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D&D furries! Give me your thoughts on these werewolves! : D
8 years ago
So I whipped this up the other day! Werewolf race with no level adjustment. Thinking of selling a custom book on DM's Guild (D&D's official fan-content site) with a bunch of my furry stuff.
(This is for Pathfinder/3.5e. The 5e version is below. If you aren't familiar with those versions, I'm still interested in your thoughts on the theme, lore, and powers.)
New Race: Wolf-Souled
The descendants of werewolves and humans, these beings retain some of their ancestors' powers.
Wolf-souled are able to transform in much the same way as their werewolf progenitors, and are similarly vulnerable to silver. Due to generations of dilution, a wolf-souled cannot hold his hybrid form for long. This is balanced, however, by him retaining a stronger grip of himself while out of human form. Wolf-souled do not rampage blindly across the countryside any more frequently than their normal human kin.
Some aspects of their feral ancestry remain, however. Their hair tends to match the brown, red, or black of their fur in wolf form. A taste for meat is quite common. They tend to be physically fit, with a cunning streak. Their personalities tend to be quite practical and cooperative, having a soft spot for canine creatures of all sorts. Most view other humanoids as disreputable cousins: worthy of kindness, but worth keeping an eye on. In terms of alignment, wolf-souled tend toward good, since their kind fares best when not chased by angry mobs, though those who turn to evil are true menaces. Because normal humans are also born into wolf-souled families, preying on humanoids is a serious taboo. Wolf-souled packs have been known to gather for the sole purpose of hunting down members of their kind who turn to murder, with the added urgency of wanting to keep their natures a secret.
While they only shift voluntarily, wolf-souled in human form for more than a few days tend to miss the freedom of wolf form, much as a human accustomed to outdoor life would grow restless if cooped up indoors. This longing grows more acute during the full moon. They have a deep appreciation for nature, knowing how to survive in the wild in much the same was as a wild wolf. Likewise, a wolf-souled has a knack for spotting lupine paw prints or shards of chewed bone, doing so as readily as a human might spot a shiny dropped coin. Often, they can extrapolate the health of a local wolf population from such signs.
Because the trait is inherited, entire families can be wolf-souled. Such groups tend to have a pack-like sense of unity and may privately celebrate their nature, even as they publicly hide it. They tend to live on the edge of human territories. Perhaps ironically, many wolf-souled live as shepherds. Their knack for communicating with canines makes them quite apt at training herding dogs, while the isolation of shepherd life allows them to shift to their wolf or hybrid forms with little chance of being observed. Their sheepdogs tend to have visibly more wolf blood than is typical, and are often rumored to be trained wolves, which is sometimes accurate. In either case, wolf-souled stay on good terms with packs of wolves in their area, feeding them in lean times and receiving warnings or even assistance if their small settlements are attacked. More than one gang of brigands has been surprised by trying to sack a wolf-souled enclave, only to be beset by packs of wild and tame wolves.
Growing up as a wolf-souled presents unique challenges. Wolf-souled children are able to shift from an early age, generally learning to walk as a wolf far sooner than as a human. Some wolf-souled even learn to shift while in the womb, much to the annoyance of their mothers. While capable of greater destruction than a typical human child, they respond instinctively to the social structure of the pack. Wolf-souled often have cousins or even siblings who are mundane humans, though these relations generally know the family secret.
Interactions with Other Races
A wolf-souled who reveals himself to the locals may well find his life in danger. Few humanoids make a distinction between a full-blooded werewolf and its distant progeny, considering how similar they can look. Both tend to be seen as immediate threats to residents and livestock. Thus, the wolf-souled who live the longest tend to be careful to avoid allowing others to see their transformations. Should an outsider witness such a transformation, friends and family of the local wolf-souled dismiss such claims as unlikely, citing the lack of werewolf attacks in the area. After all, many strange creatures roam the wilder parts of the world. Such a sighting could be a passing druid or a trick of the light, for all the witness knows.
Full-blooded werewolves of evil or neutral alignments tend to view wolf-souled as weaklings. Good-aligned lycanthropes tend to react to them as distant kin. Wolf-souled views of werewolves vary from noble paragons of the wild to rabid animals to be put down, according to the behavior of the particular werewolf. Occasionally, werewolves may settle in wolf-souled territory, though they are expected to abide by the same basic rules as wolf-souled: hiding their nature and refraining from unprovoked attacks on sentient creatures or their livestock. Having werewolf ancestors within the last few generations greatly increases the odds of being born wolf-souled. Werewolves who prey upon humanoids near wolf-souled settlements quickly become the target of well-organized hunts by wolf-souled, often accompanied by local wolf packs. Wolf-souled settlements often keep a few silver weapons on hand in case of such dangers. After all, the sooner such threats are dealt with, the less the danger of wolf-souled being discovered.
Mundane wolves react to wolf-souled as they would other wolves, regardless of their form. While unlikely to be attacked simply for entering a wolf pack's territory, wolf-souled instinctively know the correct body language to show they are not a threat, if confronted. Rarely, a wolf-souled joins a pack of regular wolves, though would come to miss the comforts and companionship of human and wolf-souled society. Wolf-souled cannot reproduce with wolves, even in wolf form, though wolves typically treat a wolf-souled human child as a wolf pup. Legends of humans "raised by wolves" often arise from instances of wolves adopting or befriending wolf-souled.
