General Rules: Monsters - Lycanthrope: Greater Werelion (Template)

Greater Werelion (adapted from Nyambe: African Adventures)

Greater werelions are humanoids or giants who can transform themselves into dire lions. Greater werelions are extremely rare. In its natural form, a greater werelion looks like a powerfully built member of its kind, but they tend to favor long, shaggy hair. In dire lion form, a greater werelion resembles a normal dire lion, but on close inspection, its eyes (which often glow red in the dark) show a faint spark of unnatural intelligence.

Lycanthropy can be spread like a disease. Sometimes a lycanthrope begins life as a normal humanoid or giant who subsequently contracts lycanthropy after being wounded by a lycanthrope. Such a creature is called an afflicted lycanthrope. Other lycanthropes are born as lycanthropes, and are known as natural lycanthropes.

Combat
A greater werelion in its humanoid form uses whatever tactics and weapons are favored by others of its kind, though it tends to be slightly more aggressive. A lycanthrope possesses the senses of its animal form, including scent and low-light vision, and it has a deep empathy for (and ability to communicate with) animals of its animal form. An afflicted lycanthrope damaged in combat may be overwhelmed by rage, causing it to change to its animal form involuntarily. Greater werelions are very direct in combat, relying on their great strength to overcome their enemies. If seriously outnumbered, greater werelions have been known to hire adventurers to even the odds.

"Greater werelion" is a template that can be added to any humanoid creature, that creature referred to hereafter as the "character". The greater werelion takes on the characteristics of a dire lion, referred to hereafter as the "animal". Creatures with this template use all of the base creature's statistics and special abilities, except as noted here:

Hit Dice: As character or animal, whichever produces the higher hit point total.

Speed: As character or animal, depending on which form the lycanthrope is using.

Armor Class: As character or animal's natural armor +2, depending on which form the greater werelion is using.

Attacks: As character or animal, depending on which form the greater werelion is using.

Damage: As character or animal, depending on which form the greater werelion is using.

Special Attacks: As character or animal, depending on which form the greater werelion is using (plus curse of lycanthropy in animal form).

• Lycanthropic Affinity (Su): Greater werelions can communicate and empathize with normal or dire lions. This gives them a +8 bonus on checks made to influence the lion's attitude and allows the greater werelion to communicate simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands to the animal, such as "friend", "foe", "flee", or "attack". They may also command up to four times their Hit Dice of normal or dire lions. The greater werelion maintains a telepathic connection with any such creatures up to 10 miles away, and they will always obey its orders without hesitation.
• Curse of Lycanthropy (Su): Any humanoid injured by a greater werelion but not actually killed has a chance to contract lycanthropy after the encounter is over. This chance equals 1% per point of damage dealt by the lycanthrope's natural attacks; if several lycanthropes of the same type injure the character, add the chances together. Damage from different types of lycanthropes must be tracked separately. A character killed by a lycanthrope and then raised or resurrected has a 100% chance of contracting lycanthropy. A character that contracts lycanthropy from a greater werelion becomes a normal werelion.

Special Qualities: All greater werelions gain the following special qualities:

• Alternate Form (Su): All greater werelions can shift into the form of a dire lion or a dire lion-humanoid hybrid. Changing to or from animal or hybrid form is a move-equivalent action. Upon assuming natural form, the lycanthrope regains hit points as if having rested for a day. If slain, the lycanthropic creature does not revert to its humanoid form, though it remains dead. A part of the body separated from the whole retains its natural form however. This shapeshifting ability can be difficult for some lycanthropes to control.
• Damage Reduction (Su): A greater werelion's animal and hybrid forms gains damage reduction 25/moonblessed. Greater werelions may be harmed by a weapon forged entirely under the light of a full moon. In addition, the weapon must be blessed in a difficult, taxing ritual by an evil or neutral cleric or druid. Any level cleric or druid may perform the ceremony, but any weapon so blessed will only affect a greater werelion with Hit Dice equal to or less than the total combined levels of all divine casters performing the ceremony. Any caster performing the ceremony may not cast any spells the day before or the day after.
• Low-Light Vision (Ex): The greater werelion gains low-light vision in any form.
• Darkvision (Ex): A greater werelion in any form gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
• Scent (Ex): The greater werelion gains scent in any form.
• Improved Grab (Ex): If a greater werelion in dire lion or hybrid form hits with its bite attack, it can rake as a free action.
• Pounce (Ex): If a greater werelion in dire lion or hybrid form leaps upon a foe during the first round of combat, it can make a full attack even if it has already taken a move action.
• Rake (Ex): A greater werelion in dire lion form that gets hold can make two rake attacks with is hind legs at its normal attack bonus for (1d4 + ½ Strength bonus) damage each. If the greater werelion pounces upon an opponent, it can also rake.

