Special Conversion Thread: Lycanthropes and their ilk

[Cleon]

Updating Weremako Working Draft with Merfolk as the base creature.

 

[Cleon]

Noticed a few minor errors in previous conversions that have been corrected.

The Mako Shark Working Draft had a "porpoises" in the organization.

The Wereporpoise Working Draft had a "+4 studded leather" that should be +3 and its Summon Cetacean description had a "call forth ?? porpoises" that should be 1d3.

 

[Cleon]

Dang, I forgot to add the shark's blindsense and keen scent to the Weremako.

Updating Weremako Working Draft.

 

[freyar]

Merfolk does make sense as the base creature in that case. But I agree with doing the additional ogrish sample.

I'd be willing to add summoning to the Mystara version, but I still don't really like the ram attack.

As for the summoning table, why don't we start with the same progression as in the wereporpoise and adjust as necessary?

 

[Cleon]

Merfolk does make sense as the base creature in that case. But I agree with doing the additional ogrish sample.

Oh look, a Merrow Weremako has spontaneously appeared in the Weremako Working Draft.

It's a Christmas miracle!

I'd be willing to add summoning to the Mystara version, but I still don't really like the ram attack.

I'm fine dropping the Ram attack - it's only the PC4 version of the lycanthrope that has it, all the other BECMI wereshark just have the standard lycanthropic powers (which includes summon/control animals in that version of D&D).

As for the summoning table, why don't we start with the same progression as in the wereporpoise and adjust as necessary?

The porpoise table has a wider variety of CR - ½ for porpoises, 5 for orcas and 6 for baleen whales compared to 4 for the Wereporpoise.

This table's going to have CR 1 Medium Sharks, CR 2 Mako Sharks and CR 5 Afflicted Lycanthropes.

How about the following?:

Weremako Summoning Table

Hit Dice	Normal Sharks	Mako Sharks	Afflicted Weremakos
5-6	1d3	1	—
7-8	1d4+1	1d2	—
9-10	1d10	1d4	1
11-12	2d8	1d8	1d2
13-14	3d8	2d6	1d3
15-16	4d8	3d6	1d4+1
17+	6d8	4d6	1d8

 

[freyar]

Well, you've done a lot on this!

Yes, let's drop the ram attack.
Your suggested summoning table looks just fine.
Since the original monster makes a point that a shark-form weremako will suffocate on dry land, should we remove the amphibious SQ from the shark form?
Thoughts on tactics? What would be shark-like?

 

[Cleon]

Well, you've done a lot on this!

Yes, let's drop the ram attack.
Your suggested summoning table looks just fine.

Updating Weremako Working Draft.

Since the original monster makes a point that a shark-form weremako will suffocate on dry land, should we remove the amphibious SQ from the shark form?

The problem is removing the Merfolk's amphibious special quality would be contrary to the SRD Lycanthrope template.

We could add it as a special quality of the Mystaran weremako:

Water Breather (Ex): A Mystaran weremako in shark form can only breathe water. Even if the base creature is amphibious or an air breather a shark form weremako can only breathe through its gills. This limitation does not apply to a Mystaran weremako in humanoid or hybrid form.

Thoughts on tactics? What would be shark-like?

Hmm…

Weremakos favor hit-and-run tactics that exploit their high swimming speed. They are bloodthirsty and rarely stop attacking wounded opponents, pursue bleeding enemies who try to flee.

 

[freyar]

Ugh, get busy at work, and I'm suddenly a week further behind!

Hmmm, forgot that the merfolk are amphibious. Let's just leave it. That's just one of those older-edition exceptions that doesn't translate well, I think.

I like those tactics!

I see you have CE for the alignment. The original has them as N. Do you prefer the change to the "thematic" alignment, or do we want them as more N avatars of nature?

 

[Cleon]

Ugh, get busy at work, and I'm suddenly a week further behind!

Hmmm, forgot that the merfolk are amphibious. Let's just leave it. That's just one of those older-edition exceptions that doesn't translate well, I think.

I would rather include the idea in the Mystaran Weremako subentry. It seems thematically appropriate to have a creature in fish form be unable to breathe air.

Actually, under a strict interpretation of the SRD, since the Lycanthropy template only adds the shapechanger subtype a human wereshark would be unable to breathe water even in shark form since it doesn't gain the Aquatic subtype.

Come to think of it, Merrow are NOT amphibious. They only have the Aquatic subtype. I will correct that copy-paste holdover from the standard Weremako in the next update.

I wonder what the official version of the Wereshark has to say on the subject…

Well I checked the Lost Empires of Faerûn and Monsters of Faerûn versions and neither of them made any mention of breathing water or gills, so I guess they forgot about the issue too!

I like those tactics!

Updating Weremako Working Draft.

I see you have CE for the alignment. The original has them as N. Do you prefer the change to the "thematic" alignment, or do we want them as more N avatars of nature?

Actually, the Rules Cyclopedia (1991) version of the Wereshark is Chaotic. That's the most recent "monster" version of the creature so I'm inclined to follow that lead. The Night Howlers version is from 1992 but that's for "PC" Weresharks so I feel they'd be biased in favour of neutrality and even those are "insatiable killers" during involuntary transformations.

Admittedly the Companion Set (1984) and X7 War Rafts of Kron (1984) monster entries give them an alignment of "N" but I suspect that's a typo due to them appearing in the normally Neutral "Shark" entry rather than the normally Chaotic "Lycanthropy" entry.

The actual encounter writeups of War Rafts of Kron all list Weresharks as "C".

For example, in encounter 21 "THE SHARKS’ DEN":

Two rounds after the first round of combat, two mako sharks slip into the room from the secret door to room 20. These are weresharks in their shark form. Any character in melee or spell casting has only a 10% chance of noticing their entrance. Any other characters have a 25% chance of seeing them come in through the secret door.

Weresharks, mako (2): AC 4; HD 4; hp 20; MV 180’(60’); #AT 1 bite; D 2-12; Save F4; ML 9; AL C

 

[Cleon]

For example, in encounter 21 "THE SHARKS’ DEN":

Further evidence, the BECMI supplement PC3 The Sea People (1990) has Weresharks that are Chaotic.

In the mini-adventure "Sharks Were Here" it has some Merrow (aka Merfolk) Weresharks:

Wereshark wicca: AC 4; HD 6; hp 22; MV 180′ (60′); #AT 1 bite; Dmg 2-12; Save Magic-user 6; ML 7; AL Chaotic; XP 775.
Spells: Magic missile, sleep, phantasmal force, mirror image, dispel magic, haste.

12 Weresharks: AC 4; HD 4; hp 20; MV 180′ (60′); #AT 1 bite; Dmg 2-12; Save Fighter 2; ML 10; AL Chaotic; XP 75.
In merrow form: AC 6; HD 4, hp 20; MV 120′ (490′); #AT 1 trident; Dmg 1-6; Save Fighter 4.

There's also a Triton Mage who's afflicted with lycanthropy in the "Personalities" section:

Kitas, Baron of Noriens
(Triton Mage 16, and wereshark, St 14, In 17, Wi 11, Dx 13, Co 10, Ch 13; HD 7, AL Chaotic)