Homebrew (SOTCE) Wereshark Species Details
A wereshark was a very rare and fearsome type of lycanthrope that could take the form of a shark.
Weresharks could take three different forms: humanoid form, shark form, and hybrid form. In human form, weresharks were often hulking and brutish, and seemed to be maimed in some sort of way, such as severe scarring, although this was not visible after shapechanging. Their shark form resembled different types of sharks.
Behavior
Weresharks could pass on their lycanthropic curse by biting their foes in either their shark or hybrid form. They were said to be cruel and arrogant in their human form and even nastier in shark form. As diverse as any other human, weresharks could have anywhere between low and exceptional intelligence. They would often destroy large caches of fish, as well as attacking fishermen, and were a bane to any aquatic lifeforms, from tritons to mermen.
These lycanthropes were very territorial, and would often claim treasure-filled sunken ships, willing to defend them to the deaths.
Abilities
Although looking very different, the individual forms shared similar traits and abilities. Each form had access to blindsense up to 30 ft and the ability to communicate with shark-like beings, such as dire sharks. Likewise, they were very alert, could fight in conditions where their enemy was hard to perceive, and were very robust.
However, there were distinct differences between the three forms. In shark and hybrid form, the lycanthropes' senses dramatically heightened, resulting in keen scent, being able to smell up to 180 ft away. They also became far stronger in these forms, and masters at swimming. Even in their human form, they could breathe underwater for up to an hour.
Combat
In human and hybrid form, weresharks preferred to fight in close-quarters combat, either with a weapon, their hands, or sharp claws. Even in just their human form, they could rip an arm off opponents. However, in shark form, they preferred to bite their foes, tearing them apart with their deadly jaws. All forms were adept at grappling opponents, particularly the shark and hybrid forms.
When fighting in water, they preferred to attack from below. When combat got out of control, weresharks often shapechanged into the shark form, swimming away at high speeds, or savagely biting at their opponents' legs. They may even have devoured their foes fully intact.
Weresharks were vulnerable to silver weaponry, however, swallowed opponents could attack from within with standard edged weapons.
Society
Weresharks were not bound to a specific society, but would pack together if it suited them. Many weresharks lived a solitary life, as a pair, or a school of up to five. These lycanthropes would usually reside by the sea, and take up professions such as being a sailor.
(SOTCE) Wereshark Traits
Weresharks share the following species traits.Ability Score Increases
When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and a different one by 1, or increase three scores by 1. None of these increases can raise a score above 20.
Size
You are Medium (about 6-7 feet tall).
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet. You also have a swimming speed of 40 feet.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. You can communicate effectively with other shark-like beings. You cannot speak Common in Shark Form.
Low-Light Vision
Weresharks in all three of their forms have low-light vision eyes. Their eyes are so sensitive to light that they can see twice as far as normal in dim light. Low-light vision is color vision. Weresharks can see outdoors on a moonlit night as well as they can during the day.
Blindsense
All three forms of the wereshark have a 30 foot radius of blindsense.
Blindsense lets it notice things it cannot see, but without the precision of blindsight. The wereshark can make a Perception check to locate the direction of an enemy within its blindsense range. The rules for Cover still apply to creatures with blindsense.
Darkvision
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Enhanced Sense of Smell
Human Form
Weresharks, even in human form, have an enhanced sense of smell.
This extraordinary ability lets a creature detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
Weresharks can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk, can be detected at three times these ranges.
Weresharks can detect another creature’s presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If the wereshark moves within 5 feet (1 square) of the scent’s source, the wereshark can pinpoint the area that the source occupies, even if it cannot be seen.
Weresharks have Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on scent. Additionally, weresharks proficient in Survival, can follow tracks by smell, making a Survival check to find or follow a track at a lower DC than normal.
Weresharks can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.
Weresharks can use this ability easily in water.
Powerful odors can easily mask other scents, spoiling the wereshark's ability to properly detect or identify creatures. The base Survival DC to track by smell increases near powerful odors.
Hybrid Form and Shark Form
Weresharks in their Hybrid and Shark Forms have an even more powerful sense of smell while underwater. They can notice other creatures by scent in a 180-foot radius underwater and can detect blood in the water at ranges of up to a mile.
Natural Aura
Your hulking and brutish appearance make you more intimidating. You gain +2 to your Intimidation score.
Natural Toughness
Your lycanthropic powers make you more durable. You have +1 to your Constitution score.
Weaknesses
Silver: Lycanthropes of all types take double damage from silvered weaponry.
Pure Salt: Dries the skin, which then cracks resulting in bleeding wounds that won't heal unless you completely submerge yourself in water. You become immune to healing if effected by pure salt.
Lightning Damage: Weresharks specifically are vulnerable to electricity, stiffening the nervous system. After being hit with lightning damage, your movement speed is halved and you cannot make any Opportunity Attacks. At the end of your turns, make a Constitution Saving Throw at Disadvantage to end this effect early (DC 13), otherwise it lasts for 1 minute/10 turns.
