Werewolves

Basic premise that they can only be human race or a separate race all together, and when in form they are similar to a shifter of old/new semi form abilities I know probably hard to work the coding, but I will describe to the best of my ability. If the idea is developed further as a human I think it should be for fighting types only assassins, warriors, and maybe anti-paladins or thieves.

-First: gear none on feet, head, or hands, this includes weapons and gauntlets/gloves.
-Second: The ability is only able to be called on a full moon or once it is mastered say (90%) it can be called at will though with limited time and like (Battle) thirst a exhausting period afterward.
-Third: as I said earlier similar to forms but gear other than what is stated should still count toward overall stats but no increased hit and dam to speak of, from the transformation, other than an increase in Strength which would raise hit and dam slightly.
-Fourth: With the added strength is also an added dexterity and vitality, but a loss of intelligence, wisdom, and charisma also an inherent resistance, not as strong as a giant but stronger than a felar.
-Fifth: With the resistance to weapons/physical attacks only, an added vulnerability is gained, to silver this meaning that any silver you have on your body or in your inventory will burn you including your coins like a constant poison or plague.
-Sixth: with the form not being a full transformation into an animal what the person wears can still be blasted by creatures in the game or shattered if stone by an invoker, also what you hold cant be manipulated such as sacks/potions/weapons/etc.. because the transformation of ones hands is so great that they can only be used as weapons.
-Seventh: For all transformations your metabolism quickens not like haste but an increase in the need to feed also an increase in need for sleep such as after a natural transformation of the moon a lesser exhaustion takes place; also while transformed you gain infravision.
-Eighth: form gains inherent fear of water so once you change its hard to swim.
-Ninth: could only be neutral or evil, don’t think there should be any light walking monsters such as this.
-Tenth: slurred speech while in form, not the same as a minotuar more suited for speaking with a maw.
-Eleventh: as reference to earlier with the increase in strength and speed number of hits per round goes up and dodge is slightly better than normal.
-Twelfth: A gain of three abilities while in form for fighting, first Biting- two round attack that causes slightly more damage than a normal hit but can cause bleeding though not as strong as say hamstring duration; second Slashing claws- multiple hit ability up to 4-6 hits at peek ; third Howl- Mixture of berserk and warcry can be used in tandem if the abilities are affecting during the change; Each ability should be gained as one gains titles though not necessarily in above order.
-Thirteenth: on some occasions when say gear is removed/shattered/death while on a full moon the transformation takes place automatically unable to calm yourself for the duration of the full moon.
-Fourteenth: as with a shifter the form gets stronger with titles but like each race weakens with age.
-Fifteenth: two separate descriptions should be written one for form and one while not.
-Sixteenth: an experience penalty maybe 250 or so extra each rank.

*Warriors/Assassins very workable because cant perform specialization skills, or joint locks/kicks, etc..
I am not completely sure how the skills would work if they should be like that of a shifter or just not allow the use of certain skills.
*A suggestion from a friend of mine also that the race has to be picked after rolling is complete as well as a limited number, maybe not quite as high as minotaur, but after rolling the character is done you have a choice to become, if the race is done by human transformation instead of a separate race altogether.
*if one gains a title while in form the dumb affect should stay in play, I think, though the slight increase in vitality should also have a similar affect.
*Yet another suggestion from another friend of mine that the transformation could just take place on a full moon all the time without having to call if the clothing on hands, head, and feet wasn’t strong enough to keep from being ripped apart, or even if perhaps one item is hindering the transformation that it become deformed (similar affect to dent) and the transformation take place anyway.
*Perhaps also that dependant on which path you choose to take with these creatures design that if the transformation attempted every time the moon was full their was also an ability to help calm the inner beast, and you would be able to use this because you could feel yourself begin to change as night comes.

P.S. all replies requested positive or negitive.

1) "Evil, strong, dumb" is not a niche our race selection is having trouble filling. It's a pretty good bet that given the existence of orcs, minotaurs, duergar, and fire giants, we're looking in other directions.

2) As proposed, you're suggesting a race with unprecedented power from inherent and other natural abilities- damage resistance, combat inherents, enhanced dodge/etc., more attacks, etc. The drawbacks dealing with gear and weapons are pretty minimal- you're most similar to a shifter who retains a full host of class abilities like Bash. Being forced into changing into a killing machine is not a real drawback, and the vulnerability to a fairly rare weapon material like silver is not a big problem for a high-CON (i.e. not fragile) form with enhanced physical defenses. 250 XP is a non-factor.

