In AD&D Lycanthropy was a curse or disease, not a suite of racial abilities. You did not control it. It controlled you. So this fell onto the DM's shoulders, if only because she's the one who is keeping the world running - including PCs when they become NPCs (usually temporarily).
As a challenge a PC (all the PCs really) could try and deal with this drawback and there were at least a few commonly known ways available from the start, like wolvesbane or higher level clerics in the cities. And like a cursed magic item, creative players might use lycanthropy to their advantage. Whatever their alignment however, deciding to live permanently with the disease means serious limitations on adventuring, especially into populated
