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View Full Version : Running an All-Lycanthrope Campagin (Idea Thread)



Leliel
2007-10-02, 11:28 AM
Exactly as it sounds. An ambition of mine has always been a campagin where all the PCs are afflicted lycans or become ones early in the game. Of course, I would despose of the rule that states all were-creatures of a certain type are shoe-horned into a certain alignment(It never made sense to me anyway) and the Wisdom check to realize you've become one(Suitable for a horror game, yes. Suitable for a campagin like this, no). I also fully intend that they will be werebeasts for the entire game, and the focus will not be "finding a cure(or at least, the actual one)". I think that there could be much more RP potential if the PCs are allowed to embrace their condition(not to mention to reveal to the characters that hate their condition that the only way to control the beast is to surrender to it: a pet will only obey you if you treat it well, after all).

So what do you guys think? How would you, the forumites run a game like this? Are my house rules good ideas? What would be good antagonists for such a campagin(besides hunters)? What would you do?

An idea that has been also floating around in my head is that an afflicted lycanthrope can trans"fur"(rimshot) their conditon to other people just as easily as true ones. This is mainly becuse if someone decides to take the princess as a love intrest, this opens up a new whole can of juciy RP worms. Oh sure, she may be fine with you being a werewolf, but will she still be fine after you turn her into another one beacuse A) you had to turn her to save her life(Regenration) or B) you took your relationship a little bit farther(For the uninitiated, lets just say that in most werewolf fiction, lycanthropy can be transmitted by more then one method:smallwink: )?

And before anyone asks, the reason I wouldn't do true lycans is beacuse that would just be a normal game, but with the PCs having a common Combat Feat. With afflicted werebeasts, there is a whole new game mechanic to deal with.

And before anyone submits antagonist ideas, no vampires. Can you say "cliche"?:smallsigh:

And yes, this will be a "non-evil" campagin.

LET THE DISCUSSION BEGIN! Wow, thats not nealy as good when the third word does not imply fighting in any demanor...

KIDS
2007-10-02, 11:35 AM
Well, honestly this sounds like a very awesome idea. While most of the game's success or failure is made by good roleplaying and characters which do not depend on lycanthropy, this one said awesome idea gives you a strong base, a lot of initial motivation and an amazing array of plot hooks. I'd also applaud the decision to get rid of "alignment always XY" rule.

I don't have a great idea or insight to contribute right now but I very much like the concept and think that it can encourage good players to give their best and create something even better.

sikyon
2007-10-02, 11:40 AM
A travelling band of lycanthropes?

Well... I think you've cut off too many options in your post. No fighting vampires? Common! It's like... being bitten and then being pulled into their secret war. No cure? Level adjustment? If people love lycanthropes, then everyone would try to be one... if people hate them, yeah that's gonna make for some great social interactions.

I would also like to point out that PC's tend to rebel against these sorts of things, their OOC preconceptions are usually too great.

TheElfLord
2007-10-02, 11:45 AM
I hate to say this, but feel compelled to.

Have you considered playing a world of darkness game, such as Werewolf? It is basically exactly what you described sans being able to pass the curse on. There is even a medieval setting if you want to keep that flavor.

Miraqariftsky
2007-10-02, 11:50 AM
I kindly refer ye to the Silver Flame's crusade against lycanthropes that nearly exterminated all who had the taint.

Yes, you're probably not running an Eberron so what I suggest in terms of antagonists are powerful fundamentalist zealots who cannot reconcile themselves with the concept that not all lycans are evil.

horseboy
2007-10-02, 12:43 PM
So, it's kinda like that movie Catpeople? Yeah, that could be cool.

Zincorium
2007-10-02, 01:01 PM
Hm, aside from liking the idea, I can't help but feel there are going to be certain problems with running it that will need to be addressed (beyond the ones you already have).

Firstly, spellcasters will of course be distinctly disadvantaged, even if you remove the LA from everyone, because of the non-spellcasting hit dice and the physical bonuses the non-spellcasters can take greater advantage of. Nerfing spellcasters might seem like a good idea, but be careful of how much. No one likes to be the useless character because of factors completely outside their control.

Secondly, silver weapons. It becomes very unreasonable, very quickly, if you simply give all the enemies these. People specifically hunting the PCs are fine, but random ogre #12 shouldn't have one. I'm probably expounding on this far more than necessary, but remember when it comes to monster design ones that deal fewer but more powerful attacks are likely to be more of a threat than ones with a bunch of smaller ones.

DrummingDM
2007-10-02, 01:05 PM
I like the sound of the game. Your homebrew changes sound perfectly suitable for the type of game you want to run.

