Questions about lycanthropy

[Pielorinho]

Voadam, you rock! Thanks for the complete, supported answers. I'd send you cookies, except that Internet cookies aren't nearly as tasty as real ones.

Now that I know the rules, I'm gonna tweak 'em a little (in case anyone's interested):

1) Definite rule-0 here. Changing under the full moon will take the person to the animal form, but involuntary changes oughta provoke a hybrid form if it exists. It just seems like better flavor to me, and more cinematic. Besides which, I ended last session with a dangerous situation provoking a change to hybrid form, and I don't want to retcon.
2) Changing back to humanoid form won't heal damage. I agree that the language is ambiguous; from a flavor perspective, the change to human form seems like a loss of the magical effect, not a positive effect itself. I don't think the change will have beneficial effects beyond just returning to normal.
3) I think you're exactly right on this, although it's gonna make my player very unhappy. Poor cleric, with all these battle-buffing spells prepared! Thanks for the reference; I was having trouble finding it.
4) Again, you're exactly right, and this is good flavor. I'm gonna give the player some instincts to work with, but I'll let him continue playing the character. It'll be more fun that way for him anyway: it'd suck to have nothing to do as a player for big chunks of time.
5) Looks good -- I'll use these stat changes.

Once again, thanks a heap for the help - this clarifies a lot of my confusion.

Oh, one more question: is an involuntary change a standard action? I'm thinking it is, but I'm not certain.
Daniel

 

[Voadam]

I believe it is a standard actions

from the srd:

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).

The relevant part being "Changing to or from animal or hybrid form is a standard action."

I don't see anything in the sections on involuntary changes to indicate otherwise.

from the srd:

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.

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).

 

[Voadam]

2 PCs in my campaign were infected by weretigers in the last game so I need to get up to speed on all of it as well. I'm expceting the first night's rampage is going to be rough.