D&D 4E Notes from the 4E Corebooks: Alignment, Monsters, Artifacts and More

[Nightchilde-2]

Wererats are just old-school! Used them in plenty of campaigns along with were-wolves. I never used were-tigers, were-lions or were-bears. Seriously, who came up with those monsters?

My hat of werebear know no limit.

 

[Cadfan]

My hat of werebear know no limit.

Is this a PHB leak? Can you elaborate?

 

[Rechan]

Thank goodness all the stupid additional lycanthropes have gone. I mean, do we really need the weretiger? The werefox? The wereshark? The werebadger? OK, I made the last one up.

I have.

In fact, the werefox was one of my favorite 2e monsters. I particularly liked the adventure that focused on it in Ravenloft's "Children of the Night - Werebeasts". I loved that book. The weretiger "You're stalked by one on safari" adventure is also really good.

Do they transform during the full moon, ravenously attack their neighbors, and transmit werefoxdom by means of bite?

Actually, no. At least, not in 2e. The moon, I believe, didn't effect them at all, and the only person susceptible to their bite were female elves or humans. They also had an innate charm ability, so they were always protected by several men.

 

[Lurks-no-More]

I expect at least weretigers and werebears in MM2 next year. They'll come, sooner or later.

 

[Perun]

Were-sharks, very polynesian. Werefoxes,[...]

Heh, I read that bit as "Were-sharks, were-polynesian, werefoxes"

LOL!

Regards.

 

[Mercule]

It's alright, because they're spontaneously animated as an abyssal ghoul myrmidion next turn.

I'd like an answer to that one because it's actually the first thing that ran through my head when I read the power. Hard core? Sure. But this is one of the top 5 toughest, non-divine beings in existence. It works.

 

[tenken]

Hey, for all we know, there is one. I'm sure that Lich and Vampire Lord aren't the only templates in the books.

Anyone have insight on this?

If I'm remembering correctly, one of the designers stated there are 22 templates in the DMG. I don't know what they are besides a few, though.

 

[Jhaelen]

Thank goodness all the stupid additional lycanthropes have gone. I mean, do we really need the weretiger? The werefox? The wereshark? The werebadger? OK, I made the last one up.

Yes we do! My current campaign is strongly influenced by the Changing Breed source books from White Wolfs old Werewolf rpg. Giving each kind of lycanthropes a unique cultural background goes a long way to make them more interesting.

I've even got some very odd ones, like the weresquids which are easily mistaken for mindflayers in their hybrid form...

However, I could understand it perfectly if they got rid of the lycanthrope template in 4E. It's one of the most complicated ones (but also one of the most flexible ones). 4E templates are supposed to be easy to apply. And to do the different kinds of lycanthropes real justice it's better to design them individually. That way you can give each kind unique powers and tactics that fit their heritage.

 

[Cadfan]

Merging werewolves and kitsune into the same umbrella "lycanthrope" template organized by animal type is just as crazy as merging western ravenous rampaging gold-hoarding lizard-like dragons and eastern magical, shapeshifting nature spirits into the same umbrella "dragon" template organized by color.

Oh, wait...

 

[Plane Sailing]

or were-bears. Seriously, who came up with those monsters?

Wouldn't that be Tolkien?