Likewise, supernatural wolf creatures treat wolf-souled as ordinary wolves. Creatures with power over wolves have no particular power over wolf-souled.
Wolf-Souled Adventurers
Many wolf-souled adventurers become rangers, though druids are also common. A ranger or druid changing into a wolf, while perhaps unsettling to commoners, does not evoke a suspicion of lycanthropy. Wolf-souled barbarians and fighters favor helmets and gauntlets that hide their transformation to hybrid form. Wolf-souled rogues and sorcerers tend to favor trickery, keeping their wolf and hybrid forms as a nasty surprise for those who close to melee with them. Due to a wolf-souled's rural nature, they almost never become clerics, wizards, or monks, as those classes require years of training and study spent indoors.
Wolf-souled count as humans, wolves, and shapeshifters for the purposes of spells and magic items. They cannot transmit their condition to other creatures, nor can they contract lycanthropy. Magic that detects or removes disease cannot reveal or affect their nature as wolf-souled.
Wolf-souled characters:
Medium: As Medium creatures, wolf-souled have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Wolf-souled base land speed is 30 feet.
Alternate Forms: A wolf-souled can shift from human form to that of a wolf at will. They can also change into a humanoid wolf for a limited time.
Vulnerability to Silver: A wolf-souled takes 50% more damage from silver weapons.
Wolf Empathy: A wolf-souled can communicate with wolves.
+2 racial bonus on Handle Animal checks involving wolves, dogs, or other canids.
+2 racial bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks for habitats that support wolves or to matters relating to wolves or werewolves.
+2 racial bonus on Survival checks to gather food, find water, or seek shelter in areas capable of supporting wolves.
Automatic Language: Common.
Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass wolf-souled ranger class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Level Adjustment: None.
Special: A wolf-souled casting any sort of transformation spell on himself may choose any of his alternate forms instead of those listed. The duration of the spell remains the same, though a wolf-souled in such a situation may remain in wolf form at the end of the spell (or hybrid form, though this begins to count against his daily limit). A wolf-souled who is transformed into a canid or humanoid creature may change back at will, but has no special power to change back from other forms.
Wolf Form (Su)
At will, a wolf-souled can assume the form of a wolf. Shifting counts as a move action. She remains Medium size and gets the following stat adjustments: Str +2, Dex +4, Con +4, Cha -4. These are enhancement bonuses and do not stack with other enhancement effects, such as bull's strength. A wolf-souled in wolf form cannot speak normally, though she can communicate with other wolf creatures, such as dire wolves and werewolves. She gains low-light vision, scent, +2 natural armor, +2 to Spot and Listen checks, and +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent. Her human base land speed increases by 20 feet. She also gains a 1d6 bite attack. She cannot use or carry items that a normal wolf couldn't use or carry. Armor designed for humanoids will not fit a wolf. All items carried in human form are dropped, unless carried in her jaws. Spells that require verbal or somatic components cannot be cast. While in wolf form, she has the same hit point total as in human form and any injuries carry over between forms. Changing back to human form is another move action.
Hybrid Form (Su)
At will, she can also assume a bipedal hybrid form. Shifting counts as a move action. This form is the same height and weight as her human form, but grows thick fur and a tail. Her eyes turn golden and her head becomes like that of a wolf. Each day, she can remain in this form for a total number of rounds equal to 3 plus her Con modifier (including the bonus from wolf form). Every wolf-souled feat taken extends the daily duration of this ability by 1 round. She can speak and use items as normal, and continues carrying and wearing any items from human form. This form is otherwise similar to her wolf form, including its stat bonuses, speed increase, and natural armor. A wolf-souled in hybrid form can wield a weapon and use her bite as a secondary natural attack (with the standard -5 penalty to hit).
Scent (Ex)
A wolf-souled in wolf or hybrid form can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at three times these ranges.
The wolf-souled detect another creature’s presence, but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scent’s source, the wolf-souled can pinpoint that source.
If the wolf-souled has the Track feat and the scent ability, she can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. If tracking by scent, she ignores the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.
The wolf-souled can identify familiar odors just as ordinary humans do familiar sights. Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail for air-breathing creatures. False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odor completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures, and the base Survival DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10.
Trip (Ex)
A wolf-souled in wolf or hybrid form who hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+2 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf-souled.
Vulnerability to Silver (Ex)
A wolf-souled takes 50% more damage from any attacks made with a silver weapon. Holding silver items imparts a slight sense of unease, but deals no damage. A wolf-souled can detect silver or mithral by touch, as well as differentiate the two.
Wolf Empathy (Ex)
A wolf-souled can communicate with wolves and dire wolves, and has a +4 racial bonus on Charisma-based checks against wolves and dire wolves. If attempting a Handle Animal check, this bonus stacks with her +2 bonus against wolves and other canids. A wolf-souled also knows instinctively if an area is inhabited by wolves, due to the presence of tracks, chewed bone fragments, scent markings, and other subtle signs. Likewise, a wolf-souled automatically senses the presence of a wolf-souled or a lycanthrope within 30 feet of them, though they may not be able to pick the individual out of a crowd.
