What We're Talking About When We Talk About Lycanthropy

One of Telcanter's recently-linked articles about rampaging werewolves inspired me. Being able to roll one die and get an instant, interesting result is great, but there's also drama in seeing all the details of an awful night's carnage unfold one result at a time. So this has details you can't get in a d30 roll like different locations and personages for urban vs wilderness encounters... I figure if a player is a werewolf that's something they'll be dealing with rather a lot, so less chance of repetition is a good thing. (Okay sure in some editions curing lycanthropy is just a remove curse/cure disease spell away, but then you lose the mythic quest to hunt down the original werewolf and the whole wolvesbane-and-silver-cage ritual, which I mean come on that's like half the fun.)

Tracking involuntary transformations is easiest if you assume a lunar month is 30 days long, and full moons last three days. When a player gets infected if you weren't already keeping track of the phases roll a d30 (or a d3 and a d10) and subtract 3... that's how many nights until they're howling. Results of zero or less mean look the fuck out. You can roll a d30 again any night players 'forget' to note how long they have left, cuz I guess they lost track of time?

Full moon nights not spent locked in a cage mean you roll ALL THE DICE (except a d20 and d%) and FEED ON THE DREAD.

d12: Who was the victim? (Urban / Wilderness)

1. Special (1d4: 1 local ruler, 2 powerful wizard, 3 PC’s family, 4 hireling or other PC)
2. Noble / Traveling Dignitary
3. Priest / Druid
4. Town guard / Border Patrol
5. Beggar / Bandit
6. Smith, Craftsman, or Tinkerer
7. Shopkeeper / Farmer
8. Merchant / Trader
9. Sailor / Hunter or Trapper
10. Bartender or Innkeeper
11. Orphan / Lost Child
12. Prostitute / Lumberjack

d10: Where did it happen? (Urban / Wilderness)

1. Special (1d4: 1 castle / watch post, 2 dungeon / crumbling ruin, 3 brothel / monastery, 4 bell tower / craggy precipice in the middle of a thunderstorm)
2. Sewers / Swamp
3. Dark Alley / Cave
4. Town Square / Open Field
5. Store / Pasture
6. Home / Barn or Farmhouse
7. Street / Trail
8. Inn / Hunting Lodge
9. Docks or Town Gate / Bridge or Riverbed
10. Temple / Shrine or Druid Circle

d8: Did anyone see you?

1. Nope! You’re one stealthy-ass slavering monster.
2. No witnesses, but you left signs… pawprints, or clumps of fur.
3. A few people saw a strange beast lurking in the shadows, but nothing conclusive.
4. Lone witness – fortunately, not someone people take seriously.
5. Lone witness – someone respectable, influential, and competent. Uh oh.
6. They didn’t see where you went, but yep, people definitely saw a werewolf.
7. Someone saw you, and worse, you left a trail. They’re following you even now.
8. Everyone saw you, and you left a swath of destruction impossible to miss. You see torchlight, and hear the mob crying out for your blood.

d6: Good heavens, what did you do?!

1. Attacked the victim.
2. Attacked the victim’s friends or family.
3. Attacked the victim’s pets or farm animals.
4. Destroyed the victim’s house.
5. Destroyed or stole the victim’s property.
6. Defiled a holy site or dug up graves.

d4: How bad is the damage?

1. Some scratching and biting, nothing too serious… except for the possible infection, of course.
2. Severe mauling, leaving permanent injury. Buildings ransacked. A lone animal butchered.
3. Killed, or completely destroyed. Buildings burned. Many animals slaughtered.
4. Wow you don’t mess around. Multiple deaths – the victim and anyone who got in your way. The fire spread to the rest of the block or village. The whole farm got eaten.