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Do warforged have souls?



The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InIs a dead creature's body considered an “object”?What are the rules for making constructs other than golems?What are the implications of the UA warforged's “Living Construct” trait?Can radiant damage destroy objects?Is the UA Warforged considered to naturally be wearing armor?Player Character Urog DietHow strictly does your patron's type have to correspond to the warlock's archetype?Are there any other ways to travel between the layers of the Nine Hells besides the River Styx?Can a Warforged Envoy pick a land vehicle as his integrated tool?Does the Warforged Envoy's Integrated Tool feature give you a free tool?



.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;








2












$begingroup$


Page 8 of the B codex of Unearthed Arcana says:




Although they are constructs, they have
much in common with living creatures, including emotions
and social bonds, and perhaps even souls.




This last part troubles me however.



Do warforged canonically have souls?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$







  • 2




    $begingroup$
    To avoid sarcasm, I suspect you want an answer more satisfying than Perhaps, correct?
    $endgroup$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    1 hour ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Rubiksmoose Actually, this quote appears to be from the Eberron Unearthed Arcana document for D&D 5e, although the warforged described has been superceded by the newer Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana document.
    $endgroup$
    – Quadratic Wizard
    30 mins ago










  • $begingroup$
    @QuadraticWizard ahhh that is the old version of the UA that came out in 2015 no wonder I wasn't finding it. Though that doesn't explain what "page 8 of the B codex" is referring to. That UA document doesn't even have 8 pages...
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    26 mins ago


















2












$begingroup$


Page 8 of the B codex of Unearthed Arcana says:




Although they are constructs, they have
much in common with living creatures, including emotions
and social bonds, and perhaps even souls.




This last part troubles me however.



Do warforged canonically have souls?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$







  • 2




    $begingroup$
    To avoid sarcasm, I suspect you want an answer more satisfying than Perhaps, correct?
    $endgroup$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    1 hour ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Rubiksmoose Actually, this quote appears to be from the Eberron Unearthed Arcana document for D&D 5e, although the warforged described has been superceded by the newer Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana document.
    $endgroup$
    – Quadratic Wizard
    30 mins ago










  • $begingroup$
    @QuadraticWizard ahhh that is the old version of the UA that came out in 2015 no wonder I wasn't finding it. Though that doesn't explain what "page 8 of the B codex" is referring to. That UA document doesn't even have 8 pages...
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    26 mins ago














2












2








2


0



$begingroup$


Page 8 of the B codex of Unearthed Arcana says:




Although they are constructs, they have
much in common with living creatures, including emotions
and social bonds, and perhaps even souls.




This last part troubles me however.



Do warforged canonically have souls?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$




Page 8 of the B codex of Unearthed Arcana says:




Although they are constructs, they have
much in common with living creatures, including emotions
and social bonds, and perhaps even souls.




This last part troubles me however.



Do warforged canonically have souls?







dnd-5e lore racial-traits warforged soul






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 17 mins ago









Rubiksmoose

61.3k10294451




61.3k10294451










asked 1 hour ago









MrHiTechMrHiTech

901323




901323







  • 2




    $begingroup$
    To avoid sarcasm, I suspect you want an answer more satisfying than Perhaps, correct?
    $endgroup$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    1 hour ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Rubiksmoose Actually, this quote appears to be from the Eberron Unearthed Arcana document for D&D 5e, although the warforged described has been superceded by the newer Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana document.
    $endgroup$
    – Quadratic Wizard
    30 mins ago










  • $begingroup$
    @QuadraticWizard ahhh that is the old version of the UA that came out in 2015 no wonder I wasn't finding it. Though that doesn't explain what "page 8 of the B codex" is referring to. That UA document doesn't even have 8 pages...
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    26 mins ago













  • 2




    $begingroup$
    To avoid sarcasm, I suspect you want an answer more satisfying than Perhaps, correct?
    $endgroup$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    1 hour ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Rubiksmoose Actually, this quote appears to be from the Eberron Unearthed Arcana document for D&D 5e, although the warforged described has been superceded by the newer Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana document.
    $endgroup$
    – Quadratic Wizard
    30 mins ago










  • $begingroup$
    @QuadraticWizard ahhh that is the old version of the UA that came out in 2015 no wonder I wasn't finding it. Though that doesn't explain what "page 8 of the B codex" is referring to. That UA document doesn't even have 8 pages...
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    26 mins ago








2




2




$begingroup$
To avoid sarcasm, I suspect you want an answer more satisfying than Perhaps, correct?
$endgroup$
– Hey I Can Chan
1 hour ago




$begingroup$
To avoid sarcasm, I suspect you want an answer more satisfying than Perhaps, correct?
$endgroup$
– Hey I Can Chan
1 hour ago












$begingroup$
@Rubiksmoose Actually, this quote appears to be from the Eberron Unearthed Arcana document for D&D 5e, although the warforged described has been superceded by the newer Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana document.
$endgroup$
– Quadratic Wizard
30 mins ago




$begingroup$
@Rubiksmoose Actually, this quote appears to be from the Eberron Unearthed Arcana document for D&D 5e, although the warforged described has been superceded by the newer Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana document.
$endgroup$
– Quadratic Wizard
30 mins ago












$begingroup$
@QuadraticWizard ahhh that is the old version of the UA that came out in 2015 no wonder I wasn't finding it. Though that doesn't explain what "page 8 of the B codex" is referring to. That UA document doesn't even have 8 pages...
$endgroup$
– Rubiksmoose
26 mins ago





$begingroup$
@QuadraticWizard ahhh that is the old version of the UA that came out in 2015 no wonder I wasn't finding it. Though that doesn't explain what "page 8 of the B codex" is referring to. That UA document doesn't even have 8 pages...
$endgroup$
– Rubiksmoose
26 mins ago











5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes


















5












$begingroup$

It is canonically undefined



In published 5e lore, the only mention of a warforged soul is in the introduction to the race:




“Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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 (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




The excerpt appears to be leaning into the fact that it is not clear if warforged have souls. Nowhere else is the question brought up much less answered.



