Better lycanthropy rules for player character?

[lehp]

A PC in my game contracted lycanthropy (werewolf form) and doesn't really want to be cured. I'm ok with this, since it makes sense for the character and the idea of someone "embracing the curse", while not really new or original, is pretty cool.

However when looking at the rules for lycanthropy...I really don't like them. Basically, at first they are extremely disruptive in terms of gameplay and more obnoxious than interesting or dangerous. Eventually the curse becomes easy to control and turns into a shapeshifting ability.

Here's how things would play out, if I understood the rules correctly:

First full moon: LycanPC transforms and goes rampage. If he succeeds a WIS check DC 15 he remembers the episode, becomes "Aware" of his condition, gets the lycanthrope template modifications and can start putting ranks in the Control Shape skill. If he fails, he remembers nothing and remains unchanged.
Whether or not he remembers, from then on EVERY time he loses 1/4 of his HP, he has to make a DC 25 Control Shape check or turn into his animal form. He remains an animal until the following dawn. If the character is Aware, he can make a single attempt to turn back to human form (Control Shape DC 20/25).


Since the DC for resisting an involuntary change is 25, any Unaware PC with less than 20 WIS has a 100% chance to fail every time. So every single time, during the very first fight of the day, the LycanPC will turn into a wolf and lose control. Which is going to grind the game to a halt. This is going to keep happening until the PC becomes Aware.
If the PC is Aware, thing get only marginally better. Since in my situation we are talking about a Werewolf, the PC will obtain (4 + 2xINT) Skill Points from his animal hit dice, which he can use to boost his Control Shape skill immediately. In my specific case, he has +2 INT and gets 8 Skill Points. So a +8 total, since he has +0 WIS.
Considering he is a barbarian, and he has to make a check every time he takes 1/4 HP damage, he will have to make multiple checks during most combats. He will likely fail at least once. Become a wolf. Roll the 50/50 or less chance to turn back to normal. If he fails, he's out of commission for the day.

And because of the Level Adjustment, he's not going to level up for a long time, so he won't be able to put additional ranks in the Control Shape skill.

I don't know if I'm missing something, but to me it looks like this system would disrupt everything in a Not-Fun kind of way. I mean, sure, occasionally it's going to create a cool situation where the PC transforms at a very wrong time and hijinks are going to ensue, but for every such situation there's going to be 20 other times where it's just going to be: "Well, I failed my coinflip, looks like my character is out for the day""Ah, bummer, I guess we are gonna have to camp here until tomorrow morning".

So, does anybody have an alternative way to handle lycanthropy for a PC?

[Doctor Despair]

I mean, it's a skill check, so give him an item that boosts the skill check? You can get up to +30, as I recall.

[lehp]

I mean, it's a skill check, so give him an item that boosts the skill check? You can get up to +30, as I recall.

I'm not really having trouble getting him to improve his chance to succeed the Control Shape check. I mean, I could just lower the DC if I wanted to.

The thing is, the way it works by RAW, boosting Control Shape either does nothing, because even with, say, a 70% chance of success he's probably gonna fail at least once every 2 or 3 fights, OR it makes the "curse" completely irrelevant because the PC has complete control over it.

Now, I'm fine with him eventually becoming able to control the transformation completely. However, until it gets to that point I'm gonna need some form of risk or downside or something that makes the curse be a curse, just not something as disruptive as the RAW. And I'm having difficulties coming up with a good idea.

[Crake]

Erm, based on the rules im looking at, it's not every time they take 1/4 of their hp in damage, it's every time they take damage at all.


Thereafter, the character is subject to involuntary transformation under the full moon and whenever damaged in combat.

[lehp]

Erm, based on the rules im looking at, it's not every time they take 1/4 of their hp in damage, it's every time they take damage at all.

I thought so too at first, but in the Control Shape skill description, under Involuntary Change it specifies:


An injured character must also check for an involuntary change after accumulating enough damage to reduce his hit points by one-quarter and again after each additional one-quarter lost.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I personally don't think that the lycanthrope template is worth it. The abilities you gain aren't worth the PITA of the downsides.

Honestly, I'd look at the shapeshifter druid (from the PHBII) and the divine minion template (https://www.realmshelps.net/faerun/lore/magicbooks13.shtml). Add them together, do a bit of tweaking to be more in-line with "classic" lycanthropy, and call it a day. +1 LA and +1 HD with plenty of nice abilities, and possibly a few things traded out for others (as well as silver vulnerability), and you're good to go. You don't have +3 LA and 6 (or whatever) crummy animal HD for some lackluster abilities and really yucky downsides.

[lehp]

I personally don't think that the lycanthrope template is worth it. The abilities you gain aren't worth the PITA of the downsides.

It's not about it being worth it, the player just really likes the idea of his character becoming a werewolf, abilites or not.

My issue is not about making the werewolf template balanced or playable, it's about making Lycanthropy BE a Curse, but not in the way it is presented by the RAW, because it would just derail everything too frequently. Or, if they manage to boost Control Shape to a point where they can't fail, it just makes the "curse" irrelevant.

[Doctor Despair]

So you want a homebrew suggestion?

