Werewolves and vampires, oh my [Creature]

[Ekeralos]

When the god of war, Oberon, fought in the war of the gods, his human troops were somewhat lacking. Haru, the god of nature, controlled beasts in order ot fight off invaders. Under the cover of darkness, Oberon ordered that these beasts be taken and delivered to him. Their kidnapping (through divine magic) was a success and Oberon created the first man-wolves, loyal servants and powerful warriors, whose transformations made them faster and stronger. Haru discovered Oberon's dishonourable actions and cursed the beast-men to act with chaos and treachery. She also enabled them the "curse of lycanthropy", enabling them to spread their chaotic taint. After the wolf-men turned on him, Oberon cast them aside and banished them to the land of Sura.

Lycanthropes (Werewolves)
“Lycanthrope” is a template that can be added to any humanoid. The lycanthrope template can be inherited or acquired.
Type: The creatures size and type does not change, but the creature receives the shapechanger subtype
Speed: Same as the base creature. +5 foot speed while in hybrid form, +5 additional foot speed if you don’t use claw attacks and aren’t holding anything during that round, because you are effectively running on all fours,
AC: Remains the same. +2 natural armor while in hybrid form.
Attacks: The base creature receives a bite attack that does 1d4+1/2 Strength modifier damage. In hybrid form gain a claw attack that deals 1d4+Str modifier damage and the bite attack increases to 1d6+1/2 Str modifier damage.
Special Attacks: A lycanthrope retains the special attacks of the base creature. It also gains the abilities described below.
Curse of Lycanthropy (Ex): Any humanoid hit by a lycanthrope’s bite attack must succeed a DC 10 +1/2 HD +Con modifier Fortitude save or become afflicted with lycanthropy.
Abilities: +2 Strength and +2 Constitution while in hybrid form
Skills: +2 Survival and +2 Jump.
Special Qualities: A lycanthrope retains all the special qualities of the base creature and those described below.
Alternate Form (Ex): A lycanthrope can assume the form of a large bipedal hybrid lupine humanoid with prehensile hands and animalistic features. Changing to or from hybrid form is a standard action. A slain lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain in their animal form, however.
Low-light vision (Ex): A lycanthrope receives low-light vision in all forms.
Scent (Ex): A lycanthrope gains the scent ability while in hybrid form
Weakness to silver (Ex): A lycanthrope takes 150% damage from weapons made of silver. A lycanthrope becomes nauseated if he holds, wields, wears any item made of silver.
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Evil
Level Adjustment: +2

[jjpickar]

I like this a lot. It Reminds me of the Vampire Lite Template I did earlier this month. Iconic Fantasy "tempates" should be playable for PCs without huge level adjustments and useless hit die.

[Ekeralos]

Yeah, I liked your template for the lite vampire. One of my players suggested that I make vampires as cursed humanoids instead of undead, but the ones below might be too powerful.

Vampires
“Vampire” is a template that can be added to any humanoid. The vampire template can be inherited or acquired.
Type: The creatures size and type does not change, the creatures type changes to humanoid (vampire)
Speed: Same as the base creature.
AC: Remains the same.
Attacks: Remains the same
Special Attacks: A vampire retains the special attacks of the base creature. It also gains the abilities described below.
Blood Drain (Ex): A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the vampire gains the Con damage in hit points. A vampire is unable to drain blood from vampires.
Create Spawn (Su): If the vampire drains the victim’s Constitution to 0 or lower the vampire can feed blood to the fallen victim and inflict that being with vampirism. That being rises 1 day later as a vampire. This newly created vampire is under no compulsion to obey the vampire that created it.
Abilities: +4 Dexterity and -2 Constitution
Special Qualities: A vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and those described below.
Alternate Form (Ex): A vampire can assume the form of a tiny bat. While in this form a vampire gains a fly speed of 40 feet (average) and +4 size bonus to AC. A vampire in bat form loses the ability to spider climb, attack or drain blood. A slain vampire reverts to its humanoid form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain in their animal form, however.
Spider Climb (Su): A vampire benefits from the effects spider climb
Darkvision (Ex): A vampire receives darkvision 60 ft in all forms.
Weakness to sunlight (Ex): A vampire takes 2d6 damage each round in direct sunlight or under the effects of sunlight. A vampire becomes nauseated when in indirect sunlight (like reflected sunlight). A parasol or large body-enveloping cloak can be used to eliminate the damage.
Garlic Allergy (Ex): When in a room or around a person laced with garlic a vampire becomes nauseated. By consuming blood from a person who has eaten a large amount of garlic within the past 24 hours the vampire takes 1d4 Con damage per round of draining said victim.
Unholy curse (Ex): A vampire is healed from negative energy and damaged from positive energy. A vampire cannot heal naturally, instead it heals through blood drain (see above). A vampire can be turned or rebuked but he cannot be destroyed or controlled.
Unholy Resilience (Ex): Due to the unnatural metabolism of the vampire it receives DR 3/silver
Blood Dependency (Ex): A vampire is required to drain blood (at least 4 points of Constitution damage) from a victim or victims every day or take 2d4 points of Wisdom drain. The only way to restore this Wisdom drain is to feed on a victim or victims. When reduced to 0 Wisdom a vampire loses all judgment, and goes insane, seeking away to feed no matter the consequences. A vampire PC with 0 Wisdom from lack of blood, is controlled by the DM, who should play it as a ravening beast.
Alignment: Usually Evil
Level Adjustment: +3

Sunlight damage can be taken by someone in a heavy cloak if that cloak is destroyed by a sword or other slashing weapon. In other words if a vampire gets hit by a slashing weapon then a hole is left in their cloak/robe (and sunlight can get through). I might need to make mechanics on this.

