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3 years ago ::
Dec 20, 2009 - 7:15PM
#21
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By and large, I think a Shifter druid is what the 4e system provides to match what your friend wants. (Full Disclosure: my shifter druid character wild shapes into some sort of ostrich-hawk-monsterous-bird thingy unless he tries on purpose to shape into something different. This is from a malfunction in the blessing which opened me to the Beast Within.)
A few years ago, somebody posted 'my friend wants to play a Vampire at L1, what do I do?' I suggested a low-powered version of a vampire with some drawbacks. For instance, must eat one meal of uncooked or barely cooked meat each day - and be sure as DM that the server gossips to the other patrons in the tavern about it.
Something similar might work here. Your friend plays a human plus gets a neat thing or two - Pounce or Savage Rend are druid L1 beast-form powers - usable only at night during a 3/4 or more moon. On the night of the full moon, the PC becomes a DMPC for 24 hours and has to keep making Will saves (at progressive penalties) if he tries to fight it. It doesn't matter how often he shaves, he always has a 5 o'clock shadow and hair all over his body. An inexplicable fascination with sweet juicy fruits when the moon is new. The first time at night he sees the moon in the sky, howls (there goes the Stealth check). Hums a tune much like "Werewolves of London" while travelling.
At low levels, work a lot of fluff and role-playing into the character. Find out if he really wants to play D&D or fantasize about the PC game that inspired him.
Best complements I have yet received: Spoiler:
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Making it up as I go along:
{BRJN}
If I was writing the Tome of Lore, I would let Auppenser sleep. But I also would have him dream.
In his dreaming he re-activates the innate powers of (some) mortal minds. Or his dreaming changes the nature of reality - currently very malleable thanks to Spellplague &c. Or whatever really cool flavor text and pseudo-science explanation people react positively to.
{Lord_Karsus}
You know, I like that better than the explanations for the Spellplague.
My plot device: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/ … #489880509 (The reaction is the next post.)
Prepped ahead of time:
I started the thread "1001 Failed Interrogation Results"
{ADHadh}
These are all good and make sense! I just can't come up with something that's not covered here and is not completely ridiculous.
My characters: Spoiler:
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Active Characters:
LFR Half-elf StarLock6 Gondolin Nightstar
AoA Dwarf Guardian Druid6 Narvik from House Wavir
Character A-building:
Neverwinter Dwarven Invoker / Heir of Delzoun / worships Silvanus (!)
"Truenamer" - speaks Words of Creation
Concepts I'm kicking around:
"Buggy" Wizard - insect flavor on everything
Halfling Tempest Fighter - just because nobody else is doing it
Shifter Beast-o-phile Druid - for PoL campaign
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3 years ago ::
Dec 20, 2009 - 8:07PM
#22
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Date Joined:
Apr 16, 2009
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This discussion reminds me a lot of another current thread... Borrowing from that, I suggest: * You the DM must be in control of when he shifts. * Link powers etc. together as much as possible. If he uses his first-level daily and then shifts, his first-level daily is gone in that form too. * For werewolf form, take his normal stats - just rearrange them. And for the werewolf's "class", refluff a barbarian. If that sounds like a good general direction, go read the other thread for more details & ideas.
"The world does not work the way you have been taught it does. We are not real as such; we exist within The Story. Unfortunately for you, you have inherited a condition from your mother known as Primary Protagonist Syndrome, which means The Story is interested in you. It will find you, and if you are not ready for the narrative strands it will throw at you..." - from Footloose
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3 years ago ::
Dec 22, 2009 - 2:19AM
#23
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Date Joined:
Sep 15, 2005
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Stick to the classic rules of werewolves.
You take control when he's in wolf form.
Kill a villager or two.
Villagers hunt the player.
Word spreads, player not allowed in any towns.
otherwise, play a shifter/gnoll
Amazed at how obtuse people can be since 1972.
