Special Conversion Thread: Lycanthropes and their ilk

[freyar]

Well, let's boost the base creature HD to 5 just because we have an excuse for another change. We could potentially modify an ability score or two --- it's justifiable but not necessary from Kelemvor. What do you think?

 

[Cleon]

Well, let's boost the base creature HD to 5 just because we have an excuse for another change. We could potentially modify an ability score or two --- it's justifiable but not necessary from Kelemvor. What do you think?

I have no objection to adding a HD.

What tweaks to the other scores do you fancy? Kelemvor has a Strength of 18/94 in panther form, which is five steps better than his human form's Str 17 (as the bonus progression goes 17 => 18 => 18/01-50 => 18/51-75 => 18/76-90 => 18/91-99).

I think that justifies giving it another +2 to Strength, don't you?

I'd also entertain another +2 to Constitution (since Kelemvor has a very good Con 18) and another +1 to natural armour, so the standard panther-form will have the AC 18 that corresponds to the FR7 version's AC 2.

 

[freyar]

That seems pretty good to me, and I was in fact thinking something along those lines myself.

 

[Cleon]

That seems pretty good to me, and I was in fact thinking something along those lines myself.

Updating Werepanther Working Draft.

Okay, the increase in HD also gives it 2 more skill points in Panther skills plus an additional feat.

I'm thinking we can put a point each in Move Silently and Jump, for extra ambushing.

Any preferences for the feat? Something straightforward like Power Attack, Run, Track or Weapon Focus (bite)?

We also need to pick a number for the regeneration rate. Kelmvor originally regenerated at 2 hit points per round, so I'm thinking regeneration 3 or 4 would be the best match in 3E terms.

 

[freyar]

Those two skills work well. It is a panther, after all.

Weapon Focus for the feat, I think.

Let's go with regen 3.

 

[Cleon]

Those two skills work well. It is a panther, after all.

Weapon Focus for the feat, I think.

Let's go with regen 3.

Works for me.

Updating Werepanther Working Draft.

 

[freyar]

Had a thought: how about we give them a racial penalty to Control Shape checks? Or force them to make involuntary change checks after losing a smaller fraction of their hp? Flavor-wise, I think that goes along with Kelemvor a bit.

 

[Cleon]

Had a thought: how about we give them a racial penalty to Control Shape checks? Or force them to make involuntary change checks after losing a smaller fraction of their hp? Flavor-wise, I think that goes along with Kelemvor a bit.

That's a good idea.

Adding a number of extra triggers for them shapeshifting would be my preferred approach. Rather than a penalty to Control Shape, I'd rather they have a particular trigger that needs a high DC to prevent (like the DC 25 Resist Involuntary Change for seeing a full moon),

Speaking of which, is there any mention of Kelemvor changing in a full moon? It would help distinguish this werepanther if they weren't subject to the normal "lunar" transformation.

 

[freyar]

I'll have to go flip through the adventures tonight. IIRC, there's an important point where he does involuntarily transform (maybe more than once), but I'm not sure if the trigger is always his specific "no altruism" curse or if there's a lunar component. But I like your idea. We could say that each werepanther has a distinct trigger and list some examples (or make a random table).

 

[Cleon]

I'll have to go flip through the adventures tonight. IIRC, there's an important point where he does involuntarily transform (maybe more than once), but I'm not sure if the trigger is always his specific "no altruism" curse or if there's a lunar component. But I like your idea. We could say that each werepanther has a distinct trigger and list some examples (or make a random table).

That's what I had in mind. We could provide an alternative Control Shape DC table with a "Curse Trigger" DC in it as well as some or all of the usual conditions.