Lycanthropy in PnP

[Kilor Di]

I've been wondering about whether or not to try use Lycanthropy in the game I'm making.  If I decide to use it, here's the method I was thinking of using:

Lycanthropy is a Cursed magic spell (which is a type of magic restricted to evil characters).  Actually, it's three Cursed magic spells:Minor, Medium, and Major.  If the subject loses it's saving throw, then the GM rolls a die to determine what type of lycanthropy the victim is inflicted with.  Forms like Were-Fox and Were-Badger would be in the Minor Lycanthropy table.  Forms like Were-Cobra and Were-Horse would be in the Medium Lycanthropy table.  Forms like Were-Lion and Were-Jackal would be in the Major Lycanthropy table.  The curse part is that if the player fails their saving throw during the transformation, they make a complete transformation (i.e. a Were-Fox would turn into an actual fox), and would be completely under the control of their animal instincts.  If the player succeeds their saving throw, they transform into the Were-form, where they at least have partial control over their animal instincts (i.e. a Were-Lion character in Were-form would still have urges to kill and devour the nearest live meat, but he would be in better control of them then if he were in a pure animal form, where the nearest live meat wouldn't stand a chance).  I haven't figured out how the curse might be cured or lifted yet.

Any thoughts?

[Andrew Martin]

I've been wondering about whether or not to try use Lycanthropy in the game I'm making.
...
Any thoughts?

Is your game about Lycanthropy?

If so, wouldn't the lycanthrope that bit the character be the determining factor in what type of lycanthrope the PC becomes? (I'm assuming your using bites as the method of transmission.)

[failrate]

No, he said it was a spell.

[Kilor Di]

Yeah, since I try to be unique, yadda yadda yadda, I won't be using the typical transmission through biting/clawing process.  Besides, if you were bitten by a Were-Cobra in any world, you'd be poisoned, so lycanthropy would be at best a secondary issue.

And to answer your question, no, it's not really about lycanthropy, but that doesn't mean that lycanthropy can't exist in that world.  Just like how DnD's focus on dungeon-crawling doesn't prevent characters from fighting in wars or running respectable (or questionable) businesses.

[Rich Stokes]

Again with the thread "hijacking" :)

I've been working on lycanthropes for Urban Mythos too.  The short version is:

Like Vampires, they're a seperate race. Humans cannot "become" Weres as such, but many humans might develop their Were nature in later life.  But it's definately something you're born with.

They aren't tied to being a Were-anything.  Weres all have the potential to change form into pretty much any of a whole bunch of predators.  They're all carivores, so no Were-sheep. Also as they become more adept at it they can control not just how animalistic they become, but in which ways.

Weres have a varying degree of control over what they become, depending on how experienced they are at "Wereing up".  In game terms, this will be a skill that they can learn at varying degrees.

They don't just change form, they change totally, mind as well.  If they change completely into an animal, they'll be stuck.  Not easy to reverse, even if you can find them they won't know that they're not a fox or whatever.  But medical thaumaturgy can cure it if you can get them to a hospital.  As a general rule, Weres will "part change" into whatever they feel the need to, taking on features of that animal rather than changing massively.  

The authorities in The City treat known Weres like anyone else with a disability.  It's actually quite rare for a Were to go feral and actualy hurt anyone.  OTOH, if a doctor thinks a Were is likely to be a danger, they can have them commited to care, much the same as a a person with mental health problems in the real world.

Ther'2s a lot of prejudice against Weres in The City.  Many people treat them as animals dressed as humans.  Again, they may or may

So, er, that's what I did.

I like your idea that it's a curse, or perhaps a corrupt spell.  Gives almoste instant backstory to each and every one.

[Deadboy]

Well, it's really hard to answer this question without knowing what kind of game genre we're talking about. Lycanthropes aren't exactly a creature type that fits in every design paradigm or genre. I'd have to say though, that if there's any doubt in your mind about whether they belong, you're probably better off not using them.

As to the idea itself -- keep in mind that players generally want to see monsters fall within certain conventions. Being original and unique can be good, but if you're utilizing a classical monster, most players prefer said classical monster to work in a specific commonly accepted way. You can create variations on it but it's better to stick with the theme. I think players of your game may be unhappy to find that lycanthropy can't be communicated through a bite... If you use it, you may want to have it start with the spell but them be communicated through bites.

The other thing I noticed -- coming up with a were for every last animal may seem like a good idea at first, but it is possible to go too far (ie, werehorses). Most of the weres sound like they'd rarely, if ever, be used in a game, so there's little point in including them. Try and keep it simple.