Mechanics of lycanthropy and damage immunity?

[NRSASD]

Some kinds of lycanthropes are immune to non-silver, non-magic weapons. How do you represent this in game? Super fast regeneration? Extra-tough skin? Has there been an official ruling on this?

The reason I ask is because it's suddenly become plot-relevant to see if a ghoul could bite a piece of flesh off a lycanthrope, regardless if it does actual damage in the process.

As always, thanks for any and all help!

[Theodoric]

It's more fluff than mechanics, really; it's something that 5e leaves to DMs to decide. First and foremost though, it's an innate magical effect that comes with the curse. It's a supernatural phenomenon that obeys it's own arcane set of laws. I'd say a ghoul can't break the skin of a lycanthrope unless they're covered in silver, but that'd just be my take on it.

[GlenSmash!]

I say, your weapon seems to have no effect, and let the player imagine how that looks.

[Keravath]

You can choose to describe it however you like. The rules do not give an explicit mechanism. Lycanthropes (I think all of them) are immune to slashing, bludgeoning and piercing damage from non-magical/non-silvered weapons.

So either all wounds of this type instantly heal or they just do nothing. They either can't penetrate the skin of the lycanthrope or they pass through doing no damage. Since it is magic, it is up to you how you want to play it but the easiest way is probably just to say that the weapon bounces off doing no damage.

[Rukelnikov]

Its left at your discretion.

From a modern mythos standpoint, I would treat it as very fast regen since that's a staple for lycans normally.

[Joe the Rat]

Aesthetically I go with super-regeneration and lack of pain. You impale one with your spear, and he looks annoyed at you. You pincushion one with arrows, and it ignores them as it lunges at Gaston.

Where it might matter is riders - poisoned blades, greenflame blade and the like.

[stoutstien]

Obviously they wanted lycanthropy type creatures to act like long distance Arial strike missiles that can be lanched by trebuchet, so they made them immune to fall damage.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Obviously they wanted lycanthropy type creatures to act like long distance Arial strike missiles that can be lanched by trebuchet, so they made them immune to fall damage.

Doesn’t work against falling damage because it’s not a weapon. Designers wanted to encourage play your creativity when dealing with the foe couldn’t hurt normally.

[stoutstien]

Doesn’t work against falling damage because it’s not a weapon. Designers wanted to encourage play your creativity when dealing with the foe couldn’t hurt normally.
I was being facetious over people's obsession of trying to rationalize portions of the game.