Werewolves

**Size:**

* *Human:* 5'6" - 6'6" approx. Generally a touch larger than your average human or half elf.
* *Werewolf:* 7' - 9', Fairly large compared to humans.
* *Wolf:* 3'6" - 4'6" tall, and 5'6" - 7' long. A little larger than your average wolf

**Weight:**

* *Human:* 150 - 250 lbs
* *Werewolf:* 400-550 lbs
* *Wolf:* 150 - 200 lbs

**Average Lifespan:**

200 - 250 years. Though given the violent nature of these beasts, their life expectancy could be far shorter.

**Notable Qualities:**

These vary depending on shape...

*Human:*

* Heal more quickly than normal
* Silver is uncomfortable to the touch
* Wolfs bane poisons are extra effective compare to normal humans

*Werewolf:*

* Heal much faster
* Boasts ungodly strength
* Heartier than most.
* Larger and more cumbersome makes them easier to strike
* Struggle to think things through rationally
* Vulnerable to silver and wolfs bane

*Wolf:*

* Heals exceptionally fast
* Is more agile
* Vulnerable to silver and Wolfs bane

**Appearance:**

Werewolves come in a variety of colors, from white fur to pure black, to patched with brown and red. They tend to stand somewhere around six or seven feet due to being hunched over, though some can be larger and others smaller, females tend to be a little smaller than the men.

Werewolves are hard to identify as humans though they tend to be a little more barbaric looking, their hair grows a little faster and they heal a little faster as well, men and women alike tend to be more muscular, though lean or bulky tends to differ, their metabolism is fast so they don't tend to have much fat on their body, ever.

**Original Religion:**

Whatever it was before infection. Same as most other races

**General Culture:**

"It is told in the oldest of tales of twins hidden into the woods of royal birth. Flynn and Moira Loideain. Loideain family being one of the most powerful to have arrived to these new lands where the city of Blacksteel was founded, with their own sponsored ships However they brought with them numerous enemies who plotted against them.

On the eve of fall of house Loideain, name that’s been largely wiped from most records. The twin babies that had been born were taken by servant staff Daireen, a scullery maid of the mother. However mortally wounded she hid them underneath the roots of a large black tree in the heartlands of Blackwood forest.

The twins cries echoed in the woods. And their cries caught the notice of many animals of the woods. Wolf mother who had lost her cubs to a woodsman that spring, was first to find the twins. These strange things that to her seemed the cubs of her killer. While contemplating what to do with them, for there was a dead human near and the mystery perplexed her.

Many of the forest animals came and tried to take the twins from her. Fox mother tried to outwit so she could sell them for the foxbelts that were her family. Died too that spring. Snake mother thought to poison their blood so she could poison all mankind with their seed, she too had found her family killed in a frenzy, the humans attempt to protect the cattle. Even the raven mother were for the scrap of mouth wateringly fresh prey. For the young of mankind, the would be bird catchers had eaten her whole murder.

But the wolfmother found herself defeating each advisory she came across. And in deepest most secret parts of her heart, found love for these weak offspring of men. She raised them as her own and taught how to hunt man rather than the beasts in wood and how to howl the moon. They become wolves in skins of man.

As it came time for Flynn and Moira to leave their nest. Their mother parted them their deepest darkest secret. That they were human. Outraged by this Flynn fled to be with his own kind. Bound by his family ties, tried to claim the right to rule once more, but found the city full of many many strange schemes plots and old enemies to hinder his raise to power. Eventually falling in desperate love with a vampire that sought many of the same things as he. Falling in love, and the curse of the wolf is to be a loyal, he and his bloodline become domesticated servants of these creatures of the night. Indeed many of the modern werewolves believe their suggestibility by vampires originates from this unholy union.

Moira being another story. She stayed in the woods, found herself a lover in wolf. Enjoyed her freedom, it is said that the more savage feral werewolves that roam the mountains and deep woods are her offspring. Many of the barbarian tribes believe the kiss of the moon, is a blessing. A berserk rage that she bestowed on those faithful is something to revered. And indeed some seek out the feral wolves that grant this blessing intentionally. Though it is as rare to find one as it is to survive an encounter with one. "

*~Caraduilian Folk Lore*

There is said to have a gleam of instinct, intellect and insight in the eyes of the wolf. So is true for werewolves. Though only the keenest eyes of a werewolf scholar might detect this in a average lycanthrope. Their blood quickens when the full moon is near, they tend to get easily agitated then. The urge to run wild is ever present.

