Help me nerf the werecrocodile

[Kafana]

So I was thinking of giving one of my characters the option to become a werecrocodile, but rather than giving him the full benefits right away, I was thinking about having his template slowly level whenever he uses it, so the more he used it the stronger he would become (but there would be a price to pay).

Anyway, I was wondering if someone who knows how to balance things well could give me two or three levels between not being a werecrock and being a full fledged one.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, the Quasi-lycanthrop template sounds like a good start. No ability to shift forms, but it is RAW and lays on the DR. Call that the first level of the racial class and slap a 1 LA on him when he gets it.

Then maybe have the second LA be +2 str, con, 10ft swim speed, +2 natural armor, a 1d6+1.5 str bite, and hold breath (2x con score) when shifted. -10 to disguise checks to hide the alterations.

Then for the 3rd and final point of LA, +4 str, +2 con, 30ft swim speed, +6 natural armor, the bite changes to 1d8, and hold breath (4x con score). -20 to disguise checks to hide the alterations.

It's not exactly the lycanthrope template, but it removes a ton of the complexity of racial HD and alternate forms. He basically gets a shifted form that grants him bonuses to his fighting ability at the cost of looking really distinctive and the need to buy off his LA as he goes. Remind him that he should take 1 point of LA per 3 character levels and buy it off for EXP. 3000exp for the first LA, 6000exp for the second, and 9000exp for the 3rd, assuming he buys off the LA as soon as possible. Just let him take a point of LA and buy it off at 3rd, 6th, and 9th level. While everyone else levels, he just burns the exp and stays in the same level (taking and buying off the LA immediately)

[Milodiah]

I'd like to see the whole "not in full control of shifting" thing show up; he hasn't fully mastered his new abilities, and sometimes it...just happens. At the wrong time. Like in front of the City Watch.

[Crimson Wolf]

Another option you can do besides nerfing it would be having it now become a vital and huge weakness to him. What I mean is okay if it is afflicted there may be times he doesn't control and change (full moons, or even bind it to another moon cycle, in front of spells that give lunar effects) into his new form. Also the eventual time he has to use it in combat willingly and there might either A, be a survivor, or B use it in town to save people which will cause mass amounts of people to see him change. Either option will now have people find out about his hidden affliction and is now up for all sorts of roleplay ideas such as were hunting groups that find any type of them as evil creatures (even if half of those werecreatures are not), or even some main villains now know and will use items, traps, weapons for his goons that all now make his affliction a huge weakness for him.

To be honest I much would rather see the second approach that way it doesn't seem like he is being punished for being allowed the template in a obvious stat changing way, and instead now opens up a larger option of adding roleplay elements and possible fights that can become challenging for him turning his power into a new challenge all in itself. Also if you don't want him to let's say suddenly by some form of roleplay find out he had it hidden in his bloodline and it come into being now, might have it inflicted instead.