boomwolf
2008-07-23, 03:37 PM
The Story Behind:
While most consider Lycanthropy as a curse, few knows the truth behind the curse. the original lycanthropes were not cursed and could not curse anyone, the truth is that the curse of lycanthropy is based off an elder race of shapeshifters who called themselves lycnos.
Long ago, during the years after the rise of mankind to their status as the most dominant race in the world the lycnos were feared by the humans and a war has begun between the two races, each believing the other wants to destroy him.
Needless to say, the humans had the upper hand.
The creation of the curse of lycanthropy is actually the work of an evil lycnos sorcerer who decided that the only way to save his kind from this losing war is to turn the human leaders into lycnos themselves, he created a powerful curse that can turn any humanoid into a lycnos, the curse however was far worse then intended, major side effects came into the creation. not only the victims turned into mindless beasts who desire nothing but blood, the curse spread on. dooming the lycnos by turning the entire world against them.
Today few lycnos still live, but the untrained eye cannot tell the difference between a lycnos and a cursed lycanthrope, the only who can tell for sure are the lycnos themselves and lycanthropes, also upon death it is possible to discern between the two, although not everyone understand the sign.
The few who roam the world are still attached to the tribe life their ancestors have lived, although few seek the path of adventure, the others think of them as troublemakers.
Lycnos, other then lycanthropes have no "human" form, only such of an animal or a hybrid of man and beast. and as the lycnos is a shapeshifter he cannot conduct the curse of lycanthropy. while the human-like form is considered "hybrid", it is actually their true form, and the animal is jest an alternate.
Lycnos Traits:
Lycnos comes are one of four kinds: Wolf, Rat, Snake, and Tiger-each has slightly different traits.
Traits to all kinds:
Type: Shapechanger.
+2 wisdom.
+2 natural armor in any form.
Damage Reduction 5/silver in any form.
Low-Light Vision in any form.
Scent in any form.
Each lycnos in hybrid form has two claws as natural weapons.
Each lycan gains all extraordinary abilities and all bonus feats of their animal form in their hybrid form as well.
LA +2
Special: all 4 kinds of lycnos are the same race and can breed between themselves as normal, when a lycnos is born, regardless of his parent's types, his own is determined in random.
Wolf Traits:
Size Medium.
Str +2, Dex +4. Con +4.
2 Racial animal HD. (with all that comes with it.)
Alternate Form (Su): a wolf lycnos may assume the form of a wolf and return as a standard action, if he dies in his wolf form he reverts to his hybrid form.
Unlike curse lycanthropes, a lycnos' shapeshifting ability is under complete control and bear no side effects. Armor enchanted with the "beastskin" ability turns into armor fitting the current form of the user as thought as it was a wild shape ability used by a druid.
Favored Class: ranger.
Rat Traits:
Size Small.
Dex +6, Con +2.
1 racial animal HD (with all that comes with it), unlike most races this HD is not replaced when the lycnos takes his first level but stacks with it.
Alternate Form (Su): a rat lycnos may assume the form of a dire rat and return as a standard action, if he dies in his dire rat form he reverts to his hybrid form.
Unlike curse lycanthropes, a lycnos' shapeshifting ability is under complete control and bear no side effects. Armor enchanted with the "beastskin" ability turns into armor fitting the current form of the user as thought as it was a wild shape ability used by a druid.
Favored class: Rouge
Snake Traits:
Size Medium.
Str +6, Dex +6, Con +2
3 racial animal HD (with all that comes with it.)
Alternate Form (Su): a snake lycnos may assume the form of a medium constrictor snake and return as a standard action, if he dies in his constrictor snake form he reverts to his hybrid form.
Unlike curse lycanthropes, a lycnos' shapeshifting ability is under complete control and bear no side effects. Armor enchanted with the "beastskin" ability turns into armor fitting the current form of the user as thought as it was a wild shape ability used by a druid.
Favored class: Monk
Tiger Traits:
Size Large.
Str +12, Dex +4, Con +6.
6 racial animal HD (with all that comes with it.)
Alternate Form (Su): a tiger lycnos may assume the form of a tiger and return as a standard action, if he dies in his tiger form he reverts to his hybrid form.
Unlike curse lycanthropes, a lycnos' shapeshifting ability is under complete control and bear no side effects. Armor enchanted with the "beastskin" ability turns into armor fitting the current form of the user as thought as it was a wild shape ability used by a druid.
Favored Class: barbarian.
And that's the lycnos, give a different feeling then a cursed lycan when played with, and also played differently. personally I like the snake the most, can be a nice build as a RHD3,Mnk2,Ftr2(or Brb2) and going to reaping mauler. nothing like a grapple expert when you deal damage when grappling.
Any comments? suggestion on how to make this a bit more readable? (I know its a bit confusing), balance? anything? I will love to hear it.
Made this race mainly because I wondered, if lycanthropy is a cuse, what kind of idiot will invent a curse you cannot control and makes people stronger? its more of a blessing unless you are from opposing alignment, and considering that making the transfer by an attack is rather pointless.
This race is the conclusion of all I thought off. mainly in the fluff area, but it has different crunch too.
I believe the race truly shine in his "random offspring" quality, considering each has another favored class each can serve another purpose in a tribe-like life. having a fair share of hunters (wolves), warriors (tigers), stealth strikers (rats) and "jailers" (snake's abilities make them perfect for capturing opponents alive.)
