Their natural weapons don't count as magical or silver, so no. Lycanthropes cannot innately harm other lycanthropes. But there are other means. Manufactured weapons aside, all lycanthropes can suffer damage from environmental hazards. Those, such as falling off a ledge or having something fall on top of you, don't count as weapons so they bypass the damage immunities. And they can all suffocate, which means one lycanthrope can hold another underwater and drown it.
So one werewolf cannot defeat another naturally in combat unless they use a silvered or magic weapon? That seems "unnatural."
I would even argue falling would be considered "bludgeoning" damage and drowning having no harm. Lawrence Talbot as the wolf man often "fell to his death" or got swept away by rushing water only to return in another Universal monster movie. I guess "attack" is the key word in regards to the invulnerability?
I'm running a campaign where werewolf victims of the uthgardt gray wolf tribe are seeking revenge on the barbarians, who too are werewolves (but can only change during the full moon), and was hoping that the victims could harm their infectors naturally while in their werewolf forms.
May have to make the fact that a werewolf can harm another with claw or bite a house rule then . . . .
The old movies are certainly one place to draw inspiration from. There's also no shortage of other filmlore and folklore. As DM, the world is yours to fiddle with. Lycanthropy in D&D has changed considerably over the years. It's been both a disease and a curse. They've had damage resistance and damage immunity. And, in 5th edition, no werewolf can harm another with their natural weapons. That says something about werewolf packs. Killing someone is a big deal. It's either grizzly or they bring a silvered weapon into the fold. Either could be seen as a betrayal.
In canon, the Gray Wolves don't casually pass on lycanthropy to just anyone. They tend not to even leave survivors. And if they become aware of any, they hunt them down because outsiders are not to bear the curse/gift of being a werewolf. Again, you're free to monkey with this however you see fit. It's your game, after all. But also think about the repercussions of your changes. Barbarians who are prepared for the infected versus amateurs are not could be interesting. Would the Uthgardt welcome them or kill them, and if so how many? If there is a battle, and some of the infected retreat and survive, what will they do? If things go the other way, are you comfortable with genocide and wiping an entire tribe off the map?
Being a werewolf...honestly isn't that big of a deal for player characters. It's treatable with remove curse. Odds are good that someone in the party will be able to cast it, sooner or later. Or the service can be bought or negotiated for. There are Adventurer's League documents you draw some inspiration from. I think they might even have it listed.
So one werewolf cannot defeat another naturally in combat unless they use a silvered or magic weapon? That seems "unnatural."
I would even argue falling would be considered "bludgeoning" damage and drowning having no harm. Lawrence Talbot as the wolf man often "fell to his death" or got swept away by rushing water only to return in another Universal monster movie. I guess "attack" is the key word in regards to the invulnerability?
I'm running a campaign where werewolf victims of the uthgardt gray wolf tribe are seeking revenge on the barbarians, who too are werewolves (but can only change during the full moon), and was hoping that the victims could harm their infectors naturally while in their werewolf forms.
May have to make the fact that a werewolf can harm another with claw or bite a house rule then . . . .
A werewolf is immune to the B/P/S damage from attacks. Falling is not an attack, Suffocation/choking rules are not an attack. Attacks require attack rolls. A werewolf can take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage from a non-magical source, like a trap, falling, etc, so long as the damage was delivered without an attack roll being made to deliver it.
I'm just struggling with how, physiologically, there werewolf's immune system can discern the damage of being "deliberately" applied in an attack from "accidentally" applied from one of the other sources such as falling, traps, etc.
Or... they damage the hell out of each other, it just heals so fast that it doesn't matter in the long run.
Wolves generally keep their fighting non-lethal, and it's more about establishing hierarchy - no reason a pack of werewolves would be any different.
Some form of regeneration is a common trapping. A character whose attack exceeds their armor class still lands a hit. But unless that attack is made with magic or silver the wound is just going to close right up; if it even bleeds at all.
One time I had a wererat just grab a rapier by the blade and pull it out. No blood or anything. And they made eye contact the entire time. Very unsettling.
I was in a campaign where the werewolf PC was trying to kill a wereboar and they were fighting over a silver weapon. It ended when the wereboat fell off a cliff.
Can a werewolf damage another werewolf with their natural weapons? Or do they need silvered/magical dentures or claws to do so?
