Werewolves and Other Lycanthropes in D&D 5e (and How to Fix Them)

Everything you need to know to run lycanthropes in your adventure.

What are lycanthropes in D&D?

A werewolf is a type of lycanthrope. Lycanthropes are shapeshifters that have an animal form and a humanoid form (and often a hybrid form too). This animal form can vary from wolves, tigers, bears and many other creatures too, though werewolves are generally the most common.

Lycanthropes tend to be affected by various magical and natural events. This can make them more bloodthirsty and force them to shapeshift (though some lycanthropes have more control over their affliction). These events can include the appearance of a full moon, a change in season, a momentous event, some kind of magic or even just the threat of an enemy.

At many times though, a lycanthrope has control over their shapeshifting.

Types of lycanthropes

The type of lycanthrope you become depends on the animal type of the lycanthrope that infected you. This means that a werewolf can’t turn someone into a wereboar for example.

Below are all the types of werebeasts found in D&D 5e, though it is possible that other animal types are lurking out there if you want them to be…

• Werebear
• Wereboar
• Wererat
• Weretiger
• Werewolf

In each case, these werebeasts can transform between a humanoid form, an animal form and a hybrid form.

How to become a lycanthrope

So you kind of like the rugged, hairy look and gathering with your mates at midnight to howl at the moon. And you want to voluntary be cursed with lycanthropy to fulfill this dream? Well, D&D is for all sorts of people and yes, you can become a werewolf.

There are 4 ways that someone might become infected with lycanthropy. This also affects the nature of the individual afflicted by this curse:

• Inherited – Also known as true lycanthropy, these people are born lycanthropes due to having parents that are also lycanthropes. While this form of lycanthropy has no known cure, these individuals also tend to have more control over their condition.
• Infection – When someone is injured by a lycanthrope, there’s a chance they might be infected with lycanthropy. If this person is not cured of the infection, they may transform into whatever animalistic type of lycanthrope it was that injured them.
• Induced – Some magical items are capable of cursing someone with lycanthropy. Such individuals are not able to infect others with lycanthropy, even with their bite.
• Curse – In some cases, a powerful curse or spell is capable of transforming someone into a lycanthrope.

The only method of becoming a lycanthrope with any official mechanics is through infection.

It can occur when you get into a foray with a werebeast. D&D 2024 describes how this works in the werebeast’s statblock. I’ve used the werewolf version below:

“Bite (wolf or hybrid form only). Melee attack roll +5, Rach 5ft. hit 12 (2d8 +3) piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it is subjected to the following effect. Constitution saving throw DC12. Failure: The target is cursed. If the cursed target drops to 0 Hit Points, it instead becomes a werewolf under the DM’s control and has 10 Hit Points. Success: The target is immune to this werewolf’s curse for 24hrs.”

So essentially, get bitten by a werebeast, fail a constitution saving throw and then drop to 0HP and that’s it, you’re cursed with lycanthropy!

There is a drawback here though. The character is now under the DMs control, not the character’s. Essentially you’re a monster and your character is consumed by that curse. Presumably not what you were hoping for whether you wanted to become a lycanthrope or not.

The 2014 rules however, allow for players to play as lycanthropes. If you fail your constitution saving throw, you’re automatically infected (no need to drop to 0HP). On top of that, you retain your character who experiences some decent stat improvements depending on the werebeast you’ve become. This can include things like a strength increase or an AC increase alongside the ability to shapeshift between werebeast forms.

As explained above though, there are other ways to become a lycanthrope than just being bitten by a werebeast. However, D&D 5e doesn’t have mechanics for these forms of infection. Fortunately, they’re easy enough to integrate into your game.

With DM permission, you might decide your character was born a lycanthrope. A powerful spellcaster might attempt to curse a player with a spell that makes them a lycanthrope (perhaps with a higher DC saving throw). You might even create some profane ritual to instigate the curse. Whatever the method though, it must come with DM permission to bring lycanthropy into your character.

How to be cured of lycanthropy

Maybe you’re a little more sane and don’t actually want to be a lycanthrope. There are a couple of ways to end the effects:

• The remove curse spell – Just be aware that this won’t work on true lycanthropes.
• The wish spell – The only way to cure a true lycanthrope of their affliction.

Of course, as a DM, you could introduce other ways to accomplish this like a ritual, magic item or a boon from a god. You could also include ways to suppress the effects of lycanthropy too.

What’s the problem with lycanthropy in D&D 2024 and how to fix it?

