Path of the Lycan

A Lycan is a humanoid that is cursed with chaotic nature magic to transform into a large, beast-like creature during the full moon.  They may take on the form of a wolf, bear, rat, boar, tiger, or other predatory creature. The most common way to become a Lycan is to be bitten, or scratched by one.  Some part of the Lycan's claws or saliva must make contact with a target’s bloodstream to spread the curse. As such, creatures without blood are immune.  A child with one or both Lycan parents has a chance of being cursed with lycanthropy at the onset of puberty.

Once a creature is cursed with lycanthropy, they have until the first night of the following full moon to use a remove curse spell, or the condition becomes permanent. Once the first change into a Lycan has taken place, only a wish or other extremely powerful magic can remove the curse. Doing so should be a monumental undertaking, and possibly the focus of an entire adventure or campaign.

Curse of Lycanthropy

At 3rd level the curse of lycanthropy provides you with supernatural strengths and weaknesses that come coupled with your condition.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dim and dark conditions. You gain Darkvision, to a range of 60 feet.

Keen Senses. You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that involve sight, hearing or smell.

Cursed. When you hit a humanoid creature with your bite or claw attack while in your Hybrid or Beast form, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw of DC [8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier] or be cursed with lycanthropy. A humanoid that is reduced to 0 hit points by your Bite or Claw attack instantly fails their Constitution saving throw and becomes cursed.

Silver Vulnerability. You become vulnerable to damage from weapons that are silvered.

Weakness to Wolf's Bane.  You are repulsed by the smell of wolf's bane, and cannot willingly go within 30 feet of the source of the smell.  If you are attacked by a weapon coated in wolf's bane you take an extra 1d8 poison damage from the attack.

A creature that drinks a Potion of Wolf's Bane has advantage on saving throws against contracting the lycanthropy curse for 24 hours.

Lycanthropic Transformation

Hybrid Transformation. You gain the ability to transform into a feral beast during times of crisis or supernatural phenomenon.  When you enter a Rage you transform into a Hybrid humanoid beast creature.  You revert to your true form if your Rage ends, you are reduced to 0 hit points, rendered unconscious, or die. 

Hybrid Form. The benefits of this form replace the rules for Lycanthropy within the Monster’s Manual.

• Savage Fury. You gain a +1 bonus to AC when you are not wearing heavy armor.
• Bite. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d12 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. 
• Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d10 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Full Moon Transformation. You forcefully transform into your Beast form each of the three nights of a full moon, as soon as the moon is in the sky and the sun has set. If remove curse is cast on you at the beginning of the transformation, you can make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw to avoid the transformation. This will delay the transformation for one night. For every two spell slots used above 3rd level to cast this spell, your successful saving throw will suppress the transformation for one additional night.

Your Rage ends when you transform in this way and you cannot enter a Rage until you revert to your humanoid form. Your game statistics remain the same, but your size becomes Large, you gain the Beast tag, and you take on the form of your lycanthropic beast. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. Your items fall to the ground 5 feet in front of you, and if your armor cannot accommodate your new form, it is dropped as well.  You cannot gain the AC benefit of armor while in Beast form. You revert to your true form if you are reduced to 0 hit points, rendered unconscious, or die.

While under the full moon’s influence the DM can take control of your character at any time.  When you revert back into your humanoid form you may experience memory loss of any events that occurred while transformed.

Beast Form. The benefits of this form replace the rules for Lycanthropy within the Monster’s Manual.

• Apex Predator. When you transform your current and maximum hit points increase by 5 x your Barbarian level. When you revert to your humanoid form, you return to the hit point maximum you had before you transformed.
• Speed of the Lycan. You gain advantage on Dexterity saving throws and Dexterity checks. In addition, your base speed increases by 10 feet. Any physical speed abilities you have while in humanoid form do not apply while in Beast form, such as a fly, swim, burrow, or climb speed.  You regain these attributes when you return to your humanoid or hybrid form.
• Killer Instinct. While in Beast form you can’t take actions that are not directly related to stalking, hunting, fighting, tracking, feeding, or other beast-like activities.  You can’t cast spells or speak.
• Pack Tactics. While in Beast form 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 your ally isn't incapacitated.
• Bite. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d12 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. While in Beast form, on a hit the target must succeed a Strength saving throw of DC [8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier] or be knocked prone.

