Dungeons and Dragons Lore : Werewolf 

Because I have to ask the important questions: How do they respond to belly rubs and head pats?

I liked how he mentioned werewolves being an idea for a supersoldier program. In my WW1 Esq world that I am currently building, a nation decided to modify the curse of lycanthropy to suit military needs. Although the subjects of this program were able to control themselves (true neutral) and even wield modified weaponry, the effect of the full moon still turned them into uncontrollable and savage forces of nature. These modified lycanthropes (called the Geanderte) fled to the icy wilderness of the continent and now live in nomadic tribes.

There were actually plenty of other lycanthrope creatures in folklore and mythology long before D&D. Egypt had sorcerers who transformed into jackals and feasted on human flesh, parts of sub-Saharan Africa had men who would transform into lions and panthers to seek vengeance on their enemies. North Africa and the Middle East had grave robbing were-hyenas. The Asian cultures had a demonic fox that would transform into a human form, and even some North American First Nations people had legends of were-fox sorcerers, and cruel were-otters that would lure boatmen and children as prey. Plus the original were creatures, the Scandinavian berserkers who would don the hides of wolves and bears, transforming themselves into the beast. Northwestern Europe had demonic seals that would shed their beast pelt to transform into human women. Lycanthropes, or more properly therianthopes, were more common and varied in their beast nature than even the D&D writers have imagined.

A man bitten, is a man cursed

Ive always liked the idea that lycanthropy reveals the inner beast of humanoid creatures. If deep within you are a selfish and violent monster then you become a werewolf that would murder and consume the flesh of even your dearest friends. If you are a kind and altruistic person you turn into a werebear.

Even a man who's pure in heart and says his prayers by night will become a werewolf when the wolf bane blooms and the moon is full and bright.

I just realized something about this type werewolf. Its not just a currption of the man, its the currption of the beast inside also. Cause no wolf is this vicious or aggressive.

Wonder if its possible for the person to eventually gain control over their wolf form and become another variant.

I only need Werewolves, the other Weres are just imitating 😜

Bingeing through some older content and this was a serendipitous moment. When you say “but outside of a full moon” it cut off for an add and just blares “Liberty Liberty li li Liberty!” Gave me a good chuckle, first time I’ve enjoyed a Liberty mutual commercial thought I’d share lol

"werespiders" AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I'm making a monster hunter in 5e who specializes in hunting werewolves but not to kill them but to capture and cure them. I'd like know anyone's thoughts on this.

I've had a character idea of a dwarf child who was born with lycanthropy, to live in society stays in wolf form, begging for food. Kind of imagining Oz"s cousin from Buffy

Love the werewolves A.J......if you've ever played the Demiplane of Dread you'll find they're particularly powerful,another interesting lycanthrope is the wereraven which actually migrated to Ravenloft from the Greyhawk setting,why? I don't know I just found it particularly odd to find one of the only non evil lycanthropes that would want to go there....shit it took me forever to get my Necromancer out of there! Lol

Werewolf the apocalypse and forsaken is a great source for were creatures and they have a dark age werewolf.

13:40 "Werewolves aren't pack animals." (shows a pack of three werewolves) My werewolves are a little different than the video, but that's okay, because D&D is big enough to encompass all types.

