Zaydos
2010-07-31, 09:05 PM
Just a random idea I wanted to try out. A racial paragon class (Unearthed Arcana) for characters with lycanthropy (specifically werewolves).
Fluff (i.e. that sugary filling that we don’t really need but tastes so good)
Before I begin I should note that in my games true lycanthropes can be of any alignment, and true werewolves alignment is either Often Chaotic Evil or based on their base race, it’s just that the evil aligned ones tend to make bigger headlines, that and humans don’t like werewolves much do to afflicted members, their ability to afflict the curse, and their ability to pretend to be a normal human. I guess it’s like the alignment section of the lycanthrope template says, they get alignments based on how people perceive the base animal and I personally see wolves as rather noble and as definitely lawful (pack hunters and all); so the fluff will probably reflect that.
I am also using the assumption that the base race is human. A dwarf or elf werewolf paragon will be very different, just like a dwarf or elf werewolf.
Werewolves balance the wild nature of the wolf with what it is to be a man. Most think of infected beasts, little more than mad dogs, when they hear werewolf. This is true of those afflicted with a curse, and even many born with the power are beings driven purely by rage and bloodlust. They are far from all, though, and many werewolves can be in fact quite noble. Sometimes a werewolf arises who is somewhat more of a werewolf. These paragons can plunge into the absolute deepest depths of rage and bloodlust becoming little more than unthinking monsters, or can become the leaders of noble packs of their kin leading them to live in secret harmony with nearby humans.
Adventures: A werewolf paragon will usually find themselves on the road of adventure. Their wolf nature makes them uncomfortable in human settlements, even when they can find themselves accepted. Even amongst werewolf tribes a werewolf paragon feels the urge to be alpha and many will go off to find or found their own pack, becoming adventurers in the interim. As adventurers they find their perfect environment: on the battlefield they find an outlet to their internal rage and bloodlust that sometimes threatens to overwhelm them; the small size of an adventuring party allows them the comfort of a group without the limitations of society, and allows them to form a temporary synthetic pack; they are free from the dominance of an alpha and able to make decisions on their own or as equals.
Characteristics: Werewolf paragons have a strong sense of self. They tend to have a deeply placed understanding of their place in any given group and an ambition to rise to alpha or at least the equal of any and all others in their group. They are plagued constantly by an internal bloodlust caused by disharmony between the wolf and man but they strive always to rise above it. They are quick and cunning able to work in a group and use tactics effectively, but they are also independent and resentful of orders. They have the bodies and instincts of a wild beast, predicting attacks and struggling onwards through the battlefield. Werewolf paragons are proud and many seek to find a harmony between wolf and man, something that (in their eyes at least) their common brethren fail to do.
Alignment: Werewolf paragons have a strong desire for freedom and tend towards chaotic. On the other hand there are those that fully embrace the idea of the pack, seeing it as an entity far greater than oneself and something to be put before even their own life, which lean strongly towards lawful. Morally most are neutral, seeing giving in to the bloodlust and rage that many of their lesser brethren fall prey to as a sign of weakness, some even overcome their natural arrogance to be truly good creatures. Even so some fall into the depths of rage; these tend to be the evilest of all werewolves.
Religion: The plurality of werewolf paragons care little for deities instead focusing on this world and their own personal completion. Those that do turn to the gods often turn to gods of nature or those that represent perfection or harmony of body and mind.
Races: Werewolf paragons tend to see humans as tainted by civilization, and most of their kin as tainted by rage. Some find a better fit with elves, but even these are never truly wild and given time will chafe on the werewolf paragon. They cannot fathom dwarves whose society is closer knit than human, but who can also bear it naturally. Halflings are seen as a curious creature, with their simplistic life styles and looser, casual societies. Orcs are often seen as similar to their own kin, living a natural life but so filled with rage and bloodlust to be disgusting; some werewolf paragons will take an orc tribe as their “pack”, with them as the alpha of course, and these orc “packs” can be a truly terrifying threat to human societies nearby.