FEATS
Crushing Bite [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Wolf-souled.
Benefit: Your bite attack has a critical hit multiplier of x3. This applies in your wolf or hybrid form.
Normal: Without this feat, a wolf-soul's bite attack has a critical multiplier of x2.
Dire Wolf Form [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Four other wolf-souled feats, wolf-souled.
Benefit: You may change into a dire wolf instead of your hybrid form. In this form, you are roughly 9 feet long and weigh some 800 pounds. Time spent in this form counts against your daily total in hybrid form. Instead of the normal stat bonuses from wolf or hybrid form, you gain the following: Str +14, Dex +4, Con +6, Cha -4. You count as Large (-1 to armor class) and gain a +3 natural armor bonus instead of your usual +2. Your bite attack changes from 1d6 to 1d8. This form is otherwise similar to your wolf form, but it counts as your hybrid form for the purposes of other feats and abilities. Even more so than wolf or hybrid forms, the presence of a dire wolf tends to alarm bystanders in most contexts, granting a +4 to Intimidate checks.
Go for the Throat [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Crushing Bite, wolf-souled.
Benefit: Your bite attack's critical threat range increases to 19-20. This applies in your wolf or hybrid form.
Normal: Without this feat, your bite attack only threatens a critical hit on a natural 20.
Greater Wolf-Blooded Resilience [wolf-souled]
Prerequisite: Wolf-Blooded Resilience, wolf-souled, three other wolf-souled feats.
Benefit: By delving deeper into your wolf-souled heritage, you develop the ability to ignore some damage from every attack. When in wolf or hybrid form, your damage reduction improves to DR 4/silver.
Improved Natural Attack [general]
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +4, natural weapon.
Benefit: One of a creature's natural attacks is more dangerous than its type and size would otherwise indicate. Choose one of the creature's natural attack forms. The damage of this natural weapon increases by one step, as if the creature's size had increased by one category. To determine the amount of the increase, find the natural weapon's damage on one of the two progressions given below and improve it to the next higher die value. Progression 1: 1d2, 1d3, 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, 6d6, 8d6, 12d6. Progression 2: 1d10, 2d8, 3d8, 4d8, 6d8, 8d8, 12d8.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each instance of it increases the damage for a different one of your natural attacks.
Improved Scent [general]
Prerequisite: Scent.
Benefit: You can detect and track creatures by smell at greater distances than normal. You can detect approaching enemies and sniff out hidden foes within 60 feet. For strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, double these ranges. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range.
Normal: Without this feat, you can detect creatures by smell only within 30 feet.
Partial Shift [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Quick Shift, wolf-souled.
Benefit: With considerable practice, you have learned to shift only a part of your body. This offers advantages, but counts against your time spent in hybrid form and may reveal your true nature. You may select any combination of eyes, ears, and tail. Wolf eyes are golden and grant low-light vision. Wolf ears replace your human ones and sprout from the top of your head, granting a +2 to Listen checks. A wolf tail grants an additional +2 to Handle Animal checks involving wolves, dogs, or other canids. Other body parts can be shifted, but grant no special bonuses. Anyone within line of sight may notice your new appearance with a DC 10 Spot check.
Pelt of the Hunter [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Con 13, wolf-souled.
Benefit: While in wolf or hybrid form, you gain an additional +1 natural armor bonus. You also gain a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves against the effects of cold environments while in those forms.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each instance increases your natural armor bonus increases by another point. The bonus against cold does not increase.
Purity of Form
Prerequisites: Constitution 13, wolf-souled.
Benefit: Once per day, when you shift to any form, you immediately heal a number of hit points equal to your character level. This benefit does not occur if you die (at -10 hit points) before the period of shifting ends. If the shift is made within line-of-sight of the moon, you may also re-roll any Fortitude saves against poison or disease currently afflicting you.
Sudden Snap [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, wolf-souled or werewolf.
Benefit: You have honed your bite attack into a fluid part of your fighting style. When used as a secondary attack, your bite attack takes only a -2 penalty to hit. If you use your bite for an attack of opportunity, the target loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any).
Silversense [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Wolf-souled.
Benefit: You can detect silver (as the detect poison spell) at will. This feat also allows you to detect mithral, and to differentiate the two at range.
Normal: Without this feat, a wolf-souled can only detect silver by touch.
Wear the Shadow [wolf-souled]
Prerequisite: Wolf-souled.
When you shift to wolf form, any items you are carrying or wearing vanish until you transform to hybrid or human form. You can exclude specific items from this effect.
Normal: Without this feat, your items are dropped when you shift to wolf form.
Wolf's Nose [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Wolf-souled.
Benefit: You retain the scent ability while in human form. Using it requires no shift and you do not visibly change to do so. While in wolf or hybrid form, you gain a +2 bonus on any checks based on scent.
Normal: A wolf-souled normally only has the scent ability while in wolf or hybrid form.
Wolf-Blooded Resilience [wolf-souled]
Prerequisite: Wolf-souled, two other wolf-souled feats.
Benefit: By delving into your wolf-souled heritage, you have developed the ability to ignore a little damage from every attack. While in wolf or hybrid form, you gain damage reduction 2/silver.
Uncanny Scent [general]
Prerequisite: Improved Scent, scent.