Along with the suggestion of the zealots bent on eradicating all lycans for yoru antagonist, I'd suggest something slightly more subtle. Since you're going to be running a non-evil game, how about making a young, naieve, immensely likeable paladin as your BB Not-So-Evil G who's sworn to defend the weak and powerless from the horrors of all things lycanthropic? Or simply make the paladin a well respected, popular young cleric. It'll make for a mountain of the RP you desire - the party won't want to hurt this kid who is simply doing what they see as their divine duty, but they'll always know they'll have to confront him at some point, likely when he brings the fight to them.

Holocron Coder
2007-10-02, 03:23 PM
May also want to limit what LA is allowed for these lycanthropes. Don't want any wereraptors or were-damn-crabs running around.

And if you stick to wolves, specify wolf, winter wolf, dire wolf, etc :)

Let me know if you go through with this. Sounds neat enough and I've had an awesome idea for a werewolf in my head for a while.

Mewtarthio
2007-10-02, 03:35 PM
May also want to limit what LA is allowed for these lycanthropes. Don't want any wereraptors or were-damn-crabs running around.

I believe afflicted lycanthropes all have the same LA. It's RHD that's the problem.

As a side note, That Damned Crab is a Vermin, so you can't apply the lycanthrope template to it.

Captain van der Decken
2007-10-02, 03:50 PM
Just don't allow entomanothropes (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20040621a) then.

RTGoodman
2007-10-02, 05:04 PM
One thing that I think would be cool (but some people might disagree with) would be to not tell the players immediately that they'll be lycans. During character creation, give each a "background sheet" that lists several things and asks for his character's opinions on each. List lycanthropy as one of them.

Then, when you've gotten all of those, you can decide a way that they'll become lycanthropes (a wizard did it?), and they should roleplay their transformations as how they reconcile their background with their new-found lycanthropy.

Oh, here's an idea for how they all became were-something: perhaps they could have all be subject to some sort of curse brought about by a demon-lord or one of the Lords of the Nine that turns everyone from their home village into a lycanthrope because of a soul-pact with the mayor that went awry. The curse turns them into the lycanthrope that best fits their personality, so each could then pick (out of character) the animal that fits their character, who would unwillingly become such a lycan and have to deal with the personal conflicts that could ensue.

Jayabalard
2007-10-02, 05:27 PM
Of course, I would despose of the rule that states all were-creatures of a certain type are shoe-horned into a certain alignment(It never made sense to me anyway) and the Wisdom check to realize you've become one
<snip>
A) you had to curse her to save her life(Regenration) If being a were doesn't corrupt you and turn you evil, and if you are aware of the condition and in control during your transformation, then exactly how is it a curse?

Not that I'm saying that you should shoe-horn them into certain alignments... but if you drop the curse part of being a lycantrope, then you can't really keep the whole "curse of lycantropy" idea either.

Leliel
2007-10-02, 07:59 PM
If being a were doesn't corrupt you and turn you evil, and if you are aware of the condition and in control during your transformation, then exactly how is it a curse?

Not that I'm saying that you should shoe-horn them into certain alignments... but if you drop the curse part of being a lycantrope, then you can't really keep the whole "curse of lycantropy" idea either.

I know. But if she didn't want to be a werewolf, she's likely to veiw it as a curse. And actually, I couldn't think of a term other than "curse" to desribe the process of turning a person into a lycanthrope. Though now that I think of it, "turning" is a better word. I'll change it.

To concerns about spellcasters: How about giving them artifacts that only spellcasters are able to use?

To rtg0922: I personally perfer telling players they'll become lycanthropes beforehand, and since the lycanthropy in this game is not evil, I don't think a soul-pact with an evil spirit would be a good idea(the fact that the spirit is evil, not the pact itself) but other than that, good ideas. Besides, you've given me an excellent idea for a villan: an eco-terrorist mage, determined to turn every sentient humanoid into a werecreature, reasoning that that will force them to live in harmony with their surrondings. Sound good?

Stormcrow
2007-10-02, 08:05 PM
The two points of consideration I'd go into are;

Firstly, D&D may not be the best system for it. Werewolf is a much swishier system for playing Lycanthropes because the power matrix is designed for it and there is a lot more development into powers and abillities that make you a Lycan, not a super-pc who can shapeshift.

The second would be which Lycanthropic sources you want to use, if you go into real world folklore there are a whole bunch of different kinds of lycans, beyond Werewolves and most of them are feircely opposed. If you care about that at all then you want an all one genus party or there _will_ be blood.

RTGoodman
2007-10-02, 08:19 PM
To rtg0922: I personally perfer telling players they'll become lycanthropes beforehand, and since the lycanthropy in this game is not evil, I don't think a soul-pact with an evil spirit would be a good idea(the fact that the spirit is evil, not the pact itself) but other than that, good ideas. Besides, you've given me an excellent idea for a villan: an eco-terrorist mage, determined to turn every sentient humanoid into a werecreature, reasoning that that will force them to live in harmony with their surrondings. Sound good?