In the 2015 version of the Races of Eberron 5e Unearthed Arcana it came out and said this explicitly:




Although they are constructs, they have much in common with living creatures, including emotions and social bonds, and perhaps even souls. (3)




Though it is worth noting that this wording did not make it into the final published version.



In 3rd edition lore, the question was explicitly debated in-universe and came to no conclusion:




In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless. (Races of Eberron 16)




And explicitly mentioned as an undefined point about the race:




When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls? (Races of Eberron 8)




Mechanically, they effectively do



The only thing that is clear is that warforged are living and are affected as if they were any other living thing by spells and other effects:




While they’re formed from stone and steel, warforged are living humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




Mechanically this actually means that warforged should be affected by healing magic including resurrection spells that would require a soul. Thus, mechanically, the question doesn't really matter.



No lore reason is given for this, and in fact, the ability to be resurrected is canonically one of the supporting points for why they might have a soul though it also has a counter:




Breland argued that because warforged can be raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife. (Races of Eberron 16)




But, as lore leaves the answer ambiguous, your DM can decide the specifics of the flavor of why things work like they do.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    But are resurrection spells canonicaly healing magic per se?
    $endgroup$
    – adonies
    55 mins ago






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    Yes, resurrection spells are categorized as healing spells on D&D beyond in 5e.
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    54 mins ago


















4












$begingroup$

They are Humanoids; therefore, they have souls



In Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, the entry for Warforged says this:




Living Steel and Stone




Warforged are formed from a blend of organic and inorganic materials. [...]



While they are formed from stone and steel, warforged are humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. [...]



Warforged, Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, pg. 69




The bolded passage is important, because it applies especially to spells like Raise Dead:




You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature's soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point.



Raise Dead, Player's Handbook, pg. 270




If Warforged did not have Souls, they'd be unable to benefit from a spell like this. Because their description specifically calls out healing, among other things, as providing as much benefit to Warforged as to other Humanoids, they must necessarily fulfill the same qualifications as other Humanoids for any spell that heals a character. Since Raise Dead is one such spell, which requires its targets to have a Soul, Warforged must have souls.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    The weak link seems to be whether Raise Dead qualifies as 'healing magic' or not...
    $endgroup$
    – adonies
    56 mins ago










  • $begingroup$
    Or does the statement that says healing magic affects them normally just provide them an exception which allows them to be healed by spells requiring souls without specifying if they do have one?
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    55 mins ago











  • $begingroup$
    @adonies You'd have to find compelling evidence that being a school of Necromancy spell inherently precludes Raise Dead from qualifying as a Healing spell.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    48 mins ago







  • 2




    $begingroup$
    @Rubiksmoose I very strongly do not read the quoted sections as carving out exceptions for Warforged in particular. If Raise Dead requires a willing soul, Warforged are expressly described as benefiting from all the same spells as Humanoids, and no passage is attempting to explicitly prove otherwise, then we have to conclude that Warforged have souls.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    36 mins ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @Xirema Real question: do all humanoids have souls unequivocally?
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    22 mins ago


















3












$begingroup$

It's canonically ambiguous.



Like many of the big mysteries in Eberron, this question is left to the DM to decide. This type of intentional moral and cosmological ambiguity is a big part of the theme of the Eberron setting.



The people of Khorvaire consider the question of do warforged have souls? to be unsolved and controversial. The Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana article includes an excellent quote which illustrates this:




“Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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




The D&D 3rd edition book Races of Eberron, p.8, describes it as ambiguous:




When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls?




Even the warforged do not know if they have souls. Some warforged join the Blood of Vol, believing that they will be granted a soul in the afterlife.



What is the argument that warforged do have souls?



A warforged in D&D 5e is defined as living, as a humanoid, and as fully sentient. The method by which they are animated is not well known; it is not by an elemental spirit or some other automatic method. A player can control a warforged character as freely as any other character, and they appear to have free will.



Importantly, they are not given rules exceptions to any spell or effect which affects souls, and are therefore treated as any other humanoid.



What is the argument that warforged do not have souls?



The D&D 5e rules regarding warforged do not define anywhere that they do have souls. However, it must be noted that it is not stated either that humans, elves and such have souls; it is implied only by the existence of raise dead and similar spells, and a paragraph which defines that the souls of creatures pass through the Astral Plane.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$




















    2












    $begingroup$

    Yes.



    The 5th-level cleric spell Raise Dead says:




    You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has
    been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature’s soul is both
    willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to
    life with 1 hit point.




    As there are no restrictions noted on the use of Raise Dead on the warforged, it necessarily follows that the warforged have souls.






    share|improve this answer











    $endgroup$












    • $begingroup$
      Note that in previous editions warforged were able to be resurrected but also explicitly and purposefully left unclear whether this was because they had a soul it for some other reason. So I don't think this is as conclusive as you make it.
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      45 mins ago


















    0












    $begingroup$

    not the answer you want, but as I understand it canonically the answer is a firm and disputed "maybe". also depends on what version of DnD you are running.



