Path of the Cursed

One of the most ancient and feared of all curses, lycanthropy can transform the most civilized humanoid into a ravening beast. In its natural humanoid form, a creature cursed by lycanthropy appears as its normal self. Over time, however, many lycanthropes acquire features suggestive of their animal form. In that animal form, a lycanthrope resembles a powerful version of a normal animal. On close inspection, its eyes show a faint spark of unnatural intelligence and might glow red in the dark.

Some followers of the Path of the Cursed make up barbarian tribes with other lycanthropes, while others may choose a hermitage. What they share in common is a desire to understand, embrace, and control their curse for the power it can grant them. The Path of the Cursed is a lifelong negotiation with the mercurial nature of their inner animal.

Curse of Lycanthropy

At 3rd level, when you adopt this path, you receive the Curse of Lycanthropy of an animal form and gain its feature.

You must contract lycanthropy through infection, magical induction, or a dread curse. At your option, you also gain minor physical attributes that are reminiscent of your animal form. For example, if you have werebear lycanthropy, you might be unusually hairy and thick-skinned, or if your animal is the tiger, your eyes may turn bright yellow.

A Barbarian following the Path of the Curse is unable to pass on the lycanthropy disease.

While raging, you assume a hybrid form, gaining the natural attacks of your animal form.

Werebear

While raging, your size increases to Large and you gain the Bite (2d6) and Claw (1d10) natural attacks. Only one attack each turn can be a Bite.

Wereboar

While you’re raging, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and the Tusks (2d6) natural attack.

Wererat

While you’re raging, you gain darkvision to 60 ft and the Bite (1d6) natural attack. Attack and damage rolls for the bite are based on whichever is higher of the character’s Strength and Dexterity.

Weretiger

While you're raging, you gain darkvision to 60 ft and the Bite (1d10) and Claw (1d8) natural attacks. Only one attack each turn can be a Bite.

Werewolf

While raging, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and the Bite(1d8) and Claw(2d4) natural attacks. Only one attack each turn can be a Bite.

The Beast Within

Starting at 3rd level, when your rage ends, you must pass a Constitution saving throw or fully transform into your animal form until the next dawn. The DC for this saving throw is 10 or one-fifth the amount you are missing from your max health, whichever number is higher. If the Constitution saving throw to resist The Beast Within fails by 5 or more, the DM may choose to take control of your character until the next dawn. Before rolling, you may choose to suffer a point of exhaustion, using your unusual strength and fortitude, to automatically pass this Saving throw.

While you are in your animal form:

• any equipment you are wearing or carrying is not transformed
• your statistics and abilities are the same as your humanoid form
• your size becomes that of the animal form
• your AC becomes that which is granted by your Unarmored Defense trait
• you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
• you may not use your Rage class feature
• You retain use of the natural attacks and abilities granted by Curse of Lycanthropy and Aspect of the Curse

At the next dawn, The Beast Within can be controlled once again. If the Constitution saving throw to resist The Beast Within failed by 5 or more, you do not remember the events that transpired since your last transformation, though those memories may often haunt you in the future as bloody dreams.

Aspect of the Curse

At 6th level, you gain additional combat abilities based on those of your animal form. You must choose the same animal form you selected at 3rd level.

Werebear

You gain the might of a bear. While raging, you have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling, and a creature you are grappling has disadvantage on Strength(Athletics) and Dexterity(Acrobatics) checks to escape your grapple.

Wereboar

You gain the goring aggression of the boar. While raging, you gain the Charge trait.

Charge. While raging, if the wereboar moves at least 15 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with its tusks on the same turn, the target takes an extra 2d6 slashing damage. If the target is a creature that is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw (the DC is 8 + the character’s proficiency bonus + Strength modifier) or be knocked prone.

Wererat

You gain the cunning implacability of a rat. While raging, when you make a melee attack against a creature, you don't provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether you hit or not. Additionally, other creatures don’t gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being unseen by you.

Weretiger

You gain the overwhelming ambush tactics of the tiger. While raging, you gain the Pounce and Rake traits.

Pounce. If the weretiger moves at least 15 feet straight toward a Large or smaller creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC is 8 + the character’s proficiency bonus + Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the weretiger can make one Bite attack against it as a bonus action.

Rake. If the weretiger begins its turn grappling a creature, it can use a bonus action to make a Claw attack against that creature. 

Werewolf

You gain the savage knack for teamwork of a wolf pack. While raging, you gain the Pack Tactics and Takedown traits.

Pack Tactics. The werewolf has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the werewolf's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Takedown. If a target hit by your Bite is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC is 8 + the character's proficiency bonus + Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. 

Cursed Strikes

Starting at 6th level, your hybrid form's natural attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Accursed Presence

Beginning at 10th level, you can use a bonus action while raging to frighten someone with your accursed presence. When you do so, choose one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. If the creature can see or hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be frightened of you for 1 minute. It may repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns.

If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, you can’t use this feature on that creature again for 24 hours.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Keen Senses

At 10th level, the senses of your animal form begin to integrate with your humanoid form.

You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Primal Devastation

Starting at 14th level, when you score a critical hit with a natural weapon attack in your hybrid form, you can immediately use your reaction to make a natural weapon attack against a creature within 5 ft of you. On a hit, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to your level in this class.