Beefed Up Lycans [Archive] - Wizards Community

Beefed Up Lycans [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
TheModernSamurai
11-26-05, 12:13 AM Ok, anyone who has seen DBZ undoubtably knows what a Saiyan does: They go Super Saiyan x something else. It's annoying and irritating, but i want something like that for a campaign idea.

Basically, Lycans (those inflicted with lycanthropy, or were____'s) are considered part of the Horde, basically the organization comprised of all beasts and monsters in my setting. However, some well-meaning Lycans are being found to inhabit a more-than-ancient temple (The Shrine of the Arcane Moon). The PC's will be stumbling upon this area with an NPC who basically condemned the world as they knew it to a life underground. Long story.

Anyway, they need an artifact to bring the world as they know it now back above ground. The Lycans refuse to entrust it to the likes of the NPC, and demand three trials and defeat of their warrior-king. I don't want this guy to be a pushover, but i don't really want to give him class levels, either. I just want him to be a beefed up Lycan.

Anything?
syntaxerror37
11-26-05, 01:56 AM Without class levels:
Pick the best lycanthrope for the job. I don't know the details about your lycanthrope temple crew, but I can guess their warrior chief isn't a were-rat.

HD advancement, better attacks, saves, HP, and more feats, but no actual class levels. Don't know if you consider that too much like class levels however.

Better ability scores. Replace the standard array with the elite array, or just roll/point buy a good one up.

Magic items. They may not work in his beast form, but could possibly work in his hybrid form.

These could easily pump the CR of your champion above the standard MM entry.
a_psh
11-26-05, 02:04 AM Easiest way: add class levels.

Don't like class levels? Add monster HD (all werebeasts get 'em anyway). Try making the base creature dire (or even horrid, heh) rather than vanilla.

You could also add templates, but something with templates up the wazoo but only three or four real hit dice is still going to get pasted in one round, regaredless of what super-awesome special abilities it has. So, err, not the best route to take.

Also, it's "lycanthrope". Lykos - wolf. Anthropos - man. To call it a "lycan," after the pattern set down by a certain movie, is to make it half the half-man that it already is. It's like saying "televi" to refer to TV. (Nowadays, the term does correctly cover any kind of man/beast-ness, even though therianthrope is the true generic term for this kind of thing.)

But, to summarize:
More monster hit dice or use a dire animal as the base creature: good.
Templates: meh.
Lycan: yuck.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TheModernSamurai 11-26-05, 12:13 AM	Ok, anyone who has seen DBZ undoubtably knows what a Saiyan does: They go Super Saiyan x something else. It's annoying and irritating, but i want something like that for a campaign idea. Basically, Lycans (those inflicted with lycanthropy, or were____'s) are considered part of the Horde, basically the organization comprised of all beasts and monsters in my setting. However, some well-meaning Lycans are being found to inhabit a more-than-ancient temple (The Shrine of the Arcane Moon). The PC's will be stumbling upon this area with an NPC who basically condemned the world as they knew it to a life underground. Long story. Anyway, they need an artifact to bring the world as they know it now back above ground. The Lycans refuse to entrust it to the likes of the NPC, and demand three trials and defeat of their warrior-king. I don't want this guy to be a pushover, but i don't really want to give him class levels, either. I just want him to be a beefed up Lycan. Anything?
syntaxerror37 11-26-05, 01:56 AM	Without class levels: Pick the best lycanthrope for the job. I don't know the details about your lycanthrope temple crew, but I can guess their warrior chief isn't a were-rat. HD advancement, better attacks, saves, HP, and more feats, but no actual class levels. Don't know if you consider that too much like class levels however. Better ability scores. Replace the standard array with the elite array, or just roll/point buy a good one up. Magic items. They may not work in his beast form, but could possibly work in his hybrid form. These could easily pump the CR of your champion above the standard MM entry.
a_psh 11-26-05, 02:04 AM	Easiest way: add class levels. Don't like class levels? Add monster HD (all werebeasts get 'em anyway). Try making the base creature dire (or even horrid, heh) rather than vanilla. You could also add templates, but something with templates up the wazoo but only three or four real hit dice is still going to get pasted in one round, regaredless of what super-awesome special abilities it has. So, err, not the best route to take. Also, it's "lycanthrope". Lykos - wolf. Anthropos - man. To call it a "lycan," after the pattern set down by a certain movie, is to make it half the half-man that it already is. It's like saying "televi" to refer to TV. (Nowadays, the term does correctly cover any kind of man/beast-ness, even though therianthrope is the true generic term for this kind of thing.) But, to summarize: More monster hit dice or use a dire animal as the base creature: good. Templates: meh. Lycan: yuck.