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Unleashing the power of lycanthropy (without messing up the game)
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This article was co-authored by Legends of Avantris
and by wikiHow staff writer, Amber Crain
. Legends of Avantris is a group of Dungeons & Dragons Experts and content creators of their successful eponymous YouTube channel. Composed of seven best friends whose passion is playing D&D, Legends of Avantris has built a multifaceted business, streaming on Twitch, running their YouTube channel, selling their successful merch line, producing their podcast, and launching their first Kickstarter campaign: The Crooked Moon, a folk horror supplement for 5th edition.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
Lycanthropy is a powerful curse in Dungeons & Dragons, but the manuals are a bit vague when it comes to the practical details. Being stricken with this curse turns your character into a hybrid shapeshifter with a thirst for blood and a range of new abilities, but how exactly does it all work? In this article, we’ll explain the mechanics of lycanthropy, including how the infection spreads and how it changes your character. We’ll also share helpful advice for developing a lycanthrope character and incorporating them into a storyline. Read on for more!
Lycanthropy in 5e: Quick Overview
Lycanthropy is a curse that a character can genetically inherit or become afflicted with after being bitten by a werebeast. The character becomes a hybrid shapeshifter with special features, damage immunity, and various bestial abilities according to werebeast type. For a simple cure, cast Remove Curse .
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Section 1 of 7:
What is lycanthropy in 5e?
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Lycanthropy is a curse that can affect humanoid player characters. A character inherits the curse of lycanthropy from their parents or becomes stricken with it after being bitten by a werewolf (or other werebeast) during gameplay. The character changes into a hybrid shapeshifter, temporarily loses control during their transformation, and must battle their ongoing bestial urges as long as the curse is active. [1] X Research source
- A lycanthrope has three forms: a humanoid state, a hybrid state (when they have both humanoid and animal traits), and a pure animal form (fully transformed).
- The character retains their traits when in humanoid form. When they shift into their animal form, they gain powerful new traits, including speed, damage immunities, and non-equipment actions, depending on the type of werebeast that infected them.
- The Monster Manual doesn't include a lot of detail about lycanthropy other than what's stated above. Major decisions are in the hands of the DM.
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Section 2 of 7:
Lycanthropy Transformation & Cure
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The DM has complete control over how the curse presents itself. If you're fully incorporating lycanthropy into a campaign, the DM engineers all of the rules. This includes the transformation process, presentation of symptoms, and whether there's a cure or not. To maintain control and create balance, the DM will need to come up with a solid plan and system for gameplay before the player character is cursed so that everyone is on the same page.
- If the DM doesn't want to incorporate lycanthropy into more complex gameplay , follow these rules: lycanthropy caused by injury can be dispelled by Remove Curse . A lycanthrope who genetically inherits the condition can only be cured via Wish .
- See our "Advice for DMs Running Lycanthropy" section for helpful suggestions that will keep the campaign fair and fun for everyone.
Section 3 of 7:
Lycanthrope Types & Traits
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1Werebear: Half Humanoid/Half Bear The character gains a Strength of 19. In bear form and bear-hybrid form, you gain a +1 bonus to AC (from natural armor). You have a normal speed of 40 feet and a climb speed of 30 feet. Attack and damage rolls for natural weapons are based on Strength. [2] X Research source
- You become immune to: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks that aren’t silvered.
- You gain one new trait: Keen Smell (grants advantage on Wisdom checks that rely on smell)
- You gain two new actions:
- Bite (Bear or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC (8 + CON + Prof) Constitution saving throw or be cursed with werebear lycanthropy.
- Claw (Bear or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.
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2Wereboar: Half Humanoid/Half Boar The character gains a Strength score of 17. In boar form and boar-hybrid form, you gain a +1 bonus to AC (from natural armor). You have a normal speed of 40 feet Attack and damage rolls for the natural weapons are based on Strength. [3] X Research source
- You become immune to: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks that aren’t silvered.
- You gain two new traits: Relentless (once per rest) and Charge.
- You gain two new actions:
- Multiattack (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). The wereboar makes two attacks, only one of which can be with its tusks.
- Tusks (Boar or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +(STR + Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (2d6 + STR) slashing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC (8 + CON + Prof) Constitution saving throw or be cursed with wereboar lycanthropy.