    From the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron:




    The Treaty of Thronehold gave warforged their freedom, but only after great debate. House
    Cannith and Thrane argued ardently that warforged were not living creatures because they do not
    possess souls. Their evidence for this was that warforged cannot become undead by any known
    method, not even ghosts or wraiths. They are immune to energy drain, and no one knows of a
    warforged soul in Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead. Breland argued that because warforged can be
    raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no
    warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife.



    In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations
    came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because
    they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many
    people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and
    citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless.




    I think they intend it as a plot point for Roleplay and depending on your version their status as "living constructs" means different things.



    I would say as a DM if you can't pray without a soul and you can have warforged clerics and paladins then at least Some warforged have souls.



    I am sure other have a more thorough knowledge of the fluff than I, but at the same time if i had a DM that ruled my warforged was soulless i would definitely use that to munchkin as many advantages as possible.






    share|improve this answer











    $endgroup$








    • 1




      $begingroup$
      What sourcebook did you get that quote from?
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      1 hour ago






    • 1




      $begingroup$
      @Rubiksmoose I believe this is from the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron.
      $endgroup$
      – Quadratic Wizard
      1 hour ago










    • $begingroup$
      @QuadraticWizard thanks! I've edited that citation in here so it is clearer.
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      11 mins ago











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    5 Answers
    5






    active

    oldest

    votes








    5 Answers
    5






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    5












    $begingroup$

    It is canonically undefined



    In published 5e lore, the only mention of a warforged soul is in the introduction to the race:




    “Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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 (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




    The excerpt appears to be leaning into the fact that it is not clear if warforged have souls. Nowhere else is the question brought up much less answered.



    In the 2015 version of the Races of Eberron 5e Unearthed Arcana it came out and said this explicitly:




    Although they are constructs, they have much in common with living creatures, including emotions and social bonds, and perhaps even souls. (3)




    Though it is worth noting that this wording did not make it into the final published version.



    In 3rd edition lore, the question was explicitly debated in-universe and came to no conclusion:




    In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless. (Races of Eberron 16)




    And explicitly mentioned as an undefined point about the race:




    When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls? (Races of Eberron 8)




    Mechanically, they effectively do



    The only thing that is clear is that warforged are living and are affected as if they were any other living thing by spells and other effects:




    While they’re formed from stone and steel, warforged are living humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




    Mechanically this actually means that warforged should be affected by healing magic including resurrection spells that would require a soul. Thus, mechanically, the question doesn't really matter.



    No lore reason is given for this, and in fact, the ability to be resurrected is canonically one of the supporting points for why they might have a soul though it also has a counter:




    Breland argued that because warforged can be raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife. (Races of Eberron 16)




    But, as lore leaves the answer ambiguous, your DM can decide the specifics of the flavor of why things work like they do.






    share|improve this answer











    $endgroup$












    • $begingroup$
      But are resurrection spells canonicaly healing magic per se?
      $endgroup$
      – adonies
      55 mins ago






    • 2




      $begingroup$
      Yes, resurrection spells are categorized as healing spells on D&D beyond in 5e.
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      54 mins ago















    5












    $begingroup$

    It is canonically undefined



    In published 5e lore, the only mention of a warforged soul is in the introduction to the race:




    “Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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 (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




    The excerpt appears to be leaning into the fact that it is not clear if warforged have souls. Nowhere else is the question brought up much less answered.



    In the 2015 version of the Races of Eberron 5e Unearthed Arcana it came out and said this explicitly:




    Although they are constructs, they have much in common with living creatures, including emotions and social bonds, and perhaps even souls. (3)




    Though it is worth noting that this wording did not make it into the final published version.



    In 3rd edition lore, the question was explicitly debated in-universe and came to no conclusion:




    In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless. (Races of Eberron 16)




    And explicitly mentioned as an undefined point about the race:




    When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls? (Races of Eberron 8)




    Mechanically, they effectively do



    The only thing that is clear is that warforged are living and are affected as if they were any other living thing by spells and other effects:




    While they’re formed from stone and steel, warforged are living humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




    Mechanically this actually means that warforged should be affected by healing magic including resurrection spells that would require a soul. Thus, mechanically, the question doesn't really matter.



    No lore reason is given for this, and in fact, the ability to be resurrected is canonically one of the supporting points for why they might have a soul though it also has a counter:




    Breland argued that because warforged can be raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife. (Races of Eberron 16)




    But, as lore leaves the answer ambiguous, your DM can decide the specifics of the flavor of why things work like they do.






    share|improve this answer











    $endgroup$












    • $begingroup$
      But are resurrection spells canonicaly healing magic per se?
      $endgroup$
      – adonies
      55 mins ago






    • 2




      $begingroup$
      Yes, resurrection spells are categorized as healing spells on D&D beyond in 5e.
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      54 mins ago













    5












    5








    5





    $begingroup$

    It is canonically undefined



    In published 5e lore, the only mention of a warforged soul is in the introduction to the race:




    “Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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 (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




    The excerpt appears to be leaning into the fact that it is not clear if warforged have souls. Nowhere else is the question brought up much less answered.



    In the 2015 version of the Races of Eberron 5e Unearthed Arcana it came out and said this explicitly:




    Although they are constructs, they have much in common with living creatures, including emotions and social bonds, and perhaps even souls. (3)




    Though it is worth noting that this wording did not make it into the final published version.



    In 3rd edition lore, the question was explicitly debated in-universe and came to no conclusion:




    In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless. (Races of Eberron 16)




    And explicitly mentioned as an undefined point about the race:




    When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls? (Races of Eberron 8)




    Mechanically, they effectively do



    The only thing that is clear is that warforged are living and are affected as if they were any other living thing by spells and other effects:




    While they’re formed from stone and steel, warforged are living humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




    Mechanically this actually means that warforged should be affected by healing magic including resurrection spells that would require a soul. Thus, mechanically, the question doesn't really matter.



