Taking the werewolf as an example, the mythology ranges from the horror movie inspiring Beast of Gévaudan at the monstrous end, clear through to the Benandanti, werewolf protectors appointed by God (yes, that is referring to the Christian God) as defenders of their villages and who regularly assault the gates of Hell itself using iron flails.
There's quite a range in the mythology, and that's just two actual legends for werewolves in medieval Europe.
I dunno about "grounded" in mythology, but biologically speaking I appear to have a vestigial tail I once "grounded" sliding down a stair-rail at speed that had a vicious terminal straight that fractured my coccyx and I couldn't sit without major micro-piloting and seat-docking maneuvers for a good 18 months. I'm pretty sure I kinda used to be a monkey or some sorta hominid back in the vasty deep.
And when I get round a bunch of other similar humanoids the traits start to revert. Come to think of it, my hair is turning silver too. Only not on my back, thankfully.
And apparently I have a reptile portion in my brain, and when I was a lil post-eggling I was almost indistinguishable from a chicken and a fish at a similar stage. I...AM....A.....BEEEAAASSSTTT! BITE ME!!!!
(Sorry, either very near or actual full moon here on East coast Oz). Oceanshieldwolves long for their sea-homes while trapped in mountain fastnesses. With tender tails. ;)
Contributor
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Just pulled together $50 for this...
And found a really interesting article on weretigers. I'm using the research in the article for my India setting, but also thought I could share...
Just pulled together $50 for this...
And found a really interesting article on weretigers. I'm using the research in the article for my India setting, but also thought I could share...
Great news! And at that level you have some contributor opportunities available!!! Welcome aboard Jeff!
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Contributor
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Great news! And at that level you have some contributor opportunities available!!! Welcome aboard Jeff!Just pulled together $50 for this...
And found a really interesting article on weretigers. I'm using the research in the article for my India setting, but also thought I could share...
Thanks. I'll try to add some ideas, if people like them.
benandanti ??? Where is that from ?
Northern Italy.
Hooray! The project has exceeded funding, and now we're looking at stretch goals: cool art, minis(!), a 32-page adventure, and more!
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Looks like someone just put in a really big donation :)
Reached funding! Now for the stretch goals...
Here's the link to the Kickstarter:
*ponders what sorts of were-reptiles he should campaign for*
Oh congratulations guys, well done ^_^
I'd like to suggest a few topics to be addressed in the book, if possible:
- a feat that allows a hybrid to use the animal's speed, because a non-flying hybrid werehawk or a non-swimming hybrid wereshark is downright stupid IMO.
- a feat, or ability, that increases the DC to resist the Curse of Lycanthropy; right now, the DC is fixed to 15, regardless to the lycanthrope's abilities
- a variant lycanthrope that uses non-carnivorous, non-scavenger and non-omnivorous animals; that would address the "What if I want a wereelephant or wererhinoceros?" question.
- a variant ability that allows lycanthropes to be of different sizes. For instance, a weretyranosaurus human would a Medium human, a Large hybrid and a Huge animal, just like a human wereweasel would a Medium human, a Small hybrid and a Tiny animal. This could allow work backward, with a giant masquerading as a small animal, only to revert to his true form when ready to strike.
- a variant lycanthrope that uses vermins instead of animals, like getting a werescorpion or a werespider.
- an ability that allows an afflicted lycanthrope to become a natural one, be with a 9th-level spell or an artifact.
- Can hybrid lycanthropes cast verbal spells? This is something that wasn't re-written in Pathfinder, although in 3.5, hybrids could cast spells with verbal components yet they could still talk.
- an ability to allow lycanthropes to "customize" their hybrid forms; a female elven werebat might want to not have a prononced snout and beady eyes and might want to look like this.
- class archetypes using the template, although that would only be available to natural lycanthropes, since afflicted ones can be cured.
- a variant lycanthrope that could be applied to other human-shaped creatures, like outsiders, monstrous humanoids and feys.
- a curse that locks a lycanthrope in either hybrid or animal form.
That's all I can suggest right now, but I hope that it can inspire you ^_^
It appears I was mistaken about the direct Benandanti/werewolf connection. The source I was reading had conflated the Benandante with a case involving beliefs that it has been suggested were related in origin to those of the Benandanti, but were separate, at least at the time of the events.
Wikipedia on the Benandanti
Wikipedia on the Livonian werewolf, which was the story I was referring to.
Great suggestions, JiCi and Paul Ryan! I'm covering some of these suggestions as we speak. ^^
Since I'm currently crunching feats - feel free to hit me with more things you'd like to be covered!
Yes, you have inspired Endzeitgeist rather nicely there. :)
So, we are nearing 7K, which unlocks new art from Jennell Jaquays. At 8K, we get were minis and print books.
But at 9K, 2012 RPG Superstar Mike Welham and author Dawson Kriska pen an official MIDGARD (yes, MIDGARD!) adventure. How awesome is that?
Some kind of raging-bloodlust-as-a-flaw Thilo? Now I know not every were- is a) carnivorous or b) bestially bloodsucking, but as a flaw it would make for some nice RP...