Other Classes: Werewolf paragons get along well with rangers, who blend martial prowess with an intimate knowledge of the natural world. They respect fighters (or warblades) for their self-discipline and power in combat, and can empathize with barbarians although these mighty warriors range from those who can properly channel their rage and those who are consumed by it. Paladins (of Justice) tend to be too stuck up and bossy for their tastes. Monks are respected for their self-discipline, although their attempts at unarmed combat seems a paltry imitation of the sheer fury of a beast. Druids are respected and revered both for their abilities with magic and their harmonious relation with nature. Clerics are often distrusted, smelling of things not of this world. They prefer sorcerers to wizards, the natural magic of the former seeming more natural than the slowly studied tomes of the latter. Rogues, and to a lesser extent bards, are respected as skilled partners, who just like them value their freedom and individuality.
Prerequisites:
Must be a werewolf.
Werewolf Paragon
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+2|Powerful Natural Weapons, Fast Movement, Quick Shift
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Uncanny Dodge, Improved DR, Wolf's Flank
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Deadly Natural Weapons, Fast Healing 2, +2 Str[/table]
HD type: d10.
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis)
Skill points per level: 4 + Int modifier
Powerful Natural Weapons: Your claws and bite attacks deal damage as if you were one size category larger. For example if you are a medium werewolf you would deal 1d6 damage with your claws and 1d8 with your bite.
Fast Movement: When in hybrid or wolf form and wearing medium or lighter armor and not carrying a heavy load, your base land speed increases by 10-ft (i.e. to 60-ft).
Quick Shift: You may now change to or from your animal or hybrid form as a swift action instead of as a standard action.
Uncanny Dodge: At 2nd level a werewolf paragon's reflexes and senses become sharp enough that it is almost impossible to catch them defenseless. This ability works like the barbarian ability of the same name. If you already have Uncanny Dodge, or would gain it from another source, you instead get Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Improved DR: At 2nd level a werewolf paragon's DR in wolf and hybrid form increases by 5 (from 10 to 15/silver). They also gain DR 5/silver in their human (or other base creature) form.
Wolf's Flank: At 2nd level a werewolf paragon learns how to use the pack tactics of a wolf against his foes. When flanking an enemy a werewolf paragon does +4 damage with melee attacks and gains a +2 bonus on checks made to trip opponents in addition to the normal bonuses from flanking.
Deadly Natural Weapons: At 3rd level the damage from a werewolf paragon's claws and bite attacks increases further. You are now treated as two size categories larger for the purposes of claw and bite damage. This supersedes (does not stack with) Powerful Natural Weapons. For example a medium-sized werewolf paragon would deal 1d8 damage with each claw and 2d6 damage with their bite attack.
Fast Healing 2: At 3rd level the regenerative capabilities of a werewolf paragon improves to such an extent that they gain fast healing 2 when in wolf or hybrid form.
+2 Str: At 3rd level a werewolf paragon's Str increases by 2 in all three forms.
So what do you think? Is a 2d6 bite attack too good? What about 3d6 with Improved Natural Weapon feat? Little worried they get too many abilities, but their first level abilities are either almost useless (fast movement), not likely to come up in combat (quick shift as they will usually be in hybrid form before battle anyway), to just trying to keep up (claw damage buff), only the increase to bite damage is likely to be used.
2nd level they get a little more useful things. Uncanny Dodge is really good, but it's also rather easily available on melee builds. How good is Improved DR, and Wolf's Flank? I wanted to give them something interesting and unique, but it just seems to be a kind of small flat bonus.
3rd level they get the standard paragon +2 to a stat and two more abilities which might be a bit much. Deadly Natural Weapons is a minor increase to claw damage which for a melee character still leaves their claws doing next to no damage, the worry is that it also increases their bite and makes it that much more useful as free attack in addition to their normal routine. Fast Healing represents part of the werewolf nature that is often neglected in D&D, how fast they heal. I was thinking about capping it at half health, or making silver (and maybe fire) damage stop it from functioning for a few rounds.
Balancing this is that it can only be taken by werewolves which already have 2 racial hit dice and +3 LA so that after this they're missing 8 levels in other classes. This also means that instead of being Lv 1, 2, and 3 abilities (like most paragon classes) these are level 6, 7, and 8 abilities which should be better.