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3Wererat: Half Humanoid/Half Ratling The character gains a Dexterity of 15. In your small rat form, you have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet. Attack and damage rolls for the bite are based on the character’s Strength and Dexterity (depending on whichever one is higher. [4] X Research source
- You become immune to: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered.
- You gain one new trait: Keen Smell trait (grants advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell).
- You gain two new actions:
- Multiattack (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). The wererat makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite.
- Bite (Rat or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +(STR or DEX + Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d4 + STR or DEX) piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC (8 + CON + Prof) Constitution saving throw or be cursed with wererat lycanthropy.
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4Weretiger: Half Humanoid/Half Tiger The character gains a Strength of 1. In tiger form and tiger-hybrid form, you have a normal speed of 40 feet, and you get the Pounce trait, which knocks a creature prone on a failed DC (8 + Prof + STR). Attack and damage rolls for natural weapons are based on Strength. [5] X Research source
- You become immune to: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered.
- You gain two new traits: Keen Hearing and Keen Smell (grants you advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell)
- You gain two new actions:
- Bite (Tiger or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +(STR + Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d10 + STR) piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC (8 + CON + Prof) Constitution saving throw or be cursed with weretiger lycanthropy.
- Claw (Tiger or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +(STR + Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + STR) piercing damage.
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5Werewolf: Half Humanoid/Half Wolf The character gains a Strength score of 15. In your wolf form and your wolf-hybrid form, you gain a +1 bonus to AC (from natural armor). In wolf form, you have a normal speed of 40 ft. Attack and damage rolls for the natural weapons are based on Strength. [6] X Research source
- You become immune to: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
- You gain two new traits: Keen Hearing and Keen Smell trait (grants advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell)
- You gain three new actions:
- Multiattack (Hybrid Form Only). The werewolf makes one attack with its bite and one with its claws.
- Bite (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +(STR + Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + STR) piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC (8 + CON + Prof) Constitution saving throw or be cursed with werewolf lycanthropy.
- Claw (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +(STR + Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (2d4 + STR) piercing damage.
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6Wereraven: Half Humanoid/Half Raven The character gains a Dexterity score of 15 and regains 10 hit points at the start of each turn as long as you haven’t taken damage from a silvered weapon or spell. In raven form and raven-hybrid form, you have a fly speed of 50 feet. [7] X Research source
- You become immune to: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered.
- You gain one trait: Mimicry (allows you to mimic simple sounds you have heard)
- You gain one new action:
- Beak (Raven or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +(STR or DEX + Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage in raven form, or (1d4 + STR) piercing damage in hybrid form. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC (8 + CON + Prof) Constitution saving throw or be cursed with wereraven lycanthropy.
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7Werebat: Half Humanoid/Half Bat The character gains a Dexterity score of 17. In large bat form and bat-hybrid form, you gain Echolocation (blindsight out to a range of 60 feet as long as you aren’t deafened), have a climbing speed of 30 feet, and a fly speed of 60 feet. In humanoid form, you gain Nimble Escape (allows you to Disengage or Hide as a bonus action). [8] X Research source
- You become immune to: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered.
- You gain two new traits: Sunlight Sensitivity and Keen Hearing.
- You gain one new action:
- Bite (Bat or Hybrid Form Only).
Melee Weapon Attack:
+(STR or DEX + Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + STR or DEX) piercing damage and the werebat gains temporary hit points equal to damage dealt.
- If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC (8 + CON + Prof) Constitution saving throw. If the humanoid fails, they are stricken with werebat lycanthropy.
- Bite (Bat or Hybrid Form Only).
Melee Weapon Attack:
+(STR or DEX + Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + STR or DEX) piercing damage and the werebat gains temporary hit points equal to damage dealt.
- Note: A werebat also needs to consume at least 1 pint of fresh blood each night or gain one level of rest-resistant exhaustion. One pint of blood removes one level of exhaustion.
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Section 4 of 7:
Does lycanthropy make gameplay difficult or unfair?
