Lycanthrope PC Races

[chronoplasm]

Were-ravens sound quite fun... be damn 4e flying = power conundrums ...

Yeah, that's the only reason why I don't make a Swanmay multiclass.

 

[Garthanos]

Can we stop the flying equal power for my War Witch turning in to a raven gives enemies in reach combat advantage and turning human again leaves you "stunned" or some sort of disabled state... and the give her only minimal combat ability in raven form (good enough to pluck out the eye of a minion) , maybe even make the character a little easier to kill so flying a fowl of your enemies ;-) to grant your allies combat advantage becomes a risky thing.

 

[afetbinttuzani]

Were-ravens sound quite fun... be damn 4e flying = power conundrums ..

Could someone elaborate in this comment for me? What is the "power conundrums" being referred to here?

 

[Garthanos]

Could someone elaborate in this comment for me? What is the "power conundrums" being referred to here?

Evidence that the D&D game treats flying as a a high power feature only.
Check the books what level does flying show up at as a pc capability or magic item yup... if I made my witch a druid I would be epic before gaining

a wildshape that gives flight speed equal to my speed she would need to begin and end her movement on solid ground. (damn I wanted to land in a tree)

and wow a Ring of Flight is only a level 20 magic item... and that is one maybe 2 turns...once a day... great...

A flying carpet also level 20... maximum flight height of 50 feet
and while on the carpet, a rider takes a –2 penalty to AC
and Reflex defense.

cleric and wizard spells of level 22

I actually have to guess... perhaps somebody has a reason why in game terms... but with true 3d movement you can avoid most defenders or their monster equivalent move like you are running without exposing yourself to OA except against the adversary you are charging against (they still get a nice shot) you can easily flank 2d characters... or engage those characters deep within the ranks of your enemies....

I am missing a few reasons probably but those might be some of them.... anybody else have clear cut reasons?

 

[afetbinttuzani]

Okay, here´s my draft for a PC Were-raven race. Some might object to the were-raven having three racial powers, but notice that, while in raven form, the PC cannot use weapons or weapon related powers and cannot use prayers or spells. I think the power of flight coupled with weapons or magical powers would have an imbalancing effect. Also, to counteract the power associated with flight and extra healing, I have allowed opportunity attacks and disallowed flight when bloodied. I have not added any flavor text.


Were-raven (Corvanthrope)
A were-raven always shape-shifts to the same humanoid form. The humanoid form may be any PC race (with its associated size and speed), but the were-raven does not gain the special racial abilities or bonuses associated with that humanoid race.

RACIAL TRAITS
Average length as raven: 28"
Average weight as raven: 3.8 lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Constitution +2 Wisdom
Size as raven: Small
Speed as raven: 6 squares if flying (terrain does not apply), 4 squares if hopping
Vision: Low light

Languages: Common, Second language of humanoid form and one other of your choice.
Skill Bonuses: +2 Perception +2 Nature
Corvum Constitution: You gain a +4 for saving throws vs. poison and disease.
Selûne's Blessing: You are allowed two second winds per encounter. However, any healing applied to hit point damage inflicted by silver, magical attacks or magical weapons of +2 damage or greater is cut in half and rounded down (i.e. 5 points of healing heals only 2 hit points of damage)
Animal Agility: When in raven form, you gain a +2 bonus to AC against opportunity attacks.

RACIAL POWERS

SHAPESHIFT Were-raven Racial Power

At Will:
Standard Action
Target: Self
Effect: You change into a large Raven or back into Humanoid form. The equipment wear or carry (but not creatures held by you) transforms with you. In raven form, you retain armor class bonuses, but you may not use weapons, other than your natural ones, nor do you gain weapon bonuses for attacks. In raven form, you may not perform prayers or spells. You may not fly when bloodied. When you return to humanoid form you are stunned for 1 round, then dazed for the next round.


