Lycanthropes (ECL 0)

[craftyrat]

This is my attempt at making ECL 0 Lycanthropes. To do this, I modified them quite a bit, and broke some of their abilities out into racial feats.

Lycanthropes

Lycanthropes are people who have the ability to shapeshift into animal form. Their humanoid form can be any type: human, dwarf, elf, etc. They do not have the abilities of this form. In humanoid form, they tend to have some features that mirror their animal form. The lycanthropes described here are natural lycanthropes.

Lycanthropes (All)
Animal form: Assume the form of a normal animal of their type at will, as if using a polymorph self spell. Gear is not affected (it does not change and is not absorbed), hit points are not gained, and rather than assuming the animal’s physical ability scores, modifiers are applied to the lycanthrope’s regular scores. A slain lycanthrope reverts to humanoid form, but separated body parts retain animal form.
Lycanthropic Empathy (Ex): In any form, lycanthropes can communicate and empathize with normal or dire animals of their animal form. This gives them a +4 racial bonus on checks when influencing the animal’s attitude and allows the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands, such as “friend,” “foe,” “flee,” and “attack.”
Low-Light Vision
Scent (in any form)
DR 2/Silver (in animal or hybrid form only)
Type is as the base creature (Humanoid), but the lycanthrope gains the Shapechanger subtype. Lycanthropes keep this type in all their forms.

Lycanthrope Feats

Curse of Lycanthrope (Su)
Prerequisites: 6th Level
Benefits: Any humanoid or giant hit by a natural lycanthrope’s bite attack in animal or hybrid form must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or contract lycanthropy. If the victim’s size is not within one size category of the lycanthrope the victim cannot contract lycanthropy from that lycanthrope. Afflicted lycanthropes cannot pass on the curse of lycanthropy

Hybrid Form (Su)
Prerequisite: 6th Level
Benefits: The lycanthrope can assume a form with both humanoid and animal characteristics. It has an animal head and tail, but humanoid feet and arms. It retains the animal form ability modifiers. Hybrid forms are the same size as the base humanoid or base animal, whichever is larger. Hybrid speed is as the base humanoid.

Lycanthrope Damage Resistance
Benefits: The DR of the lycanthrope increases by 2/silver each time this feat is taken. This feat can be taken as a fighter bonus feat.

Werebear
Animal Form (Brown Bear): Large size; Speed 40’; Bite 1d6; Str +4, Con +2; +4 Racial bonus to Swim

Werebear Feats

Natural Attack (Claws)
Prerequisite: 4th level
Benefit: A werebear learns to attack with his claws, doing 1d8 damage with each of them. This feat can be taken as a fighter bonus feat.

Werebear Bite
Prerequisite: 8th level
Benefit: This the same as improved natural attack, except that the damage to the werebear’s bite rises by two levels (from 1d6 to 2d6). This feat can only be taken once, but it does stack with improved natural attack. This feat can be taken as a fighter bonus feat.

Werebear’s Strength
Benefit: A werebear’s strength in animal or hybrid form rises by +2. This feat can be taken as a fighter bonus feat.

Wereboar
Animal Form (Boar): Medium size; Speed 40’; Gore 1d8; Str +2, Con +4; Bonus Feat (Diehard)

Wererat
Animal Form (Dire Rat): Small size; Speed 40’; Bite 1d4; Dex +4, Con +2; +8 racial bonus to Swim checks

Weretiger
Animal Form (Tiger): Large size; Speed 40’; Bite 1d6; Str +4, Con +2; +2 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently

Weretiger Feats

Natural Attack (Claws)
Prerequisite: 4th level
Benefit: A weretiger learns to attack with his claws, doing 1d8 damage with each of them. This feat can be taken as a fighter bonus feat.

Pounce
Prerequisite: 6th level
Benefit: While in animal form (only), the weretiger can make a full attack at the end of a charge.

Rake
Prerequisite: Natural Attack (Claws)
Benefit: If both claw attacks hit the same target, the weretiger can attempt to rake the target for an additional 1d8 + Str bonus damage. This attack is made at the weretiger’s highest regular BAB.

Weretiger Bite
Prerequisite: 8th level
Benefit: This the same as improved natural attack, except that the damage to the weretiger’s bite rises by two levels (from 1d6 to 2d6). This feat can only be taken once, but it does stack with improved natural attack. This feat can be taken as a fighter bonus feat.

Weretiger’s Strength
Benefit: A weretiger’s strength in animal or hybrid form rises by +2. This feat can be taken as a fighter bonus feat.

Werewolf
Animal Form (Wolf): Medium size; Speed 50’; Bite 1d6; Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2; +4 racial bonus to Survival when tracking by scent

 

[Zzyzx]

I have tries doing the same thing, so I understand how difficult it is.

From what I read here, this means that a werebear or weretiger needs to take feats to be able toattack in were-form, but the other shapes do not? That seems very artificial, but I understand you need to do something to balance out the huge animal shape differences.


MY SIMILAR ATTEMPT:

What I did was to just base the ECL +0 lycanthropes off feats, so that at early levels the characters have a couple of benefits of the animal but not develop the shapechanging ability until a later feat, with a higher prerequisite level depending on the type.

For example, werewolf takes the feat at first level, and gets DR/silver, etc, but only gets his wolf shape feat available at third level.

The werebear gets his animal shape feat available at fifth level, or whatever you feel would balance out other melee-type characters of a similar power level in your campaign.