Are Halflings immune to Lycanthropy?

[Squid Bait]

I was just reading the MM section on creating a lycanthrope (pg 175). Under size and type, it says that the animal and the creature have to be within one size category of each other. So, a halfling could not be given the werebear, weretiger, or other large animal variety of the lycanthropy template.

That part makes sense, until you ask what happens to a halfling that gets bitten by a werebear (and lives). Does he shapeshift two size categories into the standard werebear...does he shift into a rather scrawny medium sized werebear... or, is he immune to lycanthopy due to a rule loophole?

 

[Caeleddin]

I have always thought that lycan works on ANY humanoid or giant type base creature. Read the section on lycans as characters. I think it is there.

 

[Joeluma]

i dont know whether they can become werebears or not, but theres still the dreaded... wererat. run from the horde!

 

[Sejs]

A halfling would be immune to catching lycanthropy from a lycanthrope where the base animal is size large, such as a weretiger. If the size split is too big, then the lycanthropy doesn't take.

It all really boils down to what the base animal is. If that werebear used a polar bear as the base animal, the halfling is safe. If it used a black bear as the base animal, the halfling is vulnerable to infection.

Cuts both ways, though. A halfling can't become a weretiger. A human can't become a wereraven. So on and so forth.

 

[Runesong42]

And let's not forget wereboar!

 

[Kae'Yoss]

One difference in size is Okay. So halfling werewolves are okay (as are human wererats). And don't forget halfling werebadgers. Now that's scary.

 

[blargney the second]

Demi-humans used to just die from lycanthropy. I'd be tempted to make a house rule that if you're ineligible to become a given type of lycanthrope, the Fort save is to prevent Con loss. Just for fun

-blarg

 

[werk]

Right, compare the size difference to the animal.

You guys think this rule is in there just to prevent characters from jumping 2 sizes?
Seems an odd rule, just trying to see the logic.

Were-bat? please...

 

[Hypersmurf]

Were-bat? please...

Do the maths on a Dire Werebat some time. The Dex is insane!

-Hyp.

 

[mvincent]

what happens to a halfling that gets bitten by a werebear (and lives). Does he shapeshift two size categories into the standard werebear...does he shift into a rather scrawny medium sized werebear... or, is he immune to lycanthopy due to a rule loophole?

For bears, I would treat him exactly as a black werebear... mainly because WotC put out a fairly common miniature for this (and I ended up with a lot).

For other cases, I might try to find a suitable replacement (i.e. giants would likely become dire-were-animals) if I wanted such a thing in the campaign, or just have it not take... using con loss (and potential death) instead.