Oh, sorry, I didn't see the part about it being a non-evil campaign and about lycanthropy not causing an alignment change.

Of course, you could still have some sort of magic that, somehow, transformed each character into a lycanthrope embodying his own personality. As in, the rogue would probably be a wererat or something, the barbarian maybe a werebear, and so forth (with each player getting to pick which he feels is right for his character). Ooh, and then for a BBEG you could have an NPC that the party knows who was affected by the same magic, and who's now using his were-powers for Evil. Or, you could maybe even using our very own Rich Burlew's Ogre Were-T-Rex Barbarian (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/Pnoxyx12ZcZ8H5zI78m.html).

Mewtarthio
2007-10-02, 08:19 PM
If being a were doesn't corrupt you and turn you evil, and if you are aware of the condition and in control during your transformation, then exactly how is it a curse?

Not that I'm saying that you should shoe-horn them into certain alignments... but if you drop the curse part of being a lycanthrope, then you can't really keep the whole "curse of lycanthropy" idea either.

The idea behind the alignment shift is to ensure that PCs won't run up to werewolves screaming "Bite me!", thereby gaining a lot of power instantly (that's, what, +5 to ECL?). PCs think differently from most people, so they may not consider lycanthropy to be all that much of a raw deal under certain circumstances unless they're explicitly told, "If you become a lycanthrope, you must repeatedly make Will saves or turn in your character sheet forever as you become a bloodthirsty irredeemable monster." Now that everyone is a lycanthrope, however, you don't have to worry about PCs unbalancing the game. Thus, the "curse" aspects of lycanthropy can be fully cultural: If you become a werewolf, you get chased out of town by angry farmers with torches and pitchforks, and even if you could take them on, you'd be an outcast forever.

Or, at least, that's the theory, anyway.

(Slight side note: Technically, nothing prevents multiple forms of lycanthropy from stacking. Lycanthropes remain Humanoids and therefore remain vulnerable to "Curse of Lycanthropy." You might want to address that.)

leperkhaun
2007-10-03, 01:57 AM
Its a great idea, especially if your group enjoys RP.

might have missed this, will you be using the Control Something or other skill for players so they have a chance of controlling thier powers or are you just going to say heck you can control it.

I would probably start off the adventure with each character individually. They would start as 1st level NORMAL people. 15-30 minutes each on how they became afflicted and how people initially treat them once they are found to have this ( run out of town, family disowning them, bieng hunted...etc) so they can get a feel of how the world reacts.

I could see this as being a kinda of survival game at lower levels and eventually evolve into them trying to change other people's outlook on werecritters. Just trying to stay one step ahead of the mob, doing good deeds (killing monster bothering a town, taking out "evil" were's) into greater more well know deeds to become at least a bit accepted (think dritz) and maybe trying to put together a were-nation.

Following another person's suggestion the Church of the Silver Flame in the ebberone setting could help to define the more zeleous of those who dislike were's.

Mechanically i would just give them the template without penelizing them. Also i would balance the different weres. A fighter who is a werebear gets more than a rogue who goes wererat. Id probably give them several options for the were's. Decreasing the power of say werebears a bit and increasing the powers of the wererat until they were about the same, also i might add new were types that would cater to casters (bonuses to int or cha or some such).

Initially physical classes will get more out of the were's than the casters, but as the levels go one and the casters get more powerfull it will even out a bit more.

Id also have this type of game with a good deal of RP. Like you said, sure they might be able to take out that village mob, but if the King finds out these weres killed 20 people, he might send his soilders out.

Hmmm, what would the were population be in your campaign? Are they generally not quite common, but most people at least know someone who has seen one or are they rare.

This will make a difference in city watches and the like regurally carrying silver weapons vs most of them wont have it.

As for antagonists, i think various world institutions and the people them selves will make for good people to go against. killing an evil BBEG is pretty straight forward (he is evil, thus you kill him), it would be much different if the BBEG was a good person leading a crusade against all the evil that is lycanthropes. espesically if your players are good alignment.

Vay
2007-10-03, 02:15 AM
There's a book on how to do this in a D&D setting, The Complete Guide to Werewolves by Goodman Games if you're looking for the werewolf type, there's an actual feat for the afflicted to be able to transfer the curse.

I'd say leperkhaun beat me to the suggestion, I'd reccommend the same thing, personally.

Leliel
2007-10-03, 11:06 AM
Good, good...Keep those ideas coming.

