What effect does Lycanthropy have on a Moon Druid?

[Laserlight]

In the Primeval Thule campaign I'm running, the party's Moon Druid (level 7) got gored by a wereboar and failed her saving throw vs the Curse of Lycanthropy. Remove Curse is the obvious solution, except the party is in the middle of the wilderness, she's their only caster, druids don't get L3 Remove Curse, and it'll be a while before they level up enough to get L5 Greater Restoration.

I don't think the player will get upset by having to go to boar shape every now and again; on the other hand, it will definitely cause serious social problems in character, so the party'll want to get the curse lifted sooner or later.

What effect should "becoming a wereboar" have on a Moon Druid?

[RickAllison]

Since it is a supernatural change that effects the person rather than just a form, the answer is easy. In any form, the druid gains damage immunities, traits, and actions that don't involve equipment. This means you get immunity to nonsilvered, nonmagical bludgeoning/slashing/piercing damage from weapons as well as Relentless. You don't get a lot of bonuses, but the immunities and Relentless are pretty good on their own. In your humanoid form, you also get Multiattack for two attacks (a minor benefit, which I guess you could combine with Shillelagh), and 17 Strength.

Oh, and when the full moon comes, you get a nice set of new abilities... What is your Con score, by the way?

[90sMusic]

The fact they are a moon druid doesn't really come into play at all. The curse of lycanthropy forcibly changes their form and their mind against their will. That's why it's a curse instead of say, a boon or a buff or something. Lycanthropy shouldn't really be portrayed as being an inherently positive thing that someone should seek out as some people make that mistake and want their characters to become were-creatures because they are "cool".

Never forget it is a curse.

The character should go under DM control during transformations and act accordingly, beyond their control over their actions UNLESS they embrace the curse in which case they retain control, but their alignment shifts and thus their behavior and personality go with it so...

Assuming your druid is resisting the temptation to go Neutral Evil as a wereboar, you just take control of it when the curse changes their form. Otherwise the benefits and perks they get are outlined pretty clearly in the monster manual:

"A character who becomes a lycanthrope retains his or her statistics except as specified by lycanthrope type. The character gains the lycanthrope's speeds in nonhumanoid form, damage immunities, traits, and actions that don't involve equipment. The character is proficient with the lycanthrope's natural attacks, such as its bite or claws, which deal damage as shown in the lycanthrope's statistics. The character can't speak while in animal form."

"Wereboar. The character gains a Strength of 17 if his or her score isn't already higher, and a+ 1 bonus to AC while in boar or hybrid form (from natural armor). Attack and damage rolls for the tusks are based on Strength. For the Charge- trait, the DC is 8 +the character's proficiency bonus+ Strength modifier."

Thinking that because they use nature magic and can turn into animals might give them some sort of resistance to the ill effects is non-applicable. Using arcane magic and already being able to cast and use many different spells has never given any protection to a wizard from springing a trap or getting cursed by some arcane effect.

[ghost_warlock]

Yeah, ignore everything that's seeped into the public consciousness from Twilight or Buffy or whatever.
Watch 'An American Werewolf in London' and treat it like that.

It's a horrible thing that takes you over and forces you to do things you normally wouldn't.

The funny thing is the Druid is the one with 'Moonbeam' which can cancel the effect as it's happening. (Painfully.)

Just wanted to say that werewolves in Buffy/Angel shows have no control over when they change, nor do they control their actions while changed. Well, one character learned how to not change during the full moon, but it wasn't 100% and would still involuntarily change if he was emotional

[Saiga]

Yeah, and Werebears and Weretigers can just accept the curse and get the benefits from it with virtually no downside since they don't become evil from doing so.