Wolves... werewolves..

[RolandOfGilead]

Does anyone else feel the slightest bit of pity on the lowly werewolf, creature of terrible power in our dreams, but felled by a lowly +1 sword in D&D?

I like lycanthropes. I just think with the proliferation of magic in 3E in general, and in FR in specific, they lose a little something in
the translation. Maybe what they lose is the ability to inspire terror!

In my campaign, I decided that lycanthropy was a powerful and terrible curse, one that kept its victim's soul from seeking rest unless it is purified with silver.. thus, while a werewolf might be slain by a magic weapon, this doesnt end the nightmare...

Upon death by means magical, a lycanthropes soul enters the outer planes in a vain attempt to find release. Some find their way to the plane of shadow, others to hades or the abyss, and spend 1d3 days there wandering. At the end of this time, their spirit returns to the prime material plane ... changed. The mortal body at this stage begins to regenerate rapidly, and the spirit enters the flesh and becomes an Undead Lycanthrope.

Grave Wolf (bear, rat, tiger, etc.)
Creature type changes to undead.
Hit Dice becomes 1d12.
+2 HD, +2 str, -2 int, -2 cha, +2 natural armor, Natural attacks do
1 extra cold damage, Regeneration (Silver), Frost breath as a winter wolf.

Night wolf (bear, rat, tiger, etc.)
Creature type changes to undead
Hit dice becomes 1d12
+2 HD, incorporeal, natural attacks now do 1d6 strength drain much like a shadow, can materialize. Those slain by strength drain become shadows.

I havent got my more detailed notes here, but anyone like these and care to hear more?

 

[Xarlen]

Yeah, it sucks.

Of course, I have an NPC natural lycanthrope in the party, too, as the tank.

Note, though, that Ravenloft does some stuff to give Lycanthropes just a touch more power.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Well, the victims of werewolves in literature, movies, and folklore are almost always normal people. The gist of that is that werewolves are great for terrorizing characters in low-level campaigns, but do, indeed, lose their luster when PCs get fairly high in level. It's the type of critter that seems better suited for running amok amongst Commoners. At least, it seems that way to me. Toughening them up could be interesting, but I'm not greatly motivated to do so. There are lots of cool critters suitable for mangling higher-level characters But, I'd be interested in seeing more of your ideas.

 

[Dave Blewer]

One option is too rule that lycanthropes can only be injured by silver weapons and only silver weapons!

Then you make the local blacksmith the werewolf...

Bwahahahaha

 

[Gothmog]

Yep, I made a rule IMC that lycanthropes DR can ONLY be bypassed by silver weapons (or whatever material they are vulnerable to). A +1 sword just does 1 more point of damage, period. In compensation, I increased their CR by 2. Does it make them more terrifying? You bet. A party of 8 10th level characters fled from an attack by 9 5th level ranger and druid werewolves.

 

[333 Dave]

One option is too rule that lycanthropes can only be injured by silver weapons and only silver weapons!

Then you make the local blacksmith the werewolf...

Bwahahahaha

You do know blacksmiths work with iron, right? Now making the local silversmith a werewolf would be scary.

 

[Dave Blewer]

Yeah...

But what if you were stuckin an remote village where the only metalworker of any kind was the Blacksmith and the Werewolf had just shrugged of your +1 Weapons?

I also suspect that a Werewolf Silversmith would be a wacko masochist who would wear his studded armour inside out when in battle....