Tigersbane: A red algae that grows in seawater, found to be poisonous to fish. Weresharks find the smell sickening and if ingested, causes vomiting and sickness. You experience a feeling of discomfort when within 30 feet of a bundle of Tigersbane. To enter a square adjacent to a bundle of Tigersbane, make a Constitution Save (DC 17). If somehow ingested, you gain 4 levels of Exhaustion.
Tigersbane can be used to make Tigersbane Poison. A wereshark subjected to this poison takes 1d6 poison damage and must make a CON save (DC 14). On a failed save, they become poisoned. If the wereshark fails this saving throw by 5 or more, they are also Paralyzed. At the start of each turn, make the save again to end the Paralyzed condition. Every hour make this save again at Disadvantage, taking an additional 1d6 Poison damage on a failed save. After three successful saving throws, the poison ends.
Air and Water Breathing
Human Form
Weresharks in human form can breathe air as normal and can breathe underwater for up to an hour.
Hybrid Form
Weresharks in hybrid form can breathe air and underwater.
Shark Form
Weresharks in shark form can only breathe underwater.
Bestial Instincts
Channeling the beast within, you have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, or Survival.
Large Build
You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Denizen of the Ocean
Adapted to the frigid ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage.
Bite
Hybrid Form
You have a fanged maw of multiple rows of teeth that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with it, the strike deals 2d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. This attack has Advantage if the target has less than half of its Maximum Hit Points.
Shark Form
Your Bite attack becomes more powerful in this form. Landing the strike deals 2d10 + your Strength modifier piercing damage. This attack has Advantage if the target doesn't have all its Hit Points.
Giant Shark Form
You can make two Bite attacks.
Your Bite attack's power has gone even further beyond! Landing the strike deals 3d10 + your Strength modifier piercing damage. This attack has Advantage if the target doesn't have all its Hit Points.
Claws
Hybrid Form
Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. If the attack lands, you can make a second claw attack against the same target. If the second attack lands, deal an additional 2d6 damage.
Sleeping with the Fishes
Weresharks, like their full-shark brethren, do not engage in ordinary sleep. In all three forms they sleep with their eyes perpetually open, and their pupils still monitor the motion of creatures around them. You cannot be snuck up on while resting. You do not count as unconscious while asleep. Weresharks can even sleep in this way while moving, but only while underwater.
Feeding Frenzy
Your lycanthropic powers make it impossible for you to resist the smell of blood, sending you into a murderous frenzy. While within 30 feet of a creature afflicted with the Bleed condition, you are drawn to and cannot move away from that creature. Use all of your movement to get as close to that creature as possible. You have Advantage on melee attack rolls against that creature and all creatures within 5 feet of that creature. However, all melee attack rolls made against you while in this state also have advantage. You cannot make any non-lethal attacks while in this state. Feeding Frenzy ends once ALL Bleed conditions within your 30 foot range has ended. This ability can only activate once per short rest.
Shapechanging
As an Action, you can assume one of your other two forms.
You can stay polymorphed for as long as you wish. Your Creature Type in Hybrid Form is Humanoid. Your Creature Type in Shark Form is Beast. You automatically revert to your Human Form after you die.
Your Ability Scores remain the same in Human Form and Hybrid Form (unless stated otherwise). Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn't transformed.
Whenever you polymorph into your Hybrid Form or Shark Form, you gain additional benefits unique to your lycanthrope type:
Hybrid Form and Shark Form
You gain temporary hit points equal to 3 + your level + your Constitution modifier (this effect only activates when polymorphing starting from your Human Form). Any temporary hit points that remain when you revert to your humanoid form are lost, but the amount left over is regained if you transform into your Hybrid or Wolf Form again. You can gain the full amount of temporary hit points once with this trait, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a short rest.
You gain +1 to your Armor Class.
Power Attack: You can make exceptionally deadly melee attacks by sacrificing accuracy for strength. You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and Dexterity checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by 50% if you are making an Attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or if using one of your Bite attacks. This bonus to damage is reduced by 50% if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or your Claws attack. When your Strength modifier reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this trait before making an Attack roll, and its effects last until the start of your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
Shark Form
You polymorph into a Shark. Starting at Level 10, you polymorph into a Giant Shark.
Your game statistics are replaced by the Shark's stat block, but you retain your HP; HP Dice; INT, WIS, and CHA scores; class and species features (whichever are applicable); and feats.
You retain your skill and saving throws and use your Proficiency Bonus for them, and gain any proficiencies of the Shark. If the Shark's stat block has a higher skill or saving throw modifier, use the one in the stat block.
You can't cast spells, but shapechanging doesn't break your Concentration.
Your ability to handle objects is handled by the form's limbs rather than your own. You can also choose whether your equipment falls in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it's practical for the form to wear the equipment. Additionally, your equipment doesn't change size, and any equipment that the form can't wear must fall to the ground or merge into the form. Any equipment that merges with the form has no effect while you're in this form.







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