So I began writing a campaign for a group of friends. The campaign will be set in a world with many lycanthropes, and these will also be involved in big parts of it. In addition, I'm thinking of giving them the option to pick a lycanthrope race for their characters, allowing them to choose between multiple animals. Another option is having the option of them receiving the lycanthropy curse after being bitten, at some point. I have only just begun writing the campaign so it's all very flexible.
Anyway, to the question: Having this ability is basically making the druid class pretty bad. I mean, sure, they still have way more diversity in what they can choose, but if a player wants to play a werewolf it will take away a big part of a druid's combat capabilities, especially moon druids who specialize in it. In the end, the druid will be stronger than just that, but still... In addition, it will make them much stronger at the lowest levels. How can I keep it balanced enough that picking the lycanthrope races will be for character reasons and not just power play? And how can I implement this into the game without making the druid a redundant class? Or maybe it's completely impossible and I should just avoid giving these options to the players?
Well, yes, there’s a reason lycanthropy as expressed in 5e makes your player unusable pretty quick in most groups, if adhering to alignment based play. If you want to give it as a racial option, you have some serious nerfing to do. I’m not as worried about stepping on the toes to druids. They can wildshape into any other animals. Lycans only get their 1. And there’s a lot more the Druids have to offer than Wildshaping. But physical damage immunity to nonsilvered, nonmagical attacks? That broken for a PC. Especially since many players and DMs are reluctant to deal with the lose-control-of-your-PC-during-a-full-moon thing. There has to be some drawback to being a were_____. Maybe change it so that they’re only resistant to nonsilvered attacks in hybrid form and not resistant in humanoid form. And/or they can’t cast spells except in full humanoid form. And/or give them the Sunlight Sensitivity trait. And maybe a compulsion feature whereby they must make a CHA save under some circumstance you determine or must remain in in some way handicapped while the trigger persists. Maybe that’s what happens at full moons in your game, too. A CHA save against the full moon or lose control of the PC. But also against other triggers like possibly spilled blood, or some superstitious ward that lots of people keep in your setting (like a silver horseshoe hung over the door or something. They are incapable of entering such a house, or they are unable to disguise their nature while there.). Maybe each PC gets an additional compulsion unique to them or their were-type that they work out with you. I always enjoy those mechanics.
I think a fun game is certainly possible with such PCs, but also think 5e didn’t put much thought into making lycanthropy a curse beyond alignment changes, which no one cares about.
In a world filled with lycanthropes an underpowered druids, these two can perfectly cancel each other out.
Moon druids are experts in turning into werebeasts. So add a few druid spells to your world that effect lycanthropes, giving them superiority over them.
1st level: 'Silver Blast', range spell, range of 50 feet a spell that does 1d8 + spell modifier damage, but double on Werecreatures, both in and out of beast form.
2nd level: 'Stiffening blast', in a area with a radius of 10 feet, all creatures have to throw a constition save of 15. On a fail, they cannot tranform for 30 seconds.
3th level: Howl of the beast, every lycanthrope in a range of 60 ft has to roll a wisdom check equal to 10+your wisdom modifier. On a fail, all of them have a charmed condition for both you and your allies.
Maybe characters who become lycanthropes get the Shifter race from Eberron? They’re people with beast blood, have different creature options, and can even transform into a feral shape. A little reflavoring and it might be exactly what you’re looking for.
I'd do one of two things, 1: tell them upfront that there is a risk (big or small) of contracting lycanthropy, which will come with it's benefits and drawbacks, just make sure the drawbacks are enough to out way the benefits (something like, they have little to no control when in their altered state, or they have not control over when they change form, or both if you're feeling evil). 2: lock away Lycanthropy as something they could get until higher levels (I'm thinking about level 10-ish)
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So I began writing a campaign for a group of friends. The campaign will be set in a world with many lycanthropes, and these will also be involved in big parts of it. In addition, I'm thinking of giving them the option to pick a lycanthrope race for their characters, allowing them to choose between multiple animals. Another option is having the option of them receiving the lycanthropy curse after being bitten, at some point. I have only just begun writing the campaign so it's all very flexible.
Anyway, to the question: Having this ability is basically making the druid class pretty bad. I mean, sure, they still have way more diversity in what they can choose, but if a player wants to play a werewolf it will take away a big part of a druid's combat capabilities, especially moon druids who specialize in it. In the end, the druid will be stronger than just that, but still... In addition, it will make them much stronger at the lowest levels.
How can I keep it balanced enough that picking the lycanthrope races will be for character reasons and not just power play? And how can I implement this into the game without making the druid a redundant class?
Or maybe it's completely impossible and I should just avoid giving these options to the players?
Varielky
Well, yes, there’s a reason lycanthropy as expressed in 5e makes your player unusable pretty quick in most groups, if adhering to alignment based play. If you want to give it as a racial option, you have some serious nerfing to do. I’m not as worried about stepping on the toes to druids. They can wildshape into any other animals. Lycans only get their 1. And there’s a lot more the Druids have to offer than Wildshaping. But physical damage immunity to nonsilvered, nonmagical attacks? That broken for a PC. Especially since many players and DMs are reluctant to deal with the lose-control-of-your-PC-during-a-full-moon thing. There has to be some drawback to being a were_____. Maybe change it so that they’re only resistant to nonsilvered attacks in hybrid form and not resistant in humanoid form. And/or they can’t cast spells except in full humanoid form. And/or give them the Sunlight Sensitivity trait. And maybe a compulsion feature whereby they must make a CHA save under some circumstance you determine or must remain in in some way handicapped while the trigger persists. Maybe that’s what happens at full moons in your game, too. A CHA save against the full moon or lose control of the PC. But also against other triggers like possibly spilled blood, or some superstitious ward that lots of people keep in your setting (like a silver horseshoe hung over the door or something. They are incapable of entering such a house, or they are unable to disguise their nature while there.). Maybe each PC gets an additional compulsion unique to them or their were-type that they work out with you. I always enjoy those mechanics.
I think a fun game is certainly possible with such PCs, but also think 5e didn’t put much thought into making lycanthropy a curse beyond alignment changes, which no one cares about.
In a world filled with lycanthropes an underpowered druids, these two can perfectly cancel each other out.
Moon druids are experts in turning into werebeasts. So add a few druid spells to your world that effect lycanthropes, giving them superiority over them.
1st level: 'Silver Blast', range spell, range of 50 feet a spell that does 1d8 + spell modifier damage, but double on Werecreatures, both in and out of beast form.
2nd level: 'Stiffening blast', in a area with a radius of 10 feet, all creatures have to throw a constition save of 15. On a fail, they cannot tranform for 30 seconds.
3th level: Howl of the beast, every lycanthrope in a range of 60 ft has to roll a wisdom check equal to 10+your wisdom modifier. On a fail, all of them have a charmed condition for both you and your allies.
Boom! And druids are powerful again.
Also moonbeam, which is almost a druid only spell (a specific paladin oath has it), and also gives disadvantage to shapechangers
Maybe characters who become lycanthropes get the Shifter race from Eberron? They’re people with beast blood, have different creature options, and can even transform into a feral shape. A little reflavoring and it might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
I'd do one of two things, 1: tell them upfront that there is a risk (big or small) of contracting lycanthropy, which will come with it's benefits and drawbacks, just make sure the drawbacks are enough to out way the benefits (something like, they have little to no control when in their altered state, or they have not control over when they change form, or both if you're feeling evil). 2: lock away Lycanthropy as something they could get until higher levels (I'm thinking about level 10-ish)