D&D 5E Why do 5e lycanthropes get their powers in human form?

[Hussar]

Just kinda realized this. It’s completely out of keeping with mythological lycanthropes and wasn’t even true in earlier editions. At least not all editions.

So why?

 

[Leatherhead]

Well, they only keep their defensive powers, keen hearing/smell (which is going away in the upcoming 5.5), and of course the power to change shapes. They do, in fact, lose access to some of their attacks depending on their form.

Always having the defensive powers running keeps their defensive CR static, presumibly so they don't crumple over like a sack of potatoes when someone stabs them in their human form before they can change into an animal for maximum dramatic effect.

 

[Seramus]

Pop culture, probably. Many depictions of lycanthropes in media and other RPGs give them things like heightened senses and (limited) regeneration while in human form.

 

[Hussar]

That's hardly limited regeneration. At least, I'm looking at the were-raven since it's come up in my Candlekeep game. 10 HP/round unless you are hit with silver or spell damage. That's insane in the hands of a PC. It basically means that the character is unkillable. You'd have to knock the PC down with magic damage, then keep hitting him while he's down just to deactivate the regeneration. Skip a round of damage and the PC stands right back up, all death saves erased.

Since when was a were-wolf in human form unkillable? Is this a 5e thing that I just missed after all this time? It certainly was never this way before.

I'm considering allowing the lycanthropy by only getting the regeneration while in hybrid or bird form. That's nicely balanced since you have to strip off your armor to transform and you can't cast while in hybrid (were-ravens can't talk and don't have hands).

Otherwise, that's insanely powerful in the hands of a PC.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I normally (but not in my current curse of strahd and not in my first 5e campaign) have human form (I still call it homid) don't give them the damage immunity/resistance and I let them turn into base animal of there type

 

[Shardstone]

The cure bleeds into real life. It isn't as neat as a "always on, always off" kind of thing.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

That's hardly limited regeneration. At least, I'm looking at the were-raven since it's come up in my Candlekeep game. 10 HP/round unless you are hit with silver or spell damage. That's insane in the hands of a PC. It basically means that the character is unkillable. You'd have to knock the PC down with magic damage, then keep hitting him while he's down just to deactivate the regeneration. Skip a round of damage and the PC stands right back up, all death saves erased.

Since when was a were-wolf in human form unkillable? Is this a 5e thing that I just missed after all this time? It certainly was never this way before.

I'm considering allowing the lycanthropy by only getting the regeneration while in hybrid or bird form. That's nicely balanced since you have to strip off your armor to transform and you can't cast while in hybrid (were-ravens can't talk and don't have hands).

Otherwise, that's insanely powerful in the hands of a PC.

Except that all you need is a cantrip or a magic weapon hitting them once per round to completely negate the regeneration.

In my experience most first level parties have at least two characters with cantrips. Are higher levels you have magic weapons. So at very low levels maybe they will regenerate once during a fight on the round all the casters fail to deal damage. After a few levels it no longer does much of anything.

 

[dave2008]

Since when was a were-wolf in human form unkillable? Is this a 5e thing that I just missed after all this time? It certainly was never this way before.

The regeneration is the new format. The MM werewolf doesn't regenerate at all, but is immune to nonmagical weapons. This will change in '24 as suggested by the Loup Garou which has regeneration.

Personally I like it. It seems more thematic to the contemporary ideas of these monsters. Similarly, I would keep the regeneration in human form (again the contemporary idea of these monsters), but I would reduce it. So maybe 5 in human form and 10 or 15 in hybrid or wolf form. I would also change it stats or give it the brute trait of something to signify the power jump in hybrid form.

 

[Seramus]

That's hardly limited regeneration. At least, I'm looking at the were-raven since it's come up in my Candlekeep game. 10 HP/round unless you are hit with silver or spell damage. That's insane in the hands of a PC. It basically means that the character is unkillable. You'd have to knock the PC down with magic damage, then keep hitting him while he's down just to deactivate the regeneration. Skip a round of damage and the PC stands right back up, all death saves erased.

Since when was a were-wolf in human form unkillable?

The old Werewolf RPGs, the 2001 Underworld movies, 1981 The Howling, and even the hilarious and adorable 1987 Monster Squad where the Wolfman regenerated from being blown apart by explosives. Werewolves in media have been lean mean healing machines for a while now, many of them healing quite fast in human or very-hairy-human forms.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The regeneration is the new format. The MM werewolf doesn't regenerate at all, but is immune to nonmagical weapons. This will change in '24 as suggested by the Loup Garou which has regeneration.

I don't mind the change but it is one I didn't see coming.