    No lore reason is given for this, and in fact, the ability to be resurrected is canonically one of the supporting points for why they might have a soul though it also has a counter:




    Breland argued that because warforged can be raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife. (Races of Eberron 16)




    But, as lore leaves the answer ambiguous, your DM can decide the specifics of the flavor of why things work like they do.






    share|improve this answer











    $endgroup$



    It is canonically undefined



    In published 5e lore, the only mention of a warforged soul is in the introduction to the race:




    “Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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 (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




    The excerpt appears to be leaning into the fact that it is not clear if warforged have souls. Nowhere else is the question brought up much less answered.



    In the 2015 version of the Races of Eberron 5e Unearthed Arcana it came out and said this explicitly:




    Although they are constructs, they have much in common with living creatures, including emotions and social bonds, and perhaps even souls. (3)




    Though it is worth noting that this wording did not make it into the final published version.



    In 3rd edition lore, the question was explicitly debated in-universe and came to no conclusion:




    In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless. (Races of Eberron 16)




    And explicitly mentioned as an undefined point about the race:




    When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls? (Races of Eberron 8)




    Mechanically, they effectively do



    The only thing that is clear is that warforged are living and are affected as if they were any other living thing by spells and other effects:




    While they’re formed from stone and steel, warforged are living humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. (Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron 69)




    Mechanically this actually means that warforged should be affected by healing magic including resurrection spells that would require a soul. Thus, mechanically, the question doesn't really matter.



    No lore reason is given for this, and in fact, the ability to be resurrected is canonically one of the supporting points for why they might have a soul though it also has a counter:




    Breland argued that because warforged can be raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife. (Races of Eberron 16)




    But, as lore leaves the answer ambiguous, your DM can decide the specifics of the flavor of why things work like they do.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited 2 mins ago

























    answered 1 hour ago









    RubiksmooseRubiksmoose

    61.3k10294451




    61.3k10294451











    • $begingroup$
      But are resurrection spells canonicaly healing magic per se?
      $endgroup$
      – adonies
      55 mins ago






    • 2




      $begingroup$
      Yes, resurrection spells are categorized as healing spells on D&D beyond in 5e.
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      54 mins ago
















    • $begingroup$
      But are resurrection spells canonicaly healing magic per se?
      $endgroup$
      – adonies
      55 mins ago






    • 2




      $begingroup$
      Yes, resurrection spells are categorized as healing spells on D&D beyond in 5e.
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      54 mins ago















    $begingroup$
    But are resurrection spells canonicaly healing magic per se?
    $endgroup$
    – adonies
    55 mins ago




    $begingroup$
    But are resurrection spells canonicaly healing magic per se?
    $endgroup$
    – adonies
    55 mins ago




    2




    2




    $begingroup$
    Yes, resurrection spells are categorized as healing spells on D&D beyond in 5e.
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    54 mins ago




    $begingroup$
    Yes, resurrection spells are categorized as healing spells on D&D beyond in 5e.
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    54 mins ago













    4












    $begingroup$

    They are Humanoids; therefore, they have souls



    In Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, the entry for Warforged says this:




    Living Steel and Stone




    Warforged are formed from a blend of organic and inorganic materials. [...]



    While they are formed from stone and steel, warforged are humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. [...]



    Warforged, Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, pg. 69




    The bolded passage is important, because it applies especially to spells like Raise Dead:




    You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature's soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point.



    Raise Dead, Player's Handbook, pg. 270




    If Warforged did not have Souls, they'd be unable to benefit from a spell like this. Because their description specifically calls out healing, among other things, as providing as much benefit to Warforged as to other Humanoids, they must necessarily fulfill the same qualifications as other Humanoids for any spell that heals a character. Since Raise Dead is one such spell, which requires its targets to have a Soul, Warforged must have souls.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$












    • $begingroup$
      The weak link seems to be whether Raise Dead qualifies as 'healing magic' or not...
      $endgroup$
      – adonies
      56 mins ago










    • $begingroup$
      Or does the statement that says healing magic affects them normally just provide them an exception which allows them to be healed by spells requiring souls without specifying if they do have one?
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      55 mins ago











    • $begingroup$
      @adonies You'd have to find compelling evidence that being a school of Necromancy spell inherently precludes Raise Dead from qualifying as a Healing spell.
      $endgroup$
      – Xirema
      48 mins ago







    • 2




      $begingroup$
      @Rubiksmoose I very strongly do not read the quoted sections as carving out exceptions for Warforged in particular. If Raise Dead requires a willing soul, Warforged are expressly described as benefiting from all the same spells as Humanoids, and no passage is attempting to explicitly prove otherwise, then we have to conclude that Warforged have souls.
      $endgroup$
      – Xirema
      36 mins ago






    • 1




      $begingroup$
      @Xirema Real question: do all humanoids have souls unequivocally?
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      22 mins ago















    4












    $begingroup$

    They are Humanoids; therefore, they have souls



    In Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, the entry for Warforged says this:




    Living Steel and Stone




    Warforged are formed from a blend of organic and inorganic materials. [...]



    While they are formed from stone and steel, warforged are humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. [...]



    Warforged, Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, pg. 69




    The bolded passage is important, because it applies especially to spells like Raise Dead:




    You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature's soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point.



