Inheriting Lycanthropy

[Cancermancer]

I’ve got a question that I couldn’t find an explicit answer for in the MM or DMG, so I figured I’d consult the forum.

So, if an afflicted lycanthrope (an individual who contracted Lycanthropy) has children with a Non-Lycanthrope, then (assuming the offspring does inherit the disease) would the child be born with the characteristics of a true lycanthrope or an afflicted lycanthrope? To further elaborate, a true lycanthrope can control their transformations but an afflicted lycanthrope can not. Curing Lycanthropy in a true lycanthrope is also much more difficult than curing Lycanthropy in an afflicted lycanthrope.

Also, the setting is Faerûn/Sword Coast if that matters.

[Lunali]

If they're born with lycanthropy, its part of their natural state and, as such, can only be removed with a wish spell. As for control, both born lycanthropes and afflicted ones have the same ability to control their transformations, though a born lycanthrope will be more likely to have an alignment matching their transformation.

[Aett_Thorn]

Also, check out the Shifter race for some ideas of a “half-lycanthrope” type race.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Earlier editions were a little more flushed out lore in afflicted vs natural.
For the afflicted it was purely a curse. Uncontrolled transformations and all the horrific consequences that can have. They could possibly master these abilities but doing meant embracing the animalistic nature.

Natural born lycanthropes had full control over their abilities, it wasn’t even considered a curse for them. (Read The 3.5?MM not the SRD). Also outside Eberron only natural born could pass on the curse.

5e edition dropped the ladder. Except for removing the curse there isn’t a difference between afflicted vs natural. Someone born a werewolf might be plagued the same way as someone infected.

Ultimately The DM decides that kind of lore. For my setting when infected with lycanthropy you are possessed by a spirit of the beast. The beast wants control over your body, and if you succumb to temptation the beast takes over.
Again in my setting the reason why most lycanthropes are
Evil is intentionally infecting someone with lycanthropy is an act of evil and an act of violence. So the resulting spirit tends to be one of violence and evil.

[DrKerosene]

I don’t recall if it was a Dragon Magazine, or some Eberron splatbook, but I believe there was a template for 3.5e that was a pseudo-lycanthrope.

IIRC, you had an ancestor who was a specific type of lycanthrope, which was a dormant curse that could only be awakened by you being bitten by that same creature type. So a pseudo-were-raven would only become a “(weak) were-raven” after being bitten by a raven.

I remember filing it away with other weird templates like Katane, or “child of a ghost” ones. I recall thinking it was basically the same as an Aasimar or Teifling, but with occasionally-beast ancestors instead of outsiders.

[JackPhoenix]

I don’t recall if it was a Dragon Magazine, or some Eberron splatbook, but I believe there was a template for 3.5e that was a pseudo-lycanthrope.

IIRC, you had an ancestor who was a specific type of lycanthrope, which was a dormant curse that could only be awakened by you being bitten by that same creature type. So a pseudo-were-raven would only become a “(weak) were-raven” after being bitten by a raven.

I remember filing it away with other weird templates like Katane, or “child of a ghost” ones. I recall thinking it was basically the same as an Aasimar or Teifling, but with occasionally-beast ancestors instead of outsiders.

Weretouched master. Shifter only. 3.5 ECS.