if your player became a vampire of undead or were beast what would you do?

[Dr. Cliché]

For werebears the curse is power hungry people coming looking to exploit you either for your strength or eager to gain it for themselves.

But you could say that about any positive thing.

I guess One Punch Man is also "cursed".

Can't properly respond (on mobile) but one thing: no one is saying wolves are bloodthirsty. But the curse doesnt just turn you into a wolf, it turns you into a murderous shapechanger who takes the form of a wolf.

But then why do different animals result in different alignments? Why don't they all just turn you evil?

Look, if you accept the curse, you accept that an evil being that is not a wolf but a psychotic murderer which has the worst aspects of the animalistic behavior takes over your body.

Unless you're a werebear. Or a weretiger.

THIS is why it's a curse.

See above.

There is no "but I want to accept my lycanthropy to accomplish noble deeds", because you're cursed by an evil, nasty thing in order to spread murder and destruction.

Unless you're a werebear. Or a weretiger.

Now, Werebears and Weretigers are still cursed, but the difference is that they can control what kind of being they're becoming, to an extant.

But why? Why does this curse function so differently for them - to the point where a good person turning into a werebear is basically an all-round good result? There's literally no dilemma involved.

"Would I like to control this form whilst keeping my personality and sacrificing absolutely nothing return? Gee, I'll have to think about this one."

At the absolute worst, you've got two other forms that you never have to use if you don't want to.

I think whoever came up with this really needs to invest in a dictionary so that they can look up what a curse is.

The MM specifically says that there are evil Werebears, but that the good ones have trained for years to control the "beast".

Which is complete nonsense and clearly contradicted by the actual rules. Because if a person embraces the curse then they immediately become Neutral Good. There is literally no mechanic (beyond DM fiat) to turn them evil.

[DeadMech]

But you could say that about any positive thing.
I guess One Punch Man is also "cursed".

I'm the kind of person who gets suspicious of my DM when they give me an unusually expensive item assuming I'm about to become the local pickpockets newest mark.

[Angelalex242]

I'm the kind of person who gets suspicious of my DM when they give me an unusually expensive item assuming I'm about to become the local pickpockets newest mark.

My current DM is more the sort where 'great, you have a silver dragon on the team, now go kill 2 ancient dragons per session. Sometimes 3.'

[Unoriginal]

My current DM is more the sort where 'great, you have a silver dragon on the team, now go kill 2 ancient dragons per session. Sometimes 3.'

So now it's the adventures of the Silver Dragon, with the PCs as sidekicks ?

[No brains]

Being a PC in even a lighter D&D game is sort of an abyss stating contest already, so getting swept up in some transformative curses is sort of par for the course.

If you're fine with a PC being a shallow, violent caricature of a person, obsessed by possessing material object rather than what they signify, and who considers everyone, including the rest of the party, to only be tools to satiate their urges...


Nevermind.

Largely it depends on what's fun for the rest of the table. It can go any way so long as the rest of us agree that's what we can enjoy.

Sidebar: How would some of you deal with some of the rarer transformations, like Chaos Phage or even a Reincarnate spell? Is there as much baggage attached to turning into a hobgoblin or a frog-doppelganger?

[Unoriginal]

Sidebar: How would some of you deal with some of the rarer transformations, like Chaos Phage or even a Reincarnate spell? Is there as much baggage attached to turning into a hobgoblin or a frog-doppelganger?

I'm not sure I recall it correctly, but isn't Chaos Phage you being eaten by a Slaad rather than you becoming one?


As for Reincarnation: there is not as much baggage. You're still you, just from a different humanoid species.

Now of course people will treat you differently, and you might have personal issues with your new body, but fundamentaly there's no more issue with being an hobgoblin than there is from, say, being from an human country who has tried to attack other countries using devils, in term of reputation.

[Temperjoke]

I think it would depend on 2 things for me: the player involved, and the campaign itself. If the player isn't the sort that can handle that sort of change properly (ie, suddenly turns on other party members because they can't do anything to stop him) then nope, the character is an npc for now (the party might find a way to restore the character for example). On the other hand, if the player acts responsibly then I don't see that I should automatically take the character away. It also depends on the campaign. If we're talking a dark fantasy campaign, such as Curse of Strahd, where a vampire PC isn't out of place, then that wouldn't cause me to take the character.

