Powerful Build (Humanoid Form Only). The wereape counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift.
Shapechanger. The wereape can use its action to polymorph into a Large ape–humanoid hybrid or into a Huge giant ape, or back into its humanoid form. Its statistics, other than its size and speed are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
If the wereape is struck from behind by a vorpal sword or an attack that deals at least 15 slashing damage, the attacker can cut off the wereape’s tail instead of dealing damage. If its tail is cut off, the wereape reverts to humanoid form and loses this feature.
If the wereape’s tail is severed, it regrows after 17 (5d6) days.
Primal Fury. When the wereape assumes giant ape form, it must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the wereape goes into a primal rage. While in this state, the wereape suffers the effects of the feeblemind spell, it can’t use its Shapechanger trait, and it becomes hostile toward all creatures other than itself. The rage lasts until the wereape falls unconscious or is forced to revert to humanoid form.
Siege Monster (Giant Ape Form Only). The wereape deals double damage to objects and structures.
Multiattack. The wereape makes two melee attacks.
Bite (Giant Ape or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) piercing damage in hybrid form, or 13 (2d6 + 6) piercing damage in giant ape form. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with wereape lycanthropy, as described in the Monster Manual, and detailed below.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft. in humanoid or hybrid form or 10 ft. in giant ape form, one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage in humanoid form, 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage in hybrid form, or 22 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage in giant ape form.
Quarterstaff (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft. in humanoid form or 10 ft. in hybrid form, one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage, or 10 (1d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage if used with two hands in humanoid form,. If the wereape is in hybrid form, the damage increases to 13 (2d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage, or 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage if used with two hands.
Rock (Giant Ape Form Only). Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 50/100 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (7d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Breath Beam (Giant Ape Form Only; Recharge 5–6). The wereape exhales a beam of force in an 100-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Description
The original wereapes, also known as sarujin, were members of a proud race of powerful lycanthropic warriors that hailed from a distant world. However, when the sarujin homeworld was destroyed in a civil war, they took to spelljamming vessels, scattering to the stars. They can now be found serving as interstellar mercenaries, often employed as shock troops and living siege weapons by factions with imperial designs for their corner of the multiverse.
In humanoid form, wereapes vary greatly in stature and build, but tend to have athletic frames. They are immediately identifiable by their long, furry, and prehensile monkey tails, something they have even in their humanoid form.
A wereape’s tail is a measure of proof of their extraterrestrial origin, as the apes of many worlds distinctly lack them. Additionally, a wereape’s tail is key to their ability to shapechange, further differentiating between normal lycanthropy and their own variety. A wereape loses its ability to assume beast and hybrid form when its tail is removed; though a severed tail grows back within a month.
Because of this vulnerability, a wereape will spare no expense to acquire magical armor that will grow to match its new size when it transforms. If possible, they will commission armor in the iconic design of their lost homeworld: a breastplate or suit of half plate with pronounced, pointed pauldrons.
When a wereape transforms, it grows to an enormous size, far larger even than werebears. What’s more, the curse of wereape lycanthropy channels tremendous primal power through those afflicted with it while in their beast form. This overflow of primal energy makes the bestial nature of a wereape stronger, more primal, and more savage than that of other lycanthopes; so much so that even the strongest of will and kindest of heart may find resisting their curse impossible. This overwhelming energy is also harnessed by a wereape in the form of a breath weapon: a beam of destructive energy.
A wereape fights with savage brutality, though even in its bestial forms, it avoids biting, and thus does not often pass on its curse. While in control of its senses, this reluctance is due to a wereape’s pride, seeing other races unworthy of inheriting the power of the the sarujin race. When they aren’t in control of themselves, a rampaging wereape is hesitant to bite simply because their fangs aren’t nearly as destructive as their fists or breath weapon.
VARIANT: SARUJIN INVADER
The wereape statblock shows a base example of a humanoid afflicted by the curse of wereape lycanthropy. However, true sarujin, the natural born, original wereapes, pertain to a society dedicated to strength and prowess in combat. Such wereapes are likely to have trained their whole lives for battle, preparing for the day that a small, elite force of them would be dispatched to conquer an entire planet. Because of this culture of combat and conquest, a sarujin invader is likely to have several additional abilities.
At the least, a sarujin invader will gain the following traits:
Special Equipment. The wereape wears a special +3 breastplate that grows with it when it transforms, and with which it is proficient (AC 19 in all three forms). The wereape also wears a magical monocle that allows it to immediately determine the level or challenge rating of any creature it sees unless the creature is immune to any effect that would sense its emotions, read its thoughts, or detect its location.
Focused Flight (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). While the wereape has half its hit points or more, it has a flying speed of 60 feet with the ability to hover.
The DM is encouraged to give a sarujin invader features of from the fighter and monk classes to make them a greater challenge.
Lycanthropes
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.
Evil lycanthropes hide among normal folk, emerging in animal form at night to spread terror and bloodshed, especially under a full moon. Good lycanthropes are reclusive and uncomfortable around other civilized creatures, often living alone in wilderness areas far from villages and towns.
Curse of Lycanthropy. A humanoid creature can be afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy after being wounded by a lycanthrope, or if one or both of its parents are lycanthropes. A remove curse spell can rid an afflicted lycanthrope of the curse, but a natural born lycanthrope can be freed of the curse only with a wish.
A lycanthrope can either resist its curse or embrace it. By resisting the curse, a lycanthrope retains its normal alignment and personality while in humanoid form. It lives its life as it always has, burying deep the bestial urges raging inside it. However, when the full moon rises, the curse becomes too strong to resist, transforming the individual into its beast form — or into a horrible hybrid form that combines animal and humanoid traits. When the moon wanes, the beast within can be controlled once again. Especially if the cursed creature is unaware of its condition, it might not remember the events of its transformation, though those memories often haunt a lycanthrope as bloody dreams.
Some individuals see little point in fighting the curse and accept what they are. With time and experience, they learn to master their shapechanging ability and can assume beast form or hybrid form at will. Most lycanthropes that embrace their bestial natures succumb to bloodlust, becoming evil, opportunistic creatures that prey on the weak.
PLAYER CHARACTERS AS LYCANTHROPES
A character who becomes a lycanthrope retains his or her statistics except as specified by lycanthrope type. The character gains the lycanthrope’s speeds in nonhumanoid form, damage immunities, traits, and actions that don’t involve equipment. The character is proficient with the lycanthrope’s natural attacks, such as its bite or claws, which deal damage as shown in the lycanthrope’s statistics. The character can’t speak while in animal form.
A non-lycanthrope humanoid hit by an attack that carries the curse of lycanthropy must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + the lycanthrope’s proficiency bonus + the lycanthrope’s Constitution modifier) or be cursed. If the character embraces the curse, his or her alignment becomes the one defined for the lycanthrope. The DM is free to decide that a change in alignment places the character under DM control until the curse of lycanthropy is removed.
The following information applies to specific lycanthropes.
Wereape. The character gains a Strength of 23 if his or her score isn’t already higher, and increases their Dexterity or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. Attack and damage rolls for the natural weapons are based on Strength. For the Breath Beam attack and Primal Fury trait, the DC is 8 + the character’s proficiency bonus + Strength modifier. The amount of slashing damage required for an attack to sever the wereape's tail, as described in the Shapechanger trait, equals 5 + half his or her character level (minimum 5 damage).
Loosely based on the saiyan race from Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball series, published by Shueisha.
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