RobJN
Adventurer
I have spent my vacation tinkering with the O.L.D. ruleset, attempting to convert a handful of characters from Classic D&D to W.O.I.N.
It has certainly been a learning experience. One of the minor heroes I've been trying to convert is a wererat (through no fault of her own). I saw that the online Bestiary has a Werewolf (filed under "undead?") and... that's about it. The O.L.D. rulebook lists a Lycanthrope type... but that's about it.
So I struck out on my own into the "Designing a Race" portion of the World Building chapter, and this is what I've managed to come up with. I'd appreciate any advice/fine-tuning/comments/critiques you might have, for good or ill. (Also, if you've seen a build of a were-creature for WOIN, and my Google-fu was not strong enough to find it, please point me to it!)
Wererat
Where there are men and cities and sewers, so too are there rats. It is unknown whether the rat strain of lycanthropy sprang up naturally, was the result of some magical mishap, or diabolical design. Some say the affliction affects rats, and allows them to change into Men, rather than the other way around. Whatever the case, be wary when engaging packs of giant rats, for their bite may carry more than just filth fever….
Statistics:
Size: Medium (Small, in giant rat form)
Attributes: AGI+3, INT+2, END+1
Skill Choices: climbing, running, swimming, scent, stealth, thieving
Exploits:
Direction Sense. You always know which way is true North, and instinctively know the best/quickest route to take through urban areas. Furthermore, once you have navigated a building or city, you can recall its layout with near perfect accuracy.
Evasion. Wererats are nimble and adept at dodging. They gain a +2 bonus to either their Melee Defense or their Ranged Defense. This bonus does not stack with other exploits which increase your Defense scores.
Regeneration. Young wererat whelps have not yet grown into their full immunity to normal weapons. When in their giant rat form, they can regenerate 1d6 Health at the beginning of their turn from any damage except that inflicted by slivered, holy or psychic attacks.
Shapechange. You must transform into a giant rat when under the light of the full moon. You cannot speak to humans while in this form, but normal and giant rats will understand you. On nights when the moon is visible but not yet full, you can assume your giant rat form. The duration is a medium countdown of your WIL dice pool in hours. Changing back before the countdown expires, or resisting the change to stay in were-form after the countdown has expired requires a Difficult [16]WIL check. You retain your own mental attributes, but otherwise use those of a giant rat (see below).
Upon reaching adulthood, the wererat’s Regeneration becomes immunity to non-silver or non-holy weapons while Shapechanged. Their Shapechange ability gains a hybrid form, wherein they take the head, clawed hands and feet, and tail of a rat, but stand and walk upright. While in this form, they gain a bite attack that deals 2d6 piercing damage. An opponent brought to 0 HEALTH by a wererat's bite contracts the curse of Lycanthropy. A wererat can use their claws if unarmed, dealing 1d6 slashing damage. Their tail grants a bonus +1d6 to resist attempts to knock them prone or off balance. Adult wererats can assume their hybrid or giant rat form day or night, at will, and have a chance to resist the full moon’s forced change, with a successful Strenuous[25] WIL check. However, it is taxing, and they are persistently SICK while resisting the change. This reverts to temporary FATIGUE once the moon sets.
At old age, they retain their immunity while in human form. It is a Demanding[21] WIL check to resist the lunar compulsion to change.
Ranging in size from that of a large house cat to a medium-sized hound, these scavengers find homes in abandoned warehouses, sewers, and swamps throughout the world.
Giant Rat
Small semi-sentient beast (5d6)
Like normal rats, only much, much bigger.
STR 5 (2d6) AGI 8 (3d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 2 (1d6) LUC 0 (0d6) REP 0 (0d6)
HEALTH 21
MELEE DEFENSE 13; RANGED DEFENSE 13; MENTAL DEFENSE 11; VITAL DEFENSE 11
SOAK -; VULN -
STATUS IMMUNITIES -
INITIATIVE 4d6
PERCEPTION 5d6; Darkvision, 60’
SPEED 8; CLIMB 8; JUMP 16'/3'
CARRY 110lb (max lift 250lb)
ACTIONS 2
NATURAL DAMAGE 2d6+2 (bite)
REACH 5'
Bite 5d6 (2d6 piercing damage)
Skills bite 3 (2d6), climbing 10 (4d6), running 10 (4d6), swimming 10 (4d6), scent 10 (4d6) stealth 4 (2d6)
Pack attack. Rats work together well. Any rats adjacent to the victim count as flanking, gaining the +1d6 bonus to attack. When 3 or more rats are adjacent to the victim, the victim becomes overwhelmed, and is rendered Fatigued at the start of its turn.
Filth fever. On a critical hit, or if reduced to 0 HEALTH, the victim contracts Filth fever, which causes waves of nausea, fever, and chills the next morning. The victim is persistently SICK and FATIGUED until the disease runs its course (a slow END countdown). A Demanding [21] END check is required daily.
For the Giant Rat, I basically converted the Dire Rat from the d20 SRD, checking against the Bestiary's Dog and Wolf entries. I winged it on converting the Filth fever, cobbling it together from the sample diseases in O.L.D. and the revised status effects of v 1.2 of the system. I may look through N.E.W. or N.O.W. a bit later to see if I can smooth it out.