Their natural weapons don't count as magical or silver, so no. Lycanthropes cannot innately harm other lycanthropes. But there are other means. Manufactured weapons aside, all lycanthropes can suffer damage from environmental hazards. Those, such as falling off a ledge or having something fall on top of you, don't count as weapons so they bypass the damage immunities. And they can all suffocate, which means one lycanthrope can hold another underwater and drown it.
Dark stuff.
So one werewolf cannot defeat another naturally in combat unless they use a silvered or magic weapon? That seems "unnatural."
I would even argue falling would be considered "bludgeoning" damage and drowning having no harm. Lawrence Talbot as the wolf man often "fell to his death" or got swept away by rushing water only to return in another Universal monster movie. I guess "attack" is the key word in regards to the invulnerability?
I'm running a campaign where werewolf victims of the uthgardt gray wolf tribe are seeking revenge on the barbarians, who too are werewolves (but can only change during the full moon), and was hoping that the victims could harm their infectors naturally while in their werewolf forms.
May have to make the fact that a werewolf can harm another with claw or bite a house rule then . . . .
The old movies are certainly one place to draw inspiration from. There's also no shortage of other filmlore and folklore. As DM, the world is yours to fiddle with. Lycanthropy in D&D has changed considerably over the years. It's been both a disease and a curse. They've had damage resistance and damage immunity. And, in 5th edition, no werewolf can harm another with their natural weapons. That says something about werewolf packs. Killing someone is a big deal. It's either grizzly or they bring a silvered weapon into the fold. Either could be seen as a betrayal.
In canon, the Gray Wolves don't casually pass on lycanthropy to just anyone. They tend not to even leave survivors. And if they become aware of any, they hunt them down because outsiders are not to bear the curse/gift of being a werewolf. Again, you're free to monkey with this however you see fit. It's your game, after all. But also think about the repercussions of your changes. Barbarians who are prepared for the infected versus amateurs are not could be interesting. Would the Uthgardt welcome them or kill them, and if so how many? If there is a battle, and some of the infected retreat and survive, what will they do? If things go the other way, are you comfortable with genocide and wiping an entire tribe off the map?
Being a werewolf...honestly isn't that big of a deal for player characters. It's treatable with remove curse. Odds are good that someone in the party will be able to cast it, sooner or later. Or the service can be bought or negotiated for. There are Adventurer's League documents you draw some inspiration from. I think they might even have it listed.
A werewolf is immune to the B/P/S damage from attacks. Falling is not an attack, Suffocation/choking rules are not an attack. Attacks require attack rolls. A werewolf can take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage from a non-magical source, like a trap, falling, etc, so long as the damage was delivered without an attack roll being made to deliver it.
I'm just struggling with how, physiologically, there werewolf's immune system can discern the damage of being "deliberately" applied in an attack from "accidentally" applied from one of the other sources such as falling, traps, etc.
The rules are the rules, even if they don't follow logic all of the time. I explained the RAW, but as the DM you are free to look another way.
There was a thread that debated this in the context of falling damage. Post #11 and #27 goes into the RAI for this situation:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/rules-game-mechanics/84317-falling-and-non-magical-damage
Obviously there is debate on the topic, but the RAW is clear, you just either accept it or don't
In my campaign I house rule that lycanthropes can hurt other lycanthropes with their natural weapons. It’s a house rule though and it is not RAW.
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I think I am going to make it possible for a werewolf to harm another werewolf with their natural weapons a house rule as well.
Or... they damage the hell out of each other, it just heals so fast that it doesn't matter in the long run.
Wolves generally keep their fighting non-lethal, and it's more about establishing hierarchy - no reason a pack of werewolves would be any different.
Some form of regeneration is a common trapping. A character whose attack exceeds their armor class still lands a hit. But unless that attack is made with magic or silver the wound is just going to close right up; if it even bleeds at all.
One time I had a wererat just grab a rapier by the blade and pull it out. No blood or anything. And they made eye contact the entire time. Very unsettling.
I was in a campaign where the werewolf PC was trying to kill a wereboar and they were fighting over a silver weapon. It ended when the wereboat fell off a cliff.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
I imagine werewolf bevahiour being like typical "jock" behaviour turned up to 11. Shoving, punching, kicking, all very physical.