Dragonjester said:
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.
When a PC first contracts lycanthropy, he isn't aware of his condition, and how to control it. So if the full moon comes around, he must make a will save vs. involuntary change. Failure means he changes into his full animal form.
Now say a few months have passed, and the PC is aware of his condition (and has put a few ranks into Control Shape). Then the full moon comes around again. The PC can willingly attempt to change shape, taking on either his animal form or his hybrid form. (See the DCs posted above for changing shape during the full moon.) If he makes the check, he assumes that form, and this satisfies the influence of the full moon. If he fails the check, he must fight off the urge to change, and make a will save. Failing that forces an involuntary change, which is always to full animal form.
Similarly, during combat a lycanthrope may choose to change form. If he succeeds at his Control Shape check, he can assume hybrid form. If he chooses not to change, but takes damage in combat, he may be forced to resist an involuntary change. That change, if failed, would be to animal form.
In either case (moon or combat) once the lycanthrope has assumed a non-human form, he gets one try to change back (return to human form.) If he succeeds, he's human again. If he fails, he's stuck in whichever form he assumed (hybrid or animal) until the next dawn, at which time he automatically returns to normal.
Hope that helps.
