Let's Talk About Lycanthropes

[ataraxic]

So I'm trying to come up with a Lycanthrope character. I would be natural born, meaning I inquire a LA of +3. For the animal I was considering wolf due to it being only 2 HD and werewolves are just classic. My general pl;an is to become my hybrid form for stat boosts and then wield some sort of hefty weapon and beat stuff to death.

As far as what class I want to be, I was thinking 3 levels of Warshaper. Increases my bite damage, gives me more str and con, and 5 extra reach.

Besides that I don't know what other classes to take. I was thinking about Cleric, giving me buff spells and heals. Maybe prestige into Mythic Exemplar. I could go straight physical fighting and do Barbarian, but I would prefer something a little less mindless.


What classes would you guys take? On top of that, any recommendations for weapons/armor/items if you were a Lycanthrope?

[littha]

Generally you want to take at least 1 level of barbarian for pounce (Spirit Lion Totem).


I would also consider other animals because you retain their special qualities in all forms (like the Cheetah's Sprint ability or the Octopus and Squid's Ink cloud and Jet) and Wolves have no special qualities that you don't get anyway.


Ink Cloud is especially good, 10'x10'x10' Fog cloud as a free action once every 10 minutes....

[Nanshork]

Look through the Lycanthropy guide in my signature, it might give you some ideas.

[Gavinfoxx]

Why exactly do you want a Lycanthrope creature? Is it to have animailstic flavor? Is it a particular ability? Is it being able to turn into animals or a particular animal? What is it you wish to accomplish, under what situation, for what sort of game?

[Bauglir]

This might be a little tangential, but is homebrew allowed? While people do mention looking at other animals, in my experience, wolves are one of the only ones that tend to be worth the minimum of 5 lost levels for a natural lycanthrope (or a Dire Wolf, if you're starting high enough, and want to commit), because of the stat modifiers and the tripping shenanigans you have available in hybrid form. If homebrew is allowed, though, there are generally more reasonable options for the cost. I remember Prime32 had a good version, for instance.

[Jackinthegreen]

Certain special abilities might work better with an anthropomorphic animal instead of a lycanthrope.  If you want a cheetah's Sprint ability then the anthro race might be better for instance.  Going anthro also means full BAB on the racial monstrous humanoid HD instead of an animal's 3/4, which the lycan would get.

Still, the real question is -how- you want to beat stuff up.  Ubercharger?  Maneuvers?  Buff the shit out of yourself with a caster?  Malfunction, need input!

Something to note is going werebadger provides some nice bonuses if you advance it, assuming you can advance from a normal one to a dire version.  Going from the 2HD to 3HD essentially turns it into a dire badger for +6 str, +4 Con, +1 BAB, +2 NA, and all good saves.  Another HD and it becomes large, and according to the improving monsters section you'd get +8 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, and +2 NA.

Looking at the gains, it seems a cheetah would be better to be a lycanthrope.  For 1 HD more you gain Sprint, a better version of trip that works on both bite or claw attacks, and better stats.

[Prime32]

Any chance of getting PF lycanthrope approved? 3.5's takes a pretty big chunk out of your character levels (which you especially don't want if you're going cleric).

[Lycanthromancer]

You rang?

[zook1shoe]

Go Fleshraker

[Jackinthegreen]

Go Fleshraker

That's just plain evil.  I love it!

And for more absurdities, get an anthropomorphic whatever and tack on werefleshraker.

[phaedrusxy]

Tome of Battle classes mesh well with lycanthropes, because the animal hit dice give you half progression. I rather like the dire badger for a base animal. Having a burrow speed can be handy. Here's a character I unfortunately only got to play for a session or two, but really liked.

[AyeGill]

Werefleshraker. That is some seriously broken shit right there.

Anthropomorphic Wolf Werefleshraker. You make a pounce attack(multiple per round with battle jump). You get a full attack, and for each attack that hits, you make a trip attempt because of the wolf's trip ability. Then, at the end, you make another trip attack. If any of those trips succeed, you get another attack because of improved trip. At the end, if you had any successful trip attacks, you make a grapple attack.

If that's not your thing, a Giant Squid is ECL 4, which sucks, but it has 8 arms. 8!(and +8 str and dex) That's a pretty awesome pounce if you put some sneak attack or something on there.

[Ithamar]

Anthro animals are [Monstrous Humanoid] and thus cannot contract lycanthropy, just FYI.

A 4 HD Dire Badger is really one of the best options for pure physical stat optimization.  Trust me, I've looked and looked.  Were-Drakkensteed is an interesting option though, because you can fly and get a very useful trample attack.  Also only 4 HD.