Benefit: You can pinpoint scents at a greater distance. You can pinpoint the location of a scent when within 20 feet.
Normal: You can pinpoint the location of a scent when within 5 feet.
(This is the 5e version.)
Wolf-Souled Traits
Your werewolf heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other wolf-souled.
Ability Score Increase: None.
Age: You age at the same rate as a human.
Alignment: Wolf-souled somewhat favor good alignments, though evil ones can be very dangerous.
Size: Wolf-souled are the same height and weight as humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Shapechanger: You have werewolf ancestry. You can use your action to polymorph into a wolf-humanoid hybrid or into a wolf. Unlike full-blooded werewolves, you cannot transmit lycanthropy, nor can you contract it.
Wolf Form: You transform into a wolf. Aside from Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, your take on the stats of a wolf from the Monster Manual. You cannot speak in this form. Any items you were wearing or carrying are dropped. You cannot use items in this form any better than a normal wolf could. You may remain in wolf form indefinitely. At level 10 or above, you may change into a dire wolf instead.
Hybrid Form: You transform into a humanoid wolf. Your Strength score changes to 12, and your Dexterity score changes to 15, and your Constitution score changes to 12. While not wearing armor, your armor class becomes 12 plus your Dex modifier as long as you are conscious. Your speed changes to 40 feet. You can only remain in hybrid form for a number of rounds equal to your (new) Con bonus plus your level. After you use your hybrid form, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.
Bite (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only): Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Keen hearing and smell (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only): The wolf-souled has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Weakness to silver: You take 50% more damage from silver weapons. You can detect silver and mithral by touch, as well as tell them apart.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common. You can communicate with wolves through howls and body language, but can only express concepts that wolves understand: "You're in charge."; "Help me!"; "Come hunt with me."; and so on. You have no particular power to compel wolves to obey.
(This is for Pathfinder/3.5e. The 5e version is below. If you aren't familiar with those versions, I'm still interested in your thoughts on the theme, lore, and powers.)
New Race: Wolf-Souled
The descendants of werewolves and humans, these beings retain some of their ancestors' powers.
Wolf-souled are able to transform in much the same way as their werewolf progenitors, and are similarly vulnerable to silver. Due to generations of dilution, a wolf-souled cannot hold his hybrid form for long. This is balanced, however, by him retaining a stronger grip of himself while out of human form. Wolf-souled do not rampage blindly across the countryside any more frequently than their normal human kin.
Some aspects of their feral ancestry remain, however. Their hair tends to match the brown, red, or black of their fur in wolf form. A taste for meat is quite common. They tend to be physically fit, with a cunning streak. Their personalities tend to be quite practical and cooperative, having a soft spot for canine creatures of all sorts. Most view other humanoids as disreputable cousins: worthy of kindness, but worth keeping an eye on. In terms of alignment, wolf-souled tend toward good, since their kind fares best when not chased by angry mobs, though those who turn to evil are true menaces. Because normal humans are also born into wolf-souled families, preying on humanoids is a serious taboo. Wolf-souled packs have been known to gather for the sole purpose of hunting down members of their kind who turn to murder, with the added urgency of wanting to keep their natures a secret.
While they only shift voluntarily, wolf-souled in human form for more than a few days tend to miss the freedom of wolf form, much as a human accustomed to outdoor life would grow restless if cooped up indoors. This longing grows more acute during the full moon. They have a deep appreciation for nature, knowing how to survive in the wild in much the same was as a wild wolf. Likewise, a wolf-souled has a knack for spotting lupine paw prints or shards of chewed bone, doing so as readily as a human might spot a shiny dropped coin. Often, they can extrapolate the health of a local wolf population from such signs.
Because the trait is inherited, entire families can be wolf-souled. Such groups tend to have a pack-like sense of unity and may privately celebrate their nature, even as they publicly hide it. They tend to live on the edge of human territories. Perhaps ironically, many wolf-souled live as shepherds. Their knack for communicating with canines makes them quite apt at training herding dogs, while the isolation of shepherd life allows them to shift to their wolf or hybrid forms with little chance of being observed. Their sheepdogs tend to have visibly more wolf blood than is typical, and are often rumored to be trained wolves, which is sometimes accurate. In either case, wolf-souled stay on good terms with packs of wolves in their area, feeding them in lean times and receiving warnings or even assistance if their small settlements are attacked. More than one gang of brigands has been surprised by trying to sack a wolf-souled enclave, only to be beset by packs of wild and tame wolves.
Growing up as a wolf-souled presents unique challenges. Wolf-souled children are able to shift from an early age, generally learning to walk as a wolf far sooner than as a human. Some wolf-souled even learn to shift while in the womb, much to the annoyance of their mothers. While capable of greater destruction than a typical human child, they respond instinctively to the social structure of the pack. Wolf-souled often have cousins or even siblings who are mundane humans, though these relations generally know the family secret.
Interactions with Other Races
A wolf-souled who reveals himself to the locals may well find his life in danger. Few humanoids make a distinction between a full-blooded werewolf and its distant progeny, considering how similar they can look. Both tend to be seen as immediate threats to residents and livestock. Thus, the wolf-souled who live the longest tend to be careful to avoid allowing others to see their transformations. Should an outsider witness such a transformation, friends and family of the local wolf-souled dismiss such claims as unlikely, citing the lack of werewolf attacks in the area. After all, many strange creatures roam the wilder parts of the world. Such a sighting could be a passing druid or a trick of the light, for all the witness knows.
