Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lafarallin 05-22-07, 09:06 AM	I'm playing a warforged for the first time. I took sculpting originally just to repair myself. However, I started toying with the idea of altering my body. I would like to add gems into my body much like tattoos. Basically chiseling patterns and designs and then setting stones directly into my composite plating. Are there any rules on making designs and alterations to your person as a warforged? Any rules at all covering this? Keep in mind I'm not talking about components because they aren't magical items. Would there be any reason I couldn't place objects in my body? As an added thought, could I place a spellshard in my forearm, and then mount it in my arm like setting a stone in a bracelet or ring?
Ukkic 05-22-07, 12:14 PM	You should be able to make non-magical, appearance alterations to your body with whatever craft checks your DM deems appropriate, but I would say setting gems would be under jewelry or metalwork if jewelry doesn't exist. But I don't know about the spellshard thing. ~Ukkic
Cifer 05-22-07, 05:07 PM	Most of your changes are pure fluff - discuss them with your DM, if he likes them, go for it. I see nothing that would speak against them. Spellshards were those spellbook-replacements, right? I don't see why you wouldn't be able to embed one.
Rhyvurg 05-22-07, 05:16 PM	Since a component can't be removed as long as the WF is concious, I would say the spellshard would at least take up a slot. A wizard who can't be seperated from his spellbook, if the enemy doen't know what the shard even is, is even more dangerous.
dunkeykong 05-22-07, 05:47 PM	The designs wouldnt pose any kind of problem, Ive done similar things kind of like Hellboys right hand of doom. http://www.oafe.net/yo/art/mez_hbc4.jpg as for the spell shard, i would agree that it would take a slot. I would suggest the amulet slot. However, i would have to raise an eyebrow at taking Sculpting as your repair skill. Craft(armor) works just as well and has more applications than sculpting. But hey, diff'rent strokes and all.
Cifer 05-22-07, 05:58 PM	I wouldn't say the spellshard takes up a slot as long as it's not treated as a component meaning it can certainly be sundered or broken out of the WF. Further, I'd expect most wizardy people to know what a spellshard is and what it looks like - the things are pretty common.
Lafarallin 05-22-07, 10:30 PM	However, i would have to raise an eyebrow at taking Sculpting as your repair skill. Craft(armor) works just as well and has more applications than sculpting. But hey, diff'rent strokes and all. Well the reason I picked sculpting is because for any and all creation of homunculus and constructs it says sculpting as the skill used to make their body. So I just figured that since making a construct body is sculpting then altering one is sculpting. This skill is purely going to be used to make alterations to myself and repair myself. I also might learn elemental grafts, which requires 10 sculpting. So multi-purpose I guess.
Cifer 05-23-07, 07:52 AM	I also might learn elemental grafts, which requires 10 sculpting. THAT might become difficult - the big boys of elementalism are the Zil gnomes and they don't like to share... Well the reason I picked sculpting is because for any and all creation of homunculus and constructs it says sculpting as the skill used to make their body. You might want to re-read that - you can sculpt a furtive filcher and an expeditious messenger, but the wright needs to be potted and the Iron defender has to be metalworked. However, it's pretty much irrelevant: The relevant checks can usually be made untrained if you've got a decent int modifier, some tools and someone aiding you. Just take 10.
Lafarallin 05-23-07, 09:35 AM	THAT might become difficult - the big boys of elementalism are the Zil gnomes and they don't like to share... Yeah I know it would be tough to accomplish. You might want to re-read that - you can sculpt a furtive filcher and an expeditious messenger, but the wright needs to be potted and the Iron defender has to be metalworked. However, it's pretty much irrelevant: The relevant checks can usually be made untrained if you've got a decent int modifier, some tools and someone aiding you. Just take 10. Hmm....interesting. Well then I should look at my base craft skill differently. Perhaps blacksmith would be more applicable and useful for later too.
Ront Iron-Roar 05-23-07, 09:59 AM	THAT might become difficult - the big boys of elementalism are the Zil gnomes and they don't like to share... Yeah...and neither are the dark elves they stole it from.
Lafarallin 05-23-07, 02:06 PM	While we are on the subject of grafts, is there any reason a warforged couldn't have grafts placed on them too?
Dr. Benway 05-23-07, 05:03 PM	Remember also that you can always embed a component without it taking up a slot by paying double for it...just like any magic item. DocB :88E: vs :coolcthul Who shall prevail?
Edymnion 05-23-07, 05:41 PM	There is precidence for this in the books, actually. Not directly, but the rules do allow it. Magic Item Compendium introduced what is essentially Final Fantasy 7 style Materia, magical crystals that convey properties to whatever armor/weapon/etc they are socketed into. Remove the crystal, stick it in something else, and you transfer that property along with the crystal. Composite Plating is specifically capable of accepting any enchantments or the like that normal armor can take. Normal armor can make use of those crystals, and hence composite plating can make use of them as well. Hence, if you can socket magical gems into WF hide, there's no reason you can't socket non-magical ones in there as well.
Lafarallin 05-23-07, 11:34 PM	There is precidence for this in the books, actually. Not directly, but the rules do allow it. Magic Item Compendium introduced what is essentially Final Fantasy 7 style Materia, magical crystals that convey properties to whatever armor/weapon/etc they are socketed into. Remove the crystal, stick it in something else, and you transfer that property along with the crystal. Composite Plating is specifically capable of accepting any enchantments or the like that normal armor can take. Normal armor can make use of those crystals, and hence composite plating can make use of them as well. Hence, if you can socket magical gems into WF hide, there's no reason you can't socket non-magical ones in there as well. Interesting, I will have to check that out. I'm basically going to use sculpting for etching runes and patterns onto my composite plating. I'll then set pre-cut stones in patterns as tattoos basically. I also thought about mounting spell components on my body, which aren't magical normally. Basically think 100gp pearls and such set in a pattern around my wrist. For my spellshard I'm thinking about having a warforged component attached like the wand sheath, but instead of wand it will be a compartment that can hold other items, like my spell shard.