Keep the first shapechange as is -- it should be significant. Let them make a DC15 wisdom check to remember on their own, and reroll with +5 if someone tries to describe it and help them remember. If they don't succeed, repeat it next time they transform.

After they "know," give them wildshape into their animal at-will. Maybe give them some minor benefits when not wildshaped, like scent and a bonus to track or something.

If exposed to the light of a full moon, wolfsbane, or upon being reduced to 0hp, have them transform into an uncontrolled form (using the statistics for a Dire version of their animal form at full HP). They attack any nearby creatures until the sun rises or they fall unconscious, whereupon they revert back.

Give them a level adjustment commensurate with the strength of the bonuses you choose to give them. LA 2 is probably appropriate.

[liquidformat]

It's not about it being worth it, the player just really likes the idea of his character becoming a werewolf, abilites or not.

My issue is not about making the werewolf template balanced or playable, it's about making Lycanthropy BE a Curse, but not in the way it is presented by the RAW, because it would just derail everything too frequently. Or, if they manage to boost Control Shape to a point where they can't fail, it just makes the "curse" irrelevant.

So from my understanding you have to roll every time you get injured until you have at least 1 point into control shape skill. If you are simply wanting to keep the roll relevant as the character goes up in levels then I would suggest scaling the check to resist involuntary change with HD. Rather than being a set 25 instead have it be say 15+(2.5*HD of character) so a character with 3hd would be rolling a DC 22 check while a level 10 character is trying to hit DC 40 and a level 20 is trying to hit DC 65. You can play with the amount it scales until you are comfortable but changing it to scale as you become more powerful does make it more disease like. Also I would have Concentration and/or autohypnosis add a synergy to control shape skill. Heck you could scrap the control shape skill and just make control shape a sub-function of either of these two skills.

Now onto the horribleness that is Lycanthropy. So lycanthropy lets you change into an average animal of whatever type you are inflicted with, wildshape rangers, wildshape monk, and druids can do this for no LA or crappy RHD bloat. It also let's you change into a hybrid mode that stacks the animal str, dex, and con onto your scores; pre errata'ed weretouched master, bear warrior, primeval, and Shapeshift druid can already replicate this for no LA or crappy RHD bloat. Clearly there is a major issue with Lycanthropy the way that it is designed when all aspects of it can be reasonably replicated by say being a shifter wild shape ranger 5/pre errata'ed weretouched master 5. Here are my suggests, turn lycanthropy into a prc or turn it into a bloodline. I personally prefer it as a bloodline.

Lycanthropy PRC:
d8, good fort and ref, 3/4 BAB, 2+int (animal's list of skills plus handle animal, control shape, and maybe concentration and/or autohypnosis) level 1 gives you the ability to 'wild shape' into your chosen form at will though you have access to all ex abilities, shapechanger subtype, a +3 bonus on all handle animal skill checks in relation to your animal type, and DR 5/silver. Level 2 scent, low-light vision, +2 NA, maybe speak with animals of your kind ability like the forest gnome. Level 3 DR 10/silver, ability to assume hybrid form at will gaining the animal's str, dex, and con giving access to all ex abilities of the animal as well.

This is a pretty straight forward approach the main issue is the disparity between lycanthrops, this is much more powerful if you are a tiger lycanthrop than a dire rat. Restricting when you can start taking levels of this class until your ECL equals the RHD of your lycanthropy form would fix this. So a Dire wererat can take his first level at level 2 (as can a werewolf) whereas a werewolf lord can only enter at level 6 or later.

Bloodline:
From looking everything over I think CR might be a better metric for bloodlines than hd. I am also scrapping the differentiation between inflicted and natural. Finally, a character with say werewolf affliction which would normally give it a minor bloodline, can take a second bloodline level to add the ability to become a dire wolf and a third to add legendary wolf.

Minor

CR <=2 animals(Badger, Black bear, Leopard, Dire Rat, wolf, wolverine):

prior to taking first bloodline level character can not control shifting, +2 wis, low-light vision, scent, +2 NA, shapechanger subtype, and dr 5/silver
after taking first bloodline level gain access to both hybred and animal form, dr 10/silver, and shape control skill.

CR 3-4 animals (brown/polar bear, lion, tiger):

prior to taking first bloodline level character can not control shifting, +2 wis, low-light vision, scent, +2 NA, shapechanger subtype, and dr 5/silver
After taking first bloodline level gain access to animal form and shape control skill


Intermediate

CR <=2 animals(Badger, Black bear, Leopard, Dire Rat, wolf, wolverine):

After taking a second bloodline level, gain access to a more powerful animal and hybrid form.

Wolf -> Dire Wolf
Boar -> Dire Boar
Black Bear -> Brown/Polar Bear
Badger -> Dire Badger
Wolverine -> Dire Wolverine
Second bloodline level cannot be taken before ECL is equivalent to the rhd of upgraded form


CR 3-4 animals (brown/polar bear, lion, tiger):

Second bloodline level cannot be taken before ECL is equivalent to the rhd of lycanthrop form, the second bloodline level gives dr 10/silver and access to hybrid form


Major

CR <=8; adds access to the legendary form if applicable or in the case of Bear to Dire Bear. Again it may not be taken until ECL equals new form’s RHD.