Background:

I've often wanted to play characters that weren't of the "classic" races or types that usually are available in Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. Elves, dwarves, gnomes and halflings are by and large OK, but sometimes I've wanted to play something completely different. And when I mean different, I don't mean drow or some other hypermunchkin race. Of course, after the Book of Humanoids, this is not much of a problem anymore.

Nevertheless, a type of "monster" that fascinates me, and therefore something I've wanted to do a character out of, are the were-animals, i.e. werewolf, weretiger and so on. (Werehorse? Weregoldfish? Werecow? Naah. Werecow is something Gary Larson's trademarked, by the way.)

Unfortunately (from my point of view), these monsters have incorporated extremely powerful, magical defenses in various ways - immunity to normal weapons, a powerful Regeneration power, and so on. Thus, something had to be done if I were to be allowed to play some hairball character. The result: Pseudo-wereanimals.

Enough bullcrap:

Just like "normal" wereanimals, i.e. the kind described in the Monstrous Compendiums and whatnot, there are many different kinds of pseudoweres. The weres given here, are at least meant as a starting point for other types of pseudoweres. If a player is dead set playing a pseudoweresquirrel, I for one feel that the player should be allowed to play a pseudosquirrel. The DM and the player should then sit down together and discuss (and write down!) the details of the pseudotype, and keep the notes handy if something unforeseen should pop up (rules lawyering rearing its ugly head, or something).

In this piece, six different pseudos are discussed - the pseudobear, pseudoshark, pseudocat, pseudotiger, pseudowolf and the pseudoeagle. These are only loosely based on the weres with their names - i.e. werebear, wereshark and so on. The most important point to get across here, is that these pseudos are individuals in their own right, not "merely" downscaled versions of more powerful races. It is possible that in the DM's world, these pseudos are a totally different race, somewhat like the Japanese hengeyokai.

All pseudos have three forms they can take. These three are: manform (technically any humanoid race, but a given pseudotype usually have a common race, and there are no bonuses associated with taking any manform race), hybridform (which is something in between full manform and full animalform), and animalform. A pseudo use two minutes to change from one shape to another, and the pseudo must touch "all the bases" to go from one extreme to another, i.e. that from full manshape to full animalshape (or vice versa), the pseudo must "touch" the hybrid shape - thus it takes four minutes for a pseudo to go from one extreme to the other.

In full animalshape, a pseudo affect other animals of one's own pseudowere- type as an Animal Friendship, with all the pros and cons associated with this. This is an instinctive and innate power, and does therefore not need any material components or concentration.

No pseudowere have any special defenses other than those mentioned in each pseudos description. They are in this respect different from full weres, which have immunity to normal weapons and whatnot. All pseudoweres, however, do share one "defense" unique to themselves - they have an innate Regeneration power that heal hit points (but does not regrow limbs) at a rate of 1 hp per two hours no matter what activity the pseudowere is engaged in. The exception to this are wounds from magical or silver weapons - hp loss from these weapons cannot be regained through this magical regenration power.

Race	Racemods	Racemin/max (base 3/18)
Pseudowerebear	+1 Str, -1 Cha	Str 11/19, Dex 4/17, Cha 3/17
Pseudowerecat	+1 Dex & Cha, -1 Wis	Dex 10/19, Wis 3/17, Cha 8/19
Pseudowereeagle	+1 Int, -1 Dex	Int 8/19, Dex 5/18
Pseudowereshark	+1 Str, -1 Wis & Cha	Str 7/19, Wis 3/17, Cha 2/15
Pseudoweretiger	+1 Con, -1 Wis	Con 8/19, Wis 4/17
Pseudowerewolf	+1 Con, -1 Int	Con 7/19, Int 4/17

Pseudowerebear:

The Bears are usually of Nordic ancestry, with fair or red hair, and a fair complexion. They are stolid and ruggedly built, and usually move with a deceptive slowness and clumsiness. This makes an opponent more prone to misjudge the speed and maneuverability of a Bear. In winter the Bears are usually especially slow to the rise, and can sleep days at a time - especially if it is cold and unpleasant weather outside. Bears are often slow to make decisions, but are more like a force of nature when they have decided to do something in a given way. They can also seem slightly retarded, since they have a tendency to carefully think over what they will do before saying anything.

A Bear has an excellent sense of smell, and can often track people he has met only with his olfactory sense, if that is necessary. A Bears most feared mode of attack is perhaps the crushing bear hug that is a trademark of the Bear - and an attack it isn't easy to counter, considering the enormous strength of a Bear. A pseudowerebear receives a free proficiency in Wrestling.

If a Bear declares an attack, and takes a -2 penalty on the attack roll, the Bear can make a bear hug attack. