D&D 5E Wizards planning a change to lycanthropes?

[Ruin Explorer]

For PCs, I don't like the idea of regeneration. It's just too powerful for only one PC to have it. If you want to model 'only killed by silver' then simply make it that if the PC is reduced to 0 HP a failed Death Save Throw has no effect - the PC doesn't pass the DST - unless the wound was inflicted by a silver weapon.

I dunno if regen really is that strong, but what if it was HD-limited? I.e. regen was just getting to roll an HD+con mod (or a fixed value) and heal that much every round, but it burned an HD in the process. You could combine that with being unable to outright fail Death Saving Throws (which is an extremely weak effect) to have a character who felt like they were a lycanthrope but probably wasn't actually that overpowered.

 

[Faolyn]

(I know this isn't what they meant with the wording, but now I'm wondering how one casts a "silvered spell".)

Throw a bit of powered silver in with the material components.

In all seriousness, if D&D ever went for power components again (I don't know if they ever did, but I think there was a Dragon mag article), then adding an allergen to the mix could provide some interesting elements when cast against creatures like werebeasts.

 

[Nikosandros]

Perkins says that they are playtesting the modification, but - as noted in the original Tweet - the text has already been changed on D&D Beyond. It looks like an official change and if it isn't, it's very confusing.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Remember that the normal rule doesn't give werewolves resistance; it gives them flat out immunity.

I think this new variant is better because it makes their resilience more evenly applied to weapon users and casters. It also brings real mechanical weight to the thematic importance to silver because magic weapons no longer get the same benefit. If you don't have silver you can't kill the creature. You'll have to just lock them up somewhere. At the same time, you only need one silver hit per round, and everyone can otherwise participate in damaging the creature, whether they are a caster or a weapon-user.

I'm rarely a fan of changes of this sort, but this a really good way of doing it.

 

[Charlaquin]

I much prefer regeneration that’s shut off by damage from silvered weapons over resistance/immunity.

Re: How do you have a “silvered” spell? With spell tags. Excellent piece of design tech that got cast out for the sin of being associated with 4e.

 

[tetrasodium]

Remember that the normal rule doesn't give werewolves resistance; it gives them flat out immunity.

I think this new variant is better because it makes their resilience more evenly applied to weapon users and casters. It also brings real mechanical weight to the thematic importance to silver because magic weapons no longer get the same benefit. If you don't have silver you can't kill the creature. You'll have to just lock them up somewhere. At the same time, you only need one silver hit per round, and everyone can otherwise participate in damaging the creature, whether they are a caster or a weapon-user.

I'm rarely a fan of changes of this sort, but this a really good way of doing it.

I don't have access to it on ddb, can you detailthe changes from

Spoiler: the published version?

How the regeneration is worded would make a big difference

 

[Nikosandros]

Regeneration. The wereraven regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the wereraven takes damage from a silvered weapon or a spell, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the wereraven’s next turn. The wereraven dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.

 

[grimslade]

Time to add 'Silver Spoon' to all my PCs kit. Improvised weapon for the coup de grace. Why a spoon, cousin? Because it will hurt more!

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I'm hoping that they really did mean a "silvered spell" even if such a thing doesn't yet exist. If they just meant a silvered weapon or any old spell, well that's just silly and makes the silvered weapon part meaningless.

 

[Charlaquin]

Regen 10 seems kind of low as a replacement for damage immunity. Wouldn’t regen [monster’s maximum HP] be more appropriate?