A "tough-on-the-players" Ruleset for Player Character Lycanthorpy

The Scope of this Ruleset

This ruleset is designed for any D&D 5e DM who has a player whose character has contracted lycanthorpy. Lycanthorpy is a battle for control, where there is a constant battle over control of all elements of your being. Only those who achieve control over their curse can begin to master their curse; a process that should take many moons and much experience.

DM's who are using the rules as written in the Monster Manual (MM. 207) will quickly find that contracting lycanthorpy is more of a boon than a curse, immediately giving the player access to things like Darkvision, High Strength Scores and Immunity to most weapon damage, all with virtually no drawback. This alone would make any DM hesitant from including this classic fantasy trope to their campaigns.

This ruleset aims to establish a clear difference between gaining control over lycanthorpy (managing the bad), and gaining mastery over lycanthorpy (and managing the good).

Part 1: Infliction and Control

This ruleset begins with a PC failing their saving throw and contracting lycanthorpy, becoming a first generation lycanthrope. Since lycanthropy is a curse, it can not be removed with Lesser Restoration, but rather with Remove Curse. While afflicted with the curse, the victim suffers from strange animalistic dreams and regains one less hit dice from full rests. During the player's first full moon with lycanthorpy, the player is forcibly transformed into their were-beast form. These transformations last for roughly 8 hours (from sundown to sunrise). After the player's first transformation, Remove Curse can no longer be used to cure the afflicted, but Greater Restoration can be used.

After their first experience transforming during a full moon, the player (assuming they wish to fight for control over the lycanthropy), can begin to roll saving throws to maintain control over their body during full moons. The player makes three saving throws during a full moon:

• Constitution saving throw: If the player fails this saving throw, their body transforms into their were-beast form until the end of the full moon. The player does not benefit from a long rest over the night and gains a point of exhaustion at sunrise.

• Wisdom saving throw: If the player fails this saving throw, they lose control of their body and the animal spirit within themselves takes over until the end of the full moon.

• Charisma saving throw: If the player fails this saving throw, their alignment shifts to that of the were-beast's. Additionally, whenever the player takes damage equal to their Max HP/2 in a single round of combat, they must make a charisma saving throw with a DC equal to their charisma control DC or gain a bout of short term madness. These two effects last until the dawn of next full moon where they repeat the save.

These three control saving thows begin at DC15. When the player succeeds one type of control saving throw, its DC drops by 1. During a full moon, when a player rolls a natural 1 on their control saving throw, they automatically fail irregardless of their control DC. Taking appropriate medicine (this medicine is rare and specific to certain saves) gives the player advantage to their saves. Certain milestones are gained with control:

• Constitution control: The player can take 10 minutes to attempt to transform into their hybrid- or were- beast forms by rolling a constitution saving throw with a DC equal to their constitution control DC +5. On a failure, the player gains a level of exhaustion and must make a charisma saving throw equal to their charisma control DC or gain a bout of long term madness. On a success, they transform successfully for up to 24 hours, wherein afterwards they revert back and gain a level of exhaustion. The precise details of the transformation are outlined in Part 2 (Base Ability).

• Wisdom control: When the player reaches wisdom control DC10, the player gains the trait Keen Hearing and Smell giving advantage to perception checks that require hearing or smell. This trait persists while transformed.

• Charisma control: When the player reaches charisma control DC10, the player's hit dice recovery penalty from having lycanthropy is removed.

Part 1: Infliction and Attempting Control