Well playground that's it, so please tell me what you think about it. Thanks in advance.
Fluff (i.e. that sugary filling that we don’t really need but tastes so good)
Before I begin I should note that in my games true lycanthropes can be of any alignment, and true werewolves alignment is either Often Chaotic Evil or based on their base race, it’s just that the evil aligned ones tend to make bigger headlines, that and humans don’t like werewolves much do to afflicted members, their ability to afflict the curse, and their ability to pretend to be a normal human. I guess it’s like the alignment section of the lycanthrope template says, they get alignments based on how people perceive the base animal and I personally see wolves as rather noble and as definitely lawful (pack hunters and all); so the fluff will probably reflect that.
I am also using the assumption that the base race is human. A dwarf or elf werewolf paragon will be very different, just like a dwarf or elf werewolf.
Werewolves balance the wild nature of the wolf with what it is to be a man. Most think of infected beasts, little more than mad dogs, when they hear werewolf. This is true of those afflicted with a curse, and even many born with the power are beings driven purely by rage and bloodlust. They are far from all, though, and many werewolves can be in fact quite noble. Sometimes a werewolf arises who is somewhat more of a werewolf. These paragons can plunge into the absolute deepest depths of rage and bloodlust becoming little more than unthinking monsters, or can become the leaders of noble packs of their kin leading them to live in secret harmony with nearby humans.
Adventures: A werewolf paragon will usually find themselves on the road of adventure. Their wolf nature makes them uncomfortable in human settlements, even when they can find themselves accepted. Even amongst werewolf tribes a werewolf paragon feels the urge to be alpha and many will go off to find or found their own pack, becoming adventurers in the interim. As adventurers they find their perfect environment: on the battlefield they find an outlet to their internal rage and bloodlust that sometimes threatens to overwhelm them; the small size of an adventuring party allows them the comfort of a group without the limitations of society, and allows them to form a temporary synthetic pack; they are free from the dominance of an alpha and able to make decisions on their own or as equals.
Characteristics: Werewolf paragons have a strong sense of self. They tend to have a deeply placed understanding of their place in any given group and an ambition to rise to alpha or at least the equal of any and all others in their group. They are plagued constantly by an internal bloodlust caused by disharmony between the wolf and man but they strive always to rise above it. They are quick and cunning able to work in a group and use tactics effectively, but they are also independent and resentful of orders. They have the bodies and instincts of a wild beast, predicting attacks and struggling onwards through the battlefield. Werewolf paragons are proud and many seek to find a harmony between wolf and man, something that (in their eyes at least) their common brethren fail to do.
Alignment: Werewolf paragons have a strong desire for freedom and tend towards chaotic. On the other hand there are those that fully embrace the idea of the pack, seeing it as an entity far greater than oneself and something to be put before even their own life, which lean strongly towards lawful. Morally most are neutral, seeing giving in to the bloodlust and rage that many of their lesser brethren fall prey to as a sign of weakness, some even overcome their natural arrogance to be truly good creatures. Even so some fall into the depths of rage; these tend to be the evilest of all werewolves.
Religion: The plurality of werewolf paragons care little for deities instead focusing on this world and their own personal completion. Those that do turn to the gods often turn to gods of nature or those that represent perfection or harmony of body and mind.
Races: Werewolf paragons tend to see humans as tainted by civilization, and most of their kin as tainted by rage. Some find a better fit with elves, but even these are never truly wild and given time will chafe on the werewolf paragon. They cannot fathom dwarves whose society is closer knit than human, but who can also bear it naturally. Halflings are seen as a curious creature, with their simplistic life styles and looser, casual societies. Orcs are often seen as similar to their own kin, living a natural life but so filled with rage and bloodlust to be disgusting; some werewolf paragons will take an orc tribe as their “pack”, with them as the alpha of course, and these orc “packs” can be a truly terrifying threat to human societies nearby.