Saves: As character or animal, whichever is better.

Abilities: A greater werelion in humanoid form receives a +2 to Intelligence and Wisdom, due to its animal cunning. In animal or hybrid form, a dire werelion receives the following ability adjustments: Strength +14, Dexterity +4, Constitution +6, Intelligence +2, and Wisdom +2.

Skills: All lycanthropes gain a +4 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks no matter what form they are in. Greater werelions gain a +4 bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. When in areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth a greater werelion gains an additional +8 bonus to Hide checks. Greater werelions in animal form gain the same skills as a normal dire lion in addition to any skills they have in their humanoid forms. If a greater werelion has a skill in both its humanoid and animal forms, use the better score.

Feats: As the character plus Iron Will. Lycanthropes can also learn the Improved Shape Control feat. When in animal or hybrid form, a greater werelion gains the Blind-Fight, Cleave, Improved Initiative, and Power Attack feats.

Climate/Terrain: As character or dire lion.

Organization: Solitary, pride (3 - 7) plus followers (2 - 8 regular werelions, 6 - 12 dire lions, 8 - 24 normal lions).

Challenge Rating: By class level or base creature +4.

Treasure: Standard.

Alignment: Always lawful good.

Advancement: By character class.

Lycanthropy As an Affliction
There are no afflicted greater lycanthropes. Greater werelions are either born or intentionally made via ancient rituals. Anyone afflicted with lycanthropy by a greater werelion becomes a normal werelion.

Greater Werelions as Characters
Becoming a greater werelion does not necessarily change a character’s favored class but usually changes alignment (see above). This alignment change may cause characters of certain classes to lose some of their class features.

Greater werelion characters possess the following racial traits:

• Abilities: +2 Wisdom. In dire lion form the werelion character gains +14 Strength, +4 Dexterity, and +6 Constitution.


• Size: Same as the base creature or the base animal form.


• Racial Hit Dice: A greater werelion gains 8d8 racial hit dice. As a result of these hit dice, a werelion has +6 Base Attack Bonus, +6 base Fortitude save bonus, +6 base Reflex save bonus, and +2 base Will save bonus.


• Racial Skills: A greater werelion adds skill points for its animal Hit Dice. It gains skill points equal to (2 + Intelligence modifier, minimum 1) x 11. The greater werelion's racial skills are Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot. The greater werelion’s maximum skill ranks are equal to its animal form Hit Dice + its racial Hit Dice (if any) + its class levels + 3. Any racial skill adjustments of the greater werelion’s base race and its animal form (but not conditional adjustments) are added to its skill modifiers in any form.


• Racial Feats: Greater werelions gain Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Cleave, Power Attack, and Iron Will as bonus feats.


• +2 natural armor bonus in any form.


• Special Qualities: Alternate form (dire lion and dire lion-humanoid hybrid), lion empathy, curse of lycanthropy (in animal or hybrid form only), improved grab, pounce, rake, low-light vision, darkvision 60 feet, and scent. In addition, a greater werelion gains damage reduction as follows:
  
  • Natural lycanthrope: Damage reduction 25/moonblessed (in animal or hybrid form only).


• Automatic Languages: As base creature.


• Favored Class: Same as the base creature.


• Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +10.

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