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Werewolves are among the most common and popular enemies inDungeons & Dragons, with a low enough challenge rating to give most players a chance at taking on such particular foes. Their abilities to stalk the night and instill fear in most villages are great adventure hooks for any campaign.
While you might think you know all about these furry creatures (they are all over popular media after all), they work slightly differently in D&D. Lycanthropy, after all, isn’t limited to only Werewolves, since there are those that are able to turn into bats, boars, and even mighty bears.
Lycanthropy In D&D
While Lycanthropy is often used to refer to Werewolves alone,the term is used in D&D to refer to all kinds of shapechangersthat follow similar rules.All the Lycanthropy variants are a different form of the same “curse”that allows a humanoid creature totransform into an animal, or an animal hybrid.
When a humanoid creature is bitten or scratched by the hybrid form of a Were-creature, it needs topass a Constitution saving throw or be afflicted by the curse.The spell Remove Curse is an easy way to rid yourself of the affliction, if you so desire.
There are certain creatures that can’t be afflicted by Lycanthropy, like Centaurs, Plasmoids, and Thri-Kreen.
If the humanoid inherited the curse from their parents, thenthe only way to remove it is via the Wish spell.This is a hook often used to start all kinds of questlines, but it strongly depends onhow you use Lycanthropyin your game.
The Full Moon
The Moon only comes into play with Were-creatures thattry to resist their curse. Those humanoids might betormented by the fact that they can become a monster, or they might not even know that they are a Were-creature at all, sincethey lose control of themselveswhen they transform.
These unwilling hosts of the curse oftencan’t transform into the animal form, and onlybecome the hybrid creature during a full Moon, losing all memory of the event. If a player is afflicted by the curse in this way,the DM takes control of their characterduring the transformation.
More often than not,creatures afflicted with Lycanthropy accept the curse, which allows them totransform into their forms at will. Being a Were-creature comes with a lot of benefits, which heavily depend on the kind of curse they are afflicted by.
Origins Of Lycanthropy
There are conflicting accounts as to how the condition came to be, butits association with the Moon tends to tie it to Selune, particularly the packs of Neutral Werewolves that worship her.This doesn’t account for all forms, however, so it was likely that a pack of Werewolves was pacified by Selune rather than created by her.
Malar is a more likely source for Lycanthropes in general, for he is associated with the destructive and bloody side of nature. While some Lycanthropes follow Malar, the chaotic nature of the curse makes it soafflicted individuals might not even knowof the god’s existence.
Yet there are fringe cases where what little lore we haveconflicts with all other notions. The Werevulture curse, for example, seems to have started when demonic Vrocks invaded the material plane, infecting humanoids with the curse, butwhy that curse is nearly identicalto the other Lycanthropy variants is unknown.
Then there’s the case of Wereravens, Werefoxes, and Werebears, who are typically Good.It is hard to imagine these transformations as a result of a cursecreated by Malar, since they lack the bloodthirst that most other transformations have.
Lycanthrope Types
Official art via Wizards of the Coast
There are many types of Were-creatures to choose from, and they fit widely different campaigns. If a humanoid wishes to embrace the curse, they havetoshift their alignmentto the one typically associated with their form, otherwise they lose control of their character.
Jackalweres are Jackals infected with a special type of curse that allows them to turn human or a human-jackal hybrid, but their true form is that of a Jackal and they can’t spread their curse.
Most Lycanthropesgain immunity to physical attacksunless they are made with silver weapons,regardless of the form they are in. Since nearly all humanoids can be inflected with the curse, the temptation to give in to the powers is great indeed.
Source
Werewolf
Great speed, immunity to non-magical or silvered damage. Your strength is 15 unless it was already higher.
Monster Manual
Wereboar
Highly resistant, being able to shrug off fatal blows. Your strength is 17 unless it was already higher.
Wererat
The rat form can be surprisingly useful, and your dexterity is 15 unless it was already higher.
Weretiger
Their Neutral alignment makes them perfect for nearly any humanoid, even players. Your strength is 17 unless it was already higher.
Werebear
Since most players have a Good alignment, this form is often seen as a reward rather than a curse. Your strength is 19 unless it was already higher, and in your hybrid and animal forms you are Large.
