A primal howl echoes over the thatched rooftops, calling the pack to gather. Below, a man writhes in agony under the moon’s glow, tearing at his clothes as his body undergoes a torturous metamorphosis. He pleads with his family to flee as muscles bulge and claws sharpen, his transformation unfurling with each agonizing moment.
Amidst the relentless downpour in the forest, a woman collapses in exhaustion, resigned to her inevitable fate. Instead of encountering the expected horrors of the night, she is startled by a thunderous roar. A colossal figure, endowed with impossible strength, bursts through the undergrowth. Offering a gesture of assistance, the bear-like creature grunts, “Are you lost?” extending a paw in a gesture of goodwill.
Lycanthropes, though outwardly resembling ordinary humanoids, harbor an inner turmoil between their human and bestial sides. For many, this struggle inevitably culminates in a transformation into a monstrous hybrid of man and beast. Memories of these episodes are often fragmented, with Lycanthropes awakening in unfamiliar locales, surrounded by signs of their nocturnal activities. Yet, as some Lycanthropes mature, they learn to harness their duality, viewing their curse as a boon rather than a burden.
Becoming a Lycanthrope
A humanoid that is bitten by a Lycanthrope must make a successful Constitution saving throw. The difficulty varies according to the current Lunar Phase (increasing in intensity the closer the Moon is to the Full Moon Phase) as explained below:
DC 10 + half the creature’s Challenge Rating rounded down (minimum 1) + the creature’s Constitution modifier.
- During the Full Moon, characters have disadvantage on the saving throw.
- During the New Moon characters have advantage on saving throws.
A player character who has at least one level of the class: Werebeast, is immune to the affliction.
A player character who is immune to disease at the time of affliction is immune to this affliction.
A humanoid who has failed a saving throw is afflicted with lycanthropy.
The afflicted character immediately loses an amount of Incarnum equal to the Challenge Rating of the monster that afflicted him, as soon as he fails the saving throw.
Consequences: the afflicted character will be forced to acquire a Werebeast level at the character’s next level increase if not purged prior.
If a Full Moon has taken place prior to the level increase, then the affliction becomes permanent and cannot be purged. The character must proceed acquiring a Werebeast level at their next level increase.
Purging the Affliction
Before the affliction becomes permanent (prior to the next Full Moon), the character can purge this affliction in different ways:
- Divine Intervention by a cleric
- Obtain a Lunar Blessing in a Lunar Divination rite
- Spells such or disease-removing effects allow the saving throw against this affliction to be repeated.
Each method may only be attempted once every 24 hours on the same target.
After being cleansed, a character can consider themselves safe from the development of the affliction, but gains 1 level of exhaustion. They cannot contract this affliction again for the next 24 hours.