SUDDEN SWOOP Were-raven Racial Power

At will
Standard Action:
Requirement: You must be in raven form and able to fly
Target: One creature
Attack: Wisdom vs. Reflex (It is assumed that you are attacking the target´s head or sensory center)
Hit: 1d6 Claw + Wisdom modifier damage. The target is surprised until the end of this round. Whether you hit or miss, you may move the remainder of your movement rate after your attack, but opportunity attacks apply for the target and all adjacent creatures.

BLINDING FURY Were-raven Racial Attack Power

Encounter
Standard action
Requirement: You must be in raven form and able to fly
Target: One creature
Attack: Wisdom vs. Reflex (It is assumed that you are attacking the target´s head or sensory center)
Hit: 2d6 Claw and Pecking + Wisdom modifier damage and target is blinded until the start of your next turn. On modified roll of 19 or 20, the target is permanently blinded. Whether you hit or miss, you may move the remainder of your movement rate after your attack, but opportunity attacks apply for the target and all creatures adjacent to it.
Miss: If the target has not had their turn this round, they move to last place in the initiative order for this round.

Heroic Feats

Selûne´s restoration
Prerequisites: therianthrope race
Benefit: Once per day, you gain regeneration equal to 5+1/2 level while bloodied. The regeneration lasts until the end of the encounter. If you take damage from a silvered weapon or magical weapon +2 or greater, the regeneration ceases to function until the start of your next turn.

 

[Garthanos]

Need to analyze more completely too sleepy right now ;-) a quick thought or 2 though I associate Intelligence with a raven not strength even if not.. welll quoth the raven never more... extra languages seem very appropriate. At 2 foot tall that is a good size bird (not so easy to pretend you are ordinary in order to spy easily), aye your raven form is definitely battle ready isn't it. ;-)

 

[afetbinttuzani]

Those are all good points, Garthenos. I have changed the size to more closely match a large raven. I think it should be larger than an ordinary raven, because if it were a normal size, spying would be too easy. If it´s unusually large, NPCs can be allowed a passive nature check to notice something odd about the raven perched nearby. I have changed the +2 Strength ability score modifier from to +2 Wisdom, and reflected this is in the Racial Powers. I agree that a raven's advantage should be brain, not brawn.

 

[Garthanos]

Those are all good points, Garthenos. I have changed the size to more closely match a large raven. I think it should be larger than an ordinary raven, because if it were a normal size, spying would be too easy. If it´s unusually large, NPCs can be allowed a passive nature check to notice something odd about the raven perched nearby. I have changed the +2 Strength ability score modifier from to +2 Wisdom, and reflected this is in the Racial Powers. I agree that a raven's advantage should be brain, not brawn.

The new size is subtly bigger but could be noticed now... Wisdom is good a Were-raven Druidess might fit the bill or is that beak.

I noticed you used a different accelerated healing than the shifter has (a shifter's is a regeneration) I don't actively dislike yours, but a regeneration that didn't work on the round following damage of silver type seems to fit too.

 

[afetbinttuzani]

I have a question about something mentioned in the 4E FRPG. In the "Deities of Toril" section, under the description of Selûne, it says that her followers:
"Seek out creatures who bear the curse of lycan-thropy, curing those who hope to end their affliction and destroying those who have suc-cumbed to the beast within" (p. 152).

This implies that lycanthropy is a curable affliction, whereas the 4E Monster Manual indicates that it is "hereditary" and cannot be contracted by infection. Do priestesses of Selûne have some extraordinary means of removing lycanthropy?

 

[Anthony Jackson]

Instead of races, why not make these into feats?

Done here, with the caveat that lycanthropy counts as multiclass feats, including initiate/acolyte/adept powers. That solves the issue of power level, since power replacement feats grant a power equivalent in magnitude to a standard class-based power, which can be quite strong. If you want to treat them as races, assume that a were-X is a human with the were-X feat, and that the feat is only available at level 1.

Incidentally, the wereserpent racial power looks a bit overpowered to me -- grab + bite + poison is a bit strong (without the poison, probably okay). Also, snakes are generally either poisonous or constrictor, not both.