Again, I appreciate any feedback, please let me know what you think! Would you use this in your game? Is it too... fiddly?
It has certainly been a learning experience. One of the minor heroes I've been trying to convert is a wererat (through no fault of her own). I saw that the online Bestiary has a Werewolf (filed under "undead?") and... that's about it. The O.L.D. rulebook lists a Lycanthrope type... but that's about it.
So I struck out on my own into the "Designing a Race" portion of the World Building chapter, and this is what I've managed to come up with. I'd appreciate any advice/fine-tuning/comments/critiques you might have, for good or ill. (Also, if you've seen a build of a were-creature for WOIN, and my Google-fu was not strong enough to find it, please point me to it!)
Wererat
Where there are men and cities and sewers, so too are there rats. It is unknown whether the rat strain of lycanthropy sprang up naturally, was the result of some magical mishap, or diabolical design. Some say the affliction affects rats, and allows them to change into Men, rather than the other way around. Whatever the case, be wary when engaging packs of giant rats, for their bite may carry more than just filth fever….
Statistics:
Size: Medium (Small, in giant rat form)
Attributes: AGI+3, INT+2, END+1
Skill Choices: climbing, running, swimming, scent, stealth, thieving
Exploits:
Direction Sense. You always know which way is true North, and instinctively know the best/quickest route to take through urban areas. Furthermore, once you have navigated a building or city, you can recall its layout with near perfect accuracy.
Evasion. Wererats are nimble and adept at dodging. They gain a +2 bonus to either their Melee Defense or their Ranged Defense. This bonus does not stack with other exploits which increase your Defense scores.
Regeneration. Young wererat whelps have not yet grown into their full immunity to normal weapons. When in their giant rat form, they can regenerate 1d6 Health at the beginning of their turn from any damage except that inflicted by slivered, holy or psychic attacks.
Shapechange. You must transform into a giant rat when under the light of the full moon. You cannot speak to humans while in this form, but normal and giant rats will understand you. On nights when the moon is visible but not yet full, you can assume your giant rat form. The duration is a medium countdown of your WIL dice pool in hours. Changing back before the countdown expires, or resisting the change to stay in were-form after the countdown has expired requires a Difficult [16]WIL check. You retain your own mental attributes, but otherwise use those of a giant rat (see below).
Upon reaching adulthood, the wererat’s Regeneration becomes immunity to non-silver or non-holy weapons while Shapechanged. Their Shapechange ability gains a hybrid form, wherein they take the head, clawed hands and feet, and tail of a rat, but stand and walk upright. While in this form, they gain a bite attack that deals 2d6 piercing damage. An opponent brought to 0 HEALTH by a wererat's bite contracts the curse of Lycanthropy. A wererat can use their claws if unarmed, dealing 1d6 slashing damage. Their tail grants a bonus +1d6 to resist attempts to knock them prone or off balance. Adult wererats can assume their hybrid or giant rat form day or night, at will, and have a chance to resist the full moon’s forced change, with a successful Strenuous[25] WIL check. However, it is taxing, and they are persistently SICK while resisting the change. This reverts to temporary FATIGUE once the moon sets.
At old age, they retain their immunity while in human form. It is a Demanding[21] WIL check to resist the lunar compulsion to change.
Ranging in size from that of a large house cat to a medium-sized hound, these scavengers find homes in abandoned warehouses, sewers, and swamps throughout the world.
Giant Rat
Small semi-sentient beast (5d6)
Like normal rats, only much, much bigger.
STR 5 (2d6) AGI 8 (3d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 2 (1d6) LUC 0 (0d6) REP 0 (0d6)
HEALTH 21
MELEE DEFENSE 13; RANGED DEFENSE 13; MENTAL DEFENSE 11; VITAL DEFENSE 11
SOAK -; VULN -
STATUS IMMUNITIES -
INITIATIVE 4d6
PERCEPTION 5d6; Darkvision, 60’
SPEED 8; CLIMB 8; JUMP 16'/3'
CARRY 110lb (max lift 250lb)
ACTIONS 2
NATURAL DAMAGE 2d6+2 (bite)
REACH 5'
Bite 5d6 (2d6 piercing damage)
Skills bite 3 (2d6), climbing 10 (4d6), running 10 (4d6), swimming 10 (4d6), scent 10 (4d6) stealth 4 (2d6)
Pack attack. Rats work together well. Any rats adjacent to the victim count as flanking, gaining the +1d6 bonus to attack. When 3 or more rats are adjacent to the victim, the victim becomes overwhelmed, and is rendered Fatigued at the start of its turn.
Filth fever. On a critical hit, or if reduced to 0 HEALTH, the victim contracts Filth fever, which causes waves of nausea, fever, and chills the next morning. The victim is persistently SICK and FATIGUED until the disease runs its course (a slow END countdown). A Demanding [21] END check is required daily.
For the Giant Rat, I basically converted the Dire Rat from the d20 SRD, checking against the Bestiary's Dog and Wolf entries. I winged it on converting the Filth fever, cobbling it together from the sample diseases in O.L.D. and the revised status effects of v 1.2 of the system. I may look through N.E.W. or N.O.W. a bit later to see if I can smooth it out.
Again, I appreciate any feedback, please let me know what you think! Would you use this in your game? Is it too... fiddly?
