Walk me through Lycanthropy like I were 5

[Gray Warden]

Hi everyone,

in a couple of hours I am going to run a game that will involve natural Wererats with the ability to spread the Curse of Lycanthropy. The problem is I'm not sure I got it right. Could you please follow me and correct me wherever I'm wrong?

So, let's start from the beginning. The character gets bitten: DC 15 Fortitude to resist the curse. If failed, the character catches Lycanthropy:

Lycanthropy wrote:

Type curse (injury); Save Fort DC 15 negates, Will DC 15 to avoid effects

Onset the next full moon; Frequency on the night of every full moon or whenever the target is injured

Effect target transforms into a wolf under the GM’s control until the next morning

Now, a creature that catches Lycantropy...

Lycanthrope wrote:

A creature that catches lycanthropy becomes an afflicted lycanthrope, but shows no symptoms (and does not gain any of the template’s adjustments or abilities) until the night of the next full moon, when the victim involuntarily assumes animal form and forgets his or her own identity. [...]

Does this require a Will save vs DC 15 to negate the transformation, as written in the Lycanthropy description reported above? Assuming it does not or the character fails...

Lycanthrope (contd) wrote:

The character remains in animal form until the next dawn and remembers nothing about the entire episode (or subsequent episodes) unless he makes a DC 20 Will save, in which case he becomes aware of his condition.

If the character does not pass the DC 20 Will save to become aware, the same thing repeats the next time they get injured or the full moon shows up. Assuming the character passes the awareness Will save, they now get access to the Lycanthrope template abilities, which are:

Lycanthrope (CR +1) wrote:

AC: In hybrid or animal form the lycanthrope has the natural armor bonus of the base animal increased by +2. [Wererat = +2]

Defensive Abilities: A natural lycanthrope gains DR 10/silver in animal or hybrid form. An afflicted lycanthrope gains DR 5/silver in animal or hybrid form.

Speed: Same as the base creature or base animal, depending on which form the lycanthrope is using. Hybrids use the base creature’s speed. [Wererat = 30ft]

Melee: A lycanthrope gains natural attacks in animal and hybrid forms according to the base animal. [Wererat = 1d4 + Filth fever disease]

Special Attacks: A lycanthrope retains all the special attacks, qualities, and abilities of the base creature. In hybrid or animal form it gains the special attacks, qualities, and abilities of the base animal. A lycanthrope also gains low-light vision, scent, and the following:

Change Shape (Su)

All lycanthropes have three forms—a humanoid form, an animal form, and a hybrid form. [...]

...which they can assume at will, with no risk of turning spontaneously.

Lycanthrope (CR +1) (contd) wrote:

Equipment does not meld with the new form between humanoid and hybrid form, but does between those forms and animal form. A natural lycanthrope can shift to any of its three alternate forms as a move-equivalent action. An afflicted lycanthrope can assume animal or hybrid form as a full-round action by making a DC 15 Constitution check, or humanoid form as a full-round action by making a DC 20 Constitution check. On nights when the full moon is visible, an afflicted lycanthrope gains a +5 morale bonus to Constitution checks made to assume animal or hybrid form, but a –5 penalty to Constitution checks made to assume humanoid form. An afflicted lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form automatically with the next sunrise, or after 8 hours of rest, whichever comes first. A slain lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form, although it remains dead.

Ability Scores: +2 Wis, –2 Cha in all forms; +2 Str, +2 Con in hybrid and animal forms.

In order to heal from the curse, the character can:

- consume a dose of Wolfsbane to get a new Fortitude save.
- get a remove disease or heal spell cast by a cleric of 12th level or higher, provided the character receives the spell within 3 days of the infecting Lycanthrope’s attack.
- after the 3-day window has passed, get a remove curse spell cast by a cleric of 12th level or higher, during the time of the victim’s (willing or spontaneous) transformation.

Does this make sense to you? If not, please let me know :)
Thank you all for your help!

[William Werminster]

Greetings! Might be a late response but here goes anyway.

You got it all correct, just remember a few things.

RAW. The Will DC 15 for avoiding effects applies for both injuries and full moon nights.

Once the PC becomes aware, the transformation is a willing action BUT, the Werewolf entry here says:

Quote:

When a PC becomes a lycanthrope, you as the GM have a choice to make. In most cases, you should take control of the PC’s actions whenever he is in hybrid or animal form—lycanthropy shouldn’t be a method to increase a PC’s power, after all, and what an afflicted lycanthrope does while in animal or hybrid form is often at odds with what the character would actually want.

Also remember that an aware PC also remembers what did last time she transformed, so Alignment must be in consideration.

Wolfsbane is a poison so the Fort 15 save is for both cure the curse and survive the ingestion.