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Breadcrumb

Alpha Werewolf

Challenge
str
14
dex
14
con
14
int
10
wis
10
cha
10

AC 12

HP 104 (16d8 + 32; bloodied 52)

Speed 30 ft. (40 ft. in wolf form)


Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 12

Skills Perception +2 (+1d4), Stealth +4, Survival +2

Damage Immunities damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons

Senses darkvision 30 ft. (wolf or hybrid form only), passive Perception 14

Languages Common


Keen Hearing and Smell. The werewolf has advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Pack Tactics. The werewolf has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the werewolf’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and not incapacitated .

Wolfsbane. Lycanthropes are repelled by the wolfsbane flower. A lycanthrope in hybrid or beast form is poisoned while within 10 feet of a living or dried wolfsbane flower that it can smell. If wolfsbane is applied to a weapon or ammunition, lycanthropes are damaged by the weapon as if it were silver. An application of wolfsbane lasts for 1 hour.

Cursed Wounds. Each of the werewolf’s claw and bite attacks deals an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest . The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.


ACTIONS

Multiattack. The werewolf makes two melee attacks, only one of which can be with its bite.

Greatclub (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage.

Claw (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage.

Bite (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it makes a DC 12 Constitution saving throw . On a failure, it is cursed with werewolf lycanthropy.


BONUS ACTIONS

Shapeshift. The werewolf changes its form to a wolf, a wolf-humanoid hybrid, or into its true form, which is a humanoid. While shapeshifted, its statistics are unchanged. It can’t speak in wolf form. Its equipment is not transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. 

Frenzied Bite (While Bloodied, Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). The werewolf makes a bite attack.

Combat

Most werewolves prefer to fight in humanoid or wolf form, but some fight openly in hybrid form. The werewolf prefers to attack with surprise or alongside allies. When bloodied , a werewolf lacking self-control instinctively switches to hybrid form and uses Frenzied Bite. A werewolf flees when reduced to 15 hit points or fewer.


Legends and Lore

With an Arcana or Nature check, characters can learn the following:

DC 10 Humanoids cursed with lycanthropy transform into animals on the night of the full moon. Many types of were-creatures exist.

DC 15 Any humanoid bitten by a lycanthrope risks becoming a lycanthrope themselves. The child of a lycanthrope might also suffer the curse. Nonmagical weapons cannot harm most lycanthropes, unless that weapon is silvered or coated with wolfsbane.

Description

Some werewolves have fully mastered their curse and use it to prey on innocents, often leading a pack of lesser werewolves.

Behavior

Wilderness Behavior

1 In humanoid form, living alone: avoids strangers for fear of hurting them

2 In humanoid form, living alone: murders travelers

3 In animal form, hunting game

4 In animal form, stalking humanoids (possibly the characters)

5 Hiding in ambush, planning highway robbery

6 In humanoid form, living as a ranger; suspicious of strangers but will help those with good intent

7 Scouting for its family or tribe, or for an evil overlord

8 The last of its bloodline, seeking vengeance


Settlement Behavior

1 In animal form, slinking through alleys

2 In hybrid form, devouring a corpse

3 In humanoid form, fighting animal urges

4 In humanoid form, trying to frame someone for recent murders

5 In humanoid form; can’t remember what it did during the last full moon and is concerned that it may be a lycanthrope

6 In humanoid form, drunk (alcohol dulls its lycanthropic urges)

7 In humanoid form, fleeing from angry pursuers

8 In humanoid form, friendly and talkative (but kills to preserve its secret)

Signs

Wilderness Signs

1 Animal tracks that turn human or vice versa

2 A distant animal howl or roar

3 A humanoid corpse, torn limb from limb

4 DC 14 Perception check: the snapping of twigs

5 A natural animal ( bear , boar , rat , tiger , or wolf )

6 The carcass of a deer or wild pig


Settlement Signs

1 Animal tracks that turn human

2 A distant scream

3 A local crackpot claims to have seen a monstrous beast

4 People speaking in hushed voices about a rash of gruesome killings

5 An herbalists’s shop has been robbed and vandalized. DC 14 Investigation check: the wolfsbane is missing

6 Animal footprints lead to a shop window or door

Encounters

While lycanthropes can be found anywhere, werebears and wereboars are most common in mountains and forests, while weretigers are often found in warmer climates. Werewolves and wererats tend to live in settlements, hiding their curse from others.

CR 0–2 wererat

Treasure 70 gp, 50 sp, pipes of the sewers

CR 3–4 2 wererats ; wererat with swarm of rats or 1 to 3 giant rats ; wereboar ; weretiger ; werewolf

Treasure 200 gp, silver and moonstone ring (75 gp), torn and bloody clothes, figurine of wondrous power (silver raven)

CR 5–10 1 or 2 werebears ; werebear with 1d4 black bears ; 2 or 3 wereboars ; 3 to 5 wererats ; 2 weretigers ; weretiger with 1d4 tigers ; 2 or 3 werewolves ; alpha werewolf

Treasure 50 pp, silver hunting horn studded with jade (250 gp), 1 weapon (type suitable for the lycanthrope; bears an engraving of an animal head)

CR 11–16 3 werebears ; 3 or 4 wereboars ; 3 or 4 weretigers ; alpha werewolf with 2 or 3 werewolves

Treasure 1,500 gp, tightly sealed silver coffer (250 gp) containing wolfsbane, set of silver manacles (250 gp), letter from a distant relative suffering the same form of lycanthropy, 2 potions of stone giant strength , ring of animal influence (it can be used without expending a charge when targeting beasts of the lycanthrope’s type)

Monster Type Description

Humanoids include a number of different intelligent, language-using bipeds of Small or Medium size. Humans and elves are humanoids, and so are orcs and goblins. Humanoids may employ magic but are not fundamentally magical—a characteristic that distinguishes them from bipedal, language-using fey, fiends, and other monsters. Humanoids have no inherent alignment, meaning that no humanoid ancestry is naturally good or evil, lawful or chaotic.