D&D 5E Were-PC

[JWO]

One of my players has said that he'd like his PC to be a were-hyena. He wants it to 100% be a curse and something he's actively trying to get rid of. He's got the idea for it to be kind of like a Hulk thing, so it'll manifest when he's especially stressed/angered or when his character ends up in melée (which is why his character will avoid melée). I know that's not how lycanthropy normally works but I'm willing to work with it if I can work out a cool way of implementing it. One thing he mentioned is using wisdom saving throws when he's transformed to try to regain control, but I think I'd be wary of doing this to avoid it just being something he'd use for his benefit. I mentioned moon druids but he wants it to be something he's normally not in control of.

The one thing I mentioned to him is that the other characters might not want to hang around a lycanthrope once they find out what he is and he said he's fine with that.

Any thoughts?

 

[ninjayeti]

It sounds like a really cool idea. I think the main issue is how to make the transformation something that does not result in the character being overpowered relative to the group.

Some ideas:
1) The transformation only happens at certain times (night, full moon, etc.). This allows you some control of when it occurs so the were-hyena does not unbalance every combat encounter.
2) The character must use a feat (or give up a class ability) in exchange for the power. This way the character is giving up something useful in exchange for the occasional transformation. If he removes the curse the character can take a replacement feat.
3) At the end of the transformation the character falls unconscious, suffers exhaustion, or has some other penalty.
4) I would also consider eliminating the lycanthropy's normal immunity to non-silver or magic weapons (or changing it to resistance) as this is potentially the biggest balance issue.

Whatever rules you come up with, make clear to the player that they are tentative and subject to change at the DM's discretion if you feel things are not working out.

 

[Sunseeker]

A few things:

He says he's okay with the party freaking out and possibly abandoning him over him being a were-hyena. So where does that leave him in the game? It's a LOT of work to run split campaigns, you as the DM must be willing to entertain the idea that you will be placed in a situation where more work is required of you because of this player. There is an added possibility: what if the party wants to kill him, fearing he will infect them, etc...? Is the player OK with his own party killing him?

I agree with ninjayeti that the "power" needs to have very specific limitations. Only at night. Only under a full-moon, etc... In other editions, the DC for remaining in control while transformed was SERIOUS. I would set it at a DC 18 minimum. I would also require "bloodlust" checks, which I think is fitting for both a Hulk-styled character and a Lycanthrope-styled character. Each time the PC kills a foe or takes damage, new will check. I would run the check as a bit of a "save or die" check where once he's lost there is NO way to regain control, the PC becomes an NPC under the DM's control, starts attacking friend and foe alike until unconscious.

I wouldn't have the power replace anything you get from other sources though, I'd just make it a really unpleasant experience. The transformation destroys worn armor. Risk of total loss of control of character. Really low wisdom/int/cha saves while transformed. Bruce Banner doesn't WANT to be the Hulk. Most lycanthropes don't want to be monsters.

I would add that in addition to being afraid of close combat (which gives the PC disadvantage on any attacks made in melee while not transformed), the PC would be generally afraid of close physical contact at all. If the bar-maid hits on him he shys away, if someone moves to shake his hand he coughs into it and then sheepishly apologizes. The PC tries to avoid closed quarters with lots of people. Basically he'd be agoraphobic towards crowds and people he didn't know. Throw on top of that a kind of "bloodlust" for raw meat, running up his gold expenses or forcing him to "hunt" for raw meat, which the casual observer might find very strange.

 

[JoeCrow]

The way I'm running it for the were in my campaign is that he transforms automatically under the full moon. While transformed, he can try to regain control with a Wisdom save DC 15; but that save is made every round, and the DC goes up 1 with every successful save.

He can try and transform on purpose at other times with a Wisdom check DC 18, but as soon as he transforms, he needs to start making the Wisdom saves to retain control, same deal. If he's hurt in a fight and is dropped to 0 hp, then he transforms automatically, and the Wisdom save DC to regain control starts at 20.