But if you just want a little fluff, see if your DM will let you swap Wild Shape Ranger for the PHBII shapeshifting ability.  You can take predator (wolf) form at level 1, which gives you +4 STR and 50' land speed.  Just call that your lycan form, hop into Warshaper for a few levels, etc.  You won't have to eat any LA that way and will actually have a semi-useful character.

Or for another option that doesn't end up with wasted LA or animal HD, use  Wild Shape Ranger to enter the Primeval PrC.  The primeval form can be a dinosaur (like Flesh Raker) or Dire Badger (but only 3 HD), or whatever you and your DM can agree on really.  Just fluff it that you're a lycanthrope, but just have different (Better?) mechanics to actually back it up.

[zook1shoe]

Anthro animals are [Monstrous Humanoid] and thus cannot contract lycanthropy, just FYI.

Half-troll changes that

[Ithamar]

Which is what, like +5 LA?  So now you want to stack that template, on top of an anthro-animal chassis and then add another +3 LA for lycanthrope?  Yeah, have fun with your ECL 15 character that has only 5 HD and no class levels. 

[EjoThims]

0.
Make sure to pick up the Quick Change feat from SS.

Because it applies to you changing shape (at all), it makes your morphic weapon ability from Warshaper take only a free action... All of your natural attacks are now one size larger, and if you want to be real mean you can grow any that you lack; even with the one at a time interpretation, because it takes you only a free action to lose the old one and grow the new one.

This feat also stacks up with the Quickchange from Warshaper, so you definitely want to take all 5 levels unless you're in a campaign were you can get away with running around in hybrid form 24/7.

SS has some other goodies for you too, including beast claws (enchant them separately, since they are weapons, for additional abilities on top of the extra damage), ring of growth, arms of the naga (use a weapon and your claws), and the amulet of natural weapons.

And yes, Half-Troll and, iirc, Half-Ogre are great ways to tack Lycanthropy onto other types. Just make sure to pair it with LA buy-off.

Also, the PF version is much sexier, especially since it allows templating again (on the creature side if not the animal), so Feral Lycanthropes are totally back. And Feral Lycanthropes are best Lycanthropes. After all, it grants a boost to claw damage (usually), +10' speed, +6 NA (though PF seems to nerf this stacking), Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake (more attacks!), and Rend! Plus awesome darkvision, fast healing, and good stat boosts, all for +1 LA.


Feral caveat: Some say that the scaling attacks and qualities only apply to monster hit dice. This is likely RaI, but not RaW; especially on qualities, which does not even possess a line that could be claimed to give that idea.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

 

Can't you just model a Lycanthrope after Lycanthromancer ?

( ... says captain obvious)

[Ithamar]

And Feral Lycanthropes are best Lycanthropes. After all, it grants a boost to claw damage (usually), +10' speed, +6 NA (though PF seems to nerf this stacking), Improved Grab, Pounce, Rake (more attacks!), and Rend! Plus awesome darkvision, fast healing, and good stat boosts, all for +1 LA.

Feral caveat: Some say that the scaling attacks and qualities only apply to monster hit dice. This is likely RaI, but not RaW; especially on qualities, which does not even possess a line that could be claimed to give that idea.

Actually Feral works with natural lycanthropes in 3.0/3.5 anyways, but not with afflicted.  So long as you apply the lycan template first, then feral, you'll be fine.  And a Feral Werebear is actually pretty awesome, though the +4 LA sucks.  But at least you have 6 HD and can avoid any arguments about whether or not you have racial HD vs. class HD to qualify for all of the feral goodies.

[EjoThims]

Actually Feral works with natural lycanthropes in 3.0/3.5 anyways, but not with afflicted.  So long as you apply the lycan template first, then feral, you'll be fine.

Nope, changes to alternate form make you lose all special qualities and attacks not gained from class levels when you change forms. This is what appears to be missing from the PF lycanthrope, from what's presented in that link at least.

It's got nothing to do with how the templates themselves stack up, so it's totally okay to have a Feral Race get hit with afflicted lycanthropy.

And a Feral Werebear is actually pretty awesome, though the +4 LA sucks.  But at least you have 6 HD and can avoid any arguments about whether or not you have racial HD vs. class HD to qualify for all of the feral goodies.

Only need 4 HD to get Pounce, 60' darkvision, and FH 3... Which is the bulk of its benefits... So you don't need to take quite that big a hit.

Still, rake and rend, especially, are nice if you can convince your DM. 

[Ithamar]

You keep your special qualities actually, but you do lose the special attacks, which I hadn't noticed before.  Pity.

Though you could try to make a case that the "new form" is your hybrid form, which has and benefits from the animal HD and those HD are what grants the pounce, rake, rend, etc.