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Lycanthropy causes issues because it makes characters too strong. Lycanthropy is supposed to be a curse, but the “affliction” mostly just provides massive benefits that give the cursed character an unfair advantage. This kind of power imbalance can sour the whole campaign, especially for the rest of the group. The Monster Manual includes little detail about playing lycanthrope characters, so it’s up to the DM to enforce restrictions and rules that make gameplay fun, balanced, and fair for everyone.
Section 5 of 7:
Developing & Playing a Lycanthrope Character
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1Take how you got the curse into account to help develop your character. Being born with the curse of lycanthropy is a totally different vibe than being infected with it through a traumatic injury. Some were-creatures may even give the “curse” of lycanthropy to a player character as a gift. Keep the circumstances in mind as your character reacts to the curse and copes with their new compulsions. [9] X Research source
- Remember: Werebeasts as villains is mostly a fantasy trope. Your lycanthrope character doesn’t necessarily have to be evil or a villain.
EXPERT TIPwikiHow Technology WriterHannah Dillon is a Technology Writer and Editor at wikiHow. She graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from North Dakota State University in 2013 and has since worked in the video game industry as well as a few newspapers. From a young age Hannah has cultivated a love for writing and technology, and hopes to use these passions in tandem to help others in the articles she writes for wikiHow.Editor perspective: "While the thought of lycanthropy usually makes us think of werewolves, DnD has stats for many, many types of werecreatures—such as werefoxes, werebats, weresharks, and even weremoles. Not all of these creatures have stats updated for 5e, but you can work with your DM (if they approve of your idea) to convert the stats from previous editions, or to homebrew your own. In one game, I workshopped a weregnoll character with my DM, and it was a lot of fun creating a super unique lycanthropy type for him."
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2Decide if your character will embrace or reject the curse. Embracing the curse means your character won't fight against their new nature; they may even seek to learn more about the curse, control it, and so on. Rejecting the curse means your character will struggle with and fight against their new nature. How you weave the curse into the plot is completely up to the DM and the player character, so decide early on how you feel about it. [10] X Research source
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3Decide if you want the curse to be a temporary or permanent affliction. Curses are usually temporary problems, and the goal or solution is to find a cure and remove the curse. In this scenario, seeking a cure becomes a plot point for the story. The character could opt to make the curse permanent, however, and never seek out a cure. In this scenario, the DM needs to carefully control over how this plays out so the player isn’t overpowered. [11] X Research source
- If you decide to go permanent, really flesh out your character’s different personalities and tendencies when in all three forms: humanoid, hybrid, and wereform.
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Section 6 of 7:
Advice for DMs Running Lycanthropy
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1Increase the drawbacks for lycanthrope characters. Having an overpowered player in the group can cause a lot of problems and suck the fun out of the campaign for the other players. Since the DM has total control over rules and gameplay, you can use whatever strategies you see fit to create more balance. [12] X Research source
- For example, one drawback could be that a lycanthrope must go berserk and lose control when in hybrid or animal form or if they fail on a saving throw under certain circumstances.
- Or, you could create a task that must be done whenever the moon is high in the night sky, or require that the other characters chain them up when there’s a full moon so they won’t hurt or infect anyone.
- Pick drawbacks that are fair but still fun for everyone in the campaign. Your goal is to make sure that the curse comes with a cost.
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2Limit the benefits of the lycanthropy curse. As the DM, you get to decide what the benefits are; you don’t necessarily have to follow the (very limited) information in the manual. Choose benefits that feel balanced with the drawbacks you decide on. The damage immunity to physical attacks is the main culprit, so you could cut that benefit entirely or substantially reduce it. [13] X Research source
- For example, you could reduce damage immunity to specific circumstances, like the lycanthrope has resistance against non-magical weapons only.
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3Play up the mystery of the curse and reveal its side effects slowly. Leave the player character in the dark about whether they were infected or not after being bitten or scratched by a werebeast. Allow some time to pass before symptoms start appearing. If you wait several sessions before revealing the affliction, it’ll be a fun surprise that really plays up the horror and mystery of lycanthropy. [14] X Research source
- Allow the symptoms to ebb and flow with the moon and give the player a chance to explore this new aspect of their character before their first transformation.
