (00:56:19).
A gnarled, dark tree stands in a misty forest under a pale moon.

Playable Monster Races in D&D: the Gnarlborn - Haunted Treants

By Jacob Tegtman • March 22, 2026
Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuryVcZdp4Y Transcription There are kind two ends of the spectrum for D&D races. There’s Story-specific races: These come with a strong, built-in narrative that fits specific campaign worlds or settings, that almost tells you how to play them. Then there’s more Flexible races. These are much easier to slot anywhere because they don’t necessarily come with an expected tone or backstory. You can sort of fit them into any campaign with ease – like playing a human. Some D&D player races feel like they’re built for a specific kind of story. Others feel flexible enough to drop into almost any campaign. Gnarlborn from Crooked Moon… sit somewhere in between—and that’s kind of what makes them interesting. They have strong flavor, but they aren’t restrictive for your campaign. They come with built-in lore that gives you instant roleplay direction, but they aren’t so specific that you can only play them in your Crooked Moon campaign. Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG.  As you can already tell, today we’re looking at a lesser-known player option for playable races, which is the Gnarlborn from Crooked Moon. If you’ve seen my other videos on the topic, Crooked Moon has become one of my favorite D&D settings of all-time. We’re going through each of the races presented in Crooked Moon, and today getting to the treant-like Gnarlborn. Starting with the basics, Gnarlborn are – well, born – from the soil of a region called Ardengloom, a forest that’s less “peaceful woodland,” and more “haunted, thinking ecosystem.” The forest itself is filled with these massive trees called Elderwoods—each one housing lingering Fey spirits. Gnarlborn commune with these spirts and Elderwoods, forming an intricate and well-connected forest community. So yeah, you’re playing basically “a tree person.” But you’re also playing something that exists in a constant, low-level conversation with ancient, possibly unreliable spirits. That alone gives you a strong roleplay hook without needing a complicated backstory, as your tie to those spirits, and who/ what they are could gain any level of depth that you’d like, over the course of a campaign – or even a few adventures. Visually, Gnarlborn are humanoid, but like the trees in your yard, everything about them is asymmetrical—branches, moss instead of clothing accents, glowing hollows where a face might be. No two look the same. Some might feel ancient and slow, while others might come across as curious or even a little disconnected—like they’re only partially focused on the present. And since they can live for hundreds—sometimes thousands—of years, you can decide how much that actually affects your character. Are they wise because of their age, or are they just... slow? Ok, when it comes to core mechanics, let’s talk about what you actually get—because this is where Gnarlborn become very usable. First, we have: Deep Roots You get advantage on checks and saves to avoid being moved or knocked prone. This is simple, but it can be very useful against certain enemies. Next is: Elderwood Whispers After every long rest, you can pick up a new skill, tool proficiency, or even a language. Temporarily. This is probably the most interesting trait the Gnarlborn have. It’s not flashy, but it gives you day-to-day adaptability, which can be nice. It rewards players who like planning ahead—or improvising, based on expected challenges for the day. Third, we have what may be the Gnarlborn’s most *potentially powerful effect, which is: Grasping Branches As a Bonus action, you restrain a creature if they fail a Strength save. Or slow them if they succeed. The main issue here is the saving DC isn’t very high (it’s 8, plus your Constitution modifier, plus your proficiency bonus). But! Even on a successful save, the creature has half speed for a turn. So, grasping branches can be decent battlefield control without requiring you to be a spellcaster. And because this effect recharges on a short rest, you may just actually use it. It’s not overwhelming—but it’s consistently useful. Root Sense gives you tremorsense out to 60 feet. So, the ability to find Invisible enemies, Creatures behind walls, etc. And lastly, you have: Towering Size Which gives you advantage to end being grappled, and – if your group actually tracks carrying capacity, you can in fact carry more stuff. Nothing flashy—but admittedly, very practical. Playing a Gnarlborn definitely isn’t for every player. They don’t provide anything to spike damage, or even do anything unpredictable, really. But you are resisting disruption, controlling space, and adapting between sessions. They fit really well in parties that need consistency rather than specialization. From the roleplaying side, Gnarlborn also work really well in campaigns that lean into: Fey themes, Haunted environments, or Long timelines with ancient histories since they naturally connect to all of those. Gnarlborn feel connected to something bigger: whether that’s the Elderwoods, nature, fey-touched spirits, or an ancient grove deep in the dark woods. So, if you were to play a Gnarlborn, what direction would you take your character? Would you pick them for their subtle combat control, or more to explore their connection with the wilds? Whether you’ve played them in a campaign already, or you have ideas for what you might like to try, let me know in the comments. Thanks for watching, and I’ll catch you in my next Crooked Moon race guide.
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