Alright, I'm a major fan of Lycanthropy. I've seen a little bit of Lycanthropy in the past and I've seen how fun it can be both fighting as a Lycanthrope and against it. I've been killed by a Lycanthrope during a fist fight (Monk vs Sailor, when sailor lost he shifted and then I got mauled), and I have beaten someone to death as a Werewolf (One of my earliest 3.0 experiences).
Well, my question is this: How can you tell what Lycanthrope has what. I mean, looking at Weretiger I see it has a +12 to Str. Not much of anything else, but that's that. You go Werewolf and it has additional natural armor (I believe) and then the Werebear has its things and Wererat has its disease and other traits... all these animals have these things. What does a Werepanther have? Or a Werebunny? Or a Werewolverine or some other cool animal? I don't quite understand the instructions on how to make other Lycanthropes despite wanting to. Would a Werecheetah have a massive speed? Would a Werebeaver make huge dams?
Just trying to figure out what all does what. I love making Lycanthropes and there is something I'm putting together in my campaign that I am looking for these answers for.
Well, the wereswan has a vicious bite and maybe bonuses to intimidate.
As can be seen in The Butcher's Bill part 2.
In pathfinder the stats on lycanthropes are quite simple unlike in 3.0-3.5. All lycanthropes get +2 wis and -2 cha in all forms then when they are in the hybrid or animal form they also gain +2 str and +2 con. I do not have my books with me at the moment but I know they also get +1 or +2 natural armor but I am not sure if that is in all forms or just animal/hybrid form. It is the same for every type so this makes it very easy to remember.
Were-platypii!
In pathfinder the stats on lycanthropes are quite simple unlike in 3.0-3.5. All lycanthropes get +2 wis and -2 cha in all forms then when they are in the hybrid or animal form they also gain +2 str and +2 con. I do not have my books with me at the moment but I know they also get +1 or +2 natural armor but I am not sure if that is in all forms or just animal/hybrid form. It is the same for every type so this makes it very easy to remember.
I had a Pirate campaign where my party got inducted into a Were-crew and each party member got an extra +2 bonus (+4 in a few places) to stats where their creatures were exceptionally strong, and a natural weapon or special ability that fit the bill. The encounters were tuned to fight a CR +2 party. It worked out pretty well. My favorite PC played a were-drake fighter who used his gore attack as the basis of combat feats.
Thur: I'm really glad you posted. I created a homebrew campaign with evil fey and lycanthropes as the main bads. Each is supported by the usual suspects: goblinoids, magical beasts, evil humanoids, etc.
Of course the fey as written in bestiary are cool and all but not very earthshattering, so for the BBEG fey I'm using aspects from the Van Richten's Guide to the Shadow Fey. For example using the ability to create changelings from that book as well as shadow fey immortality I've created an undying children's boogeyman that kills kids and enslaves their souls.
Now; I have no idea how to make the BBEG lycans cool like that. I'm hitting a wall creatively and the only VR guide goes all the way back to original ravenloft and isn't very interesting at all.
How do you make lycanthropes interesting? Right now I'm thinking of using the contagion version of it just like a zombie plague. It does the same thing; one bite can infect, turn a person into a shape-changing killing machine intent on eating people, and therefore perpetuate itself like the T-Virus of Resident Evil fame.
You have any other cool tips/tricks you've either used or would want to see?
*chuckles* I do know that the Weretigers listed in the Beastiary are... incredible. +12 to Str if I read correctly when in Hybrid form??? I made one in a for-laughs-only group I played in shortly and we saw how incredible it was. Overpowered too as it was a Weretiger Monk (despite being a Goblin base race). Goblin Were-Tiger Monk (a la Goblin Pimp as I called it and he did have Profession: Pimp).
Anyways... I still haven't seen anything on this. I mean, I assume a Were-Rhino has either Improved Bullrush and/or Improved Trample?
Are there Were-Dinosaurs? Were-Displacer Beasts? Were-Hell Hounds? It would be awesome to come up with the ideas and possibilities.
Were-Dragon?