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3 years ago ::
Dec 22, 2009 - 2:31AM
#24
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Date Joined:
May 27, 2005
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Honesty, if your all new to D&D I'd probably say no, you can't be a warewolf, pick something thats in the book. If you do take one of the other suggestions for how to make the rules work make sure that you don't end up with this player taking over the campaign. Normally the players are the good guys, if this werewolf character is going to cause conflict within the party it's going to lead to less fun for the whole group.
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3 years ago ::
Dec 22, 2009 - 5:04AM
#25
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Date Joined:
Aug 11, 2006
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4E werewolves in any context are in control of their actions at all times - they're a race of their own, so 'loses control in wolf form' isn't applicable here. The main challenge is representing the shapeshifting powers and overall theme while keeping the race in line with the others. The writeup I gave above is an example of that, though it certainly isn't the only one you could take.
"Be a druid" doesn't work because it locks you into a specific class and role, which isn't the idea of a race.
Shifters' mechanics, apart from being badly done in their own right, don't match up to the theme of the werewolf. (They'd be better for playing The Incredible Hulk than anything.)
"Play a gnoll" might work if all he wants is to be a wolf-person without the shapeshifting - but in that case you can just as easily reskin almost any other race for the purpose, depending on what sort of theme you're going for.
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There's no reason why a werewolf PC has to be disruptive to the group. The MM ones are evil because they represent antagonists (just like MM gnolls). A PC werewolf could have any alignment and outlook (just like PC gnolls).
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3 years ago ::
Dec 22, 2009 - 5:07AM
#26
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I'm not going to take control of him while he's in werewolf form, that's not really right. And pretty much against the spirit of the game. At that point he's basically half NPC. Would you guys have fun playing that character? I can still easily give him a bad rep among villagers, he is a werewolf after all.
I'm going to take Neutronium Dragon's solution. And either leave it as is, or change it from racial to bloodline (like the vampires in Dragon mag).
As long as I can work out the logistics of it, I have no problem any player being almost anything they want. I mean if the official character generator allows you to be everything from Dragonborn, to Kobolds, to Minotaurs...then I have no problem with wanting to be other fantasy creatures.
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3 years ago ::
Dec 22, 2009 - 5:22AM
#27
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There's no reason why a werewolf PC has to be disruptive to the group. The MM ones are evil because they represent antagonists (just like MM gnolls). A PC werewolf could have any alignment and outlook (just like PC gnolls).
True.
Also, in a related note, why is it that a lot of people are of the opinion that if you're going to play D&D everyone has to be like Lawful Good or they can't play? No other RPG really does this. Like if you were playing a superhero RPG would you tell the players they can't be X-Men? Ignoring the cartoons (cause they have to be kid friendly) the X-Men are not "good guys". They're straight up Vigilantes. Sure in the end they're falling on the side of good, but that doesn't mean they don't cross the line to get the job done. I mean, they're mascot member is a rapid healing dude of anger and blade claws...you think he only uses those claws to cut vegetables?
I'm not saying play an Evil campaign...but as long as all the players are in on it, I don't see why they can't play vigilante type characters closer to the dividing line.
I mean in your guys campaigns the players still kill the kobolds, right? Shouldn't they, by the typical logic I'm reading, be trying to get them to surrender peacefully first? 
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3 years ago ::
Dec 22, 2009 - 6:19AM
#28
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Date Joined:
Aug 11, 2006
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4E does assume that the characters are heroic, though of LG, G, or Unaligned equally. Evil PCs tend to come with other problems (witness the large number of disaster stories posted in the Community section) so people are wary of any such concept.
If you want to make a lycanthropy bloodline then you can do that, but the writeup I gave above won't be suitable for it - it's written to be a PC race. Also, 4E werewolves are a race unto themselves, not a bloodline/curse/disease/etc applied to another race (this is a deliberate difference from older editions), so an implementation of that sort will be more difficult to assess. If you're just starting out then diving into a project like that probably isn't a good idea - wait until you all have more familiarity with the system.
That's why the writeup above is as a race - your race is "werewolf" full stop, not "human werewolf" or "elf werewolf", even if your humanoid form looks like one of those. (4E werewolves' natural forms are the hybrid - the humanoid one is a disguise, not their natural one.)