Enraged Transformation. When you are not in Hybrid or Beast form, and you take damage equal to 10 + your Constitution modifier in a single round, or witnesses severe harm come to something or someone you care about, such as an ally being reduced to 0 hit points or being killed, you must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or immediately enter a Rage and transform into your Hybrid form.  If you have no remaining rages when you transform in this way, you gain 1 level of exhaustion when your Rage ends.

The DC is determined by the DM and should be dependent on the severity of the insult or injury.  Please consult the Grievance table below for reference:

Grievance	DC
Valuable Item is Stolen or Broken	10
Ally is Attacked or Harmed	15
Death of an Ally	20

 

You remain enraged for 1 hour, but your transformation can end early as normal. While you are enraged the DM can take control of your character at any time.

Bear

Your lycanthropic beast is a Bear.

Boar

Your lycanthropic beast is a Boar.

Rat

Your lycanthropic beast is a Rat.

Tiger

Your lycanthropic beast is a Tiger.

Wolf

Your lycanthropic beast is a Wolf.

New Moon

At 6th level you start on a path to controlling your curse of lycanthropy and gain the following benefits:

Lycanthropic Emergence. You have built up a pool of resistance that you can use to resist your curse and empower your lycanthropic abilities. You gain a pool of 10 Moon Points that increase to 15 at 10th level, and increase again to 20 at 14th level. You regain all expended Moon Points after you complete a long rest.

Transformation Resistance. You can now resist Full Moon Transformation with a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw without the aid of a remove curse spell. If you fail the save, you transform as normal. If a remove curse spell is cast on you, you can make the saving throw with advantage. Alternatively, you can choose to resist the transformation by spending 5 Moon Points to automatically succeed on the saving throw.

In addition, the damage threshold for an Enraged Transformation increases to 15 + your Constitution modifier.

Friends. A well-known friend or associate may make a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check as a reaction to being attacked by you, to convince you it is friendly, and should not be the target of your aggression. If the Animal Handling check is successful, you will attempt to attack another nearby creature. If all other creatures succeed on this check, or there are no other creatures nearby, you attempt to run away from the area.

Waxing Moon

At 10th level you continue along your path of learning to control your curse of lycanthropy. You gain the following benefits:

Voluntary Transformation. As an action, you may can spend 5 Moon Points and transform into your Beast form for one hour, or until you end it as a bonus action. Your Rage ends when you transform in this way and you cannot enter a Rage until you revert to your humanoid form. Your game statistics remain the same, but your size becomes Large, you gain the Beast tag, and you take on the form of your lycanthropic beast. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. Your items fall to the ground 5 feet in front of you, and if your armor cannot accommodate your new form, it is dropped as well.  You cannot gain the AC benefit of armor while in Beast form. You revert to your true form if you are reduced to 0 hit points, rendered unconscious, or die.

In addition, the damage threshold for an Enraged Transformation increases to 20 + your Constitution modifier.

Regeneration. The regenerative abilities of your curse are starting to emerge. As a bonus action you can spend 5 Moon Points to regain hit points equal to half your barbarian level, and at the start of each turn for 1 minute. You can not gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points. If you are hit by a silvered weapon or piece of ammunition your regeneration abilities halt until the end of your next turn.

Good Friends. Your beast form gains some level of awareness, and you are less likely to attack known friends and associates that you are aware of from your subconscious humanoid mind, unless they directly threaten you. The DC of your Friends class feature is reduced to DC 10.

Full Moon

At 14th level, your growing control over your curse provides the following benefits:

Shapechanger. You now have full control of your actions during a Full Moon Transformation. In addition, you are now immune to entering an Enraged Transformation.

Survival Instinct. Once per short rest, the first time in combat that you fail a death saving throw you immediately regain 1 hit point and enter a Rage.