3) I don't see this as a 'race' (they aren't born that way) or a 'class' (it's not an occupation). It's most similar to a disease- one that has no real precedence in CF lore/history. It's also fairly overdone- there's any number of werewolf movies, books, roleplaying games, etc out there. I'm not sure how much ground we could break there, and it would carry too much baggage ("It says here on werewolf.com that purple is a disfavored boot color!") that I wouldn't want to have to design around.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

While I agree "werewolf" shouldn't be a choosable race, it might be cool to code generic lycanthropy as a condition that could be imposed on a given character. Of course it would have advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

1. Improved hp/mv regen all the time.
2. Improved senses. Maybe something like lifesense.
3. When in lycanthrope mode:
3a. Super-improved hp/mv regen.
3b. Haste-like effect in combat. Maybe offense-only.
3c. Animal-like inherents (hamstring, bite, etc.)
3d. Lycanthope skillset regardless of original class. Combat oriented, but without any of the fancy stuff.

Disadvantages:

1. Silver vuln at all times.
2. At night during the full moon forced to assume lycanthrope mode. When in lycanthrope mode:
2a. Unable to speak, cast, commune or sing.
2b. Unable to sleep.
2c. Unable to purchase items in town shops.
2d. Possibly unable to use town healers.
3. Considered "unnatural" by all characters who care about that sort of thing.

I'm envisioning something like when Karithia contracted vampirism.

Like when in the lycanthrope form, maybe remove the skills of the warrior or whatever's skills he had and give him stuff like bite or claws...

I'm wondering what the distinction between felar and were-* would be.

Felar are normal, healthy mortal beings. Lycanthropes are freaky, supernaturally enhanced, rabid beasts. I thought it was a crappy movie, but imagine the things from Underworld.

Never going to happen, and rightfully so. I avoid muds like the plaque where vampires, werewolves, and dragons are playable races. As an alternative I think questing to become a werewolf could be very cool. I just would hate to see dozens of werewolves running around. As a new race, I personally would like to see the saurians become one, or maybe some kind of off shoot of the saurians. We need Lizards!

have certain lycanthropes in the game transfer a disease
every time you age an hour, or something else if that is too long.
lose 10 hp off max hp (or more) starts a quest of sorts with no clues.
you have until you die to complete the quest, maybe the illness has some -1 timer maledictions. if you pull off the quest (i.e. complete the transformation before the disease ravages you) then you get a low rating shapeshift skill, one form, (whatever lycanthrope you were bitten by) maybe something you cannot practice, base 25% can only be done when the moon is full or whatever limits are needed.

the quest having no clues when it starts is likely to keep most people from even trying it. the probability of death if you fail will also limit the number of folk attempting it.

'course you could set up a trigger highlight on changing of the moon to full, you alter description and act more bestial. etc.. but whew what a hassle. esp. if you are fighting when it comes. keep to the rp and die while pasting the new desc? or wait til fight is done to do the change?

as for the rest: saurians are an awesome idea. (way back in the d&d days ('79-'84) I always thought lizardmen and the like should have been acceptable races. but that's just me)

To say right off, this is one of the first race ideas I've seen on this forum that I've liked. (but then again, I don't even like minotaurs, so piss on me)

>Basic premise that they can only be human race or a separate
>race all together, and when in form they are similar to a
>shifter of old/new semi form abilities I know probably hard to
>work the coding, but I will describe to the best of my
>ability. If the idea is developed further as a human I think
>it should be for fighting types only assassins, warriors, and
>maybe anti-paladins or thieves.

Maybe not thieves and assassins. Can you see this seven-foot raging raving rabid blood-thirsty beast with the patience for those arts? I understand that's in form, but if they're concentrating on developing their abilities as a werewolf, do they really have time for things like legacies and poisons, and, oh I dunno, Patience?

>-First: gear none on feet, head, or hands, this includes
>weapons and gauntlets/gloves.
>-Second: The ability is only able to be called on a full moon
>or once it is mastered say (90%) it can be called at will
>though with limited time and like (Battle) thirst a exhausting
>period afterward.

It shouldn't be optional on a full moon, at least until say level 15 or something. Then you could gain a skill called willpower where you resist the change. You could also gain a skill at 30ish-40 called Conquering the Beast or something like that which would allow you to change at will

>-Third: as I said earlier similar to forms but gear other than
>what is stated should still count toward overall stats but no
>increased hit and dam to speak of, from the transformation,
>other than an increase in Strength which would raise hit and
>dam slightly.