[Zeta Kai]

I like this a lot. It Reminds me of the Vampire Lite Template I did earlier this month. Iconic Fantasy "tempates" should be playable for PCs without huge level adjustments and useless hit die.

I couldn't disagree more. Level adjustments exist to balance out PC's that have incredibly powerful abilities with those that don't. Ignoring or circumventing those LA's is a sign of broken design, & will be quickly evident in playtesting.

Iconic fantasy creatures make for awesome PC options, yes. But without LA's, it also makes for bad game balance, and if only some players are using them while others aren't, it makes for even more problems.

P.S.: If the werewolf template above is truly LA+1, then I am a tomato.

[Ekeralos]

I couldn't disagree more. Level adjustments exist to balance out PC's that have incredibly powerful abilities with those that don't. Ignoring or circumventing those LA's is a sign of broken design, & will be quickly evident in playtesting.

Iconic fantasy creatures make for awesome PC options, yes. But without LA's, it also makes for bad game balance, and if only some players are using them while others aren't, it makes for even more problems.

P.S.: If the werewolf template above is truly LA+1, then I am a tomato.

Hmm...do you think, +2 LA for werewolves and +3 LA for vampires would be better. I'm open to suggestions for change.

Edit: vampire sunlight protection:
Fullbody Suit
This large suit extends to the hands and form thin gloves, and has boots that extend up to the knee. In addition, it comes with a large cloak that extends over the back and down to the back of the knee, and a mask that conceals the entire face. There are spaces in the sleeves that can hold a vial (or some equally small object) in each. This suit takes up an armor slot (and if the cloak is worn, it takes up the cloak slot). Irt can be magically enhanced.
AC bonus: +1
Armor Check Penalty: 0
Maximum Dex Bonus: +9
Cost: 180 gp Weight: 10 lbs
*If the player takes 5 or more damage from a slashing weapon and has sunlight vulnerability (like the vampire) then he takes 1d6 damage per round when in the sun. If the character takes a total of 15 damage before the cloak is repaired then the player takes normal damage from exposure to sunlight.

[psychoticbarber]

P.S.: If the werewolf template above is truly LA+1, then I am a tomato.

Oh my goodness, there's a tomato on the boards! :smallbiggrin:

Kidding, I agree with you.

[Zeta Kai]

According to this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43009), yes, those figures are roughly appropriate.

[Ekeralos]

My biggest concern for vampires is that I use turning damage variant in Complete Divine, which does somewhere around 1d6 per one or two turning levels or something along those lines. I forsee vampires, with their low Constitution and tendency to be rogue types, as dying as soon as they are exposed to a turning attempt from a cleric. They have no turn resistance, but I really don't want to add it. Any suggestions, I think you can make a Fort or Will save to halve the damage.

Another concern is the werewolves weakness to silver, that is a lot of damage if you take into account, a barbarians rage/power atk, and an "assassin" (variant class that gets 2d6 dmg per level, 1/encounter if the opponent is suprised, who treats assassinate damage as normal damage)

Edit: Lycanthropy and changing
The rules for discovering you are a lycanthrope, for changing forms, and for curing lycanthopy are standard as detailed in the MM 3.5. The exception, is that Control shape does not exist, instead Concentration is used.

Check (Involuntary Change)
An afflicted character must make a check at moonrise each night of the full moon to resist involuntarily assuming animal form. An injured character must also check for an involuntary change after accumulating enough damage to reduce his hit points by one-third and again after each additional one-third lost.
On a failed check, the character must remain in hybrid form until the next dawn, when he automatically returns to his base form. A character aware of his condition may make one attempt to return to humanoid form, but if he fails, he remains in animal form until the next dawn.

Concentration (Con)
Retry (Involuntary Change)
Check to resist an involuntary change once each time a triggering event occurs.
Check (Voluntary Change)
In addition, a lycanthrope aware of his condition may attempt to use this skill voluntarily in order to change to hybrid form, or return to humanoid form, regardless of the state of the moon or whether he has been injured.
Retry (Voluntary Change)
A character can retry voluntary changes to hybrid form as often as he likes. Each attempt is a standard action. However, on a failed check to return to humanoid form, the character must remain in animal or hybrid form until the next dawn, when he automatically returns to humanoid form.
Special
An afflicted lycanthrope cannot attempt a voluntary change until it becomes aware of its condition.

Transformation
{table=head]Change|Concentration DC|


Resist involuntary change|
DC 20|


Return to human form (full moon)|
DC 25|


Return to human form (not full moon)|
DC 20|


Voluntary change to hybrid character (full moon)|
DC 15|


Voluntary change to hybrid character (not full moon)|
DC 20|[/table]