D&D 5E - Balancing A Playable Lycanthrope Character (2024)

Lycanthropy (WerePolarBear-specific)
The curse of lycanthropy causes a progressive change to the bearer, growing stronger through each full moon.

Initial Exposure
The curse builds gradually in the bearer, manifesting mostly as strange urges and expanded senses. They may develop an appetite for raw meat, while finding cooked food less appealing. You gain the Keen Smell ability, granting you advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely upon smell.

First Full Moon
The first full moon brings with it an inevitable transformation. Those who resist the curse are transformed involuntarily as soon as they are touched by the light of the full moon, while those who embrace it can hold off on transforming for a couple of hours. This transformation is into the full animal form, and while those who resist the curse become mindless, ravenous beasts, even those who embrace it are not entirely themselves. They retain their intelligence and awareness, but are still driven by a need to hunt. If they do not successfully hunt and feed upon a kill this night, their transformation will remain stunted at the Initial Exposure stage until the next full moon.

At this early stage of the curse, the bearer gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from non-magical weapons that aren’t silvered. They also gain resistance to Cold damage, but vulnerability to Fire damage.

After a successful hunt, the transformation grows more complete, and for those who embrace it, more controllable, though it is physically taxing. As an action, the bearer may transform into a bestial form (either animal or hybrid). Once in that form, they can freely use an action to switch between hybrid and animal forms, but they may only transform from humanoid to bestial form a number of times equal to their Proficiency modifier. This limit refreshes after a long rest.

The bearer gains the above-listed resistances and vulnerabilities only while in animal or hybrid form, but even while in humanoid form they no longer suffer ill effects due to cold weather.

Second Full Moon - Control
As the next full moon approaches, the bearers’ power waxes. Starting the day before the full moon, they are able to transform to bestial form at will, with no daily limits. They also gain resistance to damage from non-magical, non-silvered weapons even when in humanoid form, along with resistance to Cold damage and vulnerability to Fire damage. So long as they transform on the night of the full moon, and eat a meal of raw meat while in animal or hybrid form, their curse will progress to the next stage, and they will thereafter retain their ability to transform at will.

Third Full Moon - Mastery
As the curse’s power magnifies, the bearer becomes more resistant to harm. Retaining their damage resistance in humanoid form, they now become immune to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from non-magical, non-silvered weapons while in animal or hybrid form.

Fourth Full Moon - Apex
After the fourth full moon, the bearer retains their damage immunity even while in humanoid form.

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