As a Druid / Hunter / Ranger would it be to OP to get Lycanthopy instead of an Animal Companion?

[Oakbreaker]

In the game I DM a player asked if he could do that and looking to get into a new game in January I am wondering if its just stupid to ask...I like the idea but as far as numbers I don't know if its too much

[Covent]

Have him be a primalist hunter with a dead animal companion. Refluff it as "an animal soul inhabiting him" or "the taint of lycanthropy".

The above would be my recommendation.

Would be much more balanced than actual lycanthropy, and he will not be burned out of town for spreading his "evil" disease.

[Oakbreaker]

Ok and for the other classes...he is a ranger and his argument for it is he can't get flanking bonuses and keep the action economy he would have with an animal companion by going this route and I am finding it hard to put a good argument against it

[Azten]

Instead, he becomes practically immune to Polymorph, damage reduction monsters don't often have a means to overcome, the scent special ability, and possibly better senses.

But this is being compared to a animal companion thats level-3. It's strong, but it's not as strong as that pouncing tiger or tripping wolf.

[Kobold Catgirl]

If you think about it, a lycanthrope is kinda like a really, really powerful barbarian (or alchemist, but barbarian is simpler).

So we're talking about a really, really powerful barbarian with spells and/or favored enemy and bonus feats.

Yeah, it'd be a bit overpowered.

[Oakbreaker]

Exactly and if he goes werewolf or weretiger he doesn't have his full attack plus his pouncing tiger or tripping wolf...its one or the other...the polymorphic doesn't come up much in my campaigns and the DR is a simple work up to overcome if I want to...he could get scent with an AC anyway...the real issue is would it outshine our druid with her AC or our Barbarian in melee to the point of it being a problem? I like the idea and would like to present it to a DM who I am looking to begin play with next year as well so I really want to know opinions on the matter

[Nate Z]

I'm playing a weretiger in a solo game. I had it from the start, but my GM isi giving it to me in little peioces as the game goes. It started with just being able to shift once a day, getting a small boost to strength, natural armor and very limited DR/silver. A few levels later, I got darkvision and sent all the time. Then a few levels later, some permanent ability score bonuses.

Something like that could work.

[Oakbreaker]

So kinda like applying the AC level up table to your character instead? Sounds pretty cool.

[Winfred]

I would give him the template with the following changes.

DR/silver equal to half his character level.

No stat adjustments.

Honestly I have trouble seeing how that will break the game and could make it a lot more fun for him.

Edit: Also limit natural attacks to the same limit as eidolon.

[Oakbreaker]

Ooh thats a cool idea too...I am really liking it...not much reworking and still keeps flavor.

[Davor]

I'd do it as an archetype. Replace the ranger Favored Enemy and Bonus feats with gradual lycanthropy bonuses, or in the case of druid replace wild shape and the animal companion with the same thing. That'd be okay.

[Bandw2]

actually, providing the AC progression to the ranger, would be an interesting choice compared to going from AC to, nothing being your other choice. WHO WASTES THEIR MOVE ACTION TO DO THE FAVORED ALLY THING?

[Ms. Pleiades]

Feral Hunter Archetype. It's got what you need. It's not an optimal choice in terms of crunch, but it's just about the most flavorful for lycanthropy that you can get with the system rules without actually smacking on the template.

[Oakbreaker]

I don't know about the Feral Hunter...fluff wise it works but it loses out on one of the big things the player wanted...natural attacks and armor...he was hoping to lose dependence on manufacturer weapons/armor

[Domestichauscat]

Been awhile since I read the bestiary, but aren't werewolves only in wolf form during the full moon? As in, a few months a year? In game time that is very underpowered to me compared to having an animal companion 24/7.

[Ascalaphus]

I like the idea of a lycanthropic archetype, but I don't think it should sacrifice the AC. The idea of a lycanthrope with his "wolf brother" fits just fine in my imagination.

For the ranger: I think it should come in place of combat style and favored enemies. It's basically a combat power for them and should take the place of a combat power.

For the druid: clearly it should come in place of wild shape.

For the hunter: it should probably replace animal focus and maybe spellcasting to some degree.

[Purple Dragon Knight]

overpowered yes... remember that you can usually provide a serious challenge for a party if you use an enemy NPC that is 2 or 3 levels higher than the party... (I'm not sure how many additional "effective levels" lycanthropy would give to a character, but that character would immediately become overpowered in comparison to the rest of the party)

THEN, the DM has the additional headache to come up with a proper challenge for you now... as the game is not geared for monsters as PCs...

[LazarX]

Oakbreaker wrote:

I don't know about the Feral Hunter...fluff wise it works but it loses out on one of the big things the player wanted...natural attacks and armor...he was hoping to lose dependence on manufacturer weapons/armor

Not everything the player wants is something he should have.

[Oakbreaker]

I know a player shouldn't get everything they want but still the concept is just beautiful to me...maybe some way to grant him the natural attacks that work mechanically

[Just a Guess]

Just let him play a skinwalker.

[Oakbreaker]

Not familiar with skinwalker

[Bob Bob Bob]

Skinwalker. Also Beastmorph Alchemist. If they don't want bombs, add Vivisectionist. Consider Master Chymist as well. It loses much of the nature feel but instead you chug your mutagen, get tougher skin (natural armor), grow claws and a bite (Feral Mutagen) and cherry pick from the Beast Shape 1-3 list (Beastmorph). It's the basis of the AMY ALCHY build, I gave it to a... math adverse player, it seemed to work well.

[Oakbreaker]

Damn...the alchemists thing does work great only issue is he is already 3 levels in for ranger and is asking because it's about to come up

[Dafydd]

My suggestion, let him awaken the natural lycan inside himself.

I did this for one of my games and it turned out well. The character was a shark shaman druid and I allowed him to exchange 1 level to become a natural lycan. Since we were starting at level 5, he was a level 4 druid wereshark (gnome).

I also allowed him to trade in the wereshark "level" and one level he gained (basically his 11th level as druid) to gain the Animal Lord (shark) template.

Since I did not give him the curse (so no spreading it), he traded away his true humanoid form for a constant hybrid form, his empathy for dominion and got a small boost across the board to stats. He also traded away 2 levels of druid for all that, meaning spells, wild shape, feats, HP, HD, saves and bab.

A ranger is not giving up quite as much as a druid does, but it made for a fun and interesting character.