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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Willie the Duck" data-source="post: 8660447" data-attributes="member: 6799660">To be clear, I think most* every player would secretly love to have their favorite thematic character choice (race, class, weapon of choice, etc.) have been the winner of the pack in the design lottery**. At the same time, I think most gamers recognize that it is unlikely that an unfair game will serendipitously consistently favor their preferences, and a game that is fairly even-handed is better than one were picking something else is far and away a more optimal strategy.  *and most of the exceptions are because they don't want to be seen as coddled/needing a leg up to succeed (although I don't want to suggest people having opinions based on genuine principles are rare, either).**example: I've always had a fondness for half-elves, halberds, and paladins. Coming into 5e and finding out that all three of these ended up being awesome selections was kinda nice... excepting that now if I take them I wonder if people think I am just power-gaming.Shifters are a half-measure at least in that they are a half-measure to the werecreatures we actually get in D&D (which, a the OP mentions and with which I agree, are powerful enough to potentially imbalance a group). If they were powered up to be one of the more optimal race choices (but still in the general power level of character-creation race choices), I think they would be a reasonable option for a native-born lycanthrope.For curse-based lycanthrope, maybe it would help to have abilities which increase as character level increased. Non-silvered weapon immunity is huge at L1, by tier 2 or 3, it is a nice little perk.Taking away player agency is tricky at best. Confusion or other 'this combat round instead of what you want to do, you do ______' effects, I am all on board. For Charm or Dominate or the like, I ask the players to play their PCs as if they are under mind control. It has not yet happened that someone fails to play them at least similar to how they would act if I had taken them over. If it did, I don't know... probably just 'c'mon, your character is mind controlled. That enchanter is now a good friend.'</blockquote>

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