Echolocation. The werewhale can’t use its blindsight while deafened.
Hold Breath. The werewhale can hold its breath for 30 minutes in humanoid form, 60 minutes in hybrid form, or 90 minutes in whale form.
Keen Hearing. The werewhale has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
Shapechanger. The werewhale can use its action to polymorph into a Huge whale–humanoid hybrid or into a Gargantuan whale, 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.
Siege Monster (Whale or Hybrid Form Only). The werewhale deals double damage to objects and structures.
Swallow Whole (Whale or Hybrid Form Only). If the werewhale hits a Medium or smaller creature while in hybrid form or a Large or smaller creature while in whale form with its bite, it can attempt to swallow the target as a bonus action. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the werewhale. A swallowed creature has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the werewhale, and it takes 10 (3d6) acid damage at the start of each of the werewhale’s turns.
If the werewhale takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the werewhale must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the werewhale. The werewhale automatically regurgitates all swallowed creatures before reverting to its true form.
Multiattack. The werewhale makes two slam attacks.
Bite (Whale or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (5d6 + 8) piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with werewhale lycanthropy, as described in the Monster Manual, and detailed below.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft. in hybrid form, 10 ft. in hybrid form, or 15 ft. in whale form, one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage in humanoid form, 22 (4d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage in hybrid form, or 29 (6d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage in whale form. If the target is at least one size smaller than the werewhale, the werewhale can also push the target 5 feet away.
Description
Werewhales are incredibly large and powerful lycanthropes. Even in humanoid form, a werewhale towers over other humanoids. When a werewhale transforms, this size disparity drastically increases as they swell to gigantic proportions. Despite its overwhelming size and strength, a werewhale is usually a gentle soul. Its friendly demeanor and deeply empathetic nature makes it a reluctant combatant, but if its loved ones are threatened, a werewhale becomes nothing short of a living engine of destruction.
Much like werebears, werewhales avoid biting so as to not spread their curse, and typically only passes on their lycanthropy to a those they deem worthy of the great power the curse bestows. Unlike werebears, werewhales are highly social creatures. They live in large family groups — called pods — leading migratory lives along coastlines or out to sea in flotillas of houseboats.
Though most werewhales are of good alignment and gentle disposition, some are every bit as evil and bloodthirsty as other lycanthropes.
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.
Werewhale. The character gains a Strength of 26 if his or her score isn’t already higher, and if the character is Medium or smaller, his or her size doubles in all dimensions, and their weight is multiplied by eight. This growth increases his or her size by one category— from Medium to Large, for example. While in whale or hybrid form, the character gains a +2 bonus to AC (from natural armor). Attack and damage rolls for the natural weapons are based on Strength. For the Swallow Whole trait, the DC to swallow a creature equals 8 + the character’s proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier, the amount of damage required on a single turn to trigger the saving throw against regurgitating equals twice the werewhale's level, and the DC to avoid regurgitating equals the werewhale's Constitution score − 1.
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