Pathfinder 1E Is there any reason to be cured of lycanthropy?

[MarkB]

I can (and have) made an argument that the wolf-form lycanthrope might well see the other party members as part of his 'pack' and would act to defend it.

If the wolf form retained any of your own identity this would make sense - but one of the effects of the uncontrolled change is that you lose all memories. That includes any memory of who your friends and foes are.

 

[Umbran]

(And ... what would happen if the same wolf were dropped in a pit with what smelled like prey instead of other wolfs?

A real-world normal wolf? Not much. Remember, the slavering beast werewolf myth is not based upon real (healthy) wolf behavior. A real wolf has a very solid survival drive - that includes not putting itself at risk except for need. If it is really scared, it may lash out, but even then the point is to get others to back off, not to kill.

But, a lycanthrope is not a normal wolf, and does not need to conform to real-world wolf behavior.

 

[tomBitonti]

Only partially, really. The biggest problem I had with the D&D version was the forced alignment change, and, as near as I can tell, that IS gone. I can (and have) made an argument that the wolf-form lycanthrope might well see the other party members as part of his 'pack' and would act to defend it. Remember that the wolf retains the human-level intelligence. (Actually, it takes the greater of the human form's and the animal form's intelligence. But if your human form's intelligence is less than 2, you've got far bigger problems than just being a werewolf.)

I can see that ... but will the party follow the protocols of (were)wolf dominance? I can see a fight breaking out almost immediately to see who would be the alpha wolf.

Working against that, perhaps, would the werewolf perceive the other party members as potential pack mates? They would look, smell, and act all wrong.

Thx!

TomB

 

[Epikreaper19]

Several people have mentioned that the character turns into a rampaging beast when he shifts to hybrid or wolf form.

That is in D&D. This is Pathfinder we're talking about.

In the Pathfinder version of lycanthropy, there is no alignment change. The closest you get to it is a sidebar in the Bestiary that says an animal or hybrid lycanthope is often at odds with what the character would normally do. Wolves are, once again, true neutral, not evil. Werewolves are not, by definition, hungry monsters or bloodthirsty beasts. It outright says that good-aligned werewolves aren't unknown (Bestiary I 198).

This is the reason why I posted in the first place - other than perhaps being temporarily an NPC (and that probably only lasts until I can make a DC 20 Will save) - there appears to be little negative about being a werewolf if you're a front-line fighter.

Lycanthropy – d20PFSRD

www.d20pfsrd.com

"
Progression

Lycanthropy’s progress is tied to the phases of the moon.

Each month, the moon is considered full for three nights. At the onset of the corruption, you must attempt a Will saving throw during one of the nights chosen by the GM. For each stage of lycanthropy corruption you have, you must attempt a save on one additional night, eventually needing to save on nights leading up to and possibly after the full moon. The DC of this save is equal to 15 + your manifestation level. If you fail a save, you don’t need to attempt more until the next full moon.

Failing a saving throw against this corruption causes you to black out, losing control of your character. During this time, your form becomes that of the associated creature and you give into your animalistic urges, hunting and killing with abandon. The next morning, you regain control, typically in the wilderness without any gear and soaked in blood. If you fail the save but your inner animal is prevented from running free, perhaps because you were restrained, you transform and attempt to run free without a save on the remaining full moon nights, and you also go out of control any time you shift forms during the days of that full moon.

If you last through it and remain restrained, your corruption doesn’t progress to the next stage. However, the DC of the Will save against your corruption progressing increases by 2. These increases stack each time this occurs, and they last until your corruption reaches the next stage.

Corruption Stage 1: The first time you lose control, you kill defenseless small animals, such as birds, rodents, and possibly even a dog.

Corruption Stage 2: The second time this occurs, you kill larger animals, such as a horse, a cow, or a pig.

Corruption Stage 3: The third time this happens, you kill a nearby sentient humanoid, at which point the corruption becomes incurable and you are doomed to live a life of lycanthropy, forever turning evil and becoming an NPC under the GM’s control."


yes there absolutely is an alignment change, and bad events that happen, you just have to look

 

[Starfox]

I'd say this depends on what kind of story you are creating.
Does one character being a permanent lycanthrope work for the other players?
Is the GM on board with it?
Does the group care about game balance?

I'd say that if even one player opposes the idea, or if the table in general is not generally enthusiastic about it, I recommend not doing it.