# Circle of the Lycan ## Druid Circle ### Circle of the Lycan The curse of Lycanthropy is a fate feared by many who take to nature. Between the bestial forms those inflicted take on and their transformations occurring on nights of full moons, werebeasts of all forms are oft the subject of nightmares and children's stories as threats to be avoided. Despite this common conception, there are those that strive to control their condition be it through sheer force of will, forbidden blood magic rituals, or a blessing and link to nature itself. Those who pursue the latter solution make up the Druids of the Circle of the Lycan. ##### Circle of the Lycan Features | Druid Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------:| | 2 | Bestial Changes, Hybrid Shape | | 6 | Lycan's Strike | | 10 | Embrace the Beast | | 14 | Mastery of the Curse | #### Bestial Changes When you select this Circle at 2nd level, your body alters due to the curse of lycanthropy spreading through it. Your senses heighten, granting you advantage on Perception checks that rely on your senses of hearing or smell. However, you also have vulnerability against silvered weapons and your creature type gains the *shapechanger* property for any spells or effects that specify. #### Hybrid Shape In addition, in order to control your curse's beast form, you have specialized and practiced the use of your Wild Shape to control your transitions between your normal, hybrid, and beast forms. Starting at 2nd level, select what type of lycanthrope curse you contracted from the Lycan Table at the end of this class description. You can use an action on your turn to spend a use of Wild Shape to assume a hybrid form based on the selected beast. This special transformation lasts for 10 minutes. You can revert early using a bonus action on your turn to end the transformation. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, die, or use your Wild Shape feature again before the Hybrid Shape transformation ends. While in your hybrid form, the following rules apply: * Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of your chosen beast as described on the Lycan Table, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all your proficiencies, adjusting the bonuses for your rolls and your maximum hit points as needed for the duration of the transformation. * When you transform, you gain temporary hit points equal to half of your hit point maximum (rounded up). When you revert to your normal form, you lose any remaining temporary hit points. * You are able to cast spells while in your hybrid form. However, you are unable to maintain concentration on spells you cast during or before your transformation. * You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other sources, including special senses such as darkvision. * You gain natural weapons in the form of claws, teeth, and any other feature of your beast that could realistically be used as a weapon. Refer to the Lycan Table to determine if these weapons use your Strength or Dexterity modifier. Regardless of which modifier is applied to the damage, your natural weapons deal 1d4 piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage on a hit. This damage die changes as you gain levels in this class. * You can still speak and use your armor and weapons as you would in your normal form while in your hybrid form. > ##### Player Lycanthropy and the Circle > The rules established in this class option are designed to replace the rules for 'Player Characters as Lycanthropes' as described in the Monster Manual on page 207. #### Lycan's Strike Starting at 6th level, your hybrid form's natural weapons deal magical damage for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. #### Embrace the Beast Your command over your curse has only grown stronger, allowing you to better maintain your hybrid form and better utilize the beast within. At 10th level, your Hybrid Shape can now last up to 1 hour. In addition, while in your hybrid form you can use an action on your turn to transform into a full beast form based on your chosen beast from the Lycan Table, without spending an additional use of Wild Shape. This transformation lasts for 1 minute and can only be used once per use of Hybrid Shape. The transformation ends early if you are knocked unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. While in your full beast form you maintain the same rules and features of your hybrid form with the following additions: * You lose your ability to speak and cast spells while in your full beast form. * Your natural weapon deals an additional die worth of damage on a hit. * You gain an unarmored AC equal to 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. * You gain an additional bonus to your damage rolls and AC equal to your proficiency bonus. * You gain temporary hit points equal to your hit point maximum. When you revert to your hybrid form you lose any remaining temporary hit points greater than those granted by Hybrid Shape. If you revert to your normal form, you lose all remaining temporary hit point. \pagebreakNum * You are unable to use your equipment in your full beast form. Magical items will merge into your form when you transform, but nonmagical items will drop to the ground in your space. * Your size category increases by one for the duration of the transformation, regardless of the normal size of the beast you transform into. #### Mastery of the Curse All of your efforts in controlling your lycanthropy and maintaining a balance between the savage beast within and your normal self has borne fruit. Starting at 14th level, your Hybrid Shape can now now last up to a number of hours equal to half your druid level just like your normal Wild Shape and your full beast transformation from Embrace the Beast now lasts up to 10 minutes. Additionally, if your transformations end early, you now keep any remaining temporary hit points they granted you. ##### Lycan Table | Beast | Strength | Dexterity | Constitution | Natural Weapon Stat | |:---:|:-----------:|:------:|:-----:|:-----:| | Bear | 18 | 10 | 17 | Strength | Boar | 16 | 13 | 16 | Strength | Rat | 13 | 18 | 14 | Dexterity | Tiger | 17 | 14 | 14 | Strength | Wolf | 15 | 16 | 14 | Dexterity ##### Natural Weapon Damage Die | Druid Level | Damage Die | |:---:|:-----------:| | 2 | 1d4 | | 6 | 1d6 | | 10 | 1d8 | | 14 | 1d10 | \columnbreak > ##### Other Lycan Species > The Lycan Table lists beasts based on the Monster Manual entries for Lycanthropes. If you would like your curse to transform you into another form of beast, work with your DM how it would differ from the beasts already listed and what stats it should grant during your transformations. As a general guideline, the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores provided on the Lycan Table are set around an average score of 15, based on both the Monster Manual stats for lycanthropes and CR1 beasts that Circle of the Moon Druids can assume such as Dire Wolves and Lions.