My favorite věirvülf is the "Strahd's shock trooper" kind. 🐺

1:44 A were-owlbear? Anyway, I'm running Curse of Strahd, and I have some ideas about the werewolves. Zuleika the She-Wolf is my player's ally against Strahd, from Madam Eva's Tarokka reading. I did some thinking about them, because up until now they haven't faced lycanthropes. So I thought --What is the Curse of the Werewolf? It's not being super-fast, and super-strong, recovering from almost any wound, having super-senses to help you hunt prey, or being able to walk around like a normal person when you want to, or being immune to diseases, even magical ones. Those are the benefits. The curse is that your body is always running at full speed, it's red-lining an engine 24 hours a day, it's having adrenaline in your system all the time. You need to eat fresh meat, continuously, because your body is burning energy at an alarming rate. The Curse is -- you can't stop. In my game, werewolves can survive easily on 1d4 hours of sleep, usually during the day, with no ill effects. They can live in cold climates because they have a higher than normal body temperature. Their bodies don't produce lactic acid, so they can run for hours. They can eat anything organic, no matter how rotten or diseased, bones and all, because the Curse makes it usable inside your body. But you need to eat fresh meat every day, or bad things start to happen. If a werewolf doesn't eat fresh meat in a 24 hour period, it gains 2 levels of Exhaustion. This penalty is cumulative, so after 3 days, you're dead. Now that's a curse. Think about the most food you've ever eaten. A whole pizza? 4 Big Macs? The 10-foot hoagie from season four of The Simpsons? A werewolf must eat that every day, or die. Well, maybe not that much. In game terms, how about at least one pound of fresh meat per Hit Die, every 24 hours. And when I say fresh, I mean alive. Another thing about werewolves in my world is that you can't catch the curse. You get bit during a fight, you won't turn into one. The Curse has to be passed on by choice. It's like being in a gang, you need to pass the initiation. And I don't have hereditary werewolves, you can't be born that way. The energy requirements for your body's strength and healing have a deleterious effect on your reproductive system. You can't have offspring. The only way to make more werewolves is by passing the Curse to someone you like well enough to be with them forever. Or until they are killed by an adventurer with a silver weapon.

I'm in a West Marches server and i'm developing a plotline involving Shar planning to dismantle the governments (as her church is prone to do). If they manipulate a Moon Dragon into remaining in its full moon phase, they could cause a lot of distrust in Selune (bonus points in Shar's eyes) and chaos due to the rampaging moon dragon that can control werefolk.

Unless you are a specialty priest of Selûne. In 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms Faiths and Avatars, a priest or priestess of Selûne can control the transformation and even retain his or her control while transformed if the alignment matches his or her own. For example- if a chaotic good werebear infects a priestess, she suffers no ill effects since she never has a loss of control.

An idea I had for visualising a Werewolf "ignoring" damage could be how the T-1000 regenerates any damage done to its body. Only with more blood, bone and viscera.

There should be a limit on the immunity. Tossing a werewolf into a wood chipper should be instant kill.

9:07 Lol, I have a hard time taking this picture seriously. Whoever made this picture used the image from the _Insanity Wolf_ meme as a basis.

I always like diving into the different nuances of the werewolf curse across different fantasy settings. There's so much to play with in a dnd setting already, I like how specific lycanthropy is in the DND multiverse compared to the traditional folklore/hollywood movies. Buffing lycanthropes humanoid forms with increased senses and strength/metabolism and at will transformation awesome but it comes with a terrible price. I also like how they establish specifics for the affliction as a magical disease more or less a curse. Compared to traditional folklore a dnd lycanthrope is much more terrifying and powerful

Great video and a very nice tribute to Gary Gygax at the end.

So a lot of people want to play as werewolves nowadays, and while I personally have no problem with that, I can see why some do. I've never DMed before, but this is how I'd handle it. I'd ask my player what race his werewolves' true form is. I'd ask him if he wants to control his form and be Chaotic Neutral, or let me take control and he has to embrace being the token Chaotic Evil teammate. Obviously he wants to be in control so I'd tell him this; your class is a warlock and you've made a pact with a lycanthrope god to control your savage instincts while transformed. You can transform into a hybrid and animal form for let's say fifteen to thirty minutes at once, and only once before you take two levels of exhaustion and only regain it from a long rest. I, as the DM, would take control of your werewolf form every fifth transformation, no questions asked. On full moons I always take control, no questions asked. I'd make it sound good, but I'd make sure my player knows what he's getting into. That he may cause a TPK. I'd make sure he knows that while this is a powerful gift or curse, depending on how he sees it, but that if he wants to polymorph into a werewolf, there would be consequences in the long run. But that's just me and how I would handle a player who wants to play a werewolf or any werebeast.

A good story involving lycanthropes is the Firestaff series by an author called Fel. The protagonist, Tarrin Kael, is actually a werecat but there are many other lycanthropes in the story. In the story his immunity to normal, non-magical weapons is portrayed in the way mentioned in the video: very rapid regeneration. At one point though it is shown to have limits after being attacked by many people in a short space of time.

4:00 charcaroth?? From Tolkien’s lore??? The picture I mean

Werecats and other shapeshifters are called Therianthropes in general as a catchall in real life. Lycanthrope comes from king lycaon of Arcadia who was cursed to become a wolf. Werecats are known as Alithropes (I don’t know why). It always annoys me that D&D uses lycanthrope as a catchall.