Other Classes: Werewolf paragons get along well with rangers, who blend martial prowess with an intimate knowledge of the natural world. They respect fighters (or warblades) for their self-discipline and power in combat, and can empathize with barbarians although these mighty warriors range from those who can properly channel their rage and those who are consumed by it. Paladins (of Justice) tend to be too stuck up and bossy for their tastes. Monks are respected for their self-discipline, although their attempts at unarmed combat seems a paltry imitation of the sheer fury of a beast. Druids are respected and revered both for their abilities with magic and their harmonious relation with nature. Clerics are often distrusted, smelling of things not of this world. They prefer sorcerers to wizards, the natural magic of the former seeming more natural than the slowly studied tomes of the latter. Rogues, and to a lesser extent bards, are respected as skilled partners, who just like them value their freedom and individuality.
Prerequisites:
Must be a werewolf.
Werewolf Paragon
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+2|Powerful Natural Weapons, Fast Movement, Quick Shift
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Uncanny Dodge, Improved DR, Wolf's Flank
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Deadly Natural Weapons, Fast Healing 2, +2 Str[/table]
HD type: d10.
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis)
Skill points per level: 4 + Int modifier
Powerful Natural Weapons: Your claws and bite attacks deal damage as if you were one size category larger. For example if you are a medium werewolf you would deal 1d6 damage with your claws and 1d8 with your bite.
Fast Movement: When in hybrid or wolf form and wearing medium or lighter armor and not carrying a heavy load, your base land speed increases by 10-ft (i.e. to 60-ft).
Quick Shift: You may now change to or from your animal or hybrid form as a swift action instead of as a standard action.
Uncanny Dodge: At 2nd level a werewolf paragon's reflexes and senses become sharp enough that it is almost impossible to catch them defenseless. This ability works like the barbarian ability of the same name. If you already have Uncanny Dodge, or would gain it from another source, you instead get Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Improved DR: At 2nd level a werewolf paragon's DR in wolf and hybrid form increases by 5 (from 10 to 15/silver). They also gain DR 5/silver in their human (or other base creature) form.
Wolf's Flank: At 2nd level a werewolf paragon learns how to use the pack tactics of a wolf against his foes. When flanking an enemy a werewolf paragon does +4 damage with melee attacks and gains a +2 bonus on checks made to trip opponents in addition to the normal bonuses from flanking.
Deadly Natural Weapons: At 3rd level the damage from a werewolf paragon's claws and bite attacks increases further. You are now treated as two size categories larger for the purposes of claw and bite damage. This supersedes (does not stack with) Powerful Natural Weapons. For example a medium-sized werewolf paragon would deal 1d8 damage with each claw and 2d6 damage with their bite attack.
Fast Healing 2: At 3rd level the regenerative capabilities of a werewolf paragon improves to such an extent that they gain fast healing 2 when in wolf or hybrid form.
+2 Str: At 3rd level a werewolf paragon's Str increases by 2 in all three forms.
So what do you think? Is a 2d6 bite attack too good? What about 3d6 with Improved Natural Weapon feat? Little worried they get too many abilities, but their first level abilities are either almost useless (fast movement), not likely to come up in combat (quick shift as they will usually be in hybrid form before battle anyway), to just trying to keep up (claw damage buff), only the increase to bite damage is likely to be used.
2nd level they get a little more useful things. Uncanny Dodge is really good, but it's also rather easily available on melee builds. How good is Improved DR, and Wolf's Flank? I wanted to give them something interesting and unique, but it just seems to be a kind of small flat bonus.
3rd level they get the standard paragon +2 to a stat and two more abilities which might be a bit much. Deadly Natural Weapons is a minor increase to claw damage which for a melee character still leaves their claws doing next to no damage, the worry is that it also increases their bite and makes it that much more useful as free attack in addition to their normal routine. Fast Healing represents part of the werewolf nature that is often neglected in D&D, how fast they heal. I was thinking about capping it at half health, or making silver (and maybe fire) damage stop it from functioning for a few rounds.
Balancing this is that it can only be taken by werewolves which already have 2 racial hit dice and +3 LA so that after this they're missing 8 levels in other classes. This also means that instead of being Lv 1, 2, and 3 abilities (like most paragon classes) these are level 6, 7, and 8 abilities which should be better.
Well playground that's it, so please tell me what you think about it. Thanks in advance.