The Were-Beast
In a forest alone, surrounded and cornered by countless assailants, a half-orc, left with no options, doubles over and releases a guttural roar as his body writhes and contorts, his limbs growing longer, his facial features morphing, and razor sharp claws extending from his hands.
He was no longer trapped with the bandits, the bandits were trapped with him.
Creating a Were-Beast
When creating a Were-Beast.
Quick Build
You can make a Were-Beast quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score followed by Constitution and Wisdom or Charisma depending on which Blood of the Beast you want to select at 1st level: Elemental Blood, Infernal Blood, Divine Blood, Alchemical Blood, Pure Blood and Alpha Blood. Secondly, choose the Outlander, Far Traveler or Haunted One background.
The Were-Beast
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Shifting | Bite/ Peck | Claw/ Talon | Bestial Strength | Totem Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Shifting, Blood of the Beast | 2 | 1d6 | 1d4 | +1 | - |
| 2nd | +2 | Eyes of the Beast, Totem Powers | 2 | 1d6 | 1d4 | +1 | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Heightened Senses | 2 | 1d6 | 1d4 | +1 | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 1d6 | 1d4 | +1 | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | Bestial Armour, Extra Attack | 3 | 1d8 | 1d6 | +2 | 2 |
| 6th | +3 | Blood of the Beast Feature | 3 | 1d8 | 1d6 | +2 | 2 |
| 7th | +3 | Stalker's Prowess | 3 | 1d8 | 1d6 | +2 | 2 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 1d8 | 1d6 | +2 | 3 |
| 9th | +4 | Taste of blood | 4 | 1d8 | 1d6 | +2 | 3 |
| 10th | +4 | Blood of the Beast Feature | 4 | 1d8 | 1d6 | +2 | 3 |
| 11th | +4 | Rip and Tear | 4 | 1d8 | 1d8 | +3 | 3 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 1d10 | 1d8 | +3 | 3 |
| 13th | +5 | Improved movement | 5 | 1d10 | 1d8 | +3 | 3 |
| 14th | +5 | Blood of the Beast Feature | 5 | 1d10 | 1d8 | +3 | 4 |
| 15th | +5 | Bestial Constitution | 5 | 1d10 | 1d8 | +3 | 4 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 1d10 | 1d8 | +3 | 4 |
| 17th | +6 | Improved Critical | 6 | 1d12 | 1d10 | +4 | 4 |
| 18th | +6 | Blood of the Beast Feature | 6 | 1d12 | 1d10 | +4 | 4 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 1d12 | 1d10 | +4 | 4 |
| 20th | +6 | Apex Beast | Unlimited | 1d12 | 1d10 | +4 | 5 |
Class Features
As a Were-Beast, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per Were-Beast level.
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier.
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Were-Beast level after the first.
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armour
- Weapons: Simple weapons and Shield
- Tools: Woodcarver’s tools
- Saving Throws: Strength and Constitution
- Skills: choose 2 from Nature, Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, Survival, Arcana and Animal Handling
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- two simple weapons
- (a) leather armour or (b) hide armour
- (a) a hand crossbow with 20 bolts or (b) shortbow and 20 arrows
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Alternatively, you could begin with a starting wealth of 2d8 x 10gp and purchase starting items of your choice.
Shifting
At 1st level as a Were-Beast, as Bonus Action you can transform into a beast humanoid hybrid form, you can Shift a limited number of times as shown in the class table, your hybrid form lasts for 1 minute, you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you shift in it, hair (fur or scales or feathers) sprouts all over your body, your fingernails grow into claws, your eyes turn feral, your bones snap into new positions (making you even taller), your ears become pointed and your face contorts into a ferocious beast head
When you join this class you have to choose between terrestrial, aquatic and flying, each one has various benefits listed below, you cannot change the type of beast you have chosen.
In all type of Hybrid Form you gain:
- Size. Your size category is Medium. If your natural size category is small, you may choose whether to remain small on increase your size to medium when transforming.
- Darkvision. If you don't already have it, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
- Languages. You can communicate by moving, making gestures, and using vocal calls like your type of beast; besides you can only communicate simple concepts in your language, in this form you cannot write.
Natural Weapon:
- Bite/Peck. You can use your fangs/beak to make an unarmed strike (your unarmed strikes are considered a melee weapon). If you hit with your fangs/beak, you can deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. This damage increases as shown in the Bite/Peck column of the Were-Beast Table.
