Lycanthropes
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All Lycanthropes require an application. The lycanthrope template can be added to any existing race or subrace.
DM Expectations:
Lycanthropes are heavily influenced by their feral natures. Players will be expected to portray the animalistic side of their selves, and showcase how it affects their core concept and in turn, their goals in life.
Human Form
@All:
Wisdom +2
Darkvision
Animal Empathy +4Hybrid Form
@All:
Wisdom +2
Darkvision
Animal Empathy +4, Spot +4, Listen +4
Damage Reduction 10/+1
AC Bonus +4
Take on STR/DEX/CON of AnimalLevel 5: Damage Reduction 5/+2, Bonus 1d4 damage, 10% movement speed increase
Level 9: Bonus 2d4 damage, 20% movement speed increase@Werewolf:
Strength +6, Dexterity +2, Constitution +4,
Fortitude +5, Reflex +5, Will +1
Bonus Feat: Knockdown@Wererat:
Strength +2, Dexterity +6, Constitution +4,
Fortitude +4, Reflex +6, Will +1
Hide +8, Move Silently +8
Immune to Disease
Disease Bite
Bonus Feat: Weapon Finesse@Werecat:
Strength +4, Dexterity +6, Constitution +2,
Fortitude +2, Reflex +6, Will +2
Hide +4, Move Silently +4
Bonus Feat: Dodge
Bonus Feat: Weapon Finesse@Werebat:
Strength +2, Dexterity +6
Fortitude +2, Reflex +6, Will +2
Hide +8, Move Silently +8, Spot +8, Listen +8
Bonus Feat: Alertness
Bonus Feat: Weapon Finesse@Wereboar:
Strength +4, Dexterity +2, Constitution +6,
Fortitude +6, Reflex +2, Will +2
Bonus Feat: Knockdown@Werecrocodile:
Strength +6, Dexterity +2, Constitution +4,
Fortitude +5, Reflex +1, Will +1
Underwater Breathing
Bonus Feat: Alertness@Werespider:
Strength +3, Dexterity +6, Constitution +3,
Fortitude +3, Reflex +3, Will +2
Hide +6, Move Silently +6
Immune to Poison and Web
Poison Bite
Bonus Feat: Weapon Finesse@Werebear:
Strength +6, Constitution +6,
Fortitude +4, Reflex +2, Will +4
Bonus Feat: Knockdown@Werepanther:
Strength +6, Dexterity +8, Constitution +4,
Fortitude +5, Reflex +7, Will +2
Hide +8, Move Silently +8, Spot +6, Listen +6
Bonus Feat: Alertness
Bonus Feat: Weapon Finesse@Weretiger:
Strength +8, Dexterity +4, Constitution +6,
Fortitude +5, Reflex +3, Will +4
Hide +4, Move Silently +6
Bonus Feat: Alertness
Bonus Feat: Knockdown -
General
Lycanthropes aren't a race, so much as a group of people whom all suffer from a common curse. Lycanthropes have the ability to change into animals or hybrid forms, and the sometimes do so involuntarily. Any kind of giant or humanoid can suffer from lycanthropy. In Faerun, the following kinds of lycanthropes are common: Werebats, werebear, werecats, werecrocodile, wererat, wereshark, weretiger, werewolf, and the elven lythari, a special kind of werewolf. Each of these lycanthropes can transform from its normal humanoid form to that of a particular animal or a hybrid form that is a cross between the humanoid and the animal forms.
In their humanoid forms, lycanthropes are essentially the same as they ever were. While their chances to die a violent death have likely increased greatly, their natural life expectancy is the same as it was before they became lycanthropes. Their height, weight, and other physical features are unchanged as well. In their animal forms, lycanthropes appear to be of an age proportional to their human forms. In other words, an elderly human werewolf in her wolf form looks like an elderly wolf, despite the fact that a real wolf her age would have long been dead.
There are, in fact, two kinds of lycanthropes: those who have contracted the condition as a curse (afflicted lycanthropes), and those who were born with it (natural lycanthropes). The child of a natural lycanthrope is always a natural lycanthrope, but the child of an afflicted lycanthrope is a normal example of his or her race until puberty, at which point there is a 50% chance that the child manifests lycanthropy as a natural lycanthrope.
Lycanthropes have the same life expectancy and age categories as characters of their base race.
History
Lycanthropy appears to have been a plague on Faerun since its earliest days. Some say Malar, the Beastlord, created the first lycanthropes from barbaric human tribes thousands of years ago in order to infuse the race with the feral cunning and strength of the predatory animals they admired. Others believe that lycanthropy was a gift from the goddess Selune to human children orphaned in the dangerous wilds, a blessing to help them survive. From these ancient humans, old lycanthropic bloodlines have descended through the ages, few in number but scattered through all the wilderness of Faerun.