Full-blooded werewolves of evil or neutral alignments tend to view wolf-souled as weaklings. Good-aligned lycanthropes tend to react to them as distant kin. Wolf-souled views of werewolves vary from noble paragons of the wild to rabid animals to be put down, according to the behavior of the particular werewolf. Occasionally, werewolves may settle in wolf-souled territory, though they are expected to abide by the same basic rules as wolf-souled: hiding their nature and refraining from unprovoked attacks on sentient creatures or their livestock. Having werewolf ancestors within the last few generations greatly increases the odds of being born wolf-souled. Werewolves who prey upon humanoids near wolf-souled settlements quickly become the target of well-organized hunts by wolf-souled, often accompanied by local wolf packs. Wolf-souled settlements often keep a few silver weapons on hand in case of such dangers. After all, the sooner such threats are dealt with, the less the danger of wolf-souled being discovered.
Mundane wolves react to wolf-souled as they would other wolves, regardless of their form. While unlikely to be attacked simply for entering a wolf pack's territory, wolf-souled instinctively know the correct body language to show they are not a threat, if confronted. Rarely, a wolf-souled joins a pack of regular wolves, though would come to miss the comforts and companionship of human and wolf-souled society. Wolf-souled cannot reproduce with wolves, even in wolf form, though wolves typically treat a wolf-souled human child as a wolf pup. Legends of humans "raised by wolves" often arise from instances of wolves adopting or befriending wolf-souled.
Likewise, supernatural wolf creatures treat wolf-souled as ordinary wolves. Creatures with power over wolves have no particular power over wolf-souled.
Wolf-Souled Adventurers
Many wolf-souled adventurers become rangers, though druids are also common. A ranger or druid changing into a wolf, while perhaps unsettling to commoners, does not evoke a suspicion of lycanthropy. Wolf-souled barbarians and fighters favor helmets and gauntlets that hide their transformation to hybrid form. Wolf-souled rogues and sorcerers tend to favor trickery, keeping their wolf and hybrid forms as a nasty surprise for those who close to melee with them. Due to a wolf-souled's rural nature, they almost never become clerics, wizards, or monks, as those classes require years of training and study spent indoors.
Wolf-souled count as humans, wolves, and shapeshifters for the purposes of spells and magic items. They cannot transmit their condition to other creatures, nor can they contract lycanthropy. Magic that detects or removes disease cannot reveal or affect their nature as wolf-souled.
Wolf-souled characters:
Medium: As Medium creatures, wolf-souled have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Wolf-souled base land speed is 30 feet.
Alternate Forms: A wolf-souled can shift from human form to that of a wolf at will. They can also change into a humanoid wolf for a limited time.
Vulnerability to Silver: A wolf-souled takes 50% more damage from silver weapons.
Wolf Empathy: A wolf-souled can communicate with wolves.
+2 racial bonus on Handle Animal checks involving wolves, dogs, or other canids.
+2 racial bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks for habitats that support wolves or to matters relating to wolves or werewolves.
+2 racial bonus on Survival checks to gather food, find water, or seek shelter in areas capable of supporting wolves.
Automatic Language: Common.
Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass wolf-souled ranger class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Level Adjustment: None.
Special: A wolf-souled casting any sort of transformation spell on himself may choose any of his alternate forms instead of those listed. The duration of the spell remains the same, though a wolf-souled in such a situation may remain in wolf form at the end of the spell (or hybrid form, though this begins to count against his daily limit). A wolf-souled who is transformed into a canid or humanoid creature may change back at will, but has no special power to change back from other forms.
Wolf Form (Su)
At will, a wolf-souled can assume the form of a wolf. Shifting counts as a move action. She remains Medium size and gets the following stat adjustments: Str +2, Dex +4, Con +4, Cha -4. These are enhancement bonuses and do not stack with other enhancement effects, such as bull's strength. A wolf-souled in wolf form cannot speak normally, though she can communicate with other wolf creatures, such as dire wolves and werewolves. She gains low-light vision, scent, +2 natural armor, +2 to Spot and Listen checks, and +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent. Her human base land speed increases by 20 feet. She also gains a 1d6 bite attack. She cannot use or carry items that a normal wolf couldn't use or carry. Armor designed for humanoids will not fit a wolf. All items carried in human form are dropped, unless carried in her jaws. Spells that require verbal or somatic components cannot be cast. While in wolf form, she has the same hit point total as in human form and any injuries carry over between forms. Changing back to human form is another move action.
Hybrid Form (Su)
At will, she can also assume a bipedal hybrid form. Shifting counts as a move action. This form is the same height and weight as her human form, but grows thick fur and a tail. Her eyes turn golden and her head becomes like that of a wolf. Each day, she can remain in this form for a total number of rounds equal to 3 plus her Con modifier (including the bonus from wolf form). Every wolf-souled feat taken extends the daily duration of this ability by 1 round. She can speak and use items as normal, and continues carrying and wearing any items from human form. This form is otherwise similar to her wolf form, including its stat bonuses, speed increase, and natural armor. A wolf-souled in hybrid form can wield a weapon and use her bite as a secondary natural attack (with the standard -5 penalty to hit).