And I got off the phone with Papa Frog just a bit ago, and he says Frog God is in! I'll add them to list of people with world info in the back. I haven't had a chance to contact the other ones you mentioned, Morgan, but I will.
Fantastic news Christina! Oldskool FGG FTW!
BTW I'm PMing you here about something...
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Jennell Jaquays art unlocked!
Alluria is in!
Extra fantastic!!! Glad to hear it!!! I'm psyched to get my aquatic-were cranking. Got a few ideas swimming around...
Jennell Jaquays art unlocked!
Yes!
If Jennell has the rights, can we get another version of Leona?
I can ask her.
Great suggestions, JiCi and Paul Ryan! I'm covering some of these suggestions as we speak. ^^
Since I'm currently crunching feats - feel free to hit me with more things you'd like to be covered!
Sorry for the late reply, but glad I could help ^^
Feat ideas, huh? Let's see... here are the ones I've suggested:
- feat to get the animal's speeds in hybrid form
- feat to increase the Curse's DC
- feat to cast verbal spells in hybrid and animal forms
- feat to allow hybrid form customization
Aside from that... hmmm...
- feat to decrease silver vulnerability
- feat to allow usage of animal's natural weapons in human form
- feat to allow healing while shift forms
- feat to allow quicker transformation
- feat to allow Intimidate checks with screaming in hybrid forms
- feat to allow non-detection to spells like True Seeing
- feat to make related animals to be kept at bay
- feats related to classes, like:
* Barbarian Rage = hybrid form transformation without save or wasted round
Please note that any of these could be made into abilities, spell effects and such instead of feats
- feat to get the animal's speeds in hybrid form
- feat to increase the Curse's DC
- feat to cast verbal spells in hybrid and animal forms
- feat to allow hybrid form customization
Got all those covered. ^^
Unfortunately I ran out of word-count, but Christina willing and if the moon-phase is right, I'd be game for more from your list. ^^
Time for me to throw some ideas around ;)
The main thing I'm hoping for is simply a balanced way of dealing with characters who randomly become infected lycans in mid campaign. It happens all the time, but currently there isn't a good way of letting the player remain in control of his character without him becoming more powerful than the rest of the party.
As for my Lycanthrope requests... I'd love to see some generic were-reptiles such as werelizards and weresnakes.
I would love to request weredragons, but I know those would be hard to pull off. Technically they aren't animals and have all that age category stuff going on so they would be impossible to do with the base Lycanthrope rules. Plus, I'll admit they're a bit cliched ;)
Time for me to throw some ideas around ;)
The main thing I'm hoping for is simply a balanced way of dealing with characters who randomly become infected lycans in mid campaign. It happens all the time, but currently there isn't a good way of letting the player remain in control of his character without him becoming more powerful than the rest of the party.
As for my Lycanthrope requests... I'd love to see some generic were-reptiles such as werelizards and weresnakes.
I would love to request weredragons, but I know those would be hard to pull off. Technically they aren't animals and have all that age category stuff going on so they would be impossible to do with the base Lycanthrope rules. Plus, I'll admit they're a bit cliched ;)
Cliched but cool.
The main thing I'm hoping for is simply a balanced way of dealing with characters who randomly become infected lycans in mid campaign. It happens all the time, but currently there isn't a good way of letting the player remain in control of his character without him becoming more powerful than the rest of the party.
That was the basic idea of my contribution to this pdf - Essentially, my idea was to build on the idea of lycanthrope-curses putting a strain on the body, burning through one's body's reserves faster, as well as offering them feats that have two layers, with the more powerful layer providing sinister options that portray the lure towards savagery.
As written, my rules don't impose a traditional penalty in the sense of a -x on the infected character, instead opting for what I hope will serve to balance lycanthropes versus non-lycanthropes without feeling like a penalty to the afflicted player - for they are actually rewarded for using the balancing mechanic. The power-gain is still there, though hopefully it can be offset with these rules.
Oh, and they are modular, i.e. you can take components and opt for either an "easy" or a more simulationalist approach.
Also: Evil lycanthropes that use these are HARDCORE and should put the fear back into PCs. *evil DM laugh*
Epidemic Books Oathbound: Eclipse handled the issue with an optional additional experience cost when a lycanthrope character levels up. They can pay more experience and gain more lycanthropic abilities at the same time as they leveled in a class, or they can just level up normally without any gains to lycanthropic abilities.
That still leaves issues in power balancing against non-lycanthrope characters when using a plot event/GM Fiat style of advancement rather than experience accounting though.
That was the basic idea of my contribution to this pdf - Essentially, my idea was to build on the idea of lycanthrope-curses putting a strain on the body, burning through one's body's reserves faster, as well as offering them feats that have two layers, with the more powerful layer providing sinister options that portray the lure towards savagery.
As written, my rules don't impose a traditional penalty in the sense of a -x on the infected character, instead opting for what I hope will serve to balance lycanthropes versus non-lycanthropes without feeling like a penalty to the afflicted player - for they are actually rewarded for using the balancing mechanic. The power-gain is still there, though hopefully it can be offset with these rules.
Oh, and they are modular, i.e. you can take components and opt for either an "easy" or a more simulationalist approach.