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4Come up with a plan or system that outlines how the curse works. This will help you control how gameplay progresses and give the afflicted character a chance to use the curse as a springboard for important character development (rather than just a free boost of benefits during combat). Here are a few systems you could consider for your campaign:
- A monthly cycle: create 3 stages of the transformation that the character must go through. In stage 1, nothing much will change for the character aside from some mental changes. In stage 2 (about 10 days before the full moon), symptoms start to increase dramatically. The character starts gaining lycanthropic resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities. Stage 3 is the full moon and transformation into their beast form. This stage lasts until the moon begins to wane, and then the cycle begins again starting with stage 1.
- A challenging cure:
after the player goes through the initial transformation, they will begin a side quest to seek out a cure for their affliction. This cure quest should be more challenging than just casting a spell. During this quest, they will have to struggle to control their new urges and if they slip up and kill in their transformed state, the curse becomes permanent.
- If the curse becomes permanent, make lycanthropy a class that the player can choose to multi-class into. [15] X Research source
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Section 7 of 7:
Editor Advice for Player Characters
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We asked our staff writers about their own experiences with lycanthropy in D&D 5e. Here’s what they had to say.
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1"Work closely with your DM to come up with clear rules for a lycanthrope character." "Since the manual is so vague about lycanthropy, be as intentional as possible when incorporating the curse into gameplay. Spend some time really thinking about how your character feels about it, how it affects your character, and even what your character looks like in their hybrid and full animal forms. Develop personalities for your character's different forms. Go all in! Then, work with your DM to ensure your choices affect the game in a fun and positive way." - Staff Writer Amber C.
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2"Roleplaying as a lycanthrope should be fun for everybody." "It can be tempting to roleplay your lycanthrope like you’re going feral and losing your mind, but nobody wants to hang out with a character who’s going to randomly derail whatever quest the party is pursuing at the drop of a hat. Nobody said you have to be violent or crazy if you’re cursed. Maybe your werebear PC is super into proving that the stereotypes aren’t true!" - Staff Writer Eric M.
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3"Find creative ways to make lycanthropy a bigger deal in your campaign." "In my campaign, the party was ambushed by werewolves and one of the PCs was infected with lycanthropy. The thing is, Remove Curse (a 3rd level spell) can cure it, so it really didn't feel like that big a deal. The problem was solved within a couple of minutes!" - Staff Writer Glenn C.
- Her advice: "If you want to give lycanthropy more stakes in your campaign, try making it a little harder to cure—or impose consequences on lycanthrope PCs to counterbalance all the perks they get from it. Maybe they shapeshift and have episodes where they aren't in control, or maybe the cure for lycanthropy now requires rare herbs or spell components, like the blood of a hard-to-kill monster or even another lycanthrope. Don't be afraid to get creative and experiment a little."
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References
- ↑ https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-N-aMUPrYiaxkQQM_-oC
- ↑ https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Lycanthrope_(5e_Race)
- ↑ https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Lycanthrope_(5e_Race)
- ↑ https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Lycanthrope_(5e_Race)
- ↑ https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Lycanthrope_(5e_Race)
- ↑ https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Lycanthrope_(5e_Race)
- ↑ https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Lycanthrope_(5e_Race)
- ↑ https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Lycanthrope_(5e_Race)
- ↑ https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-N-aMUPrYiaxkQQM_-oC
- ↑ https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-N-aMUPrYiaxkQQM_-oC
- ↑ https://thedmlair.com/blogs/news/how-to-play-as-a-lycanthrope-in-d-d
- ↑ https://eventyrgames.com/2022/05/06/lycanthropy-in-5e/
- ↑ https://eventyrgames.com/2022/05/06/lycanthropy-in-5e/
- ↑ https://thedmlair.com/blogs/news/how-to-play-as-a-lycanthrope-in-d-d
- ↑ https://thedmlair.com/blogs/news/how-to-play-as-a-lycanthrope-in-d-d
About This Article
This article was co-authored by Legends of Avantris
and by wikiHow staff writer, Amber Crain
. Legends of Avantris is a group of Dungeons & Dragons Experts and content creators of their successful eponymous YouTube channel. Composed of seven best friends whose passion is playing D&D, Legends of Avantris has built a multifaceted business, streaming on Twitch, running their YouTube channel, selling their successful merch line, producing their podcast, and launching their first Kickstarter campaign: The Crooked Moon, a folk horror supplement for 5th edition.
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