DCC The Curse of Lycanthropy!

All the great movies that have involved werewolves and lycanthropes – American Werewolf in London, The Howling, and Wolf, they deal with the slow and inexorable loss of ‘self’ of the protagonist as the animal within assumes dominance in their mind and behaviour, or warps their physical body, and the victims are helpless to wake up the next day, naked and covered in the blood of their prey.

But there’s an allure to lycanthropy, it’s existed in cinema for years, and role playing games have adapted it.  Even though most original bestiaries state under lycanthropes ‘a victim that succumbs to lycanthropy takes the alignment listed, and becomes an NPC in the hands of the DM’ … where’s the fun in that?  Many house rules and articles have been written about PCs as lycanthropes through various games down through the decades.

Now, DCC is pretty quiet on the were-creature front.  The core book says Neutral Clerics can turn lycanthropes, but narry a werebeast is listed in the monster section.  The Shudder Mountains module DCC #83.1 include a wearboar foe and it briefly describes how someone might catch lycanthropy, but not a lot about what happens after (other than the victim becomes takes a direct ride on the NPC bus line). 

So, here’s a house rule for lycanthropy – I’m sure the GM will enjoy it almost as much as their players … it gives the players a sense of the curse slowly overtaking them … will they revel in their new abilities, or will it become a race to find a cure ….  

 

Lycanthropy

     Anyone injured by a lycanthrope’s bite attack might contract the disease of lycanthropy, changing them slowly into one of them. At the end of the combat, all PCs injured by a were-creature must make a Fort save vs. a DC equal to 5 + the number of hit points in bite damage taken. If the saving throw fails, they are corrupted with the curse of lycanthropy.

     Each night the afflicted must make a DC 12 Fort save, and if they fail roll on the table below (DC 16 if it’s a full moon and the moon can be seen by the accursed victim).   If a result grants no new effect, instead treat the roll as a 16 result. 

     Should a victim ever be reduced to 0 Personality from this table, their mind becomes entirely and irredeemably beast-like.  The next full moon any remaining lycanthropic traits from the table are gained, and the victim’s transformation is complete.

     The progress of the curse can be postponed for one night by consuming a sprig of belladonna, but that is a poisonous plant (DC 14 Fort Save or suffer 1d3 Stamina, 1d3 hp damage each time a plant is consumed).  Lycanthropy can be also be cured by a Remove Curse spell (treat as a major curse) or certain esoteric means of the judge’s creation.  If cured, all bonus effects granted from the lycanthropy (with the exception of bonus hit points) are lost.
 

  1d16     Lycanthropic Corruption

     1         Starts growing thick, bristly fur in tufts.  If this result is rolled a second time, it becomes impossible to hide.  If rolled a third time, their body is completely covered in fur, granting a bonus to AC.
     Werebear: +3 AC
     Wereboar: +3 AC
     Wererat: +2 AC
     Werewolf:  +2 AC

     2         Bones start twisting and reshaping to the new form, causing extreme pain and 1d6 hp damage.

     3         Eyes start adapting to the dark, gain +10’ of infravision each time this is rolled, up to the following maximums:
     Wearbear: 30’
     Wereboar: 30’
     Wererat: 100’
     Werewolf: 60’

     4         Teeth start extending, granting a 1d2 bite.  If this is rolled subsequent times, the bite damage increases on the dice chain (to 1d3, 1d4, etc), up to the following maximums below.  Once the bite attack reaches the maximum, the teeth or tusks are impossible to hide.
     Werebear: 1d6
     Wereboar: 1d8
     Wererat: 1d6
     Werewolf: 1d6

     5         The physical body reverts to their unaltered original human (or demi-human) form temporarily – until the accursed wishes to change back voluntarily, or automatically if ever exposed to a full moon.  Any physical traits of lycanthropy such as teeth or a tail or fur, and their relevant bonuses are temporarily lost, but other effects such as infravision or protection from non-silver weapons or the like remain.

     6         A tail starts growing, but can be hidden.  If rolled a second time, it becomes impossible to hide.  If rolled a third time, it grows to full size, granting the following effects based on creature type:
     Werebear: No effect
     Wereboar: No effect
     Wererat: +2 to Reflex saves.
     Werewolf: +1 to Reflex saves.

     7         The body grows resistant to non-silver or non-magical weapons, only taking 75% damage from other weapons.  If rolled a second time, non-silver and non-magical weapons only cause 50% damage.  If rolled a third time, non-silver and non-magical weapons only cause 25% damage.  If rolled a fourth time immunity is granted to non-silver and non-magical weapons.

     8         Your aggressive instincts increase, granting a +1 to Initiative checks and attacks.  This roll is cumulative, to the following maximums:
     Werebear: +1
     Wereboar: +1
     Wererat: +2
     Werewolf: +3

     9         Fingers lengthen and joints loosen, granting +1 to each the following skills below, with repeat results being cumulative to the maximum bonuses listed:
     Wearbear: Climb Sheer Surfaces +3, Fishing +1, Swim +3, Track +3
     Wearboar: Hide in Shadows +3, Sneak Silently +3, Track +3
     Wererat: Climb Sheer Surfaces +1, Hide in Shadows +3, Sneak Silently +5, Swim +1.
     Werewolf: Hide in Shadows +5, Jump +3, Sneak Silently +3, Track +5

    10        Hunger for flesh and blood cannot be denied, either feast on a freshly killed creature of 1HD or more that night, or suffer 1d4 Personality damage.

    11        The language of the animal form you have unteraken is now understood, and is gained as an additional language.  If rolled a second time, the mind of the victim becomes more animalistic, and a random non-animal language is lost.

    12        Your bite becomes diseased, granting you the ability to transmit lycanthropy.

    13        Your sense of smell and acuity of eyesight heightens, granting a +1 bonus to smell or sight, up to the maximum listed below.  Once maximum bonus is reached, an accompanying penalty may be applied instead under certain circumstances if listed below:
     Werebear: Smell +2
     Wereboar: Smell and Sight +1
     Wererat: Smell & Sight +2 (or -1 in bright daylight)
     Werewolf: Smell & Sight +2 (or -1 in bright daylight)

    14        The animals akin to your lycanthropic form (rats, wolves, etc) see you as a kindred creature, and will no longer harm you unless harmed first.

    15        Gain +1 hp permanently as your unnatural vitality increases.

    16        The victim is plagued by animalistic urges and thoughts, suffer 1d6 temporary Personality damage