D&D (2024) Lycanthropes in the MM

[UngeheuerLich]

This is also a chance to insert monster intelligence and planning into the mix. Its fair that if its just random wearwolf X and the party comes in knowing about wearwolves, they can use their silver or magic weapons and its done.

But...perhaps the wearwolf is a noble that weapons have to be checked and bound in the armory before going into their home? Or perhaps the wearwolf has planted superstitious that silver is poisonous to people and so people in an area dont' allow silvered weapons or anything of the kind.

There are opportunities to craft an encounter beyond the statblock that can be much greater than what the stat might otherwise indicate.

Which is a good segway to regeneration. Regeneration honestly in terms of a fight rarely matters (partly is because its just too damn low for most monsters). Getting 5-10 hp a round back just doesn't change much.

BUT....where regen shines is outside the encounter. Ok your wearwolf escapes....and suddenly a couple of minutes later the party is now dealing with a freshly healed wearwolf ready to go again, while they are still beat up. That kind of threat is what makes fighting those kinds of creatures particularly scary, you cannot let them live, because otherwise all the work you did to defeat them was for naught.

I would be ok, if they regen while they are bloodied and shape shifted.

I don't like most monsters that just undo everything you did.

 

[Charlaquin]

This thread has me wondering about a 5e take on the lycanthropes from a non-D&D setting such as the World of Darkness setting.

If there’s interest in such a thing I would 100% be up for taking a crack at rendering Werewolf: the Forsaken’s Uratha as D&D monsters and/or a PC species. Absolutely love that game. But Forsaken, not Appcalypse. I’m one of those NWoD heathens.

 

[Charlaquin]

I’m fine with silvered weapons becoming a common magic item, since the idea of special weapon/armor materials was otherwise defunct. But, I absolutely hate that they just do double damage to shapeshifters on a crit, and the immunity/regeneration trait is gone. That’s the one thing about were-creatures, you need silver to kill them.

 

[Corinnguard]

If there’s interest in such a thing I would 100% be up for taking a crack at rendering Werewolf: the Forsaken’s Uratha as D&D monsters and/or a PC species. Absolutely love that game. But Forsaken, not Appcalypse. I’m one of those NWoD heathens.

It's cool. I briefly spent some time collecting Apocalypse material in my college years. Not a WoD fan, just someone looking for a-were-ness back then.

 

[Charlaquin]

It's cool. I briefly spent some time collecting Apocalypse material in my college years. Not a WoD fan, just someone looking for a-were-ness back then.

Apocalypse was very much not my jam, but Forsaken is just… so good. Especially 2nd edition, which really cleaned up on some of the messier aspects of 1e’s presentation and honed in on what was cool about it.

 

[GrimCo]

Meh. To bland. They removed almost everything that made them interesting encounter. Also, no rules for PC lychantropes is just lame.

Guess it's back to homebrewing monsters.

 

[Reynard]

Meh. To bland. They removed almost everything that made them interesting encounter. Also, no rules for PC lychantropes is just lame.

Guess it's back to homebrewing monsters.

It's weird how people talk like there were these explicit rules for PCs suffering from lycanthropy in the 2014 rules. There weren't. What was there was super vague and not helpful at all.

 

[GrimCo]

It's weird how people talk like there were these explicit rules for PCs suffering from lycanthropy in the 2014 rules. There weren't. What was there was super vague and not helpful at all.

2014 was just as bad when it came to rules for pc-s as lychantropes. 5e ditched concept of templates which was pretty decent way to have rules for PCs.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

You know it isn't really urban fantasy unless at least one PC says "I like Bob, he is so nice. Hanz (and how often is it a vaguely Germanic name?) is a total jerk, but he is so, so ... (wait for it)....(keep waiting for it)...(can't hold it any longer).....ALPHAAAA." Sorry, urban fantasy pet peeve of mine. I am okay with love triangles, but the werewolf ones are so bad.

I might have missed an A or 2 at the end of ALPHAAAA.

 

[pukunui]

Level Up uses Lycanthrope Synergy feat chains to spread what a given lycanthrope can do over several levels. Every time when the afflicted character reaches a level where they can pick up either an ASI or a feat, they can then pick up the next lycanthrope feat in the chain.

Lycanthrope Synergy Feats | Level Up

a5e.tools

I'm not a fan of feat chains.

Besides, I don't really feel like lycanthropy should be a PC option. It's a curse. I know there are good lycanthropes, but it's still a curse. It ought to be something that the player with a cursed PC should want to get rid of ASAP. Not be seen as a desirable power-up.

If you want to play as a werewolf or a vampire, there are other games specifically made for that.