lycanthrope ECL?

[Synicism]

There is no ECL for an afflicted lycanthrope because you never get to conciously use those abilities.

That's not true. Afflicted Lycanthropes get access to a new class skill that allows them to attempt to control their changes. Depending on the character level of your campaign it can be very easy to make an afflicted Lycanthrope that can quite handily control its abilities.

The skill is called Control Shape. It's based on wisdom and lets you resist involuntarily changing shape and pulling off some other abilities. As an example, a wererat rogue with Skill Mastery: Control Shape might be able to pretty easily weather the storm.

 

[Caliban]

That's not true. Afflicted Lycanthropes get access to a new class skill that allows them to attempt to control their changes.

It allows them to resist their changes. There is a difference.

It very clearly states that if you ever willingly change shape, your alignment changes to that of the beast. Welcome to permanent NPC-land. (I won't allow evil PC's in my game.)

You guys can play it however you want in your game, but that is not how it is intended to be played. It's a curse and an affliction. Not a new toy for the munchkin's to power up with.

 

[Synicism]

It allows them to resist their changes. There is a difference. It very clearly states that if you ever willingly change shape, your alignment changes to that of the beast.

Here is what Control Shape allows:

Resist Involuntary Change (DC 25)
Return to Humanoid Form, Full Moon (DC 25)
Return to Humanoid Form, Not Full Moon (DC 20)
Voluntary Change, Full Moon (DC 20)
Voluntary Change, Not Foll Moon (DC 15)

On a side note, if an afflicted Lycanthrope automatically assumes the alignment of the beast when it changes, do afflicted weretigers and wereboars automatically become Neutral and afflicted werebears automatically become lawful good?

 

[Caliban]

Here is what Control Shape allows:

Resist Involuntary Change (DC 25)
Return to Humanoid Form, Full Moon (DC 25)
Return to Humanoid Form, Not Full Moon (DC 20)

Exactly. These are all examples of resisting the change, or your one shot at changing back before doing any damage.

An NPC that is fully under the sway of the curse can try to change back whenever they feel like it, of course.

Voluntary Change, Full Moon (DC 20)
Voluntary Change, Not Foll Moon (DC 15)

Welcome to NPC land, because your alignment is now permanently that of the were-creature, even when not changed.

Now that he's an NPC he can try to change whenever he feels like it, without any further penalty.

On a side note, if an afflicted Lycanthrope automatically assumes the alignment of the beast when it changes, do afflicted weretigers and wereboars automatically become Neutral and afflicted werebears automatically become lawful good?

Technically, yes. It's still an alien personality that is overriding your own. It's not really the original character any more.

Why would a were-bear want to inflict a good PC with lycanthropy anyway? Transmitting a disease is not exactly a good act.

It's supposed to be a curse. It's not a good thing. It's never supposed to be a good thing.

 

[0-hr]

You used to be much more objective.

 

[Caliber]

Remember that everytime you take 25% of your HP total, you have to make a pretty hard check (assuming you have just been infected) to avoid switching over to the animal side.

That means no magical items, no weapons, and based on your interpretation, possibly acting like an animal instead of, well, you.

It is a lot harder to see the negative side when you have been infected by a Werebear, but as Caliban has pointed out, that shouldn't be too much of a concern for good PCs.

 

[reapersaurus]

Caliban - what's your take on the Belsameth's Blessing spell (Relics & Rituaks, pg 51)?

It allows the caster to become any form of lycanthrope they wish for 1 day/level. They also get the Improved Control Shape feat for the duration (which when extended, could be cast once a month).

It seems to be saying that the PC gets all the benefits of lycanthropy with none of the disadvantages.

 

[Caliban]

You used to be much more objective.

*shrug* I think I am being objective.

What part of cursed affliction are you not grasping?

Where are you getting the impression that this is supposed to be a good thing for the PC?

 

[Caliban]

Caliban - what's your take on the Belsameth's Blessing spell (Relics & Rituaks, pg 51)?

Don't know, and don't really care.

It allows the caster to become any form of lycanthrope they wish for 1 day/level. They also get the Improved Control Shape feat for the duration (which when extended, could be cast once a month).

It seems to be saying that the PC gets all the benefits of lycanthropy with none of the disadvantages.

*shrug* It wouldn't be the first broken spell from that series of books.

 

[Eccles]

This is a useful thread. One of my party members has just become infected, and I (as the DM) have a couple of questions for you:

1. What benefits does the character get when in human form? (ie. DR 15/Silver, natural AC bonus, etc).

2. In the (fairly likely) event that the rest of the party decides to kill him and he has to change in self defence, will he still be able to cast his spells in hybrid form? (Invisible, hasted werewolf, ugh!)