Last time I checked, an infected Lycanthrope has neither any control nor awareness of their condition until they pass a wisdom check while in their transformed state. If they pass, they become self aware and can then begin learning to control the affliction. Otherwise, they just black out with no memory of what happened while they were in animal form.

Running my group through the Werewolf Den in our Curse of Strahd campaign this evening. been listening to this, as well as some of your other creature videos, to really get into the Werewolf mindset, and for inspiration to add to the den, as it seemed a bit lacking to me.

have you thought about doing a video on the 5th edition version of the act of the taming? Just a thought.

“It is not transmitted through bloodline” “You can be born werewolf”

werehhuman?

Where wolf? ....There, wolf! - Young Frankenstein

Ok, it's raining tonight. Look for an inn or push on through the woods? Um look for an inn Ok. You find your way to the Slaughtered Lamb pub. You may stay overnight for three silver each. Ok cool. "Pays in coppers" 😁

Seawolves.

great vid as always! this creature has been a standby in many full length campaigns.i9 was unaware that lycanthropy was hereditary. that is very interesting. you dont have to be bitten, you just have the roll of the dice.

Lupine-based lycanthropy, while an affliction can also be considered a blessing by certain people, particularly to druids and shamans, being closely associated with a nature spirit, elemental powers and gods of wilds, as well as their followers in certain rare cases the Lycan genes can be inherited, one should not consider it a curse unless they lose themselves not to the animal but rather to Beast, the worst sides of ones own soul,

@AJ Pickett I read some books recently where a character had a regeneration spell cast in such a way that it was somewhat permanent HOWEVER, when he's hurt he'll regenerate almost instantly but it still saps his constitution the way natural healing does. So he might win the fight but he's so weak he needs immediate rest, or even worse, pass out before combat ends. I just thought it might be an interesting way for natural weapons to still have some effect.

The singing at the end was my favorite part. Choice song my dude

I play a maltransmutation expert in one of my games. He can recognize magic that can transform objects into something unnatural, such as lycanthropes. It was inspired by my World of Warcraft character who does something similar for worgen and he helps worgen and humans co-exist and create a playing field where a worgen's clear superiority over humans is not a barrier to understanding.

Ooh I love those ideas. A scholar mutating the disease. Hmm new plot is now made.

Thanks AJ.

I'm running an Al Qadim game using 5e at the moment so I've got werehyenas around. This gives me some great ideas.

You forgot the Wolfwere. From the Ravenloft setting.

It's like a growth spurt. It hurts, except no amount of milk will help.

0:27 dont forget bout the weretiger

Werecreature warlock their patron is a werecreature god.

That's a great fuckin song damn

Could it be this "were" variety that perhaps the Japanese have gotten hung up on but with "Beastgirls"?

5:24 That Gilnean Worgen. Something I never understood was werewolves on roofs. WoW does it, random pictures do it, and most DMs do it.

I enjoy your videos often I forget to like and subscribe. I’m trying to make it a point to do that now though. Appreciate your work

Ah yes but has there been a weretrex?

Thanks for including the rising from the dead aspect, AJ. I haven't tried that one ... yet! Also - Wererats please! Not sure if you are familiar with Lankhmar. They had some interesting takes on this form of lycanthropy - including cults, grain, and thieves guilds.

You would have loved my Romance of the Soulless Overlords mini-campaign. One of the powers (nations) is led by "natural werewolves", they can spread the disease but they are far superior because that is their form... not their curse. They keep their cursed spawn in line.

I honestly like Jim Butcher's Werewolf lore. where there are several ways werewolves are made, there are Lupe Garu which is D&D type WW they are forced to change on the full moon and just butcher any living thing in sight. there are people who have wolf like natures they pack up and they are simply more savage people, but are otherwise human. you can be taught by a force of nature so like a druid. and then there are those that can change by wearing a pelt belt that was created by a fiend with the intent to corrupt mortals. I think those are the only 4 that Bob the Skull knows of.

1:00 werebos, I'll be here all night.

A few other lycanthropes that you could do videos on would be Werebats, werefoxes, wereravens and werecrocodiles. As I know there is lore out there for them at least. Types like wererams and weredolphins dont seem to have much lore to them, but who knows. Maybe you'll find something that I wont? XD

Aj your videos are too on point Forever fan

Where do lycanthropy come from in d&d? And how long do they generally live?