    Raise Dead, Player's Handbook, pg. 270




    If Warforged did not have Souls, they'd be unable to benefit from a spell like this. Because their description specifically calls out healing, among other things, as providing as much benefit to Warforged as to other Humanoids, they must necessarily fulfill the same qualifications as other Humanoids for any spell that heals a character. Since Raise Dead is one such spell, which requires its targets to have a Soul, Warforged must have souls.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$












    • $begingroup$
      The weak link seems to be whether Raise Dead qualifies as 'healing magic' or not...
      $endgroup$
      – adonies
      56 mins ago










    • $begingroup$
      Or does the statement that says healing magic affects them normally just provide them an exception which allows them to be healed by spells requiring souls without specifying if they do have one?
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      55 mins ago











    • $begingroup$
      @adonies You'd have to find compelling evidence that being a school of Necromancy spell inherently precludes Raise Dead from qualifying as a Healing spell.
      $endgroup$
      – Xirema
      48 mins ago







    • 2




      $begingroup$
      @Rubiksmoose I very strongly do not read the quoted sections as carving out exceptions for Warforged in particular. If Raise Dead requires a willing soul, Warforged are expressly described as benefiting from all the same spells as Humanoids, and no passage is attempting to explicitly prove otherwise, then we have to conclude that Warforged have souls.
      $endgroup$
      – Xirema
      36 mins ago






    • 1




      $begingroup$
      @Xirema Real question: do all humanoids have souls unequivocally?
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      22 mins ago













    4












    4








    4





    $begingroup$

    They are Humanoids; therefore, they have souls



    In Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, the entry for Warforged says this:




    Living Steel and Stone




    Warforged are formed from a blend of organic and inorganic materials. [...]



    While they are formed from stone and steel, warforged are humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. [...]



    Warforged, Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, pg. 69




    The bolded passage is important, because it applies especially to spells like Raise Dead:




    You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature's soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point.



    Raise Dead, Player's Handbook, pg. 270




    If Warforged did not have Souls, they'd be unable to benefit from a spell like this. Because their description specifically calls out healing, among other things, as providing as much benefit to Warforged as to other Humanoids, they must necessarily fulfill the same qualifications as other Humanoids for any spell that heals a character. Since Raise Dead is one such spell, which requires its targets to have a Soul, Warforged must have souls.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$



    They are Humanoids; therefore, they have souls



    In Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, the entry for Warforged says this:




    Living Steel and Stone




    Warforged are formed from a blend of organic and inorganic materials. [...]



    While they are formed from stone and steel, warforged are humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids. [...]



    Warforged, Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, pg. 69




    The bolded passage is important, because it applies especially to spells like Raise Dead:




    You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature's soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point.



    Raise Dead, Player's Handbook, pg. 270




    If Warforged did not have Souls, they'd be unable to benefit from a spell like this. Because their description specifically calls out healing, among other things, as providing as much benefit to Warforged as to other Humanoids, they must necessarily fulfill the same qualifications as other Humanoids for any spell that heals a character. Since Raise Dead is one such spell, which requires its targets to have a Soul, Warforged must have souls.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered 1 hour ago









    XiremaXirema

    24k268141




    24k268141











    • $begingroup$
      The weak link seems to be whether Raise Dead qualifies as 'healing magic' or not...
      $endgroup$
      – adonies
      56 mins ago










    • $begingroup$
      Or does the statement that says healing magic affects them normally just provide them an exception which allows them to be healed by spells requiring souls without specifying if they do have one?
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      55 mins ago











    • $begingroup$
      @adonies You'd have to find compelling evidence that being a school of Necromancy spell inherently precludes Raise Dead from qualifying as a Healing spell.
      $endgroup$
      – Xirema
      48 mins ago







    • 2




      $begingroup$
      @Rubiksmoose I very strongly do not read the quoted sections as carving out exceptions for Warforged in particular. If Raise Dead requires a willing soul, Warforged are expressly described as benefiting from all the same spells as Humanoids, and no passage is attempting to explicitly prove otherwise, then we have to conclude that Warforged have souls.
      $endgroup$
      – Xirema
      36 mins ago






    • 1




      $begingroup$
      @Xirema Real question: do all humanoids have souls unequivocally?
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      22 mins ago
















    • $begingroup$
      The weak link seems to be whether Raise Dead qualifies as 'healing magic' or not...
      $endgroup$
      – adonies
      56 mins ago










    • $begingroup$
      Or does the statement that says healing magic affects them normally just provide them an exception which allows them to be healed by spells requiring souls without specifying if they do have one?
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      55 mins ago











    • $begingroup$
      @adonies You'd have to find compelling evidence that being a school of Necromancy spell inherently precludes Raise Dead from qualifying as a Healing spell.
      $endgroup$
      – Xirema
      48 mins ago







    • 2




      $begingroup$
      @Rubiksmoose I very strongly do not read the quoted sections as carving out exceptions for Warforged in particular. If Raise Dead requires a willing soul, Warforged are expressly described as benefiting from all the same spells as Humanoids, and no passage is attempting to explicitly prove otherwise, then we have to conclude that Warforged have souls.
      $endgroup$
      – Xirema
      36 mins ago






    • 1




      $begingroup$
      @Xirema Real question: do all humanoids have souls unequivocally?
      $endgroup$
      – Rubiksmoose
      22 mins ago















    $begingroup$
    The weak link seems to be whether Raise Dead qualifies as 'healing magic' or not...
    $endgroup$
    – adonies
    56 mins ago




    $begingroup$
    The weak link seems to be whether Raise Dead qualifies as 'healing magic' or not...
    $endgroup$
    – adonies
    56 mins ago












    $begingroup$
    Or does the statement that says healing magic affects them normally just provide them an exception which allows them to be healed by spells requiring souls without specifying if they do have one?
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    55 mins ago