Scent (Ex)
A wolf-souled in wolf or hybrid form can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at three times these ranges.
The wolf-souled detect another creature’s presence, but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scent’s source, the wolf-souled can pinpoint that source.
If the wolf-souled has the Track feat and the scent ability, she can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. If tracking by scent, she ignores the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.
The wolf-souled can identify familiar odors just as ordinary humans do familiar sights. Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail for air-breathing creatures. False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odor completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures, and the base Survival DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10.
Trip (Ex)
A wolf-souled in wolf or hybrid form who hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+2 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf-souled.
Vulnerability to Silver (Ex)
A wolf-souled takes 50% more damage from any attacks made with a silver weapon. Holding silver items imparts a slight sense of unease, but deals no damage. A wolf-souled can detect silver or mithral by touch, as well as differentiate the two.
Wolf Empathy (Ex)
A wolf-souled can communicate with wolves and dire wolves, and has a +4 racial bonus on Charisma-based checks against wolves and dire wolves. If attempting a Handle Animal check, this bonus stacks with her +2 bonus against wolves and other canids. A wolf-souled also knows instinctively if an area is inhabited by wolves, due to the presence of tracks, chewed bone fragments, scent markings, and other subtle signs. Likewise, a wolf-souled automatically senses the presence of a wolf-souled or a lycanthrope within 30 feet of them, though they may not be able to pick the individual out of a crowd.
FEATS
Crushing Bite [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Wolf-souled.
Benefit: Your bite attack has a critical hit multiplier of x3. This applies in your wolf or hybrid form.
Normal: Without this feat, a wolf-soul's bite attack has a critical multiplier of x2.
Dire Wolf Form [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Four other wolf-souled feats, wolf-souled.
Benefit: You may change into a dire wolf instead of your hybrid form. In this form, you are roughly 9 feet long and weigh some 800 pounds. Time spent in this form counts against your daily total in hybrid form. Instead of the normal stat bonuses from wolf or hybrid form, you gain the following: Str +14, Dex +4, Con +6, Cha -4. You count as Large (-1 to armor class) and gain a +3 natural armor bonus instead of your usual +2. Your bite attack changes from 1d6 to 1d8. This form is otherwise similar to your wolf form, but it counts as your hybrid form for the purposes of other feats and abilities. Even more so than wolf or hybrid forms, the presence of a dire wolf tends to alarm bystanders in most contexts, granting a +4 to Intimidate checks.
Go for the Throat [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Crushing Bite, wolf-souled.
Benefit: Your bite attack's critical threat range increases to 19-20. This applies in your wolf or hybrid form.
Normal: Without this feat, your bite attack only threatens a critical hit on a natural 20.
Greater Wolf-Blooded Resilience [wolf-souled]
Prerequisite: Wolf-Blooded Resilience, wolf-souled, three other wolf-souled feats.
Benefit: By delving deeper into your wolf-souled heritage, you develop the ability to ignore some damage from every attack. When in wolf or hybrid form, your damage reduction improves to DR 4/silver.
Improved Natural Attack [general]
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +4, natural weapon.
Benefit: One of a creature's natural attacks is more dangerous than its type and size would otherwise indicate. Choose one of the creature's natural attack forms. The damage of this natural weapon increases by one step, as if the creature's size had increased by one category. To determine the amount of the increase, find the natural weapon's damage on one of the two progressions given below and improve it to the next higher die value. Progression 1: 1d2, 1d3, 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, 6d6, 8d6, 12d6. Progression 2: 1d10, 2d8, 3d8, 4d8, 6d8, 8d8, 12d8.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each instance of it increases the damage for a different one of your natural attacks.
Improved Scent [general]
Prerequisite: Scent.
Benefit: You can detect and track creatures by smell at greater distances than normal. You can detect approaching enemies and sniff out hidden foes within 60 feet. For strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, double these ranges. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range.
Normal: Without this feat, you can detect creatures by smell only within 30 feet.
Partial Shift [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Quick Shift, wolf-souled.
Benefit: With considerable practice, you have learned to shift only a part of your body. This offers advantages, but counts against your time spent in hybrid form and may reveal your true nature. You may select any combination of eyes, ears, and tail. Wolf eyes are golden and grant low-light vision. Wolf ears replace your human ones and sprout from the top of your head, granting a +2 to Listen checks. A wolf tail grants an additional +2 to Handle Animal checks involving wolves, dogs, or other canids. Other body parts can be shifted, but grant no special bonuses. Anyone within line of sight may notice your new appearance with a DC 10 Spot check.
Pelt of the Hunter [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Con 13, wolf-souled.
Benefit: While in wolf or hybrid form, you gain an additional +1 natural armor bonus. You also gain a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves against the effects of cold environments while in those forms.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each instance increases your natural armor bonus increases by another point. The bonus against cold does not increase.
Purity of Form
Prerequisites: Constitution 13, wolf-souled.
Benefit: Once per day, when you shift to any form, you immediately heal a number of hit points equal to your character level. This benefit does not occur if you die (at -10 hit points) before the period of shifting ends. If the shift is made within line-of-sight of the moon, you may also re-roll any Fortitude saves against poison or disease currently afflicting you.
