Lycanthropes.

psychognome · Mar 17, 2002

[I'm taking a break from my Werethings! thread, and posting a few lycanthropes using the basic rules. But fear not, I'll be back with the Werethings! thread in a few weeks time. 'til then, here's my newest creation

Weredolphin
As playful as normal dolphins, weredolphins are sworn enemies of the sahuagin. Some say that weredolphins have been chosen by Deep Sashelas for a special duty. Indeed, most weredolphins are of aquatic elven heritage.
Weredolphins are never afflicted. They are always born. From birth they are marked as special in a way. Dolphins heed them even more than they do other aquatic elves, and they seem to inherently hate sahuagin even more than other aquatic elves. Most aquatic elves consider it a blessing to be born as a chosen of Deep Sashelas, and accordingly weredolphins are respected, or sometimes envied, by aquatic elves.
Animal Form: Porpoise
Ability Score Adjustments: +6 Dex, +2 Con
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (butt)
Special: Weredolphins don't have the Curse of Lycanthropy ability of other lycanthropes. Respectively, there are no afflicted weredolphins.
Weredolphin Characters: Most weredolphins are rangers, taking sahuagin as their first favored enemy. Some are also clerics and druids (mostly of Deep Sashelas).

Sample Weredolphin:
This creature is based around a 1st-level aquatic elf commoner.

Weredolphin
Medium-size Shapechanger
Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex); +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) as dolphin
Speed: 30 ft., Swim 40 ft.; Swim 80 ft. as dolphin
AC: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural); 18 (+4 Dex, +4 natural) as dolphin
Attacks: Unarmed strike +0 melee; butt +5 melee as dolphin
Damage: Unarmed strike 1d3 subdual; butt 2d4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities: Aquatic elven traits, dolphin empathy; plus blindsight, damage reduction 15/silver as dolphin
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10 as dolphin*
Skills: Listen +18, Search +8, Spot +18**
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (butt) as dolphin***
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Climate/Terrain: Temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pair, family (2-4), pack (6-10), or troupe (2-4 plus 5-8 dolphins)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic good
Advancement: By character class

*In elven form, this lycanthrope has the following ability scores: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10.
**In elven form, this lycanthrope has the skill Craft or Profession (any one) +6, Knowledge (any one) +4
***In elven form, this lycanthrope has the feat Skill Focus (any Craft or Profession).

Krishnath · Mar 17, 2002

Very cool, reminds me of a certain book by Hickman/Weiss...

psychognome · Mar 18, 2002

Thanks. Any more comments? Suggestions? Tomatoes?

Krishnath · Mar 18, 2002

No comments, Suggestions, or Tomatoes. But I do have a few questions though:

1, Do you have the 3E stats for dolphins?
2, What are you planning on doing next?

Later,

Gish Makai · Mar 19, 2002

The blue is TOO dark..please change as my eyes hurt now.

psychognome · Mar 20, 2002

Krishnath

1) I used the stats given for porpoises in the Monster Manual, as it says that "these stats can be used to represent similar small whales", and as dolphins are technically whales... why the heck not?
2) My next pretty will be the werecoyote. I'll use the more traditional format given in the Monster Manual over my Werethings! way of making lycanthropes to do it. It also has a minor racial catch...

Krishnath · Mar 20, 2002

Sounds interresting...

psychognome · Jul 12, 2002

I can't believe myself! First I told that I'd get on with my Werethings! thread (which I didn't, 'cause I had to return Werewolf: the Apocalypse and the W:tA Player's Guide to my friend who lent them to me) and then I told that I'd do another lycanthrope over here! Ah, the irony. Just wait, and I'll have little yipping werecoyotes running all around this thread!

psychognome · Jul 12, 2002

Bah! Already twice I've messed up my post for the werecoyotes! Fate, it seems, is against me writing this post, so I'll have to wait for a better time. Later!

psychognome · Jul 12, 2002

FOURTH time lucky!

Werecoyote
Dwelling in the mostly unsettled prairie, the werecoyotes are the staunch defenders of nature. They run with packs of ordinary coyotes, sometimes forming packs of their own. These packs then scout the prairie in search for poachers and other enroachments of nature, and dispatch of them efficiently. They also help lost people get back to civilisation.
Werecoyotes are almost never afflicted lycanthropes. Even though many people have been bitten by them, only a small minority have actually caught the disease. This is thanks to the werecoyotes' ability to choose whether or not to infect their bite with lycanthropy. Most werecoyotes are born from unions between werecoyotes and nomadic folk with close ties to nature. Not surprisingly, majority of werecoyotes are halflings.
Animal Form: Dog
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Str, +6 Dex, +4 Con
Feats: Blind-Fight, Weapon Finesse (bite)
Special: A werecoyote attacking with it's bite attack can choose whether or not to afflict the target with lycanthropy.
Werecoyote Characters: Most werecoyotes are rangers, but many are also barbarians, druids and rogues.

[Author's note: I left out the Sample Werecoyote for a good reason. Writing statistics for this creature made Internet Explorer shut itself down THREE TIMES already, so you'll have to bear with it.

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