Warforged Dragonborn, what is lost?

[Drackstin]

i am playing a game at the moment where i have a unique build, i'm a Warforged Goliath, or a warforged with a Goliath template. so i have all the traits of a goliath on top of my warforged ones.

after reading the rules on dragonborn, it tells me that i keep a lot of things and lose others, it looks like all i would lose from goliath is Acclimated, and +2 bonus on Sense Motive checks. but for warforged I'm not sure if i lose all of my traits or i keep those that are connected to my subtype and only lose the ones connected to my race.

Maybe someone here can shed some light on this problem for me.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

A Dragonborn retains their original type and subtypes, but loses all the traits of the original race.

You would definitely lose the composite plating and light fortification. However, if you have Adamantine Body or similar, you would still retain its full benefits. "You still count as a member of your original race for the purpose of any effect or prerequisite that depends on race."

If you were to lose the Living Construct traits, you would revert to the normal traits of the Construct creature type, which could be both good and bad. If Dragonborn changed your creature type it would be much easier because you would definitely lose everything, but that's not the case. Dragonborn is intended to replace your original race, but leave you with your original type and subtypes, so it should remove the race-specific traits but leave you with the traits associated with your type and subtypes. You should keep all of the Living Construct traits.

[lytokk]

I remember being told that a warforged dragonborn pretty much only loses the half healing from spells with the healin subtype but I could never find any reason as to why that was the case. Also as mentioned the composite plating unless you take one of the body feats.

[Drackstin]

A Dragonborn retains their original type and subtypes, but loses all the traits of the original race.

You would definitely lose the composite plating and light fortification. However, if you have Adamantine Body or similar, you would still retain its full benefits. "You still count as a member of your original race for the purpose of any effect or prerequisite that depends on race."

If you were to lose the Living Construct traits, you would revert to the normal traits of the Construct creature type, which could be both good and bad. If Dragonborn changed your creature type it would be much easier because you would definitely lose everything, but that's not the case. Dragonborn is intended to replace your original race, but leave you with your original type and subtypes, so it should remove the race-specific traits but leave you with the traits associated with your type and subtypes. You should keep all of the Living Construct traits.

that's what i was thinking, and since i still count as a warfored my levels in juggernaut still count. so i gain the fortification back. so really turning into a warforged dragonborn is all positive.

[ArqArturo]

Pretty much all that has been said, has been said.

All in all, I think this is how a Warforged Dragonborn would look like.

Spoiler

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[Red Fel]

Okay. Some of what has been said is accurate, but let's clarify.

First off, you keep the Construct type and the Living Construct subtype, and gain the Dragonblood subtype. Thus, you're a Construct (Living Construct, Dragonblood). Because you keep the Living Construct subtype, you keep:

• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain.
• Cannot heal damage naturally.
• Healing spells provide half effect.
• Special vulnerability to certain spells.
• Special rules concerning disability/inert status.
• Do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.

You also keep any feat-based plating you may have; if you didn't take a feat for it, you lose your composite plating. You also keep your ability score modifiers.

EDIT: Ooh, right. Forgot the Goliath part. (That kind of threw me, because Goliath isn't generally a template.)

Okay. Well, Goliath is a Monstrous Humanoid type. So your character will either be a Monstrous Humanoid (Living Construct, Dragonblood) or a Construct (Living Construct, Dragonblood). You can have multiple subtypes, but only one type. You keep Powerful Build and your ability modifiers. You lose everything else.

[Ellowryn]

That includes losing your natural attacks?

[Red Fel]

That includes losing your natural attacks?

It would seem so. The "The Mechanics of Rebirth" sidebar in Races of the Dragon gives a comprehensive and exclusive list of things that are preserved. It then specifies that, apart from those exceptions listed, "You lose all other racial traits of your original race, including bonus feats, skill bonuses, attack bonuses, save bonuses, spell-like abilities, and so forth." All other racial traits. Natural attacks are not listed as something explicitly preserved by the template; logically, they would be lost.

[Shining Wrath]

Wow.

When I played a Gnome Dragonborn recently, my recollection is that I lost almost everything gnomish. I kept the +2 to CON and the ability to speak Gnome, and that was about it - oh, and small size.

Everyone else on this thread seems to have a very different opinion. My Google-fu came up with this: The Playground, another time with this quote:

Warforged is kinda pesky 'cause it's Living Construct. The "Dragonborn Racial Traits" claims Dragonborn are Humanoid (Dragonblood)s while the "Mechanics of Rebirth" claim you retain your original type. I don't remember where, but I recall reading only Humanoids can take the Dragonborn ritual. Quick scan through the book reveals no such limitations. But yeah, basically you lose everything except:
- Stat adjustments
- Movement modes
- Stuff derived from your type
- Size and obvious stuff like that

Everything else goes in favor of the Dragonborn abilities. That's why Dragonborn Water Orc is so nice; you get the great adjustments, lose Light Sensitivity and even retain your Swim-speed while losing the vulnerability to fire.