I am working on building a world for some of my friends to adventure in, and the warforged are one of my favorite races. However didnt really enjoy the stats they were updated to so I made my own version just called the forged. Just looking for feedback on how balanced what i came up with sounds, so any help would appreciated.
Warning its a lot of text, but again any help would be appreciated.
Forged
Ability score Increase: your constitution score increases by 2
Age: Forged are created fully mature intellectually, able to speak and interact. Emotionally they mature in about a year or 2, though they may spend a lifetime learning about emotions and how to interact with more common races. On average they live about 500 to 600 years, and the soul just gets tired, eventually they enter trance and never wake up. Their soul departing their body and returning to the cycle of life and death, or what ever after life awaits them.
Alignment: Like humans they can be any alignment.
Size: Forged stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and average 200 to 300 pounds. Your size is medium.
Speed: your base walking speed is 30 feet. your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.
Trance: Forged don’t need to sleep. Instead of sleeping, they enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. they do not dream in this state and are fully aware of their surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Living Construct: Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You are immune to any natural disease or poison. However the soul inside still needs fuel and air. As such you still need to eat, drink and breathe as normal.
Body modifications: Forged can attach items and modify their bodies just as is if they are a construct. The process is painful and time consuming. It takes a base 30 days, which can be reduced roll a d20+Int or d20+smithing skill. what ever you roll reduces the time by that amount. For every step above common increase the base time by 10. While the forged is being worked roll 2 hit dice for each day the forged is worked on, to see how much damage the forged takes. Damage taken this way can only be healed by a full nights rest, and only returns at half rate. For each step above common increase the hit dice rolled by 1.
Subraces:
The forged dont have subraces, so much as a purpose they were built for. This purpose colors the way the forged views the world and what path in life they might possibly choose.
Forged for War: You are forged for fighting in some capacity. This can range from front line fighter, to back line archer. Skilled body guard, or even implacable killer.
Ability Score Increase: Choose one either +2 to strength or +2 to dexterity.
Combat training: you are trained to fight in almost any condition, gain a +1 to all attack roles.
Toughened skin: you were built to take a hit, as such the materials in your crafting are tougher then average. Gain a +1 to you AC.
Weapon training: Choose a weapon, you are trained to use it. If you pick a weapon you already have training in from your class, gain +1 to its damage instead.
Forged for Labor: You are forged to perform a physical task. Building, farming, weaving, dock work are just a few tasks possible.
Ability Score Increase: Choose one either +2 to strength or +2 to dexterity
Skill Versatility: you gain proficiency in 2 skills of your choice.
Well traveled: from exposure to many races, you may know 2 additional languages.
Forged for Learning: You are forge to help in research in learning, from taking care of libraries to helping in religious services.
Ability Score Increase: Choose one either +2 to intelligence or +2 to wisdom
Learned: Gain proficiency in a knowledge skill of your choice.
Polyglot: Your time in areas of learning has exposed you to many languages. When trying to read, speak or understand an unknown language roll either a knowledge arcana or religion check DC 15. If you succeed you may communicate or understand at a basic level.
The problem I'm seeing with these is that there is no smithing skill, that and the immunity to disease and poison. Personally, I'd say to give them resistance to poison damage and advantage on saves against poison. Also, they're gaining too much. Too many ability score points and too much to go with it. Just a Forged for War gets a +2 to Con and Str/Dex, a plus 1 to attack rolls (Already broken with just this alone), a plus 1 to AC (At all times, which is really potent. Especially because it's regardless of what armor you already had), AND either a +1 to a weapon's damage when you're proficient in it (Again broken, modifiers are low for a reason) or a free weapon proficiency. All of this together severely unbalances the race.
If you're looking to run a conversion, don't try to move features across. Believe me, it doesn't work as well as you think it does. I've tried, and while I've gotten it to balance, it always adds unnecessary complexity to the game. 5e doesn't not want this. It bogs down the streamlined feel of the system. That said, here's my recommendation: first, lose the ability to graft. Instead make unique items for the race that they can attach to themselves, but make them rare (I.E. Warforged components). As far as the armor goes, it's probably best to make it either that they can graft suits of armor onto themselves, or that they get a static bonus to AC when not wearing armor at all. Like what the Eberron pack used. Second, Reduce the second ability score increase to a +1, or completely remove it. Either one works and will balance the race significantly. Third, change the immunities. Outright immunity is usually not given out at all in 5e. Go for resistances. Fourth, remove the bonuses to attack and damage rolls. Make those some sort of racial feat or racial class progression (Look at the Warforged Juggernaut from 3.5 for suggestions, but remember to keep things 5e simple). Fifth, free skill proficiencies are usually budgeted to one or two, and usually two that are chosen for the player; free proficiencies are a powerful bonus. Sixth, There's only one Knowledge skill. I can only assume this is a mild oversight. Seventh, exxtra languages shouldn't be a class feature (Unless you're a Druid or Rogue, but that's their deal.) Finally, the armor and other flavor ideas are good, just try to reduce how many they get.
shaktari wrote:
transcendantviewer wrote:
cbwjm wrote:
Be sure to post the revisions. I like the idea that Warforged are made for a specific purpose.
cbwjm wrote:
It wasn't the "Or" clause that I was disputing, it's the combined 4 extra ability points. They're getting two +2s. The only other race that gets that is Mountain Dwarf, and they don't actually get much else. Giving this race the immunity to Disease is fine, but full-on immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition (Because that's what immunity to poison is), is very very strong. The bonuses to AC, attack, and damages, even if they're spread out, are still strong. You can't even argue that they're not as strong as racial spells or breath weapons. Those are expended abilities, they work once or twice before you need to rest, this is static; it's always there when you meet it's criteria. That's a lot stronger than just having red scales and getting a weaker Burning Hands to come out of your mouth once per rest.
transcendantviewer wrote:
I'll give my recommendation of the race. This is just going to be the mechanical benefits of the race, no fluff.