Most of that hasn't come up yet, because he's just made his first transformation and we're in the middle of the combat that's interrupting his attempt to get cured. But they'll soon have bigger problems to deal with, since they just got dumped into the Feywild and the portal they came through just got broken.

 

[suden]

Playing on the berserker rage/hulk aspect, when he loses control, he might not attack friends, but if he doesn't he will likely flee after combat. Think of the hulk leaping away, or a lycantrope running around the countryside.

When he's transformed due to the moon, make a save to regain control, not transform back. The transformation should last until the next dawn. And if he isn't attacking something, he should be running away, to avoid the temptation to attack friends. In a non-combat situation, I would require a save every minute, or every 10 minutes, to avoid letting the beast take over. This will cause some serious problems, as he could be many, many miles away by morning. And like the traditional werewolf stories, he should always wake covered in blood, unaware of what he did until the posse comes to capture or kill him for his crimes. It doesn't always have to be a human or demi-human posse. I'd pick some level appropriate threats, at a lower level maybe he killed an owlbear cub and is tracked down by an angry momma. Perhaps a family of perytons, or manticores. At higher levels a dragon or squad of giants might be looking to avenge a loss. And since he murdered a loved one, they would be justified.

Even for a combat transformation, he should have problems regaining control. I would require two saves, one to regain mental control, and one to transform back. If he makes the first one to regain control, he can be around the party without a problem, but then he needs to make a save every minute to either recover or lose control. If he has control and doesn't want to kill party members, he can walk away. Then, every minute he can make a save to either turn back or lose control, until one nature or the other wins out. If he loses control outside of combat, he should again flee until the next morning.

I'd also consider making it a charisma save rather than wisdom. He is trying to assert the dominant personality, that seems more like charisma than wisdom.

It is supposed to be a curse. If it's a minor inconvenience, then it's not really a curse at all. It should be a serious problem to offset the benefits of being a lycantrope.

 

[was]

The one thing I mentioned to him is that the other characters might not want to hang around a lycanthrope once they find out what he is and he said he's fine with that.

Any thoughts?

...I hate being a naysayer, but this is a big red flag in my book. Very few characters would willingly hang around a beserking were-creature that could easily turn on them. The player seems a bit overly focused on his own enjoyment and doesn't seem to care much about the rest of the party. Unless handled very carefully, the introduction of such a character could quickly cause a lot of problems within your group.

 

[Jester David]

Rather than a Wisdom save, I'd treat it like Concentration. During periods of stress, the character is effectively Concentrating on not becoming a were-hyena. When they take damage, they have to make a check to avoid losing their cool.
(This might not work as well with a wizard/spellcaster, but you could easily allow them to concentrate on not shifting and a spell at the same time.)

While transformed, a Wisdom saving throw to change back makes sense as well.

It should be easy to have some minor mechanical tweaks for when he changes, such as using a bite instead of held weapons, and maybe a speed increase.

I'd prepare some scripted behaviours for the character though. Such as "he always goes after the weakest creature" or "if he hasn't eaten in four hours he goes after the nearest source of food." So that he can control his character without having too much freedom and you aren't adding another character you have to manage.

I'd also remind people that hyenas are pack animals at this points. So while his alignment likely shifts to Evil, he would still likely view the party as his pack. However, he might try to shift his role to that as "alpha" or dispose of a weak member that is holding back the pack. He shouldn't turn on the party.

 

[77IM]

I'd re-flavor the Barbarian so that raging is transforming.

I'd maybe give the rage-mode a few extra powers, like darkvision and keen scent and hearing. He grows claws and teeth that deal 1d6 damage, which is fairly balanced with out-of-the-box twf and is not a bad option for a Barbarian who's not going to frenzy (this guy would be a totem warrior of course).

On the downside, he must attack each round. If there are no enemies he can get to, he has to make a Wisdom save (DC 10) or attack an ally. Making that save would be the only way to end the rage voluntarily.

If he breaks the curse, convert all his barbarian levels to fighter, or maybe paladin depending on how he breaks it.