Edymnion 05-24-07, 12:24 PM	Interesting, I will have to check that out. I'm basically going to use sculpting for etching runes and patterns onto my composite plating. I'll then set pre-cut stones in patterns as tattoos basically. I also thought about mounting spell components on my body, which aren't magical normally. Basically think 100gp pearls and such set in a pattern around my wrist. For my spellshard I'm thinking about having a warforged component attached like the wand sheath, but instead of wand it will be a compartment that can hold other items, like my spell shard.Actually, you can cover most of this with only one rule. Anything that can be made for a normal human can be made as a WF Component for the same price. Just grab a spell component pouch, and say its an attached component. Boom, you just built your components into you. Saying they're studded around your body instead of sitting in a built in compartment is just flavor text. As for the bigger compartment, you could always take a Belt of Many Pockets, make it into a component, and move some of the pockets around your body so you could reach into one on your arm for X, on your leg for Y, etc, but it would still take up your belt slot. The bottom line is that as long as the mechanics don't change, you can pretty much describe the looks any way you want.
dunkeykong 05-24-07, 12:55 PM	Well the reason I picked sculpting is because for any and all creation of homunculus and constructs it says sculpting as the skill used to make their body. So I just figured that since making a construct body is sculpting then altering one is sculpting. This skill is purely going to be used to make alterations to myself and repair myself. I also might learn elemental grafts, which requires 10 sculpting. So multi-purpose I guess. Thats a good point. As much as I try not to powergame, Sometimes it just slips through.
Lafarallin 05-24-07, 01:21 PM	Thats a good point. As much as I try not to powergame, Sometimes it just slips through. I'm a wizard too so armorsmith doesn't really do me much good. Granted I could make armor for others but I just liked the flavor, it was more for roleplaying over anything else. :)
Edymnion 05-24-07, 01:25 PM	Well the reason I picked sculpting is because for any and all creation of homunculus and constructs it says sculpting as the skill used to make their body.No, differant homunculi require differant skillchecks. The iron defender requires metalworking checks, for example. There is no one check for making constructs, each one typically has a differant check.
Thrincold 05-24-07, 02:46 PM	You might want to re-read that - you can sculpt a furtive filcher and an expeditious messenger, but the wright needs to be potted and the Iron defender has to be metalworked. However, it's pretty much irrelevant: The relevant checks can usually be made untrained if you've got a decent int modifier, some tools and someone aiding you. Just take 10. But, you can always pay someone to make one for you if needed. That is the beauty of it. Need an iron golem, pay a talented blacksmith enough, and he can make it, then you enchant it.
Lafarallin 05-24-07, 11:36 PM	No, differant homunculi require differant skillchecks. The iron defender requires metalworking checks, for example. There is no one check for making constructs, each one typically has a differant check. Yeah Cifer pointed that out. Guess I just think sculpting fits my view of etching designs and such into my composite plating and what not. Think I'll stick with that concept and try to add mostly fluff. I have a ruby studded engraving of "The Becoming God" on my left chest. Would like to start adding more from successful adventures. If I find some gems or I'll put them into my cmposite plating, basically as a way to remember what I've done and to daydream while all the fleshies are sleeping.
Edymnion 05-25-07, 06:35 PM	I have a ruby studded engraving of "The Becoming God" on my left chest. Would like to start adding more from successful adventures. If I find some gems or I'll put them into my cmposite plating, basically as a way to remember what I've done and to daydream while all the fleshies are sleeping.Actually, I seem to remember one of the books that actually had rules for that. Instead of just decorations, it let you essentially take souvineers from kills and turn them into buffing items. Can't remember if it was a class/prc, magical items, feats, or what exactly, but its something you might want to look into, see if the mechanics fit with your concept (just remember that you can describe them as etched runes or whatnot instead of teeth necklaces, just as long as somebody could still pry the gems out of your hide to take them from you, like removing a necklace or other worn item). I'm sure somebody will come along behind me shortly with the proper name and book for it all.
Lafarallin 05-25-07, 06:51 PM	Actually, I seem to remember one of the books that actually had rules for that. Instead of just decorations, it let you essentially take souvineers from kills and turn them into buffing items. Can't remember if it was a class/prc, magical items, feats, or what exactly, but its something you might want to look into, see if the mechanics fit with your concept (just remember that you can describe them as etched runes or whatnot instead of teeth necklaces, just as long as somebody could still pry the gems out of your hide to take them from you, like removing a necklace or other worn item). I'm sure somebody will come along behind me shortly with the proper name and book for it all. Oh that sounds pretty cool! Yeah I hope someone does come along with that information. I hope it is a feat too. Thanks!
Eled_the_Worm_Tamer 05-25-07, 07:19 PM	the trophy colector feat in phb 2 page 83, needs craft (taxidermy) down side is trophys occupy item slots, wich makes no sense to me. 'Ugg the ogre not care manthing wearing ogre teeth on neck becase manthing wearing amulet of natural armour also'
Lafarallin 05-25-07, 08:07 PM	the trophy colector feat in phb 2 page 83, needs craft (taxidermy) down side is trophys occupy item slots, wich makes no sense to me. 'Ugg the ogre not care manthing wearing ogre teeth on neck becase manthing wearing amulet of natural armour also' Thanks I'll check it out. I dont' care about any special powers it is mostly for character theme. Maybe I'll just adopt some ideas and such, and/or create my own version. Thank you.