I'd have certain requirements though. The PC no longer can gain class levels, for example, while existing as a vampire. Mechanically, this is to offset the advantages a vampire gets, and lore-wise reflects the fact that they're undead. If they're a cleric, they're going to have to take a new deity and domain. They're going to have to abide by the grave requirements, sunlight, etc., that vampires have. And like I said, it has to fit the campaign to an extent. If the party is a group of monster hunters, having a player become what they once hunted is a trope, but it does make for good character development. If it's an evil campaign, then they'll fit right in. On the other hand, if it's something like Tomb of Annihilation, then a vampire would be way out of place.

[Sigreid]

But you could say that about any positive thing.

I guess One Punch Man is also "cursed".



But then why do different animals result in different alignments? Why don't they all just turn you evil?



Unless you're a werebear. Or a weretiger.



See above.



Unless you're a werebear. Or a weretiger.



But why? Why does this curse function so differently for them - to the point where a good person turning into a werebear is basically an all-round good result? There's literally no dilemma involved.

"Would I like to control this form whilst keeping my personality and sacrificing absolutely nothing return? Gee, I'll have to think about this one."

At the absolute worst, you've got two other forms that you never have to use if you don't want to.

I think whoever came up with this really needs to invest in a dictionary so that they can look up what a curse is.



Which is complete nonsense and clearly contradicted by the actual rules. Because if a person embraces the curse then they immediately become Neutral Good. There is literally no mechanic (beyond DM fiat) to turn them evil.

My interpretation of the text around wearbear is that their animal impulses are just as berserk as the others. The Lawful Good comes from them only allowing progeny to survive who are willing to separate themselves from people and minimize the risk while protecting something worthwhile the rest of the time.

For weretiger, I see the neutral in the description of how they are basically hillbillies. They don't really care for town or company and if you leave them alone they aren't going to go out of their way to mess with you.

Edit: As for vampires, they would make lousy adventurers. The need to carry a vulnerable coffin or a lot of dirt every where they went in order to get a long rest in would suck.

[Angelalex242]

So now it's the adventures of the Silver Dragon, with the PCs as sidekicks ?

Not exactly. More like 'Rise of Tiamat got turned into Dragonlance. Human/Dragon pairings are expected in that sort of game. I'm waiting for the GM to hand me a +3 Lance of Dragonslaying any time now. :P

[Angelalex242]

My interpretation of the text around wearbear is that their animal impulses are just as berserk as the others. The Lawful Good comes from them only allowing progeny to survive who are willing to separate themselves from people and minimize the risk while protecting something worthwhile the rest of the time.

For weretiger, I see the neutral in the description of how they are basically hillbillies. They don't really care for town or company and if you leave them alone they aren't going to go out of their way to mess with you.

Edit: As for vampires, they would make lousy adventurers. The need to carry a vulnerable coffin or a lot of dirt every where they went in order to get a long rest in would suck.

Nah. Vampire can just stash his coffin in a bag of holding and call it good. Hell, he doesn't need to breathe, so he can take his 8 hour long rest IN the bag of holding!

[Sigreid]

Nah. Vampire can just stash his coffin in a bag of holding and call it good. Hell, he doesn't need to breathe, so he can take his 8 hour long rest IN the bag of holding!

One thing I often see missing in bag of holding talk is the limitation of the circumference of the opening.

[Joe dirt]

If they are good at roll playing and u have an already evil campaign then just let them play it.... just send peasants with pitchforks and valiant knights to slay them

[Angelalex242]

One thing I often see missing in bag of holding talk is the limitation of the circumference of the opening.

Okay, fine. Portable hole, then. :P

[furby076]

If you're fine with a PC being a shallow, violent caricature of a person, obsessed by possessing material object rather than what they signify, and who considers everyone, including the rest of the party, to only be tools to satiate their urges...


Nevermind.

seems like a typical adventuring party

[No brains]

I'm not sure I recall it correctly, but isn't Chaos Phage you being eaten by a Slaad rather than you becoming one?

A slaad either hatches from the claw-eggs of a red slaad or is transformed by the disease of a blue slaad. The slaadpole chestburster probably just kills the host, but the disease says it transforms the afflicted. It can be cured right before the transformation or it can only be reversed by wish afterwards.

Slaad's habits aren't really described beyond 'spreading chaos', so a shapeshifting Green Slaad that came from an adventurer that had firebolt could really fool anyone into thinking its the same. There's also a note that it has all the memories of its past forms, so presumably it remembers its human memories.