Homebrew Lythari Species Details

Lythari are true lycanthropes. They are born as were-creatures to lycanthrope parents. Lythari packs are almost exclusively found in wood elf lands or on the isle of Evermeet. Lythari propagate using a ritual of bonding that will turn the other party into a lythari. This ritual only works if both parties agree to the transformation. It leaves a permanent scar on the transformed, which resembles a wolf bite.

Physical combat is disliked among the Lythari. If they aid in warfare at all it would be in a scouting capacity or as a messenger, using their speed to their advantage. However, if cornered or forced to defend their kin, they have a powerful bite which they can use to great effect. Otherwise, they only attack when hunting, preferring deer, rabbit and wild boar, much like a wolf

Lythari packs are small, usually numbering no more than 30, a dozen or so of which will be too young to fend for themselves. They do not fashion metal objects of any kind and the rare spellcasters amongst them tend to be priests of one of the nature deities. All members of a lythari pack are treated equally, with no real leaders. As such, these packs tend to be quite anarchic and are increasingly rare, as most lythari go to live in Faerie, travelling there through portals.

Lone Lythari are readily accepted within normal wolf packs and treated deferentially but are left out of the pack hierarchy. Evil wolves such as worgs, werewolves and wolfweres will attempt to drive off a lythari or slay him or her if at all possible. They can sense a Lythari's goodliness naturally.

A nomadic clan of lythari called the Vil Adanrath also inhabits the Endless Wastes.

Lythari Traits

The Lythari were originally elves who came from Faerie to Faerûn around -24,000 DR but they changed considerably over the years. By 1374 DR most Faerûnian scholars did not consider them to be Tel-quessir.

Ability Modifiers

Being elves Lythari gain +2 Dex and +1 Wis due to their non-academic nature.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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 can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Hearing and Smell

Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets you detect (smell or hear) the presence of something. It measures your general awareness of your surroundings and the keenness of your senses of hearing and smell. For example, you might try to hear a conversation through a closed door, eavesdrop under an open window, or hear monsters moving stealthily in the forest. Or you might try to sniff-out things that are obscured or easy to miss, whether they are orcs lying in ambush on a road, thugs hiding in the shadows of an alley, or candlelight under a closed secret door.

Trance

Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Languages

Lythari can learn to read and write any language but due to their culture many do not.

Wild Shape (modified)

You can use your action to assume the shape of a wolf. You can use this feature a number of times equal to one-half your character level. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

You can stay in a wolf shape for a number of hours equal to half your character level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. At level eight you can retain the wolf shape indefinitely. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the wolf has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the wolf's bonus instead of yours.
When you transform, you keep your own hit points and Hit Dice.
You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your wolf form. Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that you’ve already cast.
You retain the benefit of any features from your class or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can’t use any of your special senses, such as darkvision.
You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature’s shape and size. Your equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.