    $begingroup$
    Or does the statement that says healing magic affects them normally just provide them an exception which allows them to be healed by spells requiring souls without specifying if they do have one?
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    55 mins ago













    $begingroup$
    @adonies You'd have to find compelling evidence that being a school of Necromancy spell inherently precludes Raise Dead from qualifying as a Healing spell.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    48 mins ago





    $begingroup$
    @adonies You'd have to find compelling evidence that being a school of Necromancy spell inherently precludes Raise Dead from qualifying as a Healing spell.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    48 mins ago





    2




    2




    $begingroup$
    @Rubiksmoose I very strongly do not read the quoted sections as carving out exceptions for Warforged in particular. If Raise Dead requires a willing soul, Warforged are expressly described as benefiting from all the same spells as Humanoids, and no passage is attempting to explicitly prove otherwise, then we have to conclude that Warforged have souls.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    36 mins ago




    $begingroup$
    @Rubiksmoose I very strongly do not read the quoted sections as carving out exceptions for Warforged in particular. If Raise Dead requires a willing soul, Warforged are expressly described as benefiting from all the same spells as Humanoids, and no passage is attempting to explicitly prove otherwise, then we have to conclude that Warforged have souls.
    $endgroup$
    – Xirema
    36 mins ago




    1




    1




    $begingroup$
    @Xirema Real question: do all humanoids have souls unequivocally?
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    22 mins ago




    $begingroup$
    @Xirema Real question: do all humanoids have souls unequivocally?
    $endgroup$
    – Rubiksmoose
    22 mins ago











    3












    $begingroup$

    It's canonically ambiguous.



    Like many of the big mysteries in Eberron, this question is left to the DM to decide. This type of intentional moral and cosmological ambiguity is a big part of the theme of the Eberron setting.



    The people of Khorvaire consider the question of do warforged have souls? to be unsolved and controversial. The Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana article includes an excellent quote which illustrates this:




    “Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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




    The D&D 3rd edition book Races of Eberron, p.8, describes it as ambiguous:




    When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls?




    Even the warforged do not know if they have souls. Some warforged join the Blood of Vol, believing that they will be granted a soul in the afterlife.



    What is the argument that warforged do have souls?



    A warforged in D&D 5e is defined as living, as a humanoid, and as fully sentient. The method by which they are animated is not well known; it is not by an elemental spirit or some other automatic method. A player can control a warforged character as freely as any other character, and they appear to have free will.



    Importantly, they are not given rules exceptions to any spell or effect which affects souls, and are therefore treated as any other humanoid.



    What is the argument that warforged do not have souls?



    The D&D 5e rules regarding warforged do not define anywhere that they do have souls. However, it must be noted that it is not stated either that humans, elves and such have souls; it is implied only by the existence of raise dead and similar spells, and a paragraph which defines that the souls of creatures pass through the Astral Plane.






    share|improve this answer











    $endgroup$

















      3












      $begingroup$

      It's canonically ambiguous.



      Like many of the big mysteries in Eberron, this question is left to the DM to decide. This type of intentional moral and cosmological ambiguity is a big part of the theme of the Eberron setting.



      The people of Khorvaire consider the question of do warforged have souls? to be unsolved and controversial. The Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana article includes an excellent quote which illustrates this:




      “Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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




      The D&D 3rd edition book Races of Eberron, p.8, describes it as ambiguous:




      When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls?




      Even the warforged do not know if they have souls. Some warforged join the Blood of Vol, believing that they will be granted a soul in the afterlife.



      What is the argument that warforged do have souls?



      A warforged in D&D 5e is defined as living, as a humanoid, and as fully sentient. The method by which they are animated is not well known; it is not by an elemental spirit or some other automatic method. A player can control a warforged character as freely as any other character, and they appear to have free will.



      Importantly, they are not given rules exceptions to any spell or effect which affects souls, and are therefore treated as any other humanoid.



      What is the argument that warforged do not have souls?



      The D&D 5e rules regarding warforged do not define anywhere that they do have souls. However, it must be noted that it is not stated either that humans, elves and such have souls; it is implied only by the existence of raise dead and similar spells, and a paragraph which defines that the souls of creatures pass through the Astral Plane.






      share|improve this answer











      $endgroup$















        3












        3








        3





        $begingroup$

        It's canonically ambiguous.



        Like many of the big mysteries in Eberron, this question is left to the DM to decide. This type of intentional moral and cosmological ambiguity is a big part of the theme of the Eberron setting.



        The people of Khorvaire consider the question of do warforged have souls? to be unsolved and controversial. The Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana article includes an excellent quote which illustrates this:




        “Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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




        The D&D 3rd edition book Races of Eberron, p.8, describes it as ambiguous:




        When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls?




        Even the warforged do not know if they have souls. Some warforged join the Blood of Vol, believing that they will be granted a soul in the afterlife.



        What is the argument that warforged do have souls?



        A warforged in D&D 5e is defined as living, as a humanoid, and as fully sentient. The method by which they are animated is not well known; it is not by an elemental spirit or some other automatic method. A player can control a warforged character as freely as any other character, and they appear to have free will.



        Importantly, they are not given rules exceptions to any spell or effect which affects souls, and are therefore treated as any other humanoid.



        What is the argument that warforged do not have souls?



        The D&D 5e rules regarding warforged do not define anywhere that they do have souls. However, it must be noted that it is not stated either that humans, elves and such have souls; it is implied only by the existence of raise dead and similar spells, and a paragraph which defines that the souls of creatures pass through the Astral Plane.






        share|improve this answer











        $endgroup$



        It's canonically ambiguous.



