Adding a werewolf template to an existing character, help please!

[Wonka]

Ok, my character has contracted lycanthropy, and is now an afflicted werewolf. I have been reading over the MM about adding the template to my character, but I have never had to deal with LA before, or templates. I am confused on to how exactly I add this template to my pre-existing character. My character was an 12th level swordsage when he was bit, if anyone could offer advice on how to add the template to the character, and how the LA +2 effects my character in general, it would be much obliged, as I just cant seem to grasp the concept. Thanks.

 

[Animal]

well... technically you're a 14 level character now. so you won't hit your 13th class level until you get enough exp for a 15th ECL character.

 

[irdeggman]

Go to the Savage Progressions articles on the WotC site. Check with your DM to see if he likes this idea better.

Here is the link

Savage Progressions: Gaining a Template Midcampaign


IMO this system workd best for something like this - suddenly gaining a template mid-campaign. It adjusts it to a level by level progressin so it is more gradual then a sudden +4 boost (which by the way is essentally unfair to the other PCs since they did not gain 4 levels of xp (worth of power) at once like your PC did).

 

[Shin Okada]

Afflicted Lycanthrope is not only advantageous but often problematic. It will not simply make you stronger, especially until you gain enough ranks in Control Shape skill. So If I were a DM, I will immediately apply all the aspects of the template. But I will not give you any additional XPs at that time.

Assume your PC has 66,000 XP (just enough for becoming a ECL 12 character) when afflicted by werewolf lycanthropy.

Now your PC is a
*Level 14 Character (because your HDs increases by 2)
*ECL 16 Character (because afflicted lycanthrope has LA of +2)

This is what happens according to the core rule.

Then, If I were a DM, I will keep your PC's current XP total as 66,000. And just treat your PC as a ECL 16 character when calculating XPs you gain from each encounter from now. So your PC will start to gain much less XPs for each encounter, comparing to other PCs.

And your PC will get another level only when the total XP reaches 136,000. Enough to become an ECL 17 character.

As you are afflicted by Lycanthropy, you can be cured. I will not adjust your PC's XP total in this case, too. So, at that moment, you may gain new levels. By RAW a PC cannot gain more than 1 level at a moment. So if your PC's XP total is too high, it causes problem by RAW. But if I were a DM, I will rule 0 that part and allow you to advance 2 or more levels immediately.

Or maybe it is OK by RAW. Your ECL does not change (or lowered, dpend on XP total at that time). If you have 120,000 XP at that time, you will just become, say, a Werewolf Swordsage 12 (ECL 16) to a human Swordsage 16 (ECL16).

 

[Wonka]

Well, I tossed all my skill points from level 12 into Control Shape, so I have a decent chance at controlling it. Obviously this let some other skills be negelcted, but I can live with that. While I am an lvl 14 character, I am still only a lvl 12 swordsage right? The extra 2 HD only effect my effective level. I ask this because after re-reading a section in the MM i missed (the Lycanthropes as Characters section) I applied all that it told me too. The only thing Im still confused on is how it effects my BAB and saves, as it says the extra HD may effect those. How I understand it is my BAB and saves are as if I were a 14th level character, but my swordsage abilities are only as a lvl 12, is this correct? And I also will not gain another level for quite some time, as my ECL is 16 because of the LA +2. Or do the extra 2 HD i get from the template make me a lvl 14 swordsage in all sense of the class in terms of abilites and skill points too, not just BAB and saves? Sorry if these seem like easy qestions I'm asking, templates still kinda throw me off.

 

[Shin Okada]

That extra HD is of animal. It is somewhat like multiclassing into wolf (or rather, werewolf). That means, you get 2d8 HDs. And your BAB and base save bonus increase as per Wolf's HDs (+1 BAB, +2 Fort, +2 Ref). For more detail, you need to read the Lycanthrope entry in MM. One of the most complicated part is that you calculate HPs differently for those 2HDs. When calculating your total HPs, Con increase (+4) is only applied for those additional 2HDs.

And you gain (2 + Int Mod) x2 skill points for those additional 2HDs. And only the skills which usual wolves have, + Control Shape skill are your class ability for that 2 levels (but see later).

Well, I tossed all my skill points from level 12 into Control Shape.

If I were a DM, I will not allow it. Affliction is done in a moment (thus the template is added immediately) and you do not aware you are afflicted at that moment. So, you must wait until you gain at least another level (that mean, when you become ECL 17 character) to learn Control Shape skill. Afflicted Lycanthrope is not meant to be something immediately controllable.

 

[irdeggman]

The wolf HD also count towards max skill ranks (HD +3), level based feats (the one gained at every 3 levels) and ability score increases (the ones at every 4th level).

 

[Corsair]

Don't forget this:

A character with awareness of his condition retains his identity and does not lose control of his actions if he changes. However, each time he changes to his animal form, he must make a Will save (DC 15 + number of times he has been in animal form) or permanently assume the alignment of his animal form in all shapes.

Werewolves are Chaotic Evil.

 

[Wonka]

Don't forget this:

Quote:
A character with awareness of his condition retains his identity and does not lose control of his actions if he changes. However, each time he changes to his animal form, he must make a Will save (DC 15 + number of times he has been in animal form) or permanently assume the alignment of his animal form in all shapes.
Werewolves are Chaotic Evil.

Both my DM and I have decided to not use this. As stated somewhere in the MM, it says these alignments are based on common perceptions of the base animal, in this case wolves, and can be made arbitrary. Wolves are commonly thought to be evil, sinister creatures, but this is just human perception on them, and as such is why the werewolf is thought to be an evil creature. Thus, we are ignoring this and im able to keep my alignment under control.

If I were a DM, I will not allow it. Affliction is done in a moment (thus the template is added immediately) and you do not aware you are afflicted at that moment. So, you must wait until you gain at least another level (that mean, when you become ECL 17 character) to learn Control Shape skill. Afflicted Lycanthrope is not meant to be something immediately controllable.

Well, how we did it was this happened at the end of a campaign arc, where I actually transformed into a werewolf. We then took a break from that campaign to run a small arc for other chars (this is a chance for us to switch DMs, as we have a few campaigns tied together in a homebrewed world). When we came back to this campaign, we picked up and a year had passed since I had changed, so my DM had no problems with me putting all my skill points into Control Shape, as I could justify it with spending all my skill points in that year off to learn to control my self.

On another note, I think I finally get what i need to do Thanks to everyone for pointing me in the right direction on all this, it all seems so simple now, but was pretty confusing at the time.

 

[irdeggman]

Well, how we did it was this happened at the end of a campaign arc, where I actually transformed into a werewolf. We then took a break from that campaign to run a small arc for other chars (this is a chance for us to switch DMs, as we have a few campaigns tied together in a homebrewed world). When we came back to this campaign, we picked up and a year had passed since I had changed, so my DM had no problems with me putting all my skill points into Control Shape, as I could justify it with spending all my skill points in that year off to learn to control my self.

Except that you level up immediately and not over a year. Time is relatively unimportant in this regard.

That is as soon as you gained your racial hit dice - you had "leveled" up.

The only way (per the RAW) to avoid this is to use the optional traiing rules in the DMG (but that has a whole different set of issues involved with that).