I think that if we're counting the werewolf as a form, it will have its own hit and dam, just like a shifter's form. This may be higher or lower than your natural form.

>-Fourth: With the added strength is also an added dexterity
>and vitality, but a loss of intelligence, wisdom, and charisma
>also an inherent resistance, not as strong as a giant but
>stronger than a felar.
>-Fifth: With the resistance to weapons/physical attacks only,
>an added vulnerability is gained, to silver this meaning that
>any silver you have on your body or in your inventory will
>burn you including your coins like a constant poison or
>plague.

In form you can't see your inventory or your money. I don't remember whether your inventory weight has any affect on you in form or not, but assuming it DOESN'T, then your silver coins shouldn't affect you. But if it DOES, then it shouldn't be strong or happen very often, say as often or less often than the mana drain on forms. But Silver Weapons used against you would have a great affect, just like iron or mithril on the elven races.

>-Sixth: with the form not being a full transformation into an
>animal what the person wears can still be blasted by creatures
>in the game or shattered if stone by an invoker, also what you
>hold cant be manipulated such as sacks/potions/weapons/etc..
>because the transformation of ones hands is so great that they
>can only be used as weapons.

What happens to the weapon(s) you may be holding when you transform into the werewolf? Do they fall into your inventory? Nah, you can't manipulate it with your hands enough to slide it into a sack or something. Maybe they'd fall onto the ground. Get 'em later or have a group mate pick em up and give them to you. But I like the idea of say, your gauntlets and boots shattering or ripping (and thus being destroyed or damaged, like dent, depending on certain factors which I haven't thought up of yet), and your helmet falling off or shattering due to quickly increasing size in those areas.

>-Seventh: For all transformations your metabolism quickens not
>like haste but an increase in the need to feed also an
>increase in need for sleep such as after a natural
>transformation of the moon a lesser exhaustion takes place;
>also while transformed you gain infravision.
>-Eighth: form gains inherent fear of water so once you change
>its hard to swim.

Like Felar Hydrophobia. Hydrophobia also affects your morale.

>-Ninth: could only be neutral or evil, don’t think there
>should be any light walking monsters such as this.

hell no, not lightwalkers. They should even be targeted by groups like the Fortress and the Empire and the Tribunal, simply because they're ferocious chaotic freaks of nature. Perhaps even Battle too, but I don't know. I can see Outlander accepting Werewolves. Herald wouldn't because they're so dangerous and the customers wouldn't want something like that in the bar.

>-Tenth: slurred speech while in form, not the same as a
>minotuar more suited for speaking with a maw.

How 'bout just Rawwr? It would be similar to gibberish except only using r's a's w's and the occasional g. Hehe, that sounds fun. Maybe the older you get the more you learn to control your maw, but even then you'd get stuff sounding like Scooby Doo. Roobyroo arn shrappy oo! I'd hate to be the coder for that.

>-Eleventh: as reference to earlier with the increase in
>strength and speed number of hits per round goes up and dodge
>is slightly better than normal.

Why is dodge any better? I can see them being faster, but I don't see these crazy slobbering beasts caring so much about themselves to dodge. They'd just rage onward. I can see parry, sure, third and fourth attacks, sure...

>-Twelfth: A gain of three abilities while in form for
>fighting, first Biting- two round attack that causes slightly
>more damage than a normal hit but can cause bleeding though
>not as strong as say hamstring duration; second Slashing
>claws- multiple hit ability up to 4-6 hits at peek ; third
>Howl- Mixture of berserk and warcry can be used in tandem if
>the abilities are affecting during the change; Each ability
>should be gained as one gains titles though not necessarily in
>above order.

I like these. Reminds me of my ferret. Biting should be 3-round, maybe even 4-round, and slightly more powerful than you suggested, perhaps equaling hamstring. Maybe Howl increases in strength as you go on in life, you get it 20ish. I see a 40ish werewolf howling, and then goreing or impaling every two rounds or something due to Gore's beserking affects. Maybe it wouldn't last very long, but very powerful, and very exhausting afterwards

>-Thirteenth: on some occasions when say gear is
>removed/shattered/death while on a full moon the
>transformation takes place automatically unable to calm
>yourself for the duration of the full moon.

Wait, no, I don't like this. I can see that if your adrenaline is pumping or if you're attacked on a full moon you automatically shift, but would you really get that angry over a gauntlet? If Banner raged everytime he ripped his shorts he'd never leave the big green body. He'd calm down, look down at his pants... Aw ####. Well. That just pisses Hulk off. SMASH... sorry. Tangent there. Anyway. You get what I mean.

