Homebrew Wolf Species Details

Wolves are larger than most dogs, and appear even larger in the winter because of their thick undercoat. Their coloring is usually a mix of gray and brown (though white, red, and black coloration has been observed) with lighter fur on its legs and belly. They have relatively short ears, and a long bushy tail. For pushing through snow, wolves have narrow chests, and when walking on top of snow, big paws to help distribute their weight.

Long legs and dense muscles make wolves excellent runners. They can reach 38 mph (61kph) sprinting but will more frequently run long distances at around 5 mph (8kph). Marathon chases help wolves tire their prey, which once caught, are quickly killed by wolves’ powerful jaws and teeth. Their mouths contain 42 teeth including carnassial teeth, unique to carnivores for cutting through meat and bone and can snap closed with pressure exceeding 1,000lbs per square inch (6895kPa).

Creating Your Character

At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Languages

Wolves can't speak, read, or write but can understand Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.

Creature Type

Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race tells you what your character’s creature type is.

Here’s a list of the game’s creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.

Life Span

The typical life span of a player character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can live longer than a century, that fact is mentioned in the race’s description. 

The life span of wolves vary dramatically. Although the average lifespan is between 6 and 8 years, many will die sooner, and some can reach 13. Wolves in captivity can live up to 17 years.

Height and Weight

Wolves on average, have a nose-to-tail length between 4.5 and 6ft (1.4 to 1.8m), a height at the shoulder from 26 to 32 inches (66 to 81cm), and a weight measuring between 50 and 110lbs (22.7 to 50kg). The largest wolf on record weighed 175lbs (79.3kg). Males are larger than females, and northern wolves are generally larger than those in southern areas.

Wolf Traits

As a wolf, you have the following racial traits.

Creature Type

You are a Beast.

Size

You are Medium.

Speed

Your walking speed is 40 feet.

Canine Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag.

In addition, any climb that requires hands and feet is especially difficult for you because of your canine legs. When you make such a climb, each foot of movement costs you 4 extra feet instead of the normal 1 extra foot.

And lastly, you are unable to use weapons or a shield and armour doesn't fit your canine form, you can however wear barding. And you are unable to carry or use any item that requires the use of hands.

Bite

You have a fanged maw that you can use to make a natural attack and are unable to use any other weapons or a shield due to your canine build. When you hit with them, you deal 2d4 piercing damage. This damage increases at level 4 to 2d6, at level 8 to 2d8, at level 12 to 2d10 and at level 16 to 2d12. If a creature is hit with a bite attack, you can attempt to trip it as a part of that action. The creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. You can attempt this a number of times equal to your strength bonus plus your proficiency modifier per long rest.

Hungry Jaws

You can throw yourself into a feeding frenzy. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your Bite. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Pack Tactics

You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.

Natural Armor

You have a tough hide and thick fur that provides some protection. When you aren’t wearing armor, your base AC is 11 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. 

Nature’s Intuition

Thanks to your primal connection to nature, you gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival.

Primal Instinct

Your senses are heightened with your beastial nature, your hearing and smell are more keen than most and you are used to moving stealthily when on a hunt. You have proficiency with Stealth checks and double proficiency with Perception checks.