Player Characters as Lycanthropes
These rules replace the rules in the Monster Manual Page 207 for player lycanthropes.Behavior
Once a humanoid becomes infected with lycanthropy, it can choose to either resist its curse or embrace it. A lycan who transforms on purpose is considered to have embraced their curse.Resisting the Curse:
By resisting the curse, the Lycan's alignment doesn't change. It lives its life as it always has, burying deep the bestial urges raging inside it. However, when the full moon rises, the curse becomes too strong to resist, transforming the individual for the entire night into a hybrid beast form that combines animal and humanoid traits. If the cursed creature is unaware of its condition, it might not remember the events of its transformation, though those memories often haunt a lycanthrope as bloody dreams. When the moon wanes, the beast within can be controlled once again, and the creature gains a level of exhaustion. They often loath what they've become. The GM will control your character on full moons. A remove curse spell can rid an afflicted lycanthrope of the curse, but a natural born lycanthrope can be freed of the curse only with a wish. A natural born lycan is unable to resist the curse.Embracing the Curse:
Some individuals see little point in fighting the curse and accept what they are. Lycans who embrace the beast within often tend toward a Chaotic alignment on the days leading up to a full moon. With time and experience, they learn to master their shape changing ability and can assume beast form or hybrid form at will. Most non-evil Lycanthropes don't like to pass on their curse, because every new lycan means competition for territory and prey as well as a higher likelihood of being discovered and hunted for the sins of others. Some live a life of solitude or adventuring, where they take jobs far away from towns where they can unleash the beast in fighting monsters. These lycans are sometimes able to retain control of their lycan form with practice. They always transform on full moons, and can choose to force themselves to transform at will. A lycanthrope who has accepted the curse can have their lycanthropy removed via Greater restoration. If the target is unwilling to be cured, the caster makes an ability check using their casting modifier. The DC equals 8 + the creatures proficiency modifier + their constitution modifier.Abilities
A character who becomes a lycanthrope retains his or her statistics. After the lycanthrope accepts the curse, the character gains the following in all forms: Vulnerability to Silver, Natural Weapons, Shapeshifter, and Lycan Traits
Vulnerability to Silver: While Transformed, silvered Weapons deal double damage to you.
Shapeshifter: Forcing a transformation takes an action and has a duration equal to 10 minutes times the character's proficiency bonus. Your nonmagical equipment doesn't change to match the new form's size or anatomy, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground, merge with it, or be torn or broken by your changing body. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form. your statistics, are the same in each form. If you die or go unconscious you revert to your true form.
Natural Weapons: While Transformed, you gain the ability to make unarmed attacks using their natural weapons that do 1d6 + strength damage. These can either be slashing (claws), Piercing (fangs, beak), or Bludgeoning (Tail, fists, ect.). You may use any that apply to your physiology, and are considered proficient in them.
Lycan Traits:
The character gains various traits in lycan form that they may pick from the below list. Traits work in all forms unless otherwise specified. Each trait is given a value in points, the player has a number of points equal to their proficiency bonus to allocate to traits. Once a trait is selected it cannot be swapped out. The player may hold onto unused points to spend them at a later time. Points can only be spent when the character levels up. Traits should be chosen in a way that makes sense for their base animal, avoiding giving their animal form things that the base animal would not feasibly be able to do.
Feral Senses: (1 point) You gain proficiency in the one of the following skills: Perception, Survival, Intimidation, or Stealth.
Speech of Beast: (1 point) You can communicate with animals as if you shared a language.
Darkvision: (1 point) You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. If you already had darkvision, your darkvision increases by 30 feet.
Finesse Natural Weapons: (1 point) Your natural weapons can use dexterity instead of strength.
Moon Touched: (1 point, Level 6 or higher) While Transformed, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. When you attack using only your natural weapons you can make an additional natural weapon attack as a bonus action.
Natural Armor: (2 points) You have tough skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Thick Skinned: (2 points) You gain advantage on any saves against poisoned condition, and resistance to poison damage. For any AC calculations you may substitute your Constitution in place of Dexterity (so long as it is not already used as with a barbarian).
Salvation from Silver: (1 point) You lose your weakness to silvered weapons.
Environmental Adaptation: (1 point) You gain a climb speed equal to your movement speed. Any fall damage you take is resisted.
Aquatic Adaptation: (1 point) While Transformed, you gain a swim speed equal to your movement speed, and can breathe air or water. In addition you are acclimated to the pressure and cold of the deep ocean.
Glide: (3 points) You may transform as a reaction to falling. Your fall speed slows to 60 feet per round taking no fall damage. For each two feet you fall you may move one foot forward.
Climate Adaptation: (1 point) You are acclimated to high altitudes, low altitudes, cold climates, and warm climates.
Animal Shape: (2 points) As an action you may transform into a full animal form with the same abilities as the mundane animal. Your statistics, other than your AC, are the same in each form. This form can use any abilities you would normally have in your hybrid form. Your equipment merges with this form when you transform. You cannot speak or cast spells while transformed.
DC Calculations
Whenever a player lycanthrope forces a transformation or is conscious during a full moon they transform if they are not currently transformed. If you have embraced the curse you may make a DC 15 Wisdom save to attempt to control the beast. If you fail, you attack the nearest creature. If there are multiple creatures around you, you roll to determine which one you attack. You may remake this check at the end of a minute. Additionally, a friendly creature can use their action to make a DC 15 animal handling or persuasion check to try and calm you.
A humanoid bit by one that carries the curse of lycanthropy must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + the lycanthrope's proficiency bonus + the lycanthrope's con) or be cursed.
Lycan Feats
If you lose your lycanthropy you lose these feats and may instead take a normal replacement feat or stat increase. Upon being infected your GM may let you replace a previous mental stat increase with one of these feats, as you become more feral, particularly if you were infected very late in levels.
Animal Insticts
Prerequisite: Feral Senses
Choose one of the following skills: Perception, Survival, Intimidation, or Stealth. While Transformed, You gain advantage on skill checks made with that skill.
Tough Hide
Prerequisite: Natural Armor or Thick Skinned, Level 12 or higher
While Transformed, You gain resistance to non magical bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing.
Impenetrable Hide
Prerequisite: Tough Hide, Level 16 or higher
While Transformed, You gain immunity to non magical bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing.
Tame
Prerequisite: Incompatible with Savage, Level 8 or higher
You can choose to auto succeed on any control checks. In addition, you are no longer transformed against your will by critical hits (but can still choose to transform when hit with a critical hit as normal). Your total points to spend on lycan abilities is now calculated by multiplying your proficiency by two. You may transform as a Bonus action.
Savage
Prerequisite: Incompatible with Tame, Level 8 or higher
You can choose to auto fail on any control checks. When in an uncontrolled transformation, your natural weapon dice goes up one size. In addition, when someone attempts to cure your lycanthropy against your will, the check they make to try and cure you is made at disadvantage. Your total points to spend on lycan abilities is now calculated by multiplying your proficiency by two. You may transform as a Bonus action.
Flight
Prerequisite: Glide, Level 8 or higher
While Transformed, You gain a fly speed of 30.