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Axelgear
2007-01-09, 01:12 AM
So I was trying to play a Werewolf character and I couldn't help but notice just how impossible it is to play one as a Spellcaster. The minimum LA is +2 with a single level of animal. That's three levels. WASTED. So I was thinking it's time to give them a re-org...

A Wolf That's Tough
The obvious issue with this is how to deal with the removal of the Hit Die added to a normal Lycanthrope. The obvious solution is to replace them with a slightly lower LA, using the following formula.

Natural Lycanthrope:

Base LA (+3) + ((Animals HD -2, but no less than 0)/2). This sets Werewolves at a base of a +3 LA, but sets Weretigers at +5, evening things out. In the event of fractions, round up or down based on the power of the animal.

Afflicted use the same structure, but with a Base LA of +2.

Otherwise, the rules here are identical to standard Lycanthropy, with some extra rules added below should the DM choose to use them. This is designed so that LA buyoff is possible and that Lycanthropes can be spellcasters more readily.

Flavouring the Meat

My Grandma, what big teeth you have!
Being a Werewolf exacts a toll on a person, both physical and mental. Any person afflicted with Lycanthropy steadily takes on features to represent their abnormal behaviour and changes. Such features mean that, any time after the first time the person transforms, a Sense Motive check is allowed to gain suspicion that "something is not right" about the person. These periods of time are accompanied with physical changes detailed below.

Transformations 1 through 5

Sense Motive check DC 25 - The persons body hair grows excessively, growing in a day what it would normally in a week, and the person finds themself feeling tired more often.

Transformations 6 through 11

Sense Motive check DC 20 - The person finds themself acting in ways they would not normally act. They hear things more sharply, notice smells more acutely, and gain gender related behaviours. Males typically become more aggressive and snap anytime another male comes near them, while actively seeking the company of females. Females typically become more cautious, always analyzing anyone they see, especially males, and typically seek out the biggest and strongest males, some even entering a form of estrus on a monthly cycle.

Transformations 12 through 16

Sense Motive check DC 15 - The persons physical modifications become far more obvious, gaining sharpened teeth, larger pupils, pointed ears, ridges near the nose, and increased body hair in a way that is obviously abnormal but easily covered.

Transformations 17 onward

Sense Motive check DC 10 - The person now takes on an outright feral, almost constantly tense look, especially if they still have not realized they are a Werecreature yet. Their hair takes on a wild, feral appearance, their teeth become even sharper, they typically stand hunched, and are quite obvously suspicious in appearance to all but the simplest minded people.

A Natural Lycanthrope does not go through these stages, typically remaining around the second stage, but without excessive body hair growth, due to the mind-set that is innate to them. Afflicted Lycanthropes can undo this by making a Control Shape check (DC 25) to surpress these features, and any deliberately induced shapechange does not count against these transformations. For example, a Werewolf accidentally transforms against his will four times but successfully transforms three times. Therefore, he has four transformations on the counter, suffering from the first stage of changes. If he then succeeds on a DC 25 check, he successfully reverts to 0 transformations, and has no suspicious signs.

[Optional] Awakening the Animal Spirit

Everyone knows Wolf's Bane can stop the Affliction of Lycanthropy from taking place, but what of the rare person who wishes to become a Werewolf without suffering the random chance of becoming a mindless killing machine? Certain people have been known to, in the past, awaken the Animal Spirit within them or from another source, allowing them to become Natural Lycanthropes.

This ritual requires a Knowledge (Nature) check with a DC of 20 or the assistance of an actual Werecreature to preform. The ritual must take place at an alter to a deity of shapeshifters or lycanthropes, where a sacrifice must be places worth 1000 GP per HD of the creature to be transformed into a werecreature, along with a drop of blood from type of animal or werecreature the supplicant is to become, both of which are absorbed to power the divine energies channeled by the ritual. The ritual takes eight hours and must be preformed under a full moon. Once completed, the creature undergoes a painful transformation, shapeshifting for the first time into their animal form, which they must stay in for a week without turning back. After that, they may transform freely, and are natural lycanthropes.

[Optional] Wild Mage

The Natural Spell feat gains new usage with Lycanthropes. The wild form allows them to mix in spells with their actions, adding +20 to the DC for Spellcraft checks to identify which spell they are casting. If used in conjunction with Disguise spell, any Spellcraft check that fails to identify the spell by more than 5 causes a misidentification of it as a spell-like ability. This allows the Lycanthrope to easily disguise the spells to trick opponents into thinking they are in some way highly magical.