Order of the Lycan

[sammyp03]

Hello all. I am wanting to make a blood hunter for my upcoming campaign. I was wondering how you would build one?

Also, am I the only one who thinks that the improved resilient hide feature is nice on paper but bad in practice?

[Ventruenox]

For a Lycan, the best way to consider play style is as a two-weapon Ranger-esque melee combatant, using your own natural weapons. Pump up Dexterity & Wisdom and embrace your role as a masochistic glass cannon. Multiclassing is not recommended unless you have a specific character build in mind, since rite damage to you is based on total level, but the rite damage die is off of class level. (There was another thread about someone who wanted to play Michael Jackson in Thriller yesterday as a Lycan/Bard.)

Blood Maledicts: Mutual Suffering and Eyeless work pretty well, and Marked at higher levels for a melee monster. If your character hates mages , consider Fending Rite or Spell Sunder.

Improved Resilient Hide is nothing to shake a stick at. Resistence is resistence. It may impact the rite choices you make for the character, but that is campaign dependent.

As with any build, create your character in mind first, then work out the mechanics.

[sammyp03]

For a Lycan, the best way to consider play style is as a two-weapon Ranger-esque melee combatant, using your own natural weapons. Pump up Dexterity & Wisdom and embrace your role as a masochistic glass cannon. Multiclassing is not recommended unless you have a specific character build in mind, since rite damage to you is based on total level, but the rite damage die is off of class level. (There was another thread about someone who wanted to play Michael Jackson in Thriller yesterday as a Lycan/Bard.)

Blood Maledicts: Mutual Suffering and Eyeless work pretty well, and Marked at higher levels for a melee monster. If your character hates mages , consider Fending Rite or Spell Sunder.

Improved Resilient Hide is nothing to shake a stick at. Resistence is resistence. It may impact the rite choices you make for the character, but that is campaign dependent.

As with any build, create your character in mind first, then work out the mechanics.

Appreciate the reply.

The reason I ask about the improved resilient hide is
that when figthing monsters from whom you expect some type of damage and you may want to get to resist it, those monsters very often have resistance or inmunity to the damage and given the extra damage from the crimsom rite its the main differentiation with other similar martial class and what allows you to "keep up" so to speak at those levels, it leaves the players quite a sour taste to have to sacrifice it to profit from this feature.

[Ventruenox]

I get what you are saying. It is a tradeoff in that repsect, but no more than the choice to focus on offense versus defense. Warlocks occasionally face Hooked Horrors. Pyromancers have to go against Red Dragons. I consider that a situational challenge that the DM may throw your way. If you want to hedge your bets, taking one level of Druid or Magic Initiate for Absorb Elements is always an option. (Guidance & Thorn Whip cantrips could bolster a Lycan build, incidentally.)

Garfunion: 5E products from Matt Mercer (Critical Role) that can be found on DMs Guild & elsewhere. Not AL legal, but recognized as a viable 3rd party product.

[Garfunion]

Garfunion: 5E products from Matt Mercer (Critical Role) that can be found on DMs Guild & elsewhere. Not AL legal, but recognized as a viable 3rd party product.

Thank you.

I usually use the barbarian class to create a playable werewolf.

[sammyp03]

I get what you are saying. It is a tradeoff in that repsect, but no more than the choice to focus on offense versus defense. Warlocks occasionally face Hooked Horrors. Pyromancers have to go against Red Dragons. I consider that a situational challenge that the DM may throw your way. If you want to hedge your bets, taking one level of Druid or Magic Initiate for Absorb Elements is always an option. (Guidance & Thorn Whip cantrips could bolster a Lycan build, incidentally.)

Garfunion: 5E products from Matt Mercer (Critical Role) that can be found on DMs Guild & elsewhere. Not AL legal, but recognized as a viable 3rd party product.

Very true. Thanks again

[GlenSmash!]

For a Lycan, the best way to consider play style is as a two-weapon Ranger-esque melee combatant, using your own natural weapons. Pump up Dexterity & Wisdom and embrace your role as a masochistic glass cannon. Multiclassing is not recommended unless you have a specific character build in mind, since rite damage to you is based on total level, but the rite damage die is off of class level. (There was another thread about someone who wanted to play Michael Jackson in Thriller yesterday as a Lycan/Bard.)

Blood Maledicts: Mutual Suffering and Eyeless work pretty well, and Marked at higher levels for a melee monster. If your character hates mages , consider Fending Rite or Spell Sunder.

Improved Resilient Hide is nothing to shake a stick at. Resistence is resistence. It may impact the rite choices you make for the character, but that is campaign dependent.

As with any build, create your character in mind first, then work out the mechanics.

This is really solid advice, can't go wrong with it.

Another option is to go Strength based Lycan Grappler, but it's far more MAD.

My preferred route is to go Dex archery when not shifted, then switch to laws when Shifted.

Consider the Tough feat to help with Crimson Rites burning through those HPs.


Thank you.

I usually use the barbarian class to create a playable werewolf.

I've used a Goliath Bear Totem Barbarian as a playable Werebear. It worked really well.