Lycantropes

[Pinjata]

Given the fact, specifications of my new campaign are constantly changing, I'd like playground's assessment of my idea, how lycantropy works. 5e rules and fluff appy.

Lycantropy is contracted via a lycantropes bite and failed save. During the nights around full moon, infected creature takes wereshape. In this case, it is acting like rabies-infested creature. It wants to kill pretty much anything from an ogre to a squirrel. Peasants included. It is not a rarity that a lyantrope will eradicate an entire settlement in one night, unless there are silvered weapons available or suficient magical firepower. (Usually in shape of adventurers) Next morning, lycantrope awakens, usually naked, unaware if his/her actions.

In this case, I think lycantropy would be extremely feared/hated. When contracted, it gives unhuman strenght to the victim, immunity to nonsilvered weapons and uncontrollabke urge to massacre every sentient being available every full moon.

How do you guys like this idea? Do you see any concept holes?

Thanks

[LibraryOgre]

I think it's a pretty standard version of lycanthropy, especially in early editions... to the point where I'm not sure if "Lycantropes" is a typo or a joke.

Where D&D usually goes is that, over time, you get better able to control yourself and more likely to remember things.

[Honest Tiefling]

Different creatures react different to rabies, so do you mean they act like the stereotypical creature with rabies, or how that particular species would act? And what of other symptoms of rabies? I honestly can't tell if you are trying to be poetic, or trying to give a different flair to the disease.

One thing I could see is using this to frame people. Drug them up, strip them and throw some pig's blood on them and taaadaaa! I mean, I assume people react pretty badly to the idea of such a potentially hazardous creature around them.

[Tvtyrant]

Given the fact, specifications of my new campaign are constantly changing, I'd like playground's assessment of my idea, how lycantropy works. 5e rules and fluff appy.

Lycantropy is contracted via a lycantropes bite and failed save. During the nights around full moon, infected creature takes wereshape. In this case, it is acting like rabies-infested creature. It wants to kill pretty much anything from an ogre to a squirrel. Peasants included. It is not a rarity that a lyantrope will eradicate an entire settlement in one night, unless there are silvered weapons available or suficient magical firepower. (Usually in shape of adventurers) Next morning, lycantrope awakens, usually naked, unaware if his/her actions.

In this case, I think lycantropy would be extremely feared/hated. When contracted, it gives unhuman strenght to the victim, immunity to nonsilvered weapons and uncontrollabke urge to massacre every sentient being available every full moon.

How do you guys like this idea? Do you see any concept holes?

Thanks

The only problem is that they would become so very, very useful. A werewolf is easier to contain then a t-rex or giant, but being immune to physical attacks they would easily kill them.

I could see many organizations keeping caged/dominated/leashed lycanthropes to hunt dangerous animals, fight wars and even be uaed to transform the whole village in cases where extinction is imminent.

So a village might kill anyone suspected of being a werewolf, or they could be kept under control by silver spiked collars and whips to be turned on enemies.

[InvisibleBison]

How do you guys like this idea? Do you see any concept holes?

I think you should not describe lycanthropes as being so extremely deadly. If they often wipe out entire villages, how are there people surviving to become more lycanthropes, and how is knowledge of lycanthropes spreading amongst the peasants?

I also think you shouldn't call a lycanthrope assuming its animal form "taking wereshape", because "were" means "man".

[Honest Tiefling]

I could see many organizations keeping caged/dominated/leashed lycanthropes to hunt dangerous animals, fight wars and even be uaed to transform the whole village in cases where extinction is imminent.

So a village might kill anyone suspected of being a werewolf, or they could be kept under control by silver spiked collars and whips to be turned on enemies.

See, this is precisely why I think players will weaponize ANYTHING. Through, having said that, these creatures are deadly and easily to import within a month-long window. If someone had the ability to create or transport them, well, they'd be a pretty good weapon.

[Tvtyrant]

See, this is precisely why I think players will weaponize ANYTHING. Through, having said that, these creatures are deadly and easily to import within a month-long window. If someone had the ability to create or transport them, well, they'd be a pretty good weapon.