        Like many of the big mysteries in Eberron, this question is left to the DM to decide. This type of intentional moral and cosmological ambiguity is a big part of the theme of the Eberron setting.



        The people of Khorvaire consider the question of do warforged have souls? to be unsolved and controversial. The Eberron Races Unearthed Arcana article includes an excellent quote which illustrates this:




        “Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not 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




        The D&D 3rd edition book Races of Eberron, p.8, describes it as ambiguous:




        When warforged are used, DMs should be mindful of potential controversies regarding the warforged: Do they have souls?




        Even the warforged do not know if they have souls. Some warforged join the Blood of Vol, believing that they will be granted a soul in the afterlife.



        What is the argument that warforged do have souls?



        A warforged in D&D 5e is defined as living, as a humanoid, and as fully sentient. The method by which they are animated is not well known; it is not by an elemental spirit or some other automatic method. A player can control a warforged character as freely as any other character, and they appear to have free will.



        Importantly, they are not given rules exceptions to any spell or effect which affects souls, and are therefore treated as any other humanoid.



        What is the argument that warforged do not have souls?



        The D&D 5e rules regarding warforged do not define anywhere that they do have souls. However, it must be noted that it is not stated either that humans, elves and such have souls; it is implied only by the existence of raise dead and similar spells, and a paragraph which defines that the souls of creatures pass through the Astral Plane.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 39 mins ago

























        answered 1 hour ago









        Quadratic WizardQuadratic Wizard

        32.2k3108173




        32.2k3108173





















            2












            $begingroup$

            Yes.



            The 5th-level cleric spell Raise Dead says:




            You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has
            been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature’s soul is both
            willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to
            life with 1 hit point.




            As there are no restrictions noted on the use of Raise Dead on the warforged, it necessarily follows that the warforged have souls.






            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$












            • $begingroup$
              Note that in previous editions warforged were able to be resurrected but also explicitly and purposefully left unclear whether this was because they had a soul it for some other reason. So I don't think this is as conclusive as you make it.
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              45 mins ago















            2












            $begingroup$

            Yes.



            The 5th-level cleric spell Raise Dead says:




            You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has
            been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature’s soul is both
            willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to
            life with 1 hit point.




            As there are no restrictions noted on the use of Raise Dead on the warforged, it necessarily follows that the warforged have souls.






            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$












            • $begingroup$
              Note that in previous editions warforged were able to be resurrected but also explicitly and purposefully left unclear whether this was because they had a soul it for some other reason. So I don't think this is as conclusive as you make it.
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              45 mins ago













            2












            2








            2





            $begingroup$

            Yes.



            The 5th-level cleric spell Raise Dead says:




            You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has
            been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature’s soul is both
            willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to
            life with 1 hit point.




            As there are no restrictions noted on the use of Raise Dead on the warforged, it necessarily follows that the warforged have souls.






            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$



            Yes.



            The 5th-level cleric spell Raise Dead says:




            You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has
            been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature’s soul is both
            willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to
            life with 1 hit point.




            As there are no restrictions noted on the use of Raise Dead on the warforged, it necessarily follows that the warforged have souls.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 30 mins ago









            V2Blast

            26.7k592162




            26.7k592162










            answered 1 hour ago









            RogerRoger

            1893




            1893











            • $begingroup$
              Note that in previous editions warforged were able to be resurrected but also explicitly and purposefully left unclear whether this was because they had a soul it for some other reason. So I don't think this is as conclusive as you make it.
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              45 mins ago
















            • $begingroup$
              Note that in previous editions warforged were able to be resurrected but also explicitly and purposefully left unclear whether this was because they had a soul it for some other reason. So I don't think this is as conclusive as you make it.
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              45 mins ago















            $begingroup$
            Note that in previous editions warforged were able to be resurrected but also explicitly and purposefully left unclear whether this was because they had a soul it for some other reason. So I don't think this is as conclusive as you make it.
            $endgroup$
            – Rubiksmoose
            45 mins ago




            $begingroup$
            Note that in previous editions warforged were able to be resurrected but also explicitly and purposefully left unclear whether this was because they had a soul it for some other reason. So I don't think this is as conclusive as you make it.
            $endgroup$
            – Rubiksmoose
            45 mins ago











            0












            $begingroup$

            not the answer you want, but as I understand it canonically the answer is a firm and disputed "maybe". also depends on what version of DnD you are running.



            From the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron:




            The Treaty of Thronehold gave warforged their freedom, but only after great debate. House
            Cannith and Thrane argued ardently that warforged were not living creatures because they do not
            possess souls. Their evidence for this was that warforged cannot become undead by any known
            method, not even ghosts or wraiths. They are immune to energy drain, and no one knows of a
            warforged soul in Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead. Breland argued that because warforged can be
            raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no
            warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife.



            In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations
            came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because
            they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many
            people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and
            citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless.




            I think they intend it as a plot point for Roleplay and depending on your version their status as "living constructs" means different things.



            I would say as a DM if you can't pray without a soul and you can have warforged clerics and paladins then at least Some warforged have souls.



            I am sure other have a more thorough knowledge of the fluff than I, but at the same time if i had a DM that ruled my warforged was soulless i would definitely use that to munchkin as many advantages as possible.






            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$








            • 1




              $begingroup$
              What sourcebook did you get that quote from?
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              1 hour ago






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              @Rubiksmoose I believe this is from the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron.
              $endgroup$
              – Quadratic Wizard
              1 hour ago










            • $begingroup$
              @QuadraticWizard thanks! I've edited that citation in here so it is clearer.
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              11 mins ago















            0












            $begingroup$

            not the answer you want, but as I understand it canonically the answer is a firm and disputed "maybe". also depends on what version of DnD you are running.



