Art: 'Commission: Zmey' by Marcela Freire
Lythari
His blood ran cold as he realized that more than a dozen white wolves were arrayed around him. Very slowly he drew his sword, but there was no way he could possibly get more than one hit in before they tore him apart.
Suddenly, Tonath appeared from the brush between two of the wolves and smacked one about the ears. "Udia, you knew I was bringing him today, your little pranks aren't funny."
The wolf he'd cuffed growl and nudged him with its shoulder, then its form blurred and it became an equally pale elf woman crouched beside him in a well-made leather dress and leggings. "He dribbled down his leg a little, I'd count that as funny." she said with a smirk in Banolm's direction.
"I would think you would be less judgemental considering your people piss on every tree they pass." Tonath countered, ignoring the resulting scowl. "Leave him be and take us to the camp."
The lythari of Faerûn are a very rare kind of elf who can naturally transform into wolves. They run the wilds of the world, only occasionally interacting even with other elves.
Ancient Ways
Given their long lifespans, elven societies in general span millenia, but the lythari culture is considered ancient even to other elves. They were among the very first elves to set foot on Faerûn along with the avariel and the green elves. These three cultures prioritized their connections to the natural world, and while later elves created great empires, the lythari were content to remain in nomadic family groups. They are by no means barbaric though. Their crafts and artwork are exquisite, their songs enchantingly beautiful, and they have a command over magic that even high elves acknowledge is impressive. A combination of their robust oral traditions and their isolation from the wars and espionage that takes place between other elven people means they retain lore long since lost everywhere else. They are not a warlike people, however, and while they will fight to defend themselves, they dislike conflict. Many returned to Arvandor and the Feywild during the Faerûnian Crown Wars, but a few can still be found in ancient forests and around major elven settlements.
Moon Children
While lythari are technically therianthropes, there are significant differences between them and other kinds. Most therianthropes have humanoid, beast, and hybrid forms. Lythari only have a humanoid and wolf form, although this is more than enough to terrify the unlearned who only know the tales of werewolves. Lythari, however, have none of the aggressive or violent motives that many werewolves have. Additionally, most lythari are natural therianthropes, meaning they were born to lythari parents and are not "cursed", always having been able to transform. Lythari can also increase their numbers with ancient rituals that gift other elves with this transformative ability. While a lythari bite can also pass this on, a bite only works on elves. Other races are entirely unaffected, the only exception being half-elves, who become violently ill as their body rejects the bite. Lythari are very careful not to bite other elves who have not requested it, yet another reason they dislike being involved in broader elven wars.
Wild Beauty
Lythari in human form are considered very beautiful even by elven standards. All of them have silvery white skin and hair and bright blue or green eyes. When transformed into wolves, they look very similar, their fur being white, silver, or pale grey. Their elven eyes remain, which is one way to tell them apart from natural wolves. They generally do not wear the fine fabrics that high elves do, preferring the practicality of soft leathers, their own resilient woven fabrics, or furs. Shoes are only worn in cold weather. Still, lythari enjoy their little luxuries. While
accessories are rare, each one is a masterpiece, beautifully hand-carved pieces of bone or stone that would make any merchant drool with greed. The few articles of silk or steel found among lythari possessions are treasured, and even things with little monetary value can become family heirlooms.
Lythari Names
Lythari still use elven names, generally in particularly old-fashioned forms. Each also has a unique howling song they can use to identify themselves in wolf form.
Lythari Traits
Your lythari character has the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores increase by 2.
Age. Lythari live just as long (if not longer) than other elves, maturing at around 100 years and being considered very old at around eight centuries.
Alignment. Lythari are almost exclusively good, although their insular society tends towards a neutral outlook rather than a chaotic one like other elves.
Size. Lythari are generally on the tall side for elves, around 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You speak, read, and write Elven and Sylvan.
Darkvision. 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.
Lycanthrope. As a lycanthrope you take less damage from normal weapons. Once per turn, when you take piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage from nonmagical weapons that aren't silvered, you can reduce the damage by an amount equal to your level.
Trance. Like other elves, lythari don't need to sleep. Instead, they enter a semiconscious trance for 4 hours a day that allows them to perform mental exercises and relive memories of their training. This trance is the equivalent of 8 hours of sleep for most other races.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed. Magic cannot put you to sleep.
Hunter. You have proficiency in the Perception and Survival skills, as well as the spear, sling, shortbow, and longbow. Additionally, you have an enhanced sense of smell and never forget a scent.
Packmate. You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with canines while in elf form. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. Unless provoked, they view you as an ally, and you have advantage on Charisma checks you make against them.
Alternate Form. Once per long rest, you can transform into a wolf as a bonus action, with base stats provided below. You retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores as well as your alignment and hit point totals, but otherwise have your statistics replaced by those of the wolf. If you increase your ability scores beyond 1st
level with Ability Score Improvements, feats, or other permanent effects, they also apply to your wolf form. You retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, but use your wolf form's proficiencies if they are higher. You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the wolf form is physically capable of doing so (such as extra attacks or lay on hands). You cannot cast spells, speak, or do anything that requires the use of your hands. Transforming does not break your concentration on a spell you have already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell. Your clothes and objects of your choice with a total weight no more than twice your humanoid Strength score merge into your new form. Equipment that merges with your wolf form has no effect until you return to humanoid form. Anything else you are wearing or carrying falls to the ground. You remain a wolf if you are killed in this form, and do not register as a shapechanger to magic that detects such things. You can return to your humanoid form as a bonus action.
Racial Feats
As a lythari, you have access to feats available to wood elves as well as those listed here.
Apex Predator
Prerequisite: Lythari
You are a true lord of the forest, hunted by none and challenged by few. You gain the following benefits:
- Beasts must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) when they target you with an attack or harmful effect. On a failure, they are cowed by your superior predatory nature and must choose a new target or lose the attack.
- In your elf form, you can use your bite as a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Dexterity modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
- In both forms, you strike with deadly accuracy, and your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Distinct Natures
Prerequisite: Lythari
When using the alternate form racial ability, you assume the wolf's hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your elven form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. You automatically revert to your elven form if your wolf form drops to 0 hit points, and any excess damage carries over to your elven form.
Lythari Wolf
Medium beast
- Armor Class 11 + 1/3 your level (minimum 1)
- Health 1d6 + your Constitution modifer per level
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) N/A N/A N/A
- Skills Proficiencies Perception, Stealth
- Condition Immunities sleep
- Senses darkvision 60 ft.
- Languages understands your languages but can't speak
Keen Hearing and Smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Pack Tactics. You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed. Magic cannot put you to sleep.
Lycanthrope. Once per turn when you take piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage from nonmagical weapons that aren't silvered, you can reduce the damage by an amount equal to your level.
Actions
Bite. Your bite is a melee weapon you are proficient with. It does 2d4 + your Dexterity modifier piercing damage. If you hit a creature with it, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone.
If the target is a half elf, they must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a fail, they are poisoned for 1d4 rounds. If the target is an elf, they must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a fail, they transform into a lythari at the next full moon unless they are targeted by a greater restoration spell, a combination of the remove curse and lesser restoration spells, or other equivalent magic.
The damage of your bite increases to 2d6 at 6th level and 2d8 at 12th level.