Wereraven
Another Good aligned transformation, weaker than the Bear but allowing you to fly. Your dexterity is 15 unless it was already higher.
Curse of Strahd
Werebat
It has the best passive bonuses and allows flight when transformed, but you need to consume blood or gain points of exhaustion. Your dexterity is 17 unless it was already higher.
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Werefox
Their animal form is a giant fox, so they are basically Werewolves for Dexterity builds or Good aligned characters. Your dexterity is 16 unless it was already higher.
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
Werevulture
They don’t share the resistance of the other Lycanthropes, but constantly regenerate unless hit with Radiant Damage. They are considered Fiends.
Chaotic Evil
The Book of Many Things
According to the rules, a player that dies with the Werevulture curse becomes an NPC controlled by the DM, although no reason is given for why that happens.
Using Lycanthropes In A Campaign
Published adventures like Curse of Strahd have theirown ways of using Were-creatures, withtheir own defined clans and characteristics. If you are planning your own pack of shape-shifting hunters,you should consider how these transformations affect themand why that makes them interesting.
Since all Lycanthropes have a humanoid form,they can blend into any social situation, making them great spies and antagonists. Eventheir animal form allows them to scout unnoticed, as long as no one is aware that a shape-shifter is walking among them.
The element of surprise is key for these creatures, sothey shouldn’t reveal themselves too soon, stalking the party and waiting for their time to strike. That even works whenusing these creatures as allies; having an NPC save the players in the nick of time by turning into a fearsome Bear.
Giving Lycanthropy To NPCs
Since most humanoid creatures can be infected with Lycanthropy, you may use an existing creature andbuff it up with transformationsto surprise your party. A pack of Goblins can become fearsome foes if they are all suddenly Wererats.
Of course, if you wish to do this,you need to ensure your party is up to the task. At higher levels, dealing damage with magical weapons isn’t an issue (circumventing the immunity of most Lycanthropes), but at lower levels,a singleGoblin Wererat can wipe an entire party.
Players As Lycanthropes
A player with any kind of Lycanthropy can end up in a tricky situation, sinceit can be either too good or too bad for them. If they don’t share the alignment of the curse,the loss of control can end up too frustrating, particularly if they don’t have a handy way of getting rid of it.
However,sharing the alignment with the curse can be even worse, since the damage immunities alonecan make the player an unwieldy powerhouse, especially for characters that are more focused on action than anything else.
If you allow your players to embrace the transformation,you will need to adjust the combat accordingly, unless you’re using it to give a struggling player an edge they need. If you’re using premade adventures,be sure to include magical damageso the battles against Were-creatures aren’t too one-sided.
The transformations should affect roleplay as well, since not everyone would want to make deals with a Wererat. While there are plenty of animalistic species in D&D,most people can tell the difference between a Tabaxi and a Weretiger, so they should react accordingly.
Removing Alignment
Plenty of campaigns nowadaysare doing away with the alignment system, using it as a suggestion rather than a rule. While that makes for more compelling games,it removes a key feature when dealing with Lycanthropes, since their curse strongly depends on it.
Without alignment,players don’t have a way to lose control of their characters, so they would embrace the curse by default. On such occasions,you should enforce different ways that the curse affects players, so it isn’t a constant positive.
The unwilling transformation should still be in play, either as a result of a critical success or failure. If they transform into their hybrid or animal form, it should be at the discretion of the DM, so while the player can still choose to become these forms,they can end up so unpredictableas to push players towards seeking a cure.
Equipment
If a player can become a Werebear, they enjoy the benefits of being Large, buttheir true form is still a Medium Humanoid. That means thatthey need equipment specially made for that size, so they will have to juggle that fact each time they want to use their “combat” form.
This can affect all forms of Lycanthropy if you wish, since nearly all forms either grow in size or gain other aspects, like tails and wings. If players want to shift between forms often,they will have to prepare different sets of armorfor each situation.
Finally, there’s the issue of the animal form. Said formcan’t use equipment, which is often dropped on the ground when the player transforms, sothey will have to keep a mental note of where all their items areor risk losing everything for a quick escape.
