Homebrew Chrono-Warforged Species Details

Origins and History:
The Chrono-Warforged come from a time far beyond the Wild West. Originally created by an advanced civilization with technology capable of traversing time itself, they were designed as the ultimate soldiers—crafted from living metal and empowered with arcane energy. These beings were programmed with complex combat protocols, honed through eons of warfare.

A catastrophic event caused a malfunction in the temporal travel device they were using, hurling the Chrono-Warforged back in time, far beyond their original timeline. They arrived in the late 1800s, confused, disoriented, and stranded in a world they were not designed for. With their advanced combat capabilities, but without the understanding of their new surroundings, they became mistaken for gods, demons, or magical constructs by the people of the Wild West.

Abilities and Traits:

• Temporal Anomaly: Though the Chrono-Warforged is stuck in the past, their internal chronal engines still function, causing them to experience occasional "glitches" in time. This might manifest as brief flashes of their true future self, misaligned perceptions of events, or sudden bursts of strange futuristic knowledge. These effects can either be helpful or disturbing, and some Chrono-Warforged may even experience moments of disorientation or memory loss due to the fractured timeline.

• Battle Hardened: As soldiers from the far future, the Chrono-Warforged possess a remarkable understanding of combat. They are well-versed in advanced tactics, weapons, and technology that is centuries ahead of their time. Their weapons, though rudimentary by today's standards, are far more effective than those of most Wild West gunslingers. Many Chrono-Warforged use strange futuristic firearms or melee weapons with advanced capabilities like plasma blades or energy shields, though they are forced to adapt these tools to fit their new world.

• Ancient Knowledge: Their brains are filled with eons of knowledge from their original timeline, though accessing it can be difficult due to the temporal rift. In a pinch, they can tap into futuristic concepts like quantum mechanics, advanced engineering, and forgotten sciences, though they may appear cryptic or nonsensical to those around them. This knowledge is sometimes conveyed in cryptic, jumbled phrases.

• Durability: As a construct, the Chrono-Warforged is far stronger and more resilient than humans or most creatures of the Wild West. Their internal systems are powered by energy sources beyond the capabilities of the 19th century, granting them immense durability and resistance to injury. They are slow to heal, but their mechanical bodies can be repaired with specialized tools or magic.

Personality:
Chrono-Warforged, despite their appearance, are often conflicted. They carry the weight of their origins, aware of their displacement in time, and struggle with the emotional disconnect of being from a distant future. Some seek to restore the balance and fix the anomaly that brought them here, while others are simply trying to survive and adapt to their new world. They are often caught between nostalgia for a future they can no longer reach and a desire to fit in with the people of the Wild West.

Their personalities may range from stoic and determined, seeing themselves as soldiers on an eternal mission, to those who have become somewhat jaded, confused, or even seeking a purpose in the midst of a world they can't comprehend. Many Chrono-Warforged carry a deep internal conflict between their programmed directive and the unpredictable chaos of their new life.

Society and Role in the Wild West:

• Lone Gunslingers: Due to their powerful nature, Chrono-Warforged often find themselves becoming lone wanderers or mercenaries. Their skills with firearms and combat are unparalleled, and many lawmen or outlaws alike seek their services in exchange for gold or protection. They are seen by many as harbingers of change or violence.

• Reluctant Heroes: Some Chrono-Warforged, though wary of their new reality, seek to protect innocent people from threats like outlaws or hostile forces. They are often viewed as mysterious, unapproachable figures, yet they may harbor a deep-seated sense of justice, remembering the world they came from and the moral codes they were created with.

• Techno-Mystics: A rare few, who have learned to manipulate the advanced technology embedded in their systems, may present themselves as mystical figures. Some may take on the guise of shamans or prophets, interpreting their cryptic knowledge of the future as divine insight. This has led to cults of followers who revere them as deities, though this is not something the Chrono-Warforged generally desires.

Adventuring in the Wild West:
The Chrono-Warforged's role in a campaign will likely be one of the most fascinating, as they attempt to reconcile their futuristic origins with the grit and simplicity of the Wild West. Their advanced knowledge and abilities can be both a boon and a challenge, as they must navigate a world that doesn’t understand them. This tension creates unique roleplaying opportunities—whether they are struggling to adapt, fighting against their programming, or simply trying to find their place in an era that isn't their own.

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.

Warforged Quirks

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

Chrono-Warforged 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 increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.

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.

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.

Size

Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d6

Height = 5 feet + 10 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 270 + (4 × your size modifier)

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

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.

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.

Integrated Protection

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

• You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
• You can don only armor with which you have proficiency. To don armor other than a shield, 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, the armor incorporated into your body can’t be removed against your will.

Specialized Design

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

Languages

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