>-Fourteenth: as with a shifter the form gets stronger with
>titles but like each race weakens with age.

The more time you spend as a werewolf the weaker you are, the more uncomfortable you are in your natural form. I can see TONS of roleplay opportunities in here. The tortured soul, hating the rage and yet loving it at the same time...

>-Fifteenth: two separate descriptions should be written one
>for form and one while not.

I love this. I've always wanted to write my own description for my ferret.

>-Sixteenth: an experience penalty maybe 250 or so extra each
>rank.

For a werewolf? Nah, 300, 400. On TOP of your class and Race penalties.
>
>*Warriors/Assassins very workable because cant perform
>specialization skills, or joint locks/kicks, etc..
>I am not completely sure how the skills would work if they
>should be like that of a shifter or just not allow the use of
>certain skills.

Think about it. You have no time or drive to research your skills in your class, you're so busy trying to keep yourself from killing things every full moon. You're busy mastering the inner beast. Any abilities you might have as a class should be greatly reduced, such as no legacies, weaponspec, etcetera. And you already know my feelings about assassins.

> *A suggestion from a friend of mine also that the race has to
>be picked after rolling is complete as well as a limited
>number, maybe not quite as high as minotaur, but after rolling
>the character is done you have a choice to become, if the race
>is done by human transformation instead of a separate race
>altogether.

HIGHER than Minotaur. Much. But still limited. I can see balancing Werewolves enough (esp. with the mult. xp pens) to allow more of them. I understand why Minotaus are rare, but there are lots of wolves out in them ther forests, plenty of opportunities to get bit by one. I see Werewolves as being a semi-rare occurance, not as rare as minotaurs.

>*if one gains a title while in form the dumb affect should
>stay in play, I think, though the slight increase in vitality
>should also have a similar affect.
>*Yet another suggestion from another friend of mine that the
>transformation could just take place on a full moon all the
>time without having to call if the clothing on hands, head,
>and feet wasn’t strong enough to keep from being ripped apart,
>or even if perhaps one item is hindering the transformation
>that it become deformed (similar affect to dent) and the
>transformation take place anyway.

Yeah. I commented on this stuff above. But I like the dumb thing, nifty, just like for shifters. Makes perfect sense. How can you learn while you're in a constant bloodthirsty rage?

>*Perhaps also that dependant on which path you choose to take
>with these creatures design that if the transformation
>attempted every time the moon was full their was also an
>ability to help calm the inner beast, and you would be able to
>use this because you could feel yourself begin to change as
>night comes.
>
Also commented on above.

I like the idea, I think its very playable. More so than Minotaur. I don't like Minotaur, I don't see how it fits into Thera, except with the whole Seantryn factor. They just don't seem to have enough of a niche.
However, Werewolves have a bit more of one, and Thera is ripe for them about now, especially with the Outlanders. They'd be needing a werewolf or two to help their cause. The interesting factor would be neutral werewolves. The semi-good-guy struggling with the evil monster within. I would like to see Werewolves implemented, simply for the reaction of the various groups. Like, for example, how would Battle react? Its not magic, but its still defying the gods. Maran sees it as an evil that must be exterminated. Tribbies see them as a threat to society. The Empire MIGHT embrace them, to terrorize its opponents and citizens, keep them in check. But I think Werewolves would rather side with the Outlanders, due to the persecution they've recieved from society. BURN IT DOWN!!! Definate Revenge factor.
Anyway, I love it. It's got my vote.

>P.S. all replies requested positive or negitive.
>
Been there done that.

Peace,
Splntrd

They rock.

Minotaurs may kick ass as a race to play, I will not argue against that BUT
in my own opinion, (and I've never played a minotaur or done any extensive research as to origins and reasons as to why the Imms put them in and yadda, so my opinion is just a general impression and bias I have, not anything well-founded and supported and therefore not really worth anything) Minotaurs do not fit in with the vague idea I have of CF's history and racial development. AND they're unoriginal, like Werewolves. I wouldn't like to see Werewolves implemented, though it is an interesting idea. I see Minotaurs as being the response to an outcry of players calling for a new race, not very well founded and based. Sure, they wrote up some history for them, I'm glad, sure they gave them an Imm, sure, they added some roleplay for Amaranthe followers. But all that seems to have faded out. It was a brief craze which I don't feel did much for the game. And the cap's too low anyway.

So. It's just a personal opinion. Not much real thought put into it, natural bias and whatnot.

f