Sudden Snap [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, wolf-souled or werewolf.
Benefit: You have honed your bite attack into a fluid part of your fighting style. When used as a secondary attack, your bite attack takes only a -2 penalty to hit. If you use your bite for an attack of opportunity, the target loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any).
Silversense [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Wolf-souled.
Benefit: You can detect silver (as the detect poison spell) at will. This feat also allows you to detect mithral, and to differentiate the two at range.
Normal: Without this feat, a wolf-souled can only detect silver by touch.
Wear the Shadow [wolf-souled]
Prerequisite: Wolf-souled.
When you shift to wolf form, any items you are carrying or wearing vanish until you transform to hybrid or human form. You can exclude specific items from this effect.
Normal: Without this feat, your items are dropped when you shift to wolf form.
Wolf's Nose [wolf-souled]
Prerequisites: Wolf-souled.
Benefit: You retain the scent ability while in human form. Using it requires no shift and you do not visibly change to do so. While in wolf or hybrid form, you gain a +2 bonus on any checks based on scent.
Normal: A wolf-souled normally only has the scent ability while in wolf or hybrid form.
Wolf-Blooded Resilience [wolf-souled]
Prerequisite: Wolf-souled, two other wolf-souled feats.
Benefit: By delving into your wolf-souled heritage, you have developed the ability to ignore a little damage from every attack. While in wolf or hybrid form, you gain damage reduction 2/silver.
Uncanny Scent [general]
Prerequisite: Improved Scent, scent.
Benefit: You can pinpoint scents at a greater distance. You can pinpoint the location of a scent when within 20 feet.
Normal: You can pinpoint the location of a scent when within 5 feet.
(This is the 5e version.)
Wolf-Souled Traits
Your werewolf heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other wolf-souled.
Ability Score Increase: None.
Age: You age at the same rate as a human.
Alignment: Wolf-souled somewhat favor good alignments, though evil ones can be very dangerous.
Size: Wolf-souled are the same height and weight as humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Shapechanger: You have werewolf ancestry. You can use your action to polymorph into a wolf-humanoid hybrid or into a wolf. Unlike full-blooded werewolves, you cannot transmit lycanthropy, nor can you contract it.
Wolf Form: You transform into a wolf. Aside from Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, your take on the stats of a wolf from the Monster Manual. You cannot speak in this form. Any items you were wearing or carrying are dropped. You cannot use items in this form any better than a normal wolf could. You may remain in wolf form indefinitely. At level 10 or above, you may change into a dire wolf instead.
Hybrid Form: You transform into a humanoid wolf. Your Strength score changes to 12, and your Dexterity score changes to 15, and your Constitution score changes to 12. While not wearing armor, your armor class becomes 12 plus your Dex modifier as long as you are conscious. Your speed changes to 40 feet. You can only remain in hybrid form for a number of rounds equal to your (new) Con bonus plus your level. After you use your hybrid form, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.
Bite (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only): Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Keen hearing and smell (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only): The wolf-souled has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Weakness to silver: You take 50% more damage from silver weapons. You can detect silver and mithral by touch, as well as tell them apart.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common. You can communicate with wolves through howls and body language, but can only express concepts that wolves understand: "You're in charge."; "Help me!"; "Come hunt with me."; and so on. You have no particular power to compel wolves to obey.
Biggest things are the form bonuses. Wolf form should pretty much just read "You are a normal wolf, use the wolf stats in the MM in place of your human stats." Then you don't even have to deal with potential balancing issues or someone breaking the non-magic stat caps.
Hybrid form I would say a similar thing. Rather than increasing via bonuses it would be better to set specific numbers for the adjusted stats, as many magic items in 5e do so, much like 2e did. Also I would suggest reducing the number of rounds it lasts. 1+Con bonus might be more appropriate for something that's going to let you wreck face that much. Not a long bonus but it's gonna be pushing balance as it is.
Err on the side of caution, this isn't a full werewolf. Maybe take a look at Eberron's Shifter race for inspirational example on doing lycan-blooded creatures as a PC race.
This is based on the Eberron shifter race! At least, the PF/3.5e version is. I just sort of swapped out powers. I just found the shifters weren't furry enough. X)
Thoughts on the lore and stuff? Any else a player would want to know? I admit, my primary motivation here was the furry angle, since the shifters only change in appearance to look like the vampires from Buffy.
Also, you played 2e and 5e, but not 3.5e? Where you hit with a temporal stasis spell for a couple decades?
The Wolf form can indeed use the stats in the book, though I might suggest at least giving the ability to shift to more powerful wolf forms, like a Dire Wolf or something at a certain level. The wolf form is nice for flavor, but just choosing the basic wolf out of the book doesn't scale with the character at all. Just remains a CR 1/4 form, which is pretty terrible and super fragile at higher levels. At least a CR3 Dire Wolf is 'decent' a bit later. But that's at least in line with what a basic druid can easily do as well. Just much more limited, of course.