Forged
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Constitution Score by 2.
Age. Forged do not grow up and are created intellectually mature and fully coordinated. They do however age and die, their bodies and the magics animating them slowly degrading and waning as years tick by. The average lifespan for a Forged is 600 years.
Alignment. Forged do not tend towards any particular alignment. Each alignment is equally likely.
Size. You weigh between 300 and 450 lbs. and stand between 6 and 7 feet tall. Your Size is medium.
Speed. Your body is humanoid in shape, giving you average maneuverability. Your base walking speed is 30 ft.
Rest. Forged do not sleep or trance as Elves or humans do, they merely ease themselves into lulls of inactivity to allow their bodies to repair themselves. A Forged rests for 8 hours, but is totally aware and responsive to its surroundings.
Living Construct. Forged blur the lines of machine and living being, and as such are immune to disease. A Forged has resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws against poison. A Forged does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.
Subrace. Forged are created for a multitude of purposes, and as such, have differing physical characteristics. Choose one of the following Subraces.
War. You are forged for war and are trained as a soldier. You gain the following benefits.
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1.
Hardened. When you gain a level, you gain an additional 1 hit point.
Natural Armor. While not wearing armor, increase your Armor Class by 1.
Labor. You are crafted to be larger, bulkier, and carry heavier loads than your other brethren. You gain the following benefits.
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Strength score by 2.
Lumbering. You move slower than ordinary Forged. You have Disadvantage on Initiative checks.
Dauntless. When you take Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage from a non magical weapon, reduce that damage by 1.
Mind. You are built with a superior learning ability. You gain the following benefits.
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1.
Educated. You gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature.
Natural Linguist. You learn one additional language of your choice.
hmmm will take that under advisement 
like alot of your ideas transcendantviewer
ok so this is what i will be going with in my world. A lot o good ideas and i am just going with the one that fits the world i am creating the best. On the off chance anyone wants to use this i would suggest sitting down with your DM and getting the ok first. Also dont be afraid to mix and match mine with what transcendentviewer came up with as well.
Ability score Increase: your constitution score increases by 2
Age: Forged are created fully mature intellectually, able to speak and interact. Emotionally they mature in about a year or 2, though they may spend a lifetime learning about emotions and how to interact with more common races. On average they live about 500 to 600 years, and the soul just gets tired, eventually they enter trance and never wake up. Their soul departing their body and returning to the cycle of life and death, or what ever after life awaits them.
Alignment: Like humans they can be any alignment.
Size: Forged stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and average 200 to 300 pounds. Your size is medium.
Speed: your base walking speed is 30 feet. your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.
Trance: Forged don’t need to sleep. Instead of sleeping, they enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. they do not dream in this state and are fully aware of their surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Living Construct: Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You gain resistance to poison and disease damage, and have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease. However the soul inside still needs fuel and air. However due to your nature you have a slower metabolism. You only need to eat once every 24 hours and you can hold your breath for up to 10 minutes.
Subraces:
The forged dont have subraces, so much as a purpose they were built for. This purpose colors the way the forged views the world and what path in life they might possibly choose.
Forged for War: You are forged for fighting in some capacity. This can range from front line fighter, to back line archer. Skilled body guard, or even implacable killer.
Ability Score Increase: Choose one either +1 to strength or +1 to dexterity.
Hardened: When you gain a level, you gain an additional 1 hp
Weapon training: you gain proficiency in longsword, warhammer, battleaxe, and longbow.
Forged for Labor: You are forged to perform a physical task. Building, farming, weaving, dock work are just a few tasks possible.
Ability Score Increase: Choose one either +2 to strength
Skill Versatility: you gain proficiency in 2 skills of your choice.
Powerful Build: You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift
Forged for Learning: You are forge to help in research in learning, from taking care of libraries to helping in religious services.
Ability Score Increase: Choose one either +1 to intelligence or +1 to wisdom
Learned: Gain proficiency in 1 of your choice. you can choose from, arcana, history, religion or nature.
Polyglot: from exposure to many languages in studies you may know 2 additional languages.
Thanks. Glad I could help.
The problem with your proposed revision is that there is no carrying capacity linked to character size. You should instead have it do something like "for the purposes of calculating your carry weight and how much you can lift, push, or drag, your Strength Score counts as 10 points higher.
transcendantviewer wrote:
I know, I found it. It's in with Strength under "Using Each Ability Score". I swear, that's the problem with D&D 5th edition; it's like Wizards forgot how to cite relivant rules in other sections. Like back in 3.5, when you needed to do something, you could find what rules interacted with it. Like Hiding and determining Awareness. Those used to be in different portions of the book, but referenced each other.
And for the record, this has caused me to rethink my Warforged homebrew I created several months ago. I think now that I greater understand 5th edition, I'm going to rework it to be simpler, use the alteration recommendations I made to your race as inspiration for my reworked version.
http://community.wizards.com/content/blog/4232576
Here's my version, the new one, anyway. If you'd like to see the previous version, check out my blog. I've got a lot of interesting homebrew in there.