creating a lycanthrope [Archive] - Wizards Community

creating a lycanthrope [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Gazmole
02-12-08, 06:59 AM i am a new gamer to D&D, a few friends who got me started on the path want to start a campaign where all PCs are lycanthropes, this is rather confusing for me, i have my base stats, race, class and animal.

that is when it starts to get confusing for me

any further help would be greatly apreciated

race, class and animal: half-orc, were brown bear, fighter

the stats are as follows

str: 18
Dex:15
Con:17
Int:12
Wis:10
Cha:11 (for those who saw 22, it was a typo oops)
Aaarrrgh
02-12-08, 10:42 AM What kind of help do you want? Background? How to roleplay the character? If you want help with the build, you should go to the Character Optimization boards...
CrimsonDeath
02-12-08, 06:00 PM A half-orc Fighter with 22 Charisma? How'd you manage that?

Anyway, do you just need help applying the Lycanthrope template? (Because it is one of the more complicated templates in Core.)

And are you a Natural or Afflicted Lycanthrope?
Gazmole
02-12-08, 06:12 PM the charisma roll was 11, then there is a -2 racial penalty, so the actual charisma is 9 (damn these fingers sometimes :( )

anyway, i am finding applying the template rather confusing and i am also finding ways of rping the character hard. any advice i can get in these areas are greatly apreciated
Terjon of the Blue Rose
02-14-08, 04:15 AM Applying the template isn't one I can give a great deal of advice on but for playing the character it depends heavily on a 3 major factors. First is who is your character outside his "curse". The second is whether you're an afflicted or natural lycanthrope and how you deal with it. The last is what affect the lycanthropy has on you.

For the first focus on the half-orc fighter. Who were you're parents and who trained you in the art of fighting? Are you the strong silent type? The Thog break type? The expert or the leader? Decide who you want to be without considering the effect of lycanthropy before you add in the second aspect.

For the second if you are afflicted how did it happen? Is it a curse or a blessing? Can you control it? If natural did you know other lycans growing up? Did others around you know what you were or was this your greatest secret?

For the last look at the actual affects of the template. I believe were-bears are good-aligned so does that conflict with your existing alignment? If so which is stronger, the orc or the bear? Do you know what happens to you when you transform? Do you rely on the transformation or fear it?

In the end lycanthropy is a tough one to sort out. Still once you get a good idea as to where you are coming from and where you want to take the character it can be a great opportunity. If you answer the questions above (or at least give me a better idea what direction you want to go in) I'll happily offer more specific suggestions.
Gazmole
02-15-08, 04:45 AM The campaign is about the last few remaining lycans as an over zellous church performed a mass genocide on all lycans. we are all natural lycans and are working together to a comon goal.

shunned from orcish society due to the lycanthropy, Lekor has hidden his affliction from his human 'family' who addopted him after his exile. he happened upon the party one night whilst out hunting, they taught him ways of controling and hiding his lycnthropy better and they soon struck up a rappot. they then got together and decided on undertaking the quest of revenge and rebirth of lycanthropes. with his imense strength lekor is one to let his fists\paws do the talking.

the way i read it in the MM was for PC the alignment is any, only as NPC does the alignment of the base animal come into effect, i hope this gives you more backround on lekor:)
Terjon of the Blue Rose
02-15-08, 07:07 AM Seems like you've got a pretty good idea where you want to go now. I had always applied the lycan alignment to uncontrolled transformation allowing the character to control both forms only when he could control the transformation itself.

That being said here's what I get.

Lekor was born to the Smashing Stone tribe. A band of orcs who survived deep in the mountains largely through the enslavement of local goblins. One day while hunting new slaves Lekor's band was attacked by a powerful beast. The goblin lycanthrope transformed and killed two of his fellow warriors, badly wounding Lekor himself. While Lekor survived the attack his tribe was wary of him upon his return. On the next full moon he learned why. He transformed into a beast like the one which had killed his fellows. The tribe drove him away and when he awoke the next day, badly beaten, he knew he could not return.

Lekor travelled down the mountain into the forest, where even a simple warrior such as himself could find ample prey to hunt. Here he found a small cave and a simple life. A life which was interrupted when Sev Dallen, the eldest child of the Dallen family discovered his cave. Seeking a bear or other large predator which had raided his families supplies over the winter Sev was amazed to find the half-orc living in the cave. His family soon came to an agreement with Lekor though. Lekor would aid the family with work in the woods in exchange for supplies and food. In time the family came to accept Lekor as one of their own, though he never chose to leave the cave and live amongst them. Still, he appreciated the humans who, unlike the orcs, were prepared to allow him to live his life as he chose. Amongst them he never felt weak or the need to prove himself. Instead he felt proud of what he could contribute, his great orc-strength a major asset to the family. Were it not for his disease he might even have come to accept them as closely as they accepted him.

It pained Lekor to leave the Dallens. Still when he found others who, like himself, were afflicted with lycanthropy he left. He needed knowledge they possessed and they willingly shared it. They shared more than their knowledge, however, they also shared a cause. Through the lycans Lekor learned of the great hunts and eventual near-extinction of what were now his people.

