Category:Lycanthrope

Canon Information

This section contains canon info from officially published sources

A lycanthrope is a humanoid or giant that can change into an animal and/or human-animal hybrid form^[1]. A lycanthrope changes into a particular species of animal, called its phenotype.^[2] The process of changing from one form to another is called transfiguration.^[3]

(As Lycanthropes can be Category:humanoid or Category:giant without changing type, they cannot be conclusively filed in either category, hence, they are a Cross-type Template.)

Lycanthropes of many different phenotypes can be found throughout the Demiplane of Dread. The domains of Barovia^[4][5] (and previously Gundarak^[6]), Borca^[7][8] (and previously Dorvinia^[9]), Darkon^[10][11], Falkovnia^[12][13], Invidia (particularly the region that was formerly Gundarak^[6]), Mordent^[14][15], Nova Vaasa^[16][17], Richemulot ^[18][19], Sithicus^[20][21], Staunton Bluffs^[22], Farelle^[23] and G'Henna^[24][25] are home to a wide array of werebeasts.

Dr. van Richten has either personally encountered or believes the follow lycanthropic phenotypes of lycanthropy exist: werebadger, werebat, werebear, wereboar, werecat, werecoyote, werefox, werejackal, werejaguar, werelion, wereorca, wererat, wereraven,wereseal, wereshark, weresnake, weretiger, werewalrus, and of course the werewolf.^[26]

Chemical-Bane (Ex)

Lycanthropes, depending upon their type, are vulnerable to a chemical or herbal substance, which is not necessarily known to them. It acts as an Ingested poison with a Fortitude save DC of 20. The initial effect is 1d6 points of Constitution damage, while the secondary effect is 2d6 points of Constitution damage.

Errata

The canon-wise suggested chemical banes for the new lycanthropes:

Lycanthrope Chemical Bane

• Werejackal Fennel
• Werejaguar Cocoa
• Wereleopard Mercury
• Wereray Water Lily
• Wereraven Unknown
• Wererat Varies

(Precisions given by Azalin) http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/TheVault/RL_Errata.html

John W. Mangrum's Lycanthrope Lore

This section contains Potential-canon info, revealed by the creators from never-published sources

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (nature) can learn more about a creature’s lycanthropic nature. The base DC for this check is based on the racial Hit Dice of the base animal.

Characters may need to make a separate Knowledge check to learn about the base creature. DCs on the table below represent the common werewolf. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

DC 14: This snarling beast is a lycanthrope, an accursed person with the ability to transform into a feral beast. This result reveals all traits of the shapechanger subtype.

DC 19: A lycanthrope’s true form is humanoid. However, it can also assume the shape of a specific animal (such as a wolf) or a hybrid form combining the worst features of man and animal. A lycanthrope transmits the curse of lycanthropy with its bite; victims who survive a lycanthrope attack may be doomed to become lycanthropes themselves. If you are bitten by a lycanthrope.

DC 24: Lycanthropy manifests on one of two ways. True lycanthropes are born that way. The dread disease is natural to them; they can transform at will, and they cannot be cured. Their victims are afflicted lycanthropes — otherwise normal folk cursed to become lycanthropes by the bite of a werebeast. These folk cannot control their changes, transforming only under the light of the full moon. These folk can be cured, but the process is not easy. While in a bestial form, a lycanthrope nearly instantly heals most lesser wounds, but silver weapons can pierce its supernatural defenses. A remove disease or heal spell cast by a powerful cleric are part of the ritual that may, with luck, cure lycanthropy.

DC 29: Many different varieties of lycanthrope exist, each one taking the shape of a different animal (such as werewolves, wererats, and the like). Afflicted lycanthropes often have no memory of their lunar transformations. A lycanthrope has sharp senses and is empathically attuned to normal animals like its bestial shape. It can control such animals as its minions. This result also reveals the lycanthrope’s chemical vulnerability. A remove curse or break enchantment spell cast by a powerful cleric can, with luck, cure an afflicted lycanthrope regardless of when the victim was afflicted, but the spell must be cast on a night of the full moon.

DC 34: By exerting a great deal of effort, afflicted lycanthropes can gradually gain limited control over their transformations. Pain can also trigger a lycanthrope’s change into bestial form. This result also reveals whether this type of lycanthrope is particularly good or evil by nature and the full details of the cleansing cure.

Noncanon Information

This section contains Homebrew non-canon info, created by fans

Lycanthropes often dwell within the Shifting Woods of Virisa.^[27]

References

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Ravenloft Third Edition Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium I Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts Denizens of Darkness
		Ravenloft Third Edition - p188 Denizens of Darkness - pp99, 101-103
		Ravenloft Third Edition - pp187-190 Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium I - Section, the Second: Werebeasts Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts- throughout Denizens of Darkness - pp97-99
		Ravenloft Third Edition - pp187-190 Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium I - Section, the Second: Werebeasts Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts - throughout Denizens of Darkness - pp97-99
		Shapeshifter Werebeast