Your skill choices are fine with me. I don't think we need to add Weapon Focus as a surplus bonus feat, so it's ok.
Do we have many changes to background or tactics?
A start:
Wererat lords are a powerful form of natural lycanthrope, rulers of their close kin, the common wererats. A tribe of wererat lords surrounds itself with their infected creations as obedient servants, but other wererats sometimes congregate around wererat lords, who they worship with nearly religious devotion.
Wererat lord society is often mobile, with a group of wererat lords and their lycanthropic entourage moving on once they've drained a town of its most valuable possessions.
Combat
Wererat lords are fond of ambushes, preferentially using their common wererat minions to do the actual fighting. Given time, they use summon ratkin to call rat allies to send into combat. When forced into combat themselves, wererat lords prefer to fight with manufactured rather than natural weapons, using their class abilities extensively.
By the way, I noticed that they should be able to force their common wererat slaves to transform according to the original text. Shouldn't we add that to the Command Cursed Wererat ability?
All the text is good.
I'd be ok with 8HD for summoning actual wererats. The question is if we then shift all the numbers down the table or just start with 1d6+1 at 8HD.
As far as Command Cursed Wererat goes, I suggest adding a line as follows: "Commands from wererat lords with 8HD or more are able to cause cursed wererats to change forms."
You mean similar to Summon Ratkin? I will agree to your wording in any case.
You know, the more I think about it, the more I like letting them summon wererats starting at 6HD. I don't see a level limit on "clan leaders" in the original text.
Hit Dice | Cursed Wererats | Rat Swarms | Dire Rats |
4-5 | 1d4 | 1d4 | 3d6 |
6-7 | 1d6+1 | 1d6+1 | 4d8 |
8-9 | 2d6 | 2d6 | 5d10 |
10-11 | 3d6 | 3d6 | 8d10 |
12+ | 4d6 | 4d6 | 10d10 |
I don't think we need a separate sub-entry. I like the idea of their just being "higher level" wererat lords, but I think "higher level" could start at 6HD rather than 8HD, that's all. But I'm not fussy, so just pick what you like (as long as you give me something later ).