Lycanthropy as an Affliction

[Dragonjester]

Does a character who's been cursed with lycanthropy change into it's animal form or it's hybrid form with the full moon? The text SRD says two things that have led to my confusion.

On a failed check to return to humanoid form, the character must remain in animal or hybrid form until the next dawn, when he or she automatically returns to humanoid form.

which implies that a lycanthrope can be both forms since natural lycanthropes don't need to make checks. There doesn't seem to be any rules for when a PC with the disease changes to it's hybrid form, it only covers the animal form:

When a character contracts lycanthropy through a lycanthrope’s attack, no symptoms appear until the first night of the next full moon. On that night, the afflicted character involuntarily assumes animal form and becomes a ravening beast, forgetting his or her own identity. The character remains in animal form, assuming the appropriate alignment, until dawn and remembers nothing about the incident.

 

[Crothian]

I think the hybrid form, but it could be either. I choose the Hybrid form because that's the form you see in most of the literature.

 

[Magus_Jerel]

I do feel they are using the "hybrid" and "animal" forms interchangeably...

unless Lycanthropes actually have three possible forms.

 

[Tar-Edhel]

I do feel they are using the "hybrid" and "animal" forms interchangeably...

unless Lycanthropes actually have three possible forms.

I am at work so I can't verify but I am pretty sure that there are 3 forms... Humanoid, hybrid and animal.

And I do think that the animal form is the way you transform until you learn to control it...

But the last part is only my opinion

 

[Artoomis]

Alternate Form (Su): All lycanthropes can shift into animal form as though using the polymorph self spell (though their gear does not change). Wererats, weretigers, and werewolves also can assume a bipedal hybrid form with prehensile hands and animalistic features. Changing to or from animal or hybrid form is a standard action. Upon assuming either form, the lycanthrope regains hit points as if having rested for a day. A slain lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retains their animal form, however. This shapeshifting ability can be difficult to control (see Lycanthropy as an Affliction, below).

When a character contracts lycanthropy through a lycanthrope’s attack (see above), no symptoms appear until the first night of the next full moon. On that night, the afflicted character involuntarily assumes animal form and becomes a ravening beast, forgetting his or her own identity. The character remains in animal form, assuming the appropriate alignment, until dawn and remembers nothing about the incident.

Thereafter, the character is subject to involuntary transformation under the full moon and whenever damaged in combat. He or she feels an overwhelming rage building up and must succeed at a Control Shape check to resist changing into animal form (see the sidebar).

Many lycanthropes are born, not made, and are sometimes called "natural lycanthropes" to distinguish them from those who have contracted lycanthropy ("afflicted lycanthropes")

and

Any character who has contracted lycanthropy and is aware of his or her condition can learn Control Shape as a class skill. This determines whether the afflicted lycanthrope can voluntarily control his or her shape. Natural lycanthropes instead have the Improved Control Shape feat, which gives them full control over their shapeshifting abilities.

Check: The afflicted character must make a check at moonrise each night of the full moon to resist involuntarily assuming animal form. An injured character must also check for an involuntary change after accumulating enough damage to reduce his or her hit points by one-quarter and again after each additional one-quarter lost (save DC same as for full moon).

Task DC
---- --
Resist involuntary change 25
Return to humanoid form (full moon*) 25
Return to humanoid form (not full moon) 20
Voluntary change (full moon) 10
Voluntary change (not full moon) 15
*For game purposes, the full moon lasts three days every month.

Retry: Check for an involuntary change once each time a triggering event occurs.

On a failed check to return to humanoid form (see below), the character must remain in animal or hybrid form until the next dawn, when he or she automatically returns to humanoid form.

It appears that one can only assume hybrid form if one has Control Shape, and that all involuntary changes are to the animal form.

I think that pretty much clears it up. Any questions?

 

[Henrix]

Wererats, werewolves and weretiger have three forms; humanoid, animal and hybrid. Other lycanthropes don't have the hybrid form.

My reading is that the involuntary change is to animal form, and that it takes a succesful Control Shape check to assume hybrid form (if that is available).
The DC, on a full moon, to return to humanoid form is 25, and for voluntary change, including, I suppose, hybrid form, 10.

 

[Dragonjester]

I happen to agree with you Artoomis, but this section seems to add a little ambiguity:

Special: An involuntary change to animal or hybrid form ruins the character’s armor and clothing if the new form is larger than the character’s natural form. Characters can hastily doff clothing while changing, but not armor. Magic armor survives the change if it succeeds at a Fortitude save (DC 15).

How do you involuntarily become a hybrid?

 

[Henrix]

I am more interested in why a voluntary change does not ruin your clothes'n'stuff! Or can you really doff a full plate as part of the standard action?

I think that's the goof, scratch out the involuntary, and the sentence makes sense in all cases.

[Edit]
It takes at least a minute to doff armour on your own, according to the PHB.
[/Edit]

 

[Dragonjester]

Henrix, I think you read it too quickly, it does ruin your clothes, but only if the new form is larger then the original.

[edit]
Dang you said voluntary change, hold on [removes foot from mouth]

I think the idea is if you change voluntarily you can decide to remove the clothes first.

 

[Artoomis]

I think a voluntary change does not ruin your clothes and things because you take them off.

I think there is an assumption that you have time to do that if you voluntarily change - that assumption may not always be true.