Though it is widely believed by scholars that only werewolves that are born into lycanthropic bloodline can change shape at will, is a myth. A werewolf can train themselves to turn into the hybrid form. Though the 3 nights each month the moon is it it’s fullest no matter the pack, the wolf calls and they cannot help their shapeshift.

Werewolves tend to be fiercely loyal to those they form bonds with. Be it lover or friends. It is the nature of the wolf to have a pack. However they do value their freedom, and tend to find hard to settle down. They gravitate towards others who do the same, often found in a fighting band that moves a lot, a traveling troupes, thugs and bandits.

Silver is tied to the moon and it’s “magic”. It’s a symbol of unconditional love and hope in alchemy. Many love potions use silver. It is said that silver can draw within it the negative energies too such as diseases, like lycanthropy. But mainly it is also weakness for werewolves. A weapon coated or made of silver, left exposed to a moonlight for a night (myth but many hunters, scholars of forbidden lore, believe this is the case) , is only thing that can kill a werewolf.

Is lycanthropy curse or disease is a debate of many shadow scholar. Either case, there is no known cure, bar from death. Even then it said the soul will be cursed to howl at the moon and hunt for all eternity, unless the killer is loved one of the werewolf. Silver, while weakness, is not mandatory for killing a lycanthrope. It can certainly facilitate things. Magic too a weakness, as they are born of twisted nature than true corruption. Their bite can spread the lycanthropy, though one can be born into it. Those are called mockingly royal werewolves among the lycantropes, the offsprings of a long line of fallen kings and queens.

Werewolves are believed to have three forms, their human form, their werewolf form and a wolf form. They tend to live longer than most humans, some werewolves have been recorded living well past two hundred years, which means they stand out a bit if they stay in a community for too long, so they tend to move around quite a bit and not stay part of a single community for too long.

Though most werewolves tend to keep to themselves more than involve themselves in human communities, the danger of being discovered, despite the strength tends to be met with death.

So you may ask, what is so dangerous about werewolves.. Well it is believed that werewolves eat the flesh of the living, nothing is quite as satisfying as a fresh kill, whether it is human, elf, half giant or otherwise. Werewolves are predators, if they don't eat for a long time they may even lose control to their bestial corrupted selves to the point where they have no choice. It is believed some werewolves can live off the hearts of other creatures, but it is difficult and those that have tasted human tend to be unable to resist.

There are two major packs of werewolves. Weather the myth is true or not (though widely accepted as the truth by the scholars of forbidden lore), there seems to have strangely similar if not quite different types of werewolves out in the world. By those who’ve encountered and lived through it.

One domesticated by the vampires, servants and guardians of the creatures of the night. Those born into this are rumoured to the blood of the kings of old. Fallen as they may be. They are known for epic romances, passionate love affairs, ritualistic self marking (tattoos and scarring) and undying loyalty to those they’ve grown attached to.

Those born among the tribes are more wild and savage. Often known for their furious nature. Unable to keep their calm, raw strength and brutality. There are even few who hunt humans in the woods, to keep with old traditions. Though not scarring or tattooing themselves, they tend to paint themselves in wolf symbolism, when the moon is waxing. Seeing a bandit or barbarian with wolf symbols can be extremely dangerous, for the spread of disease is real. These werewolves and vampires have been enemies ever since they discovered each others existence, they are the polar opposites in many ways. They desire freedom, the freedom to howl at the moon, run through the forests and fulfill the desires of their animalistic sides.. Vampires are one of the few creatures who can actually take that away and enslave their kind without them even realizing it. If possible a they will generally make sure to kill a vampire when they encounter them, the idea of something dead still walking around goes against their instincts, they eat the living and the idea of dead flesh is putrid for a wolf.

Elves, dwarves and half giants do not seem to be affected by the curse, perhaps something in the blood that makes it harder to be corrupted by magic? The only ones that seem to be affected by the curse are humans and half-elves, perhaps because elves have a long history of magic and they have grown some immunities to the corruption that comes from it, no one truly knows as of yet.

Werewolves cannot identify vampires by scent, strangely they seem as living as any other unless they try and eat them, a werewolf can get sick from eating the flesh of a vampire, it could take weeks to recover from it and sometimes it can even be fatal. Werewolves cannot eat dead flesh as mentioned earlier but something about vampires covers that scent and taste until it is too late, part of the reason why vampires are hated.

Werewolves can however identify their own kin by scent, however no werewolf would ever oust one of their kind, even if there was some dire dispute between the two of them, first because they could be ousted themselves because of it and second because it would make them a pariah among their own kind, if knowledge of such betrayal was discovered, the general punishment from the werewolf community is to pull all their teeth and remove their claws with silver, so it would not regenerate in time for them to be able to feed, generally they would be kept in captivity until they starve, a horrific fate.