Also: Evil lycanthropes that use these are HARDCORE and should put the fear back into PCs. *evil DM laugh*
Excellent! I'm looking forward to seeing your section. ;)
The part you mentioned about lycanthropy burning through a person's reserves reminds me a bit of a barbarian's rage.... and that kind of fits perfectly with how an infected lycanthrope would fight. I'm guessing that a 'natural' lycanthrope wouldn't have as many problems with the transformations burning through his reserves, and thus wouldn't have as many problems with savagery?
Essentially there's a base-mechanic that lets you burn points for bonuses - once the points are gone, you start to starve -fast.
Building on that, feats allow to use these points for a wide variety of things.
I didn't have the space to treat differences between infected and natural lycanthropes and completely design a system to balance them from the ground up versus regular characters, instead opting for this soft balance. I used the mechanic successfully in my home-games and when enforced properly by the DM, it works.
To further elaborate: In my mind, natural lycanthropes can better grasp how much a toll certain stunts put on their body, but their affliction remains a curse - so unless you or the fine folk here convince me that a discrepancy between both in the mechanics is absolutely necessary, I'd opt to not make one for playability's sake.
That being said, I understand there'll be a teaser some time in the future, though please don't nail me on that one. ;)
I hope to have a sneak peek at Thilo's suggested system up by Thursday evening. I think you guys will like it.
By the way, Dreamscarred Press is joining the ranks on providing IP content. :)
Essentially there's a base-mechanic that lets you burn points for bonuses - once the points are gone, you start to starve -fast.
Building on that, feats allow to use these points for a wide variety of things.
I didn't have the space to treat differences between infected and natural lycanthropes and completely design a system to balance them from the ground up versus regular characters, instead opting for this soft balance. I used the mechanic successfully in my home-games and when enforced properly by the DM, it works.
To further elaborate: In my mind, natural lycanthropes can better grasp how much a toll certain stunts put on their body, but their affliction remains a curse - so unless you or the fine folk here convince me that a discrepancy between both in the mechanics is absolutely necessary, I'd opt to not make one for playability's sake.
That being said, I understand there'll be a teaser some time in the future, though please don't nail me on that one. ;)
I think I'm seeing where the 'temptation towards savagery' comes from. OMNOMNOM. This mechanic seems pretty well thought out :)
I find it interesting that you are counting natural lycantheropes as 'cursed' as well. Usually people don't describe the natural ones as cursed since they pretty much have full control over their abilities. Then again, how else do you explain their ability to spread a curse around?
Admittedly, I have always found it a bit odd that D&D had two seemingly completely different types of lycans: the natural kind and the infected kind. Usually you'll only find one or the other in any given setting.
By the way, Dreamscarred Press is joining the ranks on providing IP content. :)
Well done Christina*, and thanks DSP!!! Psi-weres!!! Now to think about a Cerulean Seas psi-wereshark on holiday in Neo-Exodus or Midgard...
*Looks like you got em' all. Still can't remember the other one I was thinking of...
Personally, I'm REALLY excited that all the 3pps join the fray and make this an all-star book. DSP and Alluria especially should be VERY interesting, given their crunchy sub-systems. Fluff-wise, I'm also immensely excited about Midgard and NeoExodus and their take on lycathropy...
Wouldn't it be nice if the guys who publish 'Golarion' would join in as well?
Now, who would that be? ;)
I seriously doubt they'd consider it, but I can always ask.
There's 3 days left on the project. I was hoping we'd get more people from here who want to pitch on the project or create their own were to be published in the book. It's a good opportunity to learn the freelancing ropes from someone who's been doing this for well over a decade now.
Please help spread the word about the project. We are close to closing in on unlocking miniatures and print copies. There's also a Midgard adventure at 9K by Mike Welham and Dawson Kriska that I'd LOVE to unlock.
Thanks, all!
Its an honor to be a part of it,on more than one level
Personally, I'm REALLY excited that all the 3pps join the fray and make this an all-star book.Agreed - it's kind of unprecedented to some degree, isn't it?
Back when I did Odyssey Prime (a Unisystem game) with Eden Studios/Misfit Studios, I approached companies to use their IP about their various worlds. I had a great response then, so I thought I'd try with this book. There's no reason we can't work together to promote each others' products. I'm very happy the other 3PPs agreed! :)
John Ling's Hunter of the Cursed is up at Kobold Press' site. We'll be utilizing this piece in the Bite Me! book. Take a look, and let us know what else John can add to this piece for us.
It's just a personal preference, but I'm not a big fan of automatic detections of any creature type. Perhaps a sense motive check with a bonus that allows lycanthropes at least a slim chance to avoid detection?
Thanks, Thilo. That's a good suggestion.
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I've posted Part I of what Tilo's been working on. Forgive me if there are typos, as I had to post while trying to get packed for a trip. Putting Some Bite into Lycanthropy by Thilo Graf. I will try to get Part II up when I arrive at my destination later this evening.
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Nice article. I really like the sustenance points/pool and the small bonuses available. Being starved of the meat-that-screams leading to non-lethal damage problems (no Con save) is also good. This is getting interesting...