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Balancing A Playable Lycanthrope Character
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<blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 9022310" data-attributes="member: 58172"><p><strong>Multiattack.</strong> Redefine as merely: Your Unarmed Strike can deal the Slashing damage type, when using your claws, or the Piercing damage type, when using your fangs. No change in power.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Shapechange at will.</strong> The Wolf form is a unique individual and recognizable. So, there is no deception here. The Werewolf form is monstrous, thus obviously unusual.</p><p></p><p>With regard to shapeshifting, I was torn between using an Action to do it because it is balanced enough, versus using a 1 minute ritual to do it because it suited the flavor better of a prolonged painful process that I often see in Werewolf TV shows or movies.</p><p></p><p>I decided on the following. The Humanoid form uses an Action to become the intermediate Werewolf form. This initial transition is painful and requires 1 minute of Concentration to maintain. If the Concentration is able to persist for a minute, then the Werewolf form has a Duration "until the end of your Long Rest". Once the Werewolf form stabilizes, the character has the Beast creature type, and loses any other creature types. The character can use an Action to appear in the original Humanoid form (but keeps the Beast creature type), or appear in the natural Wolf form.</p><p></p><p>The Humanoid form is normal. The Werewolf form is about the same level of power. The Wolf form is like the natural animal, unable to use equipment, speak, or even use hands. Switching back-and-forth between forms remains balanced.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Damage immunity to anything non-magical or not silver.</strong> No, damage immunity is only available as a separate feat, and even then only at the highest levels. I would probably treat this as an Epic Boon now at level 20. At earlier levels, three feats grant damage resistance to Slashing, then Bludgeoning, then Piercing separately, which Silver can bypass.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Advantage on Perception.</strong> Roughly equivalent to Expertise with Perception, worthy as part of a separate feat. Expertise is slightly better. The concept of heightened senses is an important part of the flavor. I made it part of the same feat that grants Werewolf traits. The Advantage only applies when using the ability (Perception) check for sounds and smells, and detail how this works.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Strength cannot be less than 15.</strong> I decided I conceptually dont care about Strength. If a player wants a Strength 10 Werewolf, that is fine. Even a Strength 8, I dont care. If a player wants a brute Werewolf, then take levels in Barbarian, or other Strength class.</p><p></p><p>I toyed with the idea of swapping mental abilities for physical abilities, such as a character with Intelligence 16 and Strength 8 can swap these for Werewolf and Wolf forms that have Strength 16 and Intelligence 8. For flavor, I even required a saving throw using the lower mental ability, and if unsuccessful, it means the character lost their Humanoid identity and is currently an insane Beast until the duration of shapeshift ends.</p><p></p><p>But in the end, I decided against the complication. Extra Strength doesnt feel important enough to the flavor. For concepts, where Strength is important, the Humanoid should be strong too.</p><p></p><p></p><p>As you can see. The essence of "Werewolf" is simple, and doesnt really require a boost in gaming mechanical power. It just needs to be able to shapeshift forms.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Yaarel, post: 9022310, member: 58172"] [B]Multiattack.[/B] Redefine as merely: Your Unarmed Strike can deal the Slashing damage type, when using your claws, or the Piercing damage type, when using your fangs. No change in power. [B]Shapechange at will.[/B] The Wolf form is a unique individual and recognizable. So, there is no deception here. The Werewolf form is monstrous, thus obviously unusual. With regard to shapeshifting, I was torn between using an Action to do it because it is balanced enough, versus using a 1 minute ritual to do it because it suited the flavor better of a prolonged painful process that I often see in Werewolf TV shows or movies. I decided on the following. The Humanoid form uses an Action to become the intermediate Werewolf form. This initial transition is painful and requires 1 minute of Concentration to maintain. If the Concentration is able to persist for a minute, then the Werewolf form has a Duration "until the end of your Long Rest". Once the Werewolf form stabilizes, the character has the Beast creature type, and loses any other creature types. The character can use an Action to appear in the original Humanoid form (but keeps the Beast creature type), or appear in the natural Wolf form. The Humanoid form is normal. The Werewolf form is about the same level of power. The Wolf form is like the natural animal, unable to use equipment, speak, or even use hands. Switching back-and-forth between forms remains balanced. [B]Damage immunity to anything non-magical or not silver.[/B] No, damage immunity is only available as a separate feat, and even then only at the highest levels. I would probably treat this as an Epic Boon now at level 20. At earlier levels, three feats grant damage resistance to Slashing, then Bludgeoning, then Piercing separately, which Silver can bypass. [B]Advantage on Perception.[/B] Roughly equivalent to Expertise with Perception, worthy as part of a separate feat. Expertise is slightly better. The concept of heightened senses is an important part of the flavor. I made it part of the same feat that grants Werewolf traits. The Advantage only applies when using the ability (Perception) check for sounds and smells, and detail how this works. [B]Strength cannot be less than 15.[/B] I decided I conceptually dont care about Strength. If a player wants a Strength 10 Werewolf, that is fine. Even a Strength 8, I dont care. If a player wants a brute Werewolf, then take levels in Barbarian, or other Strength class. I toyed with the idea of swapping mental abilities for physical abilities, such as a character with Intelligence 16 and Strength 8 can swap these for Werewolf and Wolf forms that have Strength 16 and Intelligence 8. For flavor, I even required a saving throw using the lower mental ability, and if unsuccessful, it means the character lost their Humanoid identity and is currently an insane Beast until the duration of shapeshift ends. But in the end, I decided against the complication. Extra Strength doesnt feel important enough to the flavor. For concepts, where Strength is important, the Humanoid should be strong too. As you can see. The essence of "Werewolf" is simple, and doesnt really require a boost in gaming mechanical power. It just needs to be able to shapeshift forms. [/QUOTE]
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