You really only need to keep one, then have it nip pows or prisoners to use at the needed time.

Perfect example would be having a bunch of pows bit, take put their tongues and then return them to their side. It only works once but the enemy army is almost certainly destroyed from within.

Or if you lose a battle dump a bunch or bitten people in the backfield as you retreat. Now scouting parties and supply lines are getting torn up trying to follow you.

[LibraryOgre]

Of course, if this is something that can and will happen, then you're going to have countermeasures. These werewolves, for all that they're unstoppable killing machines... are stopped by giving your guards silvered spears, and having people plant lots of wolfsbane, and use it liberally around the full moon.

"Whoops, looks like its another full moon. Jimmy, Johnny, Bob, and Sue are on watch with the silver spears tonight. Everyone hang a spring of wolfsbane over their doors and windows. And we'll do it again next month."

Expensive? Sure. But not as expensive as your entire town getting eaten might be.

[eru001]

We have them in the campaign I play and they operate like this

Lycanthropy is a magical disease spread through contact with the bodily fluids of the infected. Lycanthropy is most commonly spread through bites, though it can also be contracted through contact with blood, sexual intercourse, etc.

Symptoms.
Within an hour of infection the victim will suffer severe nausea, head ache, and dizzyness, this will last for several hours.
At around the four hour mark the initial symptoms will have passed for the most part and the victim will begin to experiance increased appetite (particularly for meat), and may begin to occasionally snarl or growl.
Within twenty four hours the victim will begin to experiance hypersensitivity to sound and smell. In some but not all cases, temporary or permanent color blindness may begin to set in.
By the thirty six hour mark increased agression and restlessness are common.
Two to three days in, portions of the victim's body which are normally hairy (Underarms, groin, Face if male etc) will have hair coming in much more thickly.
five to six days in, contact with anything silver will produce a burning sensation.
At the one week mark the victim will begin having vivid dreams about being a wolf.
Approximately one and a half weeks, the victim will begin displaying a distinctive affinity for all things canine. (Ie, a dog starts barking and they will somehow know what it wants. If something is wrong with a dog, they will likely notice quickly and be able to figure out what with ease.)
At the two week mark, The disease is now incurable and the magical nature of it takes full effect.
The ghost/spirit of a deceased wolf has been bound inside the victim . This has certain effects in both human form, and wolf form

In human form
They are forced to change at the full moon, and must save against changing whenever their health drops below a certain point.
The exhibit slightly increased strength and perception
Silvered weapons do a minor amount of bonus damage.
They get a minor bonus to resisting poisons.
Certain foods now count as mild poisions (Chocolate, raisins, really anything which would be very bad to feed a dog)
They demonstrate a number of minor animalistic behavior traits, growling when someone gets too close to their plate, slight changes in dietary preference, etc
Bonus to handle animal and animal empathy checks involving canines.

In Wolf form
Non-Silver/Non-flaming weapons do half damage
The wolf spirit is in complete control, (at first). It is not necessarily rabid, but is in pain, confused, and scared, in addition to likely being hungy and potentially being cornered. The wolf will lash out at percieved threats, and at percieved easy meals. High DC animal empathy checks can be used to attempt to calm the creature.
Large buff to health, low tier regeneration.


Initially the victim will have no control over the wolf. If the wolf is calmed during a transformation, the victim may make a high DC will same to exert some influence over the creature's actions. (Ie, attack enemies first, but will still attack allies if no enemies are present, or similar)
After a successful calming and will save the victim gains a permanent +1 boost on all future "Influence the wolf" will saves. This stacks with each repetition, higher and higher degrees of success leading to higher and higher degrees of control. The exact degrees of course being at GM's discretion. If a high enough number of successes are achieved (again GM's Discretion) then the victim may begin making these "Infuence the wolf" will saves with a penalty even if no one has successfully calmed the wolf.

