D&D 5E Homebrew - Ranger subclass: Lycanthrope

[Jediking]

Ranger Archetype: Lycanthrope
Level 3:
Shapeshifter
You can change your body to grow a biting maw and sharp claws. Your unarmed melee attacks deal 1d6 slashing or piercing damage (your choice). You can use two-weapon fighting with your unarmed strikes.

You are able to shift into a hybrid beast form. You can do this a number of times per short rest equal to your proficiency modifier. You gain the following benefits while shifted:

• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage against nonmagical weapons that are not silvered (*thought about giving 4 x ranger level temporary hit points instead)
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks
• Your base walking speed increases by 10 ft
• Your unarmed attacks deal an additional 1d4 slashing or piercing damage (your choice) on a hit. This damage increases to 1d6 at level 7, to 1d8 at level 11, and 1d10 at level 15.

Level 7:
Primal Hunter: Your unarmed melee attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. Additionally, you may use your bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on each of your turns.

Level 11:
Bestial Fury: You can attack three times whenever you take the Attack action on your turn

Level 15:
Unrelenting: When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, you can move up to half your movespeed immediately as part of the same reaction. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. Additionally, when you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.



Notes/goals:

Trying to figure out what would happen if a player wanted to keep playing after contracting lyncanthropy OR play a different Ranger. I know Barbarian is an easy switch-in as well, but with my homebrew lore/pantheon it matches up better with Ranger. I figure they can multi-class Ranger if they contract the curse and continue it until level 3 and then go back on track, or do a sidequest if they really want it gone. But that is beside the point.

I don't care at all about Alignment requirements or the sidebar in the MM - those are good inspiration, but my goal here is a balanced, playable subclass that any player can choose no matter what the circumstances are.

Looking for balance issues and suggestions - I don't mind stepping on other martial classes toes if the roles are similar. Not looking to emulate a true were-anything, and want to keep it to one subclass without options for each beast (wolf, rat, etc). That can be discussed if and when any player wants it but I don't need specific like the Totem Barb.

I mostly used the Beast Master subclass as a comparison, and poached from Fighter/Barb/Paladin (Vengeance) when I thought it made sense.
All Ranger subclasses have similar features, so I am staying consistent with those (Level 3 = utility/damage, Level 7 = defensive, Level 11 = offensive/more attacks, level 15 = defensive)

 

[J-H]

I've already got something for this published on the DM's Guild, as a Ranger subclass. I went a different direction.
I also did a Fighter Werebear and a Rogue Wererat subclass.

 

[Minigiant]

Okay cool idea.
Here I go

Shapeshifter
You can change your body to grow a biting maw and sharp claws. Your unarmed melee attacks deal 1d6 slashing or piercing damage (your choice). You can use two-weapon fighting with your unarmed strikes.

You are able to shift into a hybrid beast form. You can do this a number of times per short rest equal to your proficiency modifier. You gain the following benefits while shifted:

• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage against nonmagical weapons that are not silvered (*thought about giving 4 x ranger level temporary hit points instead)
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks
• Your base walking speed increases by 10 ft
• Your unarmed attacks deal an additional 1d4 slashing or piercing damage (your choice) on a hit. This damage increases to 1d6 at level 7, to 1d8 at level 11, and 1d10 at level 15.

Shapeshifter is a bit weak. The ranger is designed around having a 3-6 point damge boost that is mostly "always on". So the hybrid form needs more damage to compensate. Start with 1d8 and go up from there.

Primal Hunter: Your unarmed melee attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. Additionally, you may use your bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on each of your turns.

Cool. Dash, Disengage, or Help for a bonus action is huge though. Maybe cut one. Or leave it. Ranger base class is so weak that the subclasses are allowed to be a bit OP.

Bestial Fury: You can attack three times whenever you take the Attack action on your turn

Fine. Kinda bites the Fighter's toes but you don't care about that.

Unrelenting: When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, you can move up to half your movespeed immediately as part of the same reaction. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. Additionally, when you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Balanced and good.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Ranger Archetype: Lycanthrope
Level 3:
Shapeshifter
You can change your body to grow a biting maw and sharp claws. Your unarmed melee attacks deal 1d6 slashing or piercing damage (your choice). You can use two-weapon fighting with your unarmed strikes.

Noting that you can grow claws and teeth separate from shifting form?

You are able to shift into a hybrid beast form. You can do this a number of times per short rest equal to your proficiency modifier. You gain the following benefits while shifted:

• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage against nonmagical weapons that are not silvered (*thought about giving 4 x ranger level temporary hit points instead)
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks
• Your base walking speed increases by 10 ft
• Your unarmed attacks deal an additional 1d4 slashing or piercing damage (your choice) on a hit. This damage increases to 1d6 at level 7, to 1d8 at level 11, and 1d10 at level 15.

This needs to have a duration. I'm guessing a total duration of proficiency rounds/short rest?
It might be easier to keep it similar to rage, in that it can be sustained throughout combat and you get uses/long rest.
This is very powerful: I'd suggest perhaps giving an unarmoured defence and move damage resistance to a higher level? Is the idea that the Ranger wears full armour while shifted?

Level 7:
Primal Hunter: Your unarmed melee attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. Additionally, you may use your bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on each of your turns.

Level 11:
Bestial Fury: You can attack three times whenever you take the Attack action on your turn

Three attacks, each d6+d8+ability mod is better than the equivalent fighter, at what fighters are meant to do best.

Level 15:
Unrelenting: When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, you can move up to half your movespeed immediately as part of the same reaction. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. Additionally, when you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Wording needs to be tidied, - I'm guessing it is only the second part of the feature that is meant to only be usable 1/long rest.

Notes/goals:

Trying to figure out what would happen if a player wanted to keep playing after contracting lyncanthropy OR play a different Ranger. I know Barbarian is an easy switch-in as well, but with my homebrew lore/pantheon it matches up better with Ranger. I figure they can multi-class Ranger if they contract the curse and continue it until level 3 and then go back on track, or do a sidequest if they really want it gone. But that is beside the point.

If you're looking for a were-class, the Monk Way of the Living Weapon (Shifter version) may be worth looking into, since that has less non-werecreature baggage like the spells etc that rangers get.