While most consider Lycanthropy as a curse, few knows the truth behind the curse. the original lycanthropes were not cursed and could not curse anyone, the truth is that the curse of lycanthropy is based off an elder race of shapeshifters who called themselves lycnos.
Long ago, during the years after the rise of mankind to their status as the most dominant race in the world the lycnos were feared by the humans and a war has begun between the two races, each believing the other wants to destroy him.
Needless to say, the humans had the upper hand.
The creation of the curse of lycanthropy is actually the work of an evil lycnos sorcerer who decided that the only way to save his kind from this losing war is to turn the human leaders into lycnos themselves, he created a powerful curse that can turn any humanoid into a lycnos, the curse however was far worse then intended, major side effects came into the creation. not only the victims turned into mindless beasts who desire nothing but blood, the curse spread on. dooming the lycnos by turning the entire world against them.
Today few lycnos still live, but the untrained eye cannot tell the difference between a lycnos and a cursed lycanthrope, the only who can tell for sure are the lycnos themselves and lycanthropes, also upon death it is possible to discern between the two, although not everyone understand the sign.
The few who roam the world are still attached to the tribe life their ancestors have lived, although few seek the path of adventure, the others think of them as troublemakers.
Lycnos, other then lycanthropes have no "human" form, only such of an animal or a hybrid of man and beast. and as the lycnos is a shapeshifter he cannot conduct the curse of lycanthropy. while the human-like form is considered "hybrid", it is actually their true form, and the animal is jest an alternate.
Lycnos Traits:
Lycnos comes are one of four kinds: Wolf, Rat, Snake, and Tiger-each has slightly different traits.
Traits to all kinds:
Type: Shapechanger.
+2 wisdom.
+2 natural armor in any form.
Damage Reduction 5/silver in any form.
Low-Light Vision in any form.
Scent in any form.
Each lycnos in hybrid form has two claws as natural weapons.
Each lycan gains all extraordinary abilities and all bonus feats of their animal form in their hybrid form as well.
LA +2
Special: all 4 kinds of lycnos are the same race and can breed between themselves as normal, when a lycnos is born, regardless of his parent's types, his own is determined in random.
Wolf Traits:
Size Medium.
Str +2, Dex +4. Con +4.
2 Racial animal HD. (with all that comes with it.)
Alternate Form (Su): a wolf lycnos may assume the form of a wolf and return as a standard action, if he dies in his wolf form he reverts to his hybrid form.
Unlike curse lycanthropes, a lycnos' shapeshifting ability is under complete control and bear no side effects. Armor enchanted with the "beastskin" ability turns into armor fitting the current form of the user as thought as it was a wild shape ability used by a druid.
Favored Class: ranger.
Rat Traits:
Size Small.
Dex +6, Con +2.
1 racial animal HD (with all that comes with it), unlike most races this HD is not replaced when the lycnos takes his first level but stacks with it.
Alternate Form (Su): a rat lycnos may assume the form of a dire rat and return as a standard action, if he dies in his dire rat form he reverts to his hybrid form.
Unlike curse lycanthropes, a lycnos' shapeshifting ability is under complete control and bear no side effects. Armor enchanted with the "beastskin" ability turns into armor fitting the current form of the user as thought as it was a wild shape ability used by a druid.
Favored class: Rouge
Snake Traits:
Size Medium.
Str +6, Dex +6, Con +2
3 racial animal HD (with all that comes with it.)
Alternate Form (Su): a snake lycnos may assume the form of a medium constrictor snake and return as a standard action, if he dies in his constrictor snake form he reverts to his hybrid form.
Unlike curse lycanthropes, a lycnos' shapeshifting ability is under complete control and bear no side effects. Armor enchanted with the "beastskin" ability turns into armor fitting the current form of the user as thought as it was a wild shape ability used by a druid.
Favored class: Monk
Tiger Traits:
Size Large.
Str +12, Dex +4, Con +6.
6 racial animal HD (with all that comes with it.)
Alternate Form (Su): a tiger lycnos may assume the form of a tiger and return as a standard action, if he dies in his tiger form he reverts to his hybrid form.
Unlike curse lycanthropes, a lycnos' shapeshifting ability is under complete control and bear no side effects. Armor enchanted with the "beastskin" ability turns into armor fitting the current form of the user as thought as it was a wild shape ability used by a druid.
Favored Class: barbarian.
And that's the lycnos, give a different feeling then a cursed lycan when played with, and also played differently. personally I like the snake the most, can be a nice build as a RHD3,Mnk2,Ftr2(or Brb2) and going to reaping mauler. nothing like a grapple expert when you deal damage when grappling.
Any comments? suggestion on how to make this a bit more readable? (I know its a bit confusing), balance? anything? I will love to hear it.
Made this race mainly because I wondered, if lycanthropy is a cuse, what kind of idiot will invent a curse you cannot control and makes people stronger? its more of a blessing unless you are from opposing alignment, and considering that making the transfer by an attack is rather pointless.
This race is the conclusion of all I thought off. mainly in the fluff area, but it has different crunch too.
I believe the race truly shine in his "random offspring" quality, considering each has another favored class each can serve another purpose in a tribe-like life. having a fair share of hunters (wolves), warriors (tigers), stealth strikers (rats) and "jailers" (snake's abilities make them perfect for capturing opponents alive.)