D&D 5E Balancing A Playable Lycanthrope Character

[Yaarel]

Personally, I would just say that the character only gets this protection during the full moon or when the curse takes control of their PC. The rest of the time, the character gains, say, damage resistance to nonmagical weapons that aren't silvered. Have it work for 1 minute, and once it's been used they need to complete a long rest to use it again.

Flavorwise, that is a great idea. The "immunity" is only during a full moon, or during the first transformation when the "cursed" character is temporarily an NPC.

You are right, once the levels are high enough when magic weapons become normal, the weapon damage immunity becomes moot.

Meaningful resistance or immunity (that magic doesnt bypass while silver does) would flavor more as "learning to control their Werewolf abilities". It makes sense to only be able to do it a few times after each Long Rest.

 

[Flamestrike]

It's a curse man.

The DM takes over his PC when in monster form, and murders babies (and loved ones and friends) and stuff.

That's how you run it.

 

[CleverNickName]

Multiattack. Redefine as merely: Your Unarmed Strike can deal the Slashing damage type, when using your claws, or the Piercing damage type, when using your fangs. No change in power.

Doesn't an unarmed strike only deal 1 point of damage, unless that character is a Monk? This "curse" would increase it to 2d4, which is a substantial increase in hitting power (pun intended). It's not just better than an unarmed strike, it's better than most offhand weapons. I'm not saying it's game-breaking, but "no change in power" isn't really correct. It's significant.

The Wolf form is a unique individual and recognizable. So, there is no deception here. The Werewolf form is monstrous, thus obviously unusual.

No, damage immunity is only available as a separate feat, and even then only at the highest levels. I would probably treat this as an Epic Boon now at level 20. At earlier levels, three feats grant damage resistance to Slashing, then Bludgeoning, then Piercing separately, which Silver can bypass.

These aren't in the rules-as-written...are these your house-rules? Unless I'm mistaken, according to the MM the character gets a whole truckload of features and abilities on the first night of the full moon, with no drawbacks at all.

That said, I really like the idea of these different features being locked behind character levels, or maybe even "werewolf-only" feats, as you're describing here with the damage immunity. Not only would it curb the sudden increase in power, it would also add a layer of customization to the character.

Good stuff here! I'm gonna be working on this all week, I think.

 

[CleverNickName]

It's a curse man.

The DM takes over his PC when in monster form, and murders babies (and loved ones and friends) and stuff.

That's how you run it.

No, see, I actually like my players. They're my friends.

 

[jdrakeh]

When I made lycanthropes a playable race in my OD&D campaign, I added the following provisions to help balance things out:

1. Lycanthrope characters uncontrollably transform into their animalistic form under the light of a full moon (traditionally) or when triggered by another specific external stimuli (in my own campaign, I’ve used lycanthropes as sleeper agents, triggered by a command word).

4. In order to retain control of themselves when they shift into their animalistic form, a lycanthrope character’s player must make a successful saving throw against spells. Failure on such a roll indicates that the character has given into their animal nature.

Regarding the last characteristic above, how a failed roll of this nature is handled is up to you and your group. Some players prefer to portray their out of control lycanthrope character, while others prefer for the referee to briefly take control of the character. I’ve run it both ways. My best advice is to ask the player how they want to handle the specifics of their character’s condition, and act according to their wishes.

 

[Corinnguard]

Garoul | Level Up Not exactly a lycanthrope, but it would give your player some of their perks.

 

[Yaarel]

Doesn't an unarmed strike only deals 1 point of damage, unless that character is a Monk? This "curse" would increase it to 2d4, which is a substantial increase in hitting power (pun intended). It's not just better than an unarmed strike, it's better than most offhand weapons. I'm not saying it's game-breaking, but "no change in power" isn't really correct. It's significant.

Yeah, in my Werewolf feat, the Unarmed Strike only deals 1 point of damage. Plus Strength.

But even if there is separate way to boost it, it would work like Two Weapon Fighting normally does. Each claw is like a light weapon in each hand. Use an Action for the mainhand attack, and a Bonus Action for an offhand attack that lacks a Strength modifier, or a fang bite. Or if the character has a class with the Extra Attacks feature, one can alternate among claws and fangs.

It balances normally.

These aren't in the rules-as-written...are these your house-rules?

These are my rules for a playable Werewolf character concept. I am currently finetuning them in the context of Mixed-Species characters as feedback for the playtest.

The description for the Werewolf character is informed by the monster stats, but player characters and monsters dont use the same mechanics.

Things that are too powerful for a player character can defer to higher levels.

Unless I'm mistaken, according to the MM the character gets a whole truckload of features and abilities on the first night of the full moon, with no drawbacks at all.

At level 20, a player character can also have accumulated a truckload of Werewolf features.

But during that first time of the full moon, the player character becomes an NPC with no free will. Part of regaining ones humanity is learning how to restrict and negotiate ones Werewolf nature − which includes being unable to use its full strength without losing control.

It takes much experience and many levels to be able to safely unleash all of the Werewolf power.

That said, I really like the idea of these different features being locked behind character levels, or maybe even "werewolf-only" feats, as you're describing here with the damage immunity. Not only would it curb the sudden increase in power, it would also add a layer of customization to the character.

Good stuff here! I'm gonna be working on this all week, I think.

Sweet.

I plan on posting the Werewolf stuff in an other thread, when juggling other stuff settles a bit. I will link to here too, and look forward to what you are doing with a playable Werewolf.

 

[Stormonu]

I've always run vampires and werewolves as curses in D&D, for me games like the WoD are build to handle that, but not D&D.

Though Eberron's Shifters were supposed to be playable natural lycanthropes, with racial feats to slowly add in all the werecreature attributes via feats or possibly a special class/subclass if you want to keep it balanced with the other PCs. You are, after all adding in attributes of Barbarian and Druid, with possibly a splash of Rogue or Ranger.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My suggestion was the combo "shifter" (PC specie appeared in Eberron) and a class like the Pathfinder "shifter".

* I miss the monster classes from 3rd Ed.

 

[Bill Zebub]

You know what's OP? A Lycanthrope PC with a katana.

KAPOW!