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3 years ago ::
Dec 22, 2009 - 12:39PM
#29
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Nothing prevent's you from playing evil in 4e, they just advise against it due to it's party destructive nature. It's hard for evil people to get along. However if you can handle it, then the more power (and fun) to you.
guides
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my builds
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F-111 Interdictor Long (200+ squares) distance ally teleporter. With some warlord stuff. Broken in a plot way, not a power way.
Thought Switch Higher level build that grants upto 14 attacks on turn 1. If your allies play along, it's broken.
Elven Critters Crit op with crit generation. 5 of these will end anything. Broken.
King Fisher Does an excellent job at keeping an enemy disabled in a few ways. Strong.
Boominator Fun catch-22 booming blade build with either strong or completely broken damage depending on your reading.
Very Distracting Warlock Lot's of dazing and major penalties to hit. Overpowered.
Pocket Protector Pixie Stealth Knight. Maximizing the defender's aura by being in an ally's/enemy's square.
Yakuza NinjIntimiAdin: Perma-stealth Striker that offers a little protection for ally's, and can intimidate bloodied enemies. Very Strong.
Chargeburgler with cheese Ranged attacks at the end of a charge along with perma-stealth. Solid, could be overpowered if tweaked.
Void Defender Defends giving a penalty to hit anyone but him, then removing himself from play. Can get somewhat broken in epic.
Scry and Die Attacking from around corners, while staying hidden. Moderate to broken, depending on the situation.
Skimisher Fly in, attack, and fly away. Also prevents enemies from coming close. Moderate to Broken depending on the enemy, but shouldn't make the game un-fun, as the rest of your team is at risk, and you have enough weaknesses.
Indestructible Simply won't die, even if you sleep though combat.
Sir Robin (Bravely Charge Away) He automatically slows and pushes an enemy (5 squares), while charging away. Hard to rate it's power level, since it's terrain dependent.
Death's Gatekeeper A fun twist on a healic, making your party "unkillable". Overpowered to Broken, but shouldn't actually make the game un-fun, just TPK proof.
Death's Gatekeeper mk2, (Stealth Edition) Make your party "unkillable", and you hidden, while doing solid damage. Stronger then the above, but also easier for a DM to shut down. Broken, until your DM get's enough of it.
Domination and Death Dominate everything then kill them quickly. Only works @ 30, but is broken multiple ways.
Battlemind Mc Prone-Daze Protecting your allies by keeping enemies away. Quite powerful.
The Retaliator Getting hit deals more damage to the enemy then you receive yourself, and you can take plenty of hits. Heavy item dependency, Broken.
Dead Kobold Transit Teleports 98 squares a turn, and can bring someone along for the ride. Not fully built, so i can't judge the power
Psilent Guardian Protect your allies, while being invisible. Overpowered, possibly broken
Unnamed Avenger|Runepriest/Hammer of Vengance Do lot's of damage while boosting your teams. Strong to slightly overpowered.
Charedent BarrageA charging ardent. Fine in a normal team, overpowered if there are 2 together, and easily broken in teams of 5.
Super Knight A tough, sticky, high damage knight. Strong.
Super Duper Knight Basically the same as super knight, only far more broken.
Mora, the unkillable avenger Solid damage, while being neigh indestuctable. Overpowered, but not broken.
Swordburst Maximus At-Will Close Burst 3 that slide and prones. Protects allies with off actions. Strong, possibly over powered with the right party.
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3 years ago ::
Dec 22, 2009 - 4:04PM
#30
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Date Joined:
Jan 21, 2003
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Yaknow just to clear up a slight misconception...
Number 1...Druids don't need to turn into a fully animal shape..infact its very much suggested that the shape retains humanoid form (IE he can be a werewolf that way).
Another thought..that someone touched upon, but nobody finished. Is look at the Barbarian...the daily rage abilities....that can be the unholy werewolf rage your friend wants...just rule that whenever he uses Barbarian rage...he turns into a werewolf, once the rage is up so is the shape.
But for at will changing you prob want druid..there are feats that make the shapeshifted form actually change abilities.
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