[Honest Tiefling]

1) Wolfsbane wasn't mentioned, so I assumed it wasn't a factor. If wolfsbane is aconite, that is pretty poisonous to livestock and humans, so accidental death might actually be a factor. Winter will still be a factor as the plant might be harder to reach, assuming that you had the sense not to put your super poisonous plant by your house.

2) It might actually be cheaper to replace the people then to buy a bunch of silver. In some settings, silvered weapons are achieved through alchemical processes, so you need alchemists and a lot of silver to give everyone silvered weapons. in 5e, it is 100 gp per weapon because it takes skill to plate the weapon. 5e doesn't give the price of a slave, but I doubt it's that high.

3) Lycanthrope might be sneaky, and could potentially side step guards by chomping on sleeping people. That would explain how news of them got out, but would kiiiinda suck for anyone on the outskirts of town.

4) Any nation with no morals and a lot of silver would still benefit from using werewolves, because silver is in abundance for them and their neighbors have a sudden need of it. This is a hilarious plot hook.

[Tvtyrant]

1) Wolfsbane wasn't mentioned, so I assumed it wasn't a factor. If wolfsbane is aconite, that is pretty poisonous to livestock and humans, so accidental death might actually be a factor. Winter will still be a factor as the plant might be harder to reach, assuming that you had the sense not to put your super poisonous plant by your house.

2) It might actually be cheaper to replace the people then to buy a bunch of silver. In some settings, silvered weapons are achieved through alchemical processes, so you need alchemists and a lot of silver to give everyone silvered weapons. in 5e, it is 100 gp per weapon because it takes skill to plate the weapon. 5e doesn't give the price of a slave, but I doubt it's that high.

3) Lycanthrope might be sneaky, and could potentially side step guards by chomping on sleeping people. That would explain how news of them got out, but would kiiiinda suck for anyone on the outskirts of town.

4) Any nation with no morals and a lot of silver would still benefit from using werewolves, because silver is in abundance for them and their neighbors have a sudden need of it. This is a hilarious plot hook.

Point 4 would make for one of the best plot hooks ever. You could even do an arms dealer plot where they sell lycanthropes to one group and silver to the other.

[bc56]

Point 4 would make for one of the best plot hooks ever. You could even do an arms dealer plot where they sell lycanthropes to one group and silver to the other.

Now I want to run this, but on a smaller scale.

PCs hired as guards for an arms shipment, but the "arms" are people afflicted by lycanthropy. Delays occur on the journey, and the PCs need to deal with a group of werewolves that were their traveling companions.

[Sorceress]

Not entirely helpful, but I love the thread title. It makes me want to play a commoner who was bitten by a were - Action Girl and goes out to raid dungeons in a tight fitting leather outfit on the full moon.

[tomandtish]

Not entirely helpful, but I love the thread title. It makes me want to play a commoner who was bitten by a were - Action Girl and goes out to raid dungeons in a tight fitting leather outfit on the full moon.

Their opponents are were-Scrappys beating up local townspeople suffering from The Worf effect?

Edit: Special attack - On a failed Will save you must click this link, then spend 1d10 minutes on the site before attempting another save. Each successive failure results in a -1 penalty....

[Spore]

Think how a world would react to that. The one thing a werewolf can stop is knowledge and capable warriors. So I am sure professional monster hunters ala The Witcher would roam the lands. They would be showered in gold and adoration.

[Honest Tiefling]

Think how a world would react to that. The one thing a werewolf can stop is knowledge and capable warriors. So I am sure professional monster hunters ala The Witcher would roam the lands. They would be showered in gold and adoration.

Think about how misinformed people are. Even today, people get weird ideas like how avoiding gluten is somehow good for you. Now, in a world where illiteracy and isolation is common? People could make up random stuff and until you're facing down the werewolf you really can't tell what is correct or not.

Furthermore, if the society is feudal the lord might be better off losing a few people then letting those nasty peasants have weapons. Or heck, just baiting the werewolf into a rival's territory. And even if you somehow got the money as a serf, your lack of time to train probably isn't going to do you any favors.

Through the idea of religion-sponsored monster hunter paladins or a lord hiring a group of monster hunters to prevent uprisings is very appealing to me.