            From the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron:




            The Treaty of Thronehold gave warforged their freedom, but only after great debate. House
            Cannith and Thrane argued ardently that warforged were not living creatures because they do not
            possess souls. Their evidence for this was that warforged cannot become undead by any known
            method, not even ghosts or wraiths. They are immune to energy drain, and no one knows of a
            warforged soul in Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead. Breland argued that because warforged can be
            raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no
            warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife.



            In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations
            came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because
            they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many
            people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and
            citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless.




            I think they intend it as a plot point for Roleplay and depending on your version their status as "living constructs" means different things.



            I would say as a DM if you can't pray without a soul and you can have warforged clerics and paladins then at least Some warforged have souls.



            I am sure other have a more thorough knowledge of the fluff than I, but at the same time if i had a DM that ruled my warforged was soulless i would definitely use that to munchkin as many advantages as possible.






            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$








            • 1




              $begingroup$
              What sourcebook did you get that quote from?
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              1 hour ago






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              @Rubiksmoose I believe this is from the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron.
              $endgroup$
              – Quadratic Wizard
              1 hour ago










            • $begingroup$
              @QuadraticWizard thanks! I've edited that citation in here so it is clearer.
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              11 mins ago













            0












            0








            0





            $begingroup$

            not the answer you want, but as I understand it canonically the answer is a firm and disputed "maybe". also depends on what version of DnD you are running.



            From the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron:




            The Treaty of Thronehold gave warforged their freedom, but only after great debate. House
            Cannith and Thrane argued ardently that warforged were not living creatures because they do not
            possess souls. Their evidence for this was that warforged cannot become undead by any known
            method, not even ghosts or wraiths. They are immune to energy drain, and no one knows of a
            warforged soul in Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead. Breland argued that because warforged can be
            raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no
            warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife.



            In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations
            came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because
            they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many
            people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and
            citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless.




            I think they intend it as a plot point for Roleplay and depending on your version their status as "living constructs" means different things.



            I would say as a DM if you can't pray without a soul and you can have warforged clerics and paladins then at least Some warforged have souls.



            I am sure other have a more thorough knowledge of the fluff than I, but at the same time if i had a DM that ruled my warforged was soulless i would definitely use that to munchkin as many advantages as possible.






            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$



            not the answer you want, but as I understand it canonically the answer is a firm and disputed "maybe". also depends on what version of DnD you are running.



            From the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron:




            The Treaty of Thronehold gave warforged their freedom, but only after great debate. House
            Cannith and Thrane argued ardently that warforged were not living creatures because they do not
            possess souls. Their evidence for this was that warforged cannot become undead by any known
            method, not even ghosts or wraiths. They are immune to energy drain, and no one knows of a
            warforged soul in Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead. Breland argued that because warforged can be
            raised from the dead, they must have souls. Of course, House Cannith and Thrane countered that no
            warforged brought back from death told tales of any kind of afterlife.



            In the end, the Question of Souls, as that portion of the negotiations
            came to be known, was left unanswered. Warforged were freed because
            they could exhibit independent thought and free will. Today many
            people continue to think of warforged as creatures without souls, and
            citizens of Thrane often refer to warforged as “the soulless.




            I think they intend it as a plot point for Roleplay and depending on your version their status as "living constructs" means different things.



            I would say as a DM if you can't pray without a soul and you can have warforged clerics and paladins then at least Some warforged have souls.



            I am sure other have a more thorough knowledge of the fluff than I, but at the same time if i had a DM that ruled my warforged was soulless i would definitely use that to munchkin as many advantages as possible.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 10 mins ago









            Rubiksmoose

            61.3k10294451




            61.3k10294451










            answered 1 hour ago









            Jason DossettJason Dossett

            696




            696







            • 1




              $begingroup$
              What sourcebook did you get that quote from?
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              1 hour ago






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              @Rubiksmoose I believe this is from the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron.
              $endgroup$
              – Quadratic Wizard
              1 hour ago










            • $begingroup$
              @QuadraticWizard thanks! I've edited that citation in here so it is clearer.
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              11 mins ago












            • 1




              $begingroup$
              What sourcebook did you get that quote from?
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              1 hour ago






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              @Rubiksmoose I believe this is from the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron.
              $endgroup$
              – Quadratic Wizard
              1 hour ago










            • $begingroup$
              @QuadraticWizard thanks! I've edited that citation in here so it is clearer.
              $endgroup$
              – Rubiksmoose
              11 mins ago







            1




            1




            $begingroup$
            What sourcebook did you get that quote from?
            $endgroup$
            – Rubiksmoose
            1 hour ago




            $begingroup$
            What sourcebook did you get that quote from?
            $endgroup$
            – Rubiksmoose
            1 hour ago




            1




            1




            $begingroup$
            @Rubiksmoose I believe this is from the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron.
            $endgroup$
            – Quadratic Wizard
            1 hour ago




            $begingroup$
            @Rubiksmoose I believe this is from the D&D 3e sourcebook Races of Eberron.
            $endgroup$
            – Quadratic Wizard
            1 hour ago












            $begingroup$
            @QuadraticWizard thanks! I've edited that citation in here so it is clearer.
            $endgroup$
            – Rubiksmoose
            11 mins ago




            $begingroup$
            @QuadraticWizard thanks! I've edited that citation in here so it is clearer.
            $endgroup$
            – Rubiksmoose
            11 mins ago

















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