So weirdly, I sort of like the simplicity of werebeasts in D&D 2024. I also quite like the threat of what is a sort of permadeath (at least for the character as we know them).

The problem is, the mechanics are no good for those wanting to play as a lycanthrope. They also imply that all lycanthropes are beastial in nature when really, many maintain a semblance of humanity and might be able to continue adventuring.

I think that what’s included is perfectly valid for groups that don’t want to transform into lycanthropes. But if someone wants their character to become a lycanthrope and control their urges, there should be optional mechanics around this.

The easy option is to simply use the 2014 rules for these mechanics. You could also introduce your own mechanics if you wanted.

The other issue is that silvered weapons are basically pointless against them now (which is supposed to be a lycanthropes weakness). The 2014 werebeasts had immunity to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage that wasn’t from a silvered weapon. Perhaps this made martials a little too useless without silvered weapons so maybe resistance only would have been a good compromise. Unfortunately, the 2024 version does away with this mechanic completely, but is easy to bring back and I think resistance solves the problem of martials having little effect on the beasts.

Running werebeasts in D&D

Werebeasts can make interesting antagonists and even NPCs. Part of the appeal is that they can easily walk among humanoids, unknown that they are in fact monsters. This can create a sense of dread for a community, knowing that somewhere among them is a bloodthirsty creature in humanoid form.

Subverting this trope can be just as interesting. Not all lycanthropes are evil or bloodthirsty, and many are unwilling victims in their curse. And yet many people may want them eradicated simply for being “monsters”.

Below are some ideas you could use for running werebeasts in your campaign:

• Full moon murders – Every time the full moon rises, someone in a town is found brutally murdered.
• Taken over by werewolves – A town is divided between those that have willingly taken on the curse of lycanthropy to make them stronger and those that will not. With their greater strength, the lycanthropes are able to take over the town by force. Conversely, those unwilling to make the transformation are discriminated against and subjugated by the more powerful werewolves among them.
• Protecting the pack – A pack of werebeasts are being accused of crimes they didn’t commit and are now being hunted down. Of course it’s one groups word against another. Who should the party side with?

Using werebeasts in combat

There’s more to lycanthropes than just werewolves. There’s a whole assortment of werebeasts to choose from, each with different forms they can use in combat.

If you’re running combat with lycanthropes, you could use these tactics. I’ve based these ideas on the 2024 version of the werebeasts:

• Humanoid forms for ranged attacks – You’re not limited to just your natural claws and teeth, all werebeasts have a ranged attack in humanoid form. Make sure you use it when you’re out of range, or if your opponent is more of a melee specialist.
• Shapeshifting is now a bonus action – Unlike the 2014 versions of werebeasts, lycanthropes can now shapeshift as a bonus action instead of an action. This makes them a lot more adaptable, allowing you to shoot at range then charge in for melee attacks the next turn without spending an entire turn transforming.
• Werebears for the most powerful curse – Resisting the curse of lycanthropy is hardest against a werebear with a DC of 14. If you want to make the encounter a bit more deadly, then a werebear is a good route to go. Wererats have the weakest curse with a DC of 11.
• Great option for permadeath – If a player is infected and drops to 0HP, then they’re consumed by the curse and it’s time to roll up a new character… Almost. Remove curse could save them, if the party like the character that is. Not many creatures are as deadly in D&D, especially at low levels. Normally some light healing is sufficient to get an ally back on their feet, but not against werebeasts!
• Fighting as a pack – A werewolf’s pack tactics give advantage on attack rolls when an ally is in 5ft of the target. So work together to ensure you land those attacks.
• Knock prone with a wereboar – Wereboars can knock their enemies prone with their tusk attack, they’ll just need to make sure they keep mobile to make it work.
• Use verticality with climb speeds – Werebears and wererats have a climb speed. Lure adventurers into greater heights that they may struggle to scale while you take potshots with your ranged weapons and then move out of sight.
• Fast move speeds – All werebeasts except wererats have a faster move speed than the average adventurer. Use this to your advantage preventing enemies escaping or staying out of range of melee attacks.
• Weretigers for stealth – Weretigers can use their bonus action to prowl and move further, avoid opportunity attacks and hide! This makes them great hit and run warriors both keeping them safe and allowing them to gain advantage on attacks.

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That’s everything you need to know to run lycanthropes in your game. They make great low to mid level threats as well as interesting plot points. Let me know how you’ve used them in your campaigns in the comments below.

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