D&D 5E Werewolf Damage Immunity Question

[JoeCrow]

The way I'm probably gonna end up handling it is like this. (Game ended up getting cancelled this week, so I've got time to scheme.) During the full moon, he's full-on crazy murder machine, but he can make Wisdom saves (every round, increasing DC) to gain temporary control of himself. Other times, he can try and change at will, but stress/damage/other things can prompt rage, and then it's back to making Wisdom saves. Armor/equipment/clothes/etc: do not change. Damage immunities only work in changed form; might give him some sensory enhancements. Maybe advantage on scent-based rolls, that kind of thing. He's already got a higher base Strength than the change would give him. I dunno about the animals sensing him thing, I might give him that as a screwjob effect. I might give him advantage on Intimidate checks to balance it out. And yes, it's true immunity; the attacks don't bounce off, they heal immediately (and prompt Wisdom checks vs. flipping out and killing everybody).

As for why the immunity works on weapons and not natural stuff like rocks falling: it's a magical curse, folks. Why does Protection Against Missiles keep arrows from hitting you but not raindrops?

 

[Chocolategravy]

And how would you argue that in game?

I wouldn't. I heavily houserule around absurdities like this and keeping your dex bonus while unconscious.

 

[Chocolategravy]

As for why the immunity works on weapons and not natural stuff like rocks falling: it's a magical curse, folks. Why does Protection Against Missiles keep arrows from hitting you but not raindrops?

Not sure what spell you're referring to, but there are significant differences between an arrow and a raindrop that could easily explain why it treats them differently.

However there is very little difference between a rock falling off a cliff or hurled by a trap and the same rock thrown by a giant or golem. In effect the lycantrhopy is checking if an incoming threat is due to direct NPC action or not. That is veeeeery weird, it is the type of shortcut that videogames sometimes take.

 

[Derren]

No edition of D&D was ever built with that kind of internal consistency. It came kind of close with 3e, where damage resistance meant that huge flying rocks could do damage while a flung pebble couldn't manage to go over the reduction.

And what part of this does not solve this issue in a internally consistent way?

 

[Werebat]

I wouldn't. I heavily houserule around absurdities like this and keeping your dex bonus while unconscious.

Ooo! This SMACKDOWN of the 3E/PF rules lawyer mentality has been brought to you by CHOCOLATEGRAVY!!!

I have to examine 5E lycanthropes better. IMO lycanthropes were one of the few things 3.5 did better than PF. I'm curious to see what 5E did with them.

Are they still a template that can be applied to pretty much any animal?

 

[Derren]

Are they still a template that can be applied to pretty much any animal?

No, they are all human based with the suggestion to simply give them a racial ability from other PC races if you want to represent them. That immunities only work in changed form is RAW btw.

When a PC becomes a lycanthrope he gets the strength of that particular species, and can either embrace the change (shapechange at will but alignment shifts to whatever the lycantrope has) or fight it, only "flipping out" at full moon. So being bitten by a Werebear (NG) or Weretiger (N) and embracing it would be the best thing ever to happen to an adventurer as they become immune to a huge list of monsters.

 

[Sage Genesis]

And what part of this does not solve this issue in a internally consistent way?

Well, falling damage still entirely bypasses 3e damage reduction but a launched boulder wouldn't. Even though both of them are essentially a collision with a rock. As I said, 3e came closer but it doesn't quite have it either.

 

[MPA2000]

Yes Werewolves can harm each other. Like creatures can over come each other's immunities, unless stated elsewhere in the creature's bio.

I guess I would in the minority here, but immunity means just that. If they can't be harmed by anything other than Silver or Magic, then that's it end of discussion. Boulders thrown or fell on them will not harm them. If they are big enough, then they can be trapped by them. Nor can they be killed by falling off of a 100ft cliff.

Same thing with the Immortals of the Wrath of the Immortals game from D&D. They are immune from any mortal attacks that are not from artifacts or +5 weapons. That's it. Doesn't matter if it is a Gargantuan slamming them with a gigantic club. Doesn't harm them if it doesn't fit the criteria.

For some reason people can suspend disbelief about somethings, but not others.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I had them beeing strangled to death. No harm done. Just lack of air. Drowning should work well enough. Fire also works.

 

[WaterRabbit]

Classically, the werewolf immunity isn't that the weapons cannot hurt them, it is just they regenerate damage so quickly that they don't have much effect. Only aggravated damage that they cannot heal quickly makes any difference.

I would also rule (and do so in my game) that were creatures natural attacks are treated as silvered weapons (can inflict aggravated damage).