CrazedGoblin
2007-10-03, 11:09 AM
Rule 1: Avoid Everything Silver! :smallbiggrin:

fireinthedust
2007-10-03, 12:38 PM
Secondly, silver weapons. It becomes very unreasonable, very quickly, if you simply give all the enemies these. People specifically hunting the PCs are fine, but random ogre #12 shouldn't have one.

I'd recommend just having stronger damage from monsters, knowing the PCs can regenerate (unles they're hideously crushed to death or slain beyond -10hp). You could have fun fighting, say, Hydras or what have you.
Then the ninja assasins (the order of the silver fang) that specifically hunt the PCs will be that much more threatening. The PCs are used to shrugging off damage, so being able to be hurt is huge.

How they got it: Black Blood in FR are a group of chaotic evil lycanthropes in the north. Think "let's make an army of were-berserkers", and they worship, like, demons. The PCs are a normal group of adventurers captured by a raid; they get the curse, but hate the black blood's goal. Then you have powerful opposition that can match their savagery. You also get mirror versions of each PC, a rival. And you can pick which lycanthropy each PC wants


Villains:

1) Church of the Silver Flame (who're used to black blood marauders), who don't believe they're not evil (or corrupted by the taint, even if they are sincere)
2) Assasins w. silver weapons
3) Chinese alchemists who want tiger balls for tea (heh)
4) FR's Brotherhood of the Black Blood: evil lycanthropes.
5) Dungeons that have artifacts they could use to stop ye massive Xoriat invasion, or undead horde (guarded by monsters they can attack with claws, etc.
6) Circus/arena they're forced to fight in (westgate in FR, Zhentil Keep, Thay, etc.)


Also: check out the 2nd ed module "feast of Goblyns"; on the Wizards site for free downloads. It's got an Inn in the town of Kartakas that could double for a Black Blood stronghold.

also: spellcasters would be fine. They'll have exactly the same boost as the other characters. A bear with a high bab, or a bear that lobs fireballs?! Don't nerf, but keep in mind what they can or can't do.

Leliel
2007-10-04, 04:06 PM
Oo, gladiators. Hmm...

New Question: As a player in such a campaign: How would your typical paladin react to developing this game's version of lycanthropy? After from "suicidal depression from realizing you, a warrior of light are now a creature of darkness and night" thing. What I actually want to know is how the aforementioned paladin will view his condition when he finally realizes he isn't evil.

Stormcrow
2007-10-04, 07:54 PM
If his god still accepts him then he is just better equiped to do his god's work.

leperkhaun
2007-10-05, 12:18 AM
I think it would have a bit to do with how much the paladin can control his shifting.

I would doubt that a paladin would try to stay as a were if they were not able to control it. Mostly this would stem from his not bieng able to properly deal with situations (that family died because i turned into a wolf and went hunting deer instead of helping them).

It would also deal with his faith and his god. If he is part of a church that hunts and puts down were's then, he would..not react well. However if all he has to overcome is a personal dislike of were's then his getting lycanthropy can make him better understand those critters and thus come to accept it, maybe even going so far as to try to change people's minds about them.

fireinthedust
2007-10-05, 12:38 PM
also I think Paladins of a certain level are immune to Lycanthropy, like they are to Mummy Rot and other magical diseases.

So if it's a magical curse that changes alignment (like an Outsider-based curse vs. an actual magical disease), they would be affected; but if it's not alignment-changing, they're fine.

it would depend on how the paladin feels about their change. Is their view that lycanthropes are evil? that's bad.

I would recommend, for the challenge, that Lycanthropy itself is just a magical state of being that doesn't have a cure. They can control it, however, and you get were-party doing good.
Thing is: once a month there is a moon that comes into view (hidden behind the regular moon? a comet surrounding the world regularly? Heck, it could just be a hidden artifact buried somewhere that sends out signals once a month). When it doesn, it triggers the change and forces all lycanthropes to go berserk and murderous rampage aplenty.
That's why normal folks (and the Church that protects them) think werewolves are evil: they kill fairly regularly because of this astrological event. No one else knows about the moon/artifact, only that every thrity days a plague of beasts descends from the hills, or that infected lycanthropes are changed every thirty days to feed.

So the party has to chain themselves up; but there are evil lycanthropes who go nuts, and only the party stands a chance of winning.

so the plot could be "how do we stop this magical effect/artifact?"

Leliel
2007-10-06, 10:22 AM
Goood...I was thinking that they could could stil control thier power on the full moon, and it would be somthing they would have to deal with (The villagers don't intially distinguish between the serial killer who uses his power to cover up his crimes and the party), but that's an excellent idea, also. Maybe I'll add some "feeding" mechanics, and if the party dosen't satiate their inner beast will go beserk and they'll be forced to...and it dosen't care if it's prey is sentient or not.