Lycanthropes have no racial history, since their story is the story of an individual here, a family there, or more rarely a pack of bloodthirsty marauders in another place. While evil lycanthropes have slaughtered whole villages on occasion, and good lycanthropes have valiantly defended the homes of the innocent against evil raiders, lycanthropes have never assembled in numbers greater than a few dozen, founded cities, or raised kingdoms.
Rumor has it that a number of new kinds of lycanthropes have been found in Faerun since the Time of Troubles. There have been scattered reports of werebison, weredogs, weredolphins, wereleopards, wereowls, and werepanthers.
Outlook
A lycanthrope's outlook is usually based upon its life in its humanoid form. However, there are some generalizations that can be made. Natural lycanthropes rarely have a problem with their lycanthropy. They view their "curse" as a gift. These folks realize that their lycanthropy makes them special, and many of them take up careers as adventurers. If lycanthropy is feared or reviled in their humanoid culture, they may feel some shame for being so different from those around them, but they rarely if ever wish to be "cured" of their condition. Natural lycanthropes of evil alignment revel in their feral nature, and view themselves as stronger and more fit than their normal fellows. Their strength gives them the right to murder, plunder, and terrorize any who are too weak to defend themselves.
Afflicted lycanthropes are often horrified to find that they have contracted the condition. Waking up covered with blood and a convenient case of amnesia is bad enough. To learn that this is a situation that is going to repeat itself three nights every month for the rest of your life can be nearly intolerable. Most such people try to find a cure as quickly as possible. Of course, not everyone has access to belladonna which must be taken within an hour of the attack anyhow or to a high-level spellcaster who can remove the condition.
The worst part for a cursed lycanthrope is that any voluntary change into an animal or hybrid form immediately changes the humanoid's alignment to that of the lycanthrope form. If this differs from the character's current alignment, it can be a jarring shift, and the larger the shift the worse it is on the character. It's hard for a paladin-werewolf to remain a paladin for long in the face of the seductive lure of giving to his feral side.
Once a character's alignment is in accord with that of her animal shape, though, the afflicted lycanthrope comes to terms with her curse. The battle between the two sides of her personality her humanoid and her animal selves is over.
Most lycanthrope adventurers are loners. They may join a band of like-minded adventurers and even work with them for several tendays at a time. Once that full moon rises, though, they disappear in search of a place to be by themselves. They know all too well that many people are not fond of lycanthropes, so they take great pains to conceal their true nature.
Lycanthrope Characters
A lycanthrope's humanoid form determines her class. Many cursed lycanthropes were adventurers to begin with, since these are the sorts of people most likely to have the kinds of encounters that lead to such troubles. If the lycanthrope wasn't an adventurer before, she is likely to become one now. Entire chapters of an adventurer's saga can be written about her quest to find some way to have the curse removed, even if the story's protagonist was once a simple commoner who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Lycanthrope Society
Natural lycanthropes often come from a family of lycanthropes who have passed the "curse" down through the generations. They are usually careful to conceal their true nature from people they don't know very well, since there are many non-lycanthropes who believe that the only good lycanthrope is a dead one. Children of natural lycanthropes can start to change form on the first full moon after their birth.
Afflicted lycanthropes rarely have any kind of society or family to support them. Unless they are found by the lycanthrope who bestowed the curse on them in the first place, many afflicted lycanthropes never meet another of their own kind. Evil lycanthropes have been known to carelessly spread their curse in order to create a pack of followers. Of course, if the new lycanthropes are less than thrilled about their affliction, this strategy can easily backfire.
Lycanthropes age, become adults, and die just like anyone else of their humanoid race. Their animal forms ages proportionally of with their humanoid forms. A young lycanthrope becomes a young animal. An elderly lycanthrope who can barely walk finds herself in the same situation as an animal.
Again, lythari are the exception. Lythari are almost always friends with each other to begin with. They often run in a pack together, and are usually revered by other elves as creatures of powerful magic.
Relations with Other Races
A lycanthrope's relations with other races are mostly determined by her base race. However, since the alignments of most lycanthropes are fairly well known, most people assume that the lycanthrope has the same alignment in all of its forms. If they know of the lycanthrope, they often base their opinion on the lycanthrope by how close they are to each other in alignments.
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Lycanthrope alignments:-
A list of the alignments that most lycanthropes of a particular type adhere to. It is possible to play a non-standard alignment, but it will require an excellent IC reason. (A Chaotic Good werewolf, for example)
The below refers to the lycanthrope's alignment in hybrid form. The human form need not necessarily have the same alignment. If the two selves of a lycanthrope aren't at peace, significant struggle ensues.
Lythari - Chaotic Good
Werebat - Neutral Evil
Werebear - Lawful Good
Wereboar - Neutral
Werecrocodile - Neutral Evil
Wererat - Neutral Evil
Weretiger - True Neutral
Werewolf - Chaotic Evil
Werecat - Neutral Evil
Werespider - Neutral Evil
Werepanther - Lawful Evil