***Rules to keep in mind while playing:***

* *Werewolves are considered corrupted creatures and if your identity is revealed you can be permakilled.*
* *You can turn in day and night but you can also be attacked on sight in those forms.*
* *Werewolves feed on living and being predators, they prefer to eat while their pray is still breathing, up until the point they stop breathing, flesh tends to get a sour taste shortly after death, all werewolves seem to experience this.*
* *Werewolves have red eyes in their wolf and werewolf forms*
* *In Human forms they tend to still heal faster but they aren't stronger or better than other humans.*
* *Silver hurts to the touch but in human form it doesn't cause any wounds, yet there is still plenty of pain from touching it, think of it like having your teeth drilled without anesthesia*
* *Wolfsbane smells putrid, like rotting flesh, one of the worst smells you can imagine and ingesting it may not kill you, but it'll make you so sick you wish you were, wolfsbane sickness generally lasts a few days after ingesting it.*
* *Werewolves need to eat regularly, not eating for an extended period of time will cause aggression, think of not eating for a week, feeling like you're starved until all you can think of is food, now think of standing near a person or any living thing.. You're standing near a buffet, what's holding you back?*
* *Werewolves are hardly ever loners, being without a pack feels like you're alone in the world, werewolves tend to band together as it also makes hunting and covering tracks easier.*
* *Werewolves need to shift in to their werewolf or wolf form at least once a month, it is an urge to run free, the bestial side demands it.*

**Requirements:**

* Race: Human or Half-Elf.
* Class: Cannot qualify for any other Racial Prestiege Class and cannot be a Paragon.
* Special: Character must be either born to werewolves or bitten by one and the curse take hold.

**Class Specifics:**

* New Race: Shapechanger.
* Hit Die: d10.
* Armor proficiencies: None.
* Shield proficiencies: None.
* Weapon proficiencies: All creature attacks (Claws and bite).
* Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier.
* High Saves: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will.
* BAB progression: +1.
* An afflicted character must make a check at moonrise each night of the full moon (first 4 days of each month) to resist involuntarily assuming animal form. An injured character must also check for an involuntary change after accumulating enough damage to reduce his hit points by one-quarter and again after each additional one-quarter lost. On a failed check, the character assumes his or her animal form until the next dawn, when he automatically returns to his or her base form. A character  may make one attempt to return to humanoid form (see control shape skill), but if he or she fails, they remain in animal form until the next dawn.

**Level by level breakdown:**

* 1: Wolf Form, Fast Healing 2, Darkvision, Bite.
* 2: Hybrid Form, Animalistic Rage.
* 3: Improved forms, Howl.

**Special Abilities:**

* Darkvision: Werewolves are able to see in the dark.
* Bite: a werewolf is able to make a special attack against it's victim while in wolf or werewolf form and sink its canines into their flesh so draw upon their blood thus granting the werewolf a 25% increase to movement speed for 1 turn.
* Wolf form: When a werewolf shifts into his or her wolf form, they gain a +4 bonus to DEX and an additional +2 bonus to their fast healing ability.
* Hybrid form: When a werewolf shifts into his or her hybrid from, they gain +6 STR, +4 CON, and a +1 bonus to their fast healing ability while incurring a penalty of -4 to both INT and CHA.  They also take a -2 penalty to their armor class.
* Animalistic Rage: When a werewolf rages, add their class level in addition to the normal effects of rage to attack rolls, damage, discipline checks, as well as fortitude and incur a penalty to will saving throws double this amount.
* Improved forms: A werewolf gains an additional +2 to all bonuses gained while in shifted forms and gains an additional 25% increase to movement speed form their bite.
* Howl: While the werewolf  is raging, any enemy (with less than the werewolf's hit dice) that comes close to him must make a will save opposed by the werewolf's intimidate check or become panicked for 1d3 rounds. Opponents with up to twice the werewolf's hit dice will not flee but will receive a -2 penalty to attack and saving throw rolls. Creatures with more than at least twice the werewolf's hit dice are not affected by the rage.

**Note:** Werewolves who do not feed at least once every a month start to feel a compulsive need to do so.  This need results in a -1 to all physical ability scores and armor class. It also causes a -4 penalty to will and a 10% to frenzy thus losing control and attacking the nearest humanoid they can find. These penalties stack for every day the werewolf remains in a starved state.