I had this idea for a setting where there is a religion based around lycanthropey.Like its considered a gift and not a curse, and all the clergy are wearsomethings.I like to imagine that there are different factions that split off for different sects of this religion and that there is a society around it.You could make a whole region where lycanthropes control everything.I like to imagine that were lions would own most of the territory and wearrats would be running around in the sewers dragging people under to devour or turn them.

I think if I ran these monsters I would tell the party that if they got turned they will be able to control it in time. Make several wisdom saves fight to maintain yourself even while transformed, it can be done. You would have to try keeping that part of yourself in check even while in human form but I think its an interesting idea.

But 5E rules state that Paladins are not immune to Lycanthropy because "its not a disease".

If I ever get a chance too play DND with my buddies I’m gonna try to become a Werewolf.

I’m going to make a npc who is good but is a werewolf in secret for my d and d campaign. I will make its human form very trustworthy so my party will fall for its psychology trap.

i need help i want to make players have the ability to become infected with lycanthropy mainly werewolves but i want it to be a bad thing to be infected with any ideas how i can do this?

Just for reference, I am a native Kansan. No werewolves in Kansas.

One time I RPed a werecamel. They can store extra water in their hump

Another classic werecreature.... I remember being too scared of movies with werewolves when I was a kid.

All who aren’t blind know It’s not a disease but a blessing!

I always wondered if the 'werecreature' template could be used to create werecreatures based off marsupials.

I'd imagine trying to kill one with non magical silver weapons would were out your party pretty quickly.

can you become a dire werewolf, or a weredirewolf?

Is it possible for there to be items like rings or am 3:52 ulets that a lycanthrope could acquire to be able to keep their sanity during a full moon but still retain the enhanced strength?, could be a good plot for a campaign

What if wearwolves were the bulk of a military force of a nation.Who would fuck with that nation?Maybe some heavily armored palidens with silver bladed swords that could afford them, but no one else.It's also possibe that in a setting like this not everyone would know that silver is the bane of wearwolves.The common peasant might just think they are invincible.

now, something I personally enjoy the idea of creatures called alpha werewolves. Far stronger than the average werewolf, they usually force other werewolves into their "pack" by beating them into submission, so much so that there's no question as to who is in charge, leading to an odd oppressed tribalism in the thought processes of the other werewolves. If they can talk, they'll often refer to the alpha as sort of a be-all, end-all entity that almost everything has to be put past for the final say. It's a unique spin that could allow for some unsuspecting players & some tense moments you otherwise couldn't get

Have you looked at the Lycan bloodhunter class

Anyone else notice while going down the "were" list he specifically says "fox ladies" and not just werefoxes? Lol

Imagine a murder of wereravens gathering....that would be awesome!

but are there wolfweres?

What about wereDRAGONS? I like that humanoids who learned to turn intu dragons were called weredragons, like the drow-dragons. But others were more a mix of humanoid and dragon, also members of the cult of the dragon wanted to become weredragons, as lycantropi is a curse, there must be a magical way.

If a person afflicted with this curse simply does not let the light of the full moon touch them would they be ok? And how about if you were to magnify the light coming from a half moon or something with a lense or spell? Would that force a transformation?

The Moon: The Origin of Lunacy :)

Is animalistic savagery really chaotic evil? Sounds more unaligned to me. Akin to other lesser intelligent beasts. Nature is horrific of course

What happens if all your base stats are higher than what the form or change gives you will go up or down or stay the same

ARWOOO!!!! Werewolves of Faerun!!!!

10:20 consult them?

Would they be able to be killed with a sentient weapon??

Would a werewolf Druid be able to easier control themselves?

Best sleep aid ever

Wereweasel 😂

So what happens if a really powerful creature get bitten by one of thease? sut to make it a bit silly, a dragon gets bitten when i humanoid form...

You should do werebats

Does a werewolf in full wolf form detect as magical, to a detect magic spell, say?

Where a were? Everywhere a werewere.

What about the Wolfwere and Greater Wolfwere from the old days of Shadow Realms?

I honestly would want to be a werewolf, it would be a great way to scare the crap out my friends 🤣. I think that werewolfs would turn into the beast form every night like in that Steven king movie “Silver Bullet”

Stop being ridiculous you're all vampires 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

What about were dragons that’d be powerful asf