The ending is all you really need. Give him a bit of a sense of purpose and perhaps a stronger idea of what the cause is and you should be all set.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gazmole 02-12-08, 06:59 AM	i am a new gamer to D&D, a few friends who got me started on the path want to start a campaign where all PCs are lycanthropes, this is rather confusing for me, i have my base stats, race, class and animal. that is when it starts to get confusing for me any further help would be greatly apreciated race, class and animal: half-orc, were brown bear, fighter the stats are as follows str: 18 Dex:15 Con:17 Int:12 Wis:10 Cha:11 (for those who saw 22, it was a typo oops)
Aaarrrgh 02-12-08, 10:42 AM	What kind of help do you want? Background? How to roleplay the character? If you want help with the build, you should go to the Character Optimization boards...
CrimsonDeath 02-12-08, 06:00 PM	A half-orc Fighter with 22 Charisma? How'd you manage that? Anyway, do you just need help applying the Lycanthrope template? (Because it is one of the more complicated templates in Core.) And are you a Natural or Afflicted Lycanthrope?
Gazmole 02-12-08, 06:12 PM	the charisma roll was 11, then there is a -2 racial penalty, so the actual charisma is 9 (damn these fingers sometimes :( ) anyway, i am finding applying the template rather confusing and i am also finding ways of rping the character hard. any advice i can get in these areas are greatly apreciated
Terjon of the Blue Rose 02-14-08, 04:15 AM	Applying the template isn't one I can give a great deal of advice on but for playing the character it depends heavily on a 3 major factors. First is who is your character outside his "curse". The second is whether you're an afflicted or natural lycanthrope and how you deal with it. The last is what affect the lycanthropy has on you. For the first focus on the half-orc fighter. Who were you're parents and who trained you in the art of fighting? Are you the strong silent type? The Thog break type? The expert or the leader? Decide who you want to be without considering the effect of lycanthropy before you add in the second aspect. For the second if you are afflicted how did it happen? Is it a curse or a blessing? Can you control it? If natural did you know other lycans growing up? Did others around you know what you were or was this your greatest secret? For the last look at the actual affects of the template. I believe were-bears are good-aligned so does that conflict with your existing alignment? If so which is stronger, the orc or the bear? Do you know what happens to you when you transform? Do you rely on the transformation or fear it? In the end lycanthropy is a tough one to sort out. Still once you get a good idea as to where you are coming from and where you want to take the character it can be a great opportunity. If you answer the questions above (or at least give me a better idea what direction you want to go in) I'll happily offer more specific suggestions.
Gazmole 02-15-08, 04:45 AM	The campaign is about the last few remaining lycans as an over zellous church performed a mass genocide on all lycans. we are all natural lycans and are working together to a comon goal. shunned from orcish society due to the lycanthropy, Lekor has hidden his affliction from his human 'family' who addopted him after his exile. he happened upon the party one night whilst out hunting, they taught him ways of controling and hiding his lycnthropy better and they soon struck up a rappot. they then got together and decided on undertaking the quest of revenge and rebirth of lycanthropes. with his imense strength lekor is one to let his fists\paws do the talking. the way i read it in the MM was for PC the alignment is any, only as NPC does the alignment of the base animal come into effect, i hope this gives you more backround on lekor:)
Terjon of the Blue Rose 02-15-08, 07:07 AM	Seems like you've got a pretty good idea where you want to go now. I had always applied the lycan alignment to uncontrolled transformation allowing the character to control both forms only when he could control the transformation itself. That being said here's what I get. Lekor was born to the Smashing Stone tribe. A band of orcs who survived deep in the mountains largely through the enslavement of local goblins. One day while hunting new slaves Lekor's band was attacked by a powerful beast. The goblin lycanthrope transformed and killed two of his fellow warriors, badly wounding Lekor himself. While Lekor survived the attack his tribe was wary of him upon his return. On the next full moon he learned why. He transformed into a beast like the one which had killed his fellows. The tribe drove him away and when he awoke the next day, badly beaten, he knew he could not return. Lekor travelled down the mountain into the forest, where even a simple warrior such as himself could find ample prey to hunt. Here he found a small cave and a simple life. A life which was interrupted when Sev Dallen, the eldest child of the Dallen family discovered his cave. Seeking a bear or other large predator which had raided his families supplies over the winter Sev was amazed to find the half-orc living in the cave. His family soon came to an agreement with Lekor though. Lekor would aid the family with work in the woods in exchange for supplies and food. In time the family came to accept Lekor as one of their own, though he never chose to leave the cave and live amongst them. Still, he appreciated the humans who, unlike the orcs, were prepared to allow him to live his life as he chose. Amongst them he never felt weak or the need to prove himself. Instead he felt proud of what he could contribute, his great orc-strength a major asset to the family. Were it not for his disease he might even have come to accept them as closely as they accepted him. It pained Lekor to leave the Dallens. Still when he found others who, like himself, were afflicted with lycanthropy he left. He needed knowledge they possessed and they willingly shared it. They shared more than their knowledge, however, they also shared a cause. Through the lycans Lekor learned of the great hunts and eventual near-extinction of what were now his people. The ending is all you really need. Give him a bit of a sense of purpose and perhaps a stronger idea of what the cause is and you should be all set.