D&D 5E Balancing A Playable Lycanthrope Character

[Flamestrike]

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

So do DMs in Monty Haul campaigns, tossing out magic items like candy.

If you like your players, don't be afraid to challenge them, make life hard for their characters, and so forth.

If my players get cursed, they get cursed. But you do you I guess mate.

 

[Aldarc]

What if the player switched their species to Shifter?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Would it be possible to make them a feat chain composed of the Beast Barbarian's features?

 

[aco175]

I'm working on some statblocks for the Grey Wolf Uthgardt Barbarians who all have lycanthropy. I started with the shifter race like what @Aldarc mentioned above. For basic monsters, I just gave them a basic bonus to AC and a cool bite attack, but for a more boss-like monster I have a recharge power along with the full werewolf stuff.

The full curse should take a few moons to fully develop. Give some cool basic stuff like extra movement and keen smell/hearing early. Eventually resistance to weapons before full immunity. A few moons in most games may be several levels and then the others will catch up. You can even offer feats for immunity or resistance showing all lycans are not created equal.

 

[Oofta]

You have a few options.

1. You can follow the book on werewolves and suddenly they're immune to everything but silver or magic and are suddenly incredibly overpowered compared to any other PC of that level. Not good.
2. Slowly give them powers but make them take levels in werewolf, based off suggestions given or perhaps moon druid. Limiting them to non-metallic as a mood druid probably isn't going to change much but can be explained as a restriction to shapechange. It takes a while to learn to control the shifting. Others have given suggestions, but if you add werewolf powers and allow them to continue leveling up like normal it's a pretty major power up.
3. It's a curse, plain and simple. When they transform during the full moon they become a chaotic and evil beast that kills everything in sight, preferring to go after friends and allies if possible. They have to find a way to remove the curse.

Personally? I'd use #3, it's a curse. The player thought it would be awesome but now has a quest to remove the disease. This is actually pretty typical of werewolf movies, the bitten protagonist actually feels really good until they realize what they're doing during blackout periods. This has nothing to do with punishing your player, it can be a fun side quest.

You could also give them the option to fight back against the curse but by doing so it means they don't get all the benefits of being a werewolf. Give them some minor benefits like unarmed attacks, but immunity is only a thing if they fully accept the curse and become an NPC. Their dreams are haunted by visions of violence and rage. Let them take levels of werewolf powers if you want including transformation. During the full moon they have to be restrained or they go on a killing spree.

Some other games could handle a full-on werewolf. D&D could even handle it if you had the right setup for all players. But in my game? I just explained that being a werewolf was not a power-up, it's a curse. It's a question of balance in comparison to the other players. That, and I'm not particularly fond of straight up immunity to damage but that's another issue.

NOTE: Remember that no equipment isn't transformed. In addition I'd say that while wolfing out they don't care about their equipment.

 

[Tonguez]

Personally I’d drop damage immunity entirely, and only give the speed boost when in wolf form. Full Moon causes forced transformations.

I’d also reinforce the curse aspect via Bloodlust - upon first entering combat or if you start your turn with fewer than half your hit point maximum, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become bloodlusted. You immediately transform into hybrid form and move directly toward the nearest creature (even if its an ally) and use the Multiattack action against that creature.

 

[TwoSix]

I feel like worldbuilding considerations must be part of the reason people are overvaluing (IMO) the damage immunity portion of the lycanthrope.

So I guess the question for the OP would be how prevalent are magical or elemental damage types in your game at 6th level?

 

[Umbran]

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

The most balanced form of this might be to say, "You may now multiclass as a Lycan Blood Hunter," and leave it at that. There's a rite that puts the curse under control, but the PC can then only bring out the power with rising levels.

As you noted, handing out the full power of lycanthropy, without any of the detriment (like, say, actually being an uncontrolled slavering beast) isn't fair, balance-wise. Or alternatively, will become an invitation for the entire party to become werewolves. Why shouldn't they, if there are no drawbacks?

Another option is to leave the normal issues stand, and have the character be an uncontrolled threat every once in a while. There are consequences to power, and all that.

 

[Steampunkette]

The A5e Synergy feats are a good way to do it. There's also Grim Hollow's Lycanthrope Transformation. The Lycanthrope [Transformation] | Welcome to the Woods | Obsidian Portal

Boons and curses for each level.

 

[Oofta]

I feel like worldbuilding considerations must be part of the reason people are overvaluing (IMO) the damage immunity portion of the lycanthrope.

So I guess the question for the OP would be how prevalent are magical or elemental damage types in your game at 6th level?

The problem is that while PCs generally have magic weapons, most monsters and NPCs do not. Even something like the Lord of Blades from Eberron, the highest level humanoid NPC that I can find that isn't a full caster doesn't have magic weapons at CR 18. Heck, only handful of fiends have attacks that count as magical weapon even those above 20th level.

As a DM you could just ignore that, but going strictly by the rules a werewolf is immune to practically all weapon damage. Including, oddly, other werewolves. I dislike nonmagical weapon damage immunity from a design standpoint, but that doesn't change the rules.