Lycanthropy


Rules Questions


Can a wolf, worg or winter wolf be carrier of the lycanthropy virus/disease?

Sovereign Court

Interesting idea.


I was thinking wolves and winter wolves (cooler worgs) be infected with lycanthropy, but they aren't actual Lycanthropes their bite attacks cause Lycanthropy.


The templates make it pretty easy to convert anything to a lycanthrope. The Bestiary should have you covered as far as rules go.

I for one think a winter wolf lycanthrope would be awesome.


Sakrileg wrote:
Can a wolf, worg or winter wolf be carrier of the lycanthropy virus/disease?
Sakrileg wrote:
I was thinking wolves and winter wolves (cooler worgs) be infected with lycanthropy, but they aren't actual Lycanthropes their bite attacks cause Lycanthropy.

The lycanthrope template applies only to humanoids, and lycanthropy is listed as a curse, not a disease, so it wouldn't be a virus with carriers.

So, by the rules, no, a wolf, worg, or winter wolf cannot be a carrier for lycanthropy.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsters/lycanthrope.html#_lycanthrope

Lycanthrope Template wrote:
“Lycanthrope” is an inherited (for natural lycanthropes) or acquired (for afflicted lycanthropes) template that can be added to any humanoid.
Lycanthrope Template wrote:
Curse of Lycanthropy (Su) A natural lycanthrope's bite attack in animal or hybrid form infects a humanoid target with lycanthropy (Fortitude DC 15 negates). If the victim's size is not within one size category of the lycanthrope, this ability has no effect.

You can, of course, do what you like for your home game and feel free to give wolves, worgs, and winter wolves the Curse of Lycanthropy in your game. Don't forget dire wolves too.

The Rules don't support it (and this is the Rules subforum) so the official rules position is no, you can't do that. But it's your game to modify so you're not obligated to stick to the rules.

Of course it's always possible that there is a werewolf or dire-werewolf (either in animal form) mixed in with a pack of regular wolves, and a bite from that particular creature (only) transmits lycanthropy. If it's an afflicted werewolf, he may not even know he's a werewolf when he's in wolf form. (Of course by the rules, afflicted lycanthropes don't transmit the Curse of Lycanthropy. That takes a natural lycanthrope.)

Standard rules don't allow for lycanthropes based on worgs or winter wolves either because they're magical beasts, not animals, but a dire-werewolf would end-up similar to a winter wolf without the breath weapon.

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