Variant Lycanthrope (3.5e Template)

Variant Lycanthrope
Summary::A lycanthrope template, done different.

A curse and a disease, lycanthropy turns its victims into half human, half animal abominations with great strength and durability, but completely feral and mad. The natural lycanthropes are a result of a curse or rare birth between were-creatures, while afflicted lycanthropes are a result of their diseased bite.

Creating a Variant Lycanthrope
Variant Lycanthropes are humanoids or giants who can transform themselves into animals. In its natural form, a lycanthrope looks like any other members of its kind, though natural lycanthropes and those who have been afflicted for a long time tend to have or acquire features reminiscent of their animal forms.

Lycanthropy can be spread like a disease. Sometimes a lycanthrope begins life as a normal humanoid or giant who subsequently contracts lycanthropy after being wounded by a lycanthrope. Such a creature is called an afflicted lycanthrope. Other lycanthropes are born as lycanthropes, and are known as natural lycanthropes.

Size and Type
The base creature’s type does not change, but the creature gains the Subtype::Shapechanger subtype. The lycanthrope takes on the characteristics of some type of carnivorous or omnivorous creature of the animal type (referred to hereafter as the base animal).

This animal can be any predator, scavenger, or omnivore whose size is within one size category of the base creature’s size (Small, Medium, or Large for a Medium base creature). Lycanthropes can also adopt a hybrid shape that combines features of the base creature and the base animal. A lycanthrope’s hybrid form is the same size as the base animal or the base creature, whichever is larger.

Hit Dice
Same as the base creature plus a number of Animal racial hit dice equal to the base animal's CR. To calculate total hit points, apply Constitution modifiers according to the score the lycanthrope has in each form.

Speed
Same as the base creature, while hybrids add the base creature’s speeds (if higher).

Armor Class
In hybrid form, you gain the natural armor bonus of your base animal.

Attack
In hybrid form, you gain the natural attacks of your base animal.

Special Attacks
In hybrid form, you gain the special attacks of your animals.

In hybrid form, you cannot cast spells with vocal components, and your voice becomes that of the base animal.

Curse of Lycanthropy : Any humanoid or giant hit by a natural lycanthrope’s bite attack in animal or hybrid form must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or contract lycanthropy. If the victim’s size is not within one size category of the lycanthrope the victim cannot contract lycanthropy from that lycanthrope. Afflicted lycanthropes cannot pass on the curse of lycanthropy.

Special Qualities
A lycanthrope retains all the special qualities of the base creature and the base animal, and also gains those described below.

Alternate Form : A lycanthrope can change between human and hybrid form as a standard action. Certain triggering events may also force a change into hybrid form. While hybrid form is stronger, it is dangerous to persist within this form. One can remain in hybrid form for up to 1 minute/level safely (minimum 1 minute increments).

Once you exceed this amount, you become feral and lose your mind. Your alignment shifts one step closer to chaotic and one step closer to evil, and you lose send of friend or foe. You are consumed by primal urges, specifically hunger, and will try and seek out and kill the nearest sentient being. You take 1d6 points of nonlethal hp burn each minute you remain feral unless you kill a sentient being, which will stop the accumulation of hp burn. Hp burn is like normal damage (in this case, nonlethal damage), but it cannot be healed by any means (except for below). Successfully killing a sentient creature renders you safe for 1d4 hours before you must feed again. You return to human form if you fall unconscious (such as by hp burn) or when the sun rises in the morning. The hp burn is removed in the morning as well.

Afflicted lycanthropes must make a DC 15 Control Shape skill check to transform, while natural lycanthropes can do it without a check. Being exposed by the light of the full moon can trigger an involuntary change, as can taking over 50 points of damage from a single attack, and one triggering action chosen by the player and DM, such as coming in contact with a certain substance. Involuntary changes render the subject immediately feral. A creature can attempt a Control Shape check while feral to revert the change, but if they fail they cannot try again until they have killed a sentient creature or they are about to perform an act they are greatly opposed to (such as attacking an ally). Allies within 30 ft can also try to talk them down, offering them another attempt as a standard action.

A slain lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain their hybrid form, however.

Damage Reduction : An afflicted lycanthrope in any form has damage reduction 5/silver. A natural lycanthrope in any form has damage reduction 10/silver.

Lycanthropic Empathy : In any form, lycanthropes can communicate and empathize with normal or dire animals of their animal form. This gives them a +4 racial bonus on checks when influencing the animal’s attitude and allows the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands, such as "friend," "foe," "flee," and "attack."

Low-Light Vision : A lycanthrope has low-light vision in any form.

Regeneration : In hybrid form, the lycanthrope gains regeneration 1 (for afflicted) or 5 (for natural) which is bypassed by good aligned damage, silver weapons, and fire.

Scent : A lycanthrope has the scent ability in any form.

Abilities
All lycanthropes gain +2 to Wisdom. In addition, when in hybrid form, a lycanthrope’s physical ability scores improve according to its kind. These adjustments are equal to the animal’s normal ability scores -10 or -11.

In addition, a lycanthrope may also gain an additional ability score increase by virtue of its extra Hit Dice.

Skills
Lycanthropes gain Control Shape as a class skill, as well as all skills of the base animal as class skills. They gain any skill bonuses of the base animal, such as the +4 racial bonus on Survival checks wolves gain.

Feats
As base creature.

Environment
As base creature.

Organization
Were-creatures do not typically group. While sane they are as their base creature, and when feral they behave much like a wild animal of their kind.

Challenge Rating
CR::1 or 2. The CR increases by +1 (for afflicted) or +2 (for natural), plus the CR of the base animal.

Alignment
As base creature, or one step closer chaos and evil while feral.

Level Adjustment
+Level Adjustment::1 or 2. It is LA +1 (for afflicted) or LA +2 (for natural), plus a number of Animal racial hit die equal to the animal's CR (minimum 1).