And similar thing with the hybrid form. Yes, many items give flat stats, but most of those items are also scalable with level. There should be a means to at least improve the feature at some point. Perhaps you could build it into alternate calss features instead. There are several races that have alternate class features, so this could be an area to explore, though takes a bit more work and thought as to which particular classes might benefit. Also, it can be reasonably balanced even if you do stat bonuses by giving detriments as well. Perhaps have something like at lvl 1, while in hybrid form, you may choose to gain +2 in Str, Dex, or Con, but take a -2 in Int, Wis, or Cha. Up to a maximum of 20. Keeps balanced and represents the bestial nature. Secondly, you could possibly think of increasing this with level. Say lvl 11, gain an additional +2 in Str, Dex, or Con, but gain an additional -2 to Int, Wis, or Cha. You may choose the same ability score as previous uses of this talent. And again at level 18, you may do this a third time. There's a bit of a checks and balances, enabling your physical form to become stronger, but also become more bestial.
You could still add in some form of natural armor. But in 5e, most of the time it comes in the effect of a set AC. Say that in the form, you always have at least an AC of 12+dex modifier as long as you are conscious. Though there are several monsters and such that do just have a pure AC bump via Natural Armor. But I think that's usually without armor.
And of course, having the usual Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on hearing and scent is always a good thing to add to such a form.
Looking at this page may help as well! Gives a guide for creating races as well as many examples of races others have made, including some that are kind of what you're going for!: https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/5e_Races
I would be up for more stat bonuses/penalties, but I'm worried about making the race even more complex. Class options are a good idea, though—sort of already have one for polymorphing spellcasters.
I used a +1 natural armor bonus for 5e hybrid form because you can still wear armor with it. Switching it to your suggestion.
I'll give that a look! Seems pretty in-depth.
Overall, are the powers easy to understand and calculate in both 5e and 3.5e?
Vulnerability to Silver: A wolf-souled takes 50% more damage from silver weapons.
1. I don't like percentages. They make everything more complicated.
2. The Monk's unarmed attacks are considered silver 7 for overcoming damage reduction. If this is considered as silver in this regard, Monks are the worst opponents for a wolf-souled. If most people equal wolf-souled with werewolves, there probably would be at least one monastery order around specializing in hunting and killing werewolves and wolf-souled. A werewolf now and then won't cause more reactions than they do in other settings, but with wolf-souled, there will be more sightings. More seen wolves behaving more intelligently and Druids will have questioned their own if someone keeps 'awakening' wolves. Of course they will find no one, so the smple conclusion is that there are a lot of werewolves around if they are asked.
There might also be more conventional werewolf hunters with silver weapons around. I'm not saying they will be around every corner, but between Monks, ranged combat Rangers using silver-tipped arrows and their favoured enemy ability plus other hunters, a wolf-souled's chances for survival are pretty low.
Extended Shift [wolf-souled]
Again, not a fan of percentages. I'd either let this feat add the character's evel to the duration or add 1-6 rounds to the duration everytime the feat is taen. That's what other 'extra' feats (performance, rage, ki, grit and so on) do.
Other than that it looks good, but maybe you should add the building costs. I'm never sure about balancing without them.
There might be the one or other idea for you in the Lythari ( http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Lythari ), here is the 2e eentry ( http://www.lomion.de/cmm/lycalyth.php ). For 3e they ha an entry in the 'Races of Faerun' book, but they were mostly treated like lycanthropes and there was no adjustment on the level adjustment for having no hybrid form.
Wow. Monks would be a nightmare against these guys. XD May have to build that into the lore. I'm actually okay with wolf-souled being in big trouble if they are targeted with anti-werewolf gear. It gives them a reason to keep their nature secret, which many players have not bothered to do with their secret demon nature or whatever in my games. (Interestingly, the monk's silver bonus is in Path, but not 3.5.)
Hmmm. The Extend Rage feat from Complete Warrior (3.5) grants 5 more rounds of rage. That might be reasonable.
Building costs as in these? http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/.....ceBuilder.html
So is this underpowered as a player race because of the silver weakness?
As for underpowered within your setting I can't say. It all depends on how often 'Werewolves' are seen over how long a time and how the various people react. For example in a country in our setting there is an actual Inquisition that is allowed to use 'Detect Evil' freely, but can only act if the person does break the law. However, we learned that a few centuries ago they hunted down every evil person. They also are not keen on spellcasters other those from the Inquisition or their own clerics. And of course many people in that country fear the Inquisition more than the occasional monster.
It's an extreme example, on the other side you have Geralt of Rivia from the computer games who kills monsters as he defines them ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0i88t0Kacs ).
Vulnerability to non-energy damage in Pathfinder is usually done either with a -4 save penalty to whatever it is, or DR that is pierced by it, like in one of your suggested feats.
Scaling is intentional. I hate seeing cool powers become useless at high levels. Too good?
I know, but (unlike werewolves) they have no DR and I can't be sure they'll ever get one. I could go with the -4, though I'm not sure how often you could have a save against something silver. Not a lot of silver traps or silver poison darts.
Does that seem fair? I know this is far from a conventional player race, but I feel like it should be possible. I guess I'm asking how you'd abuse the powers granted. X)
I'm trying really hard to have no level adjustment here, since I find that makes my players not pick them. As seen above, it built it to be balanced against the shifter race. http://eberron.wikia.com/wiki/Shifter
Hmm. Maybe I should make a feat that gives a bonus when raging as a barbarian? Not sure what it would do.