- Claw/Talon. You can use your claw/talon to make an unarmed strike (your unarmed strikes are considered a melee weapon). If you hit with your claw/talon, you can deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. This damage increases as shown in the Claw/Talon column of the Were-Beast Table.
- Bestial Strength. When you make a melee weapon attack in your hybrid form, you gain a bonus to the damage roll that increases as shown in the Bestial Strength column of the Were-Beast table
Additionally, you gain the following weaknesses:
- Beast Mind. You can’t concentrate on spells. Shifting breaks your concentration on a spell you've already cast.
- Silver Weakness. Attacks against you made with Silvered Weapons are made at advantage.
- Lunar Sensitivity. You are a humanoid shapechanger for the purposes of spells like polymorph or moonbeam.
Beast terrestrial
- Speed. You gain a +5 feet to your walking speed.
- Natural Armour. Your body toughens as you transform, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC.
Beast aquatic
- Speed. You gain the ability to swim with a swim speed equal to your movement speed. To use this speed, you can't be wearing heavy armour.
- Water Breathing. In all forms you can hold the breath in water for a maximum of 10 minutes.
- Natural Armour. Your body toughens as you transform, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC.
Beast flying
- Speed. You gain the ability to fly with a flying speed equal to your movement speed, but at the end of your turn you fall, you can reduce the fall damage to 0 as a reaction gliding for 5 feet. To use this speed, you can't be wearing heavy armour.
- Natural Armour. Your body toughens as you transform, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC.
Blood of the Beast
At 1st level, you choose which path of the Beast Blood to follow. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th and 18th levels.
Eyes of the Beast
At 2nd level, in your humanoid for when you look someone directly in the eyes while you are no more than 15 ft apart from each other, you can make them see a glimmer of the beast inside you, giving you advantage on Intimidation checks against them, but the person automatically assumes that you are of evil alignment, or at the very least some form of monster, apparition, ill omen, etc.
Totem Powers
At 2nd level, you gain two totem powers of your choice. Your totem power options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain Were-Beast levels, you gain additional powers of your choice, as shown in the Totem Powers column of the Were-Beast Table. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the powers you know and replace it with another power that you could learn at that level. A level prerequisite in a totem power refers to your Were-Beast level, not character level.
Bestial Gait
At the 3rd Level, in all form, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.
Heightened Senses
Starting at 3rd level, you begin to adopt the improved senses of a beast. In all form you gain advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. In addition, you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track any creature that you have done damage to in the last 24 hours.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Bestial Armour
Starting at 5th level, in all forms while you are not wearing any armour, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Constitution modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. Also you gain resistance to non-magical and non-silvered bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage in hybrid form and later at 10th level also in your humanoid form.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Feral Might
At 7th level, your speed type increases by 10 feet (Beast terrestrial= walking speed, Beast aquatic= swim speed, Beast flying= flying speed). You also can add 5 feet to your long jump distance and 3 feet to your high jump distance. In addition, whilst in your hybrid form your unarmed strikes and natural weapons are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. At 10th level your natural weapon has +1 to Attack rolls, at 15th level a +2 and at 20th level a +3.
Taste of blood
At 9th level, when you make a bite attack you gain temporary hit points equal to half of the amount of damage dealt rounded down. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You regain expended uses of this feature when you finish a long rest.
Rip and Tear
At 11th level, your killer instincts rush forth when making claw attacks. You can make a second attack in the same action when using your natural weapons, but you cannot add your Proficiency Bonus to the second attack. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You regain expended uses of this feature when you finish a short rest.
Bestial Constitution
Starting at 15th level while Shifted, when you are reduced to 0 HP you instead revert to your human form with 1 HP. As a reaction you can move up to your walking speed, This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. You can use this feature only one time every long rest. Also your natural armour AC bonus increases by +1 (in all beast types).
Improved Critical
Starting at 17th level your attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 in all form.
Apex Beast
At 20th level, both your human and hybrid forms swell with incredible size and strength. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 2 (to a max of 22). Additionally, when transforming, you may choose to increase your size category to Large (if you have chosen to have a small size in the hybrid form then you will become medium size) for the duration of your transformation (only 1 minute), you can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You regain expended uses of this feature when you finish a long rest. While Large, you gain the following benefits:
- You gain an additional d4 to damage rolls
- Your carrying capacity doubles and your weight is quadrupled
- You occupy a 10ft x 10ft space
- Your claw attacks gain 5 feet of reach
Lastly, while Large, you have disadvantage on all Dexterity checks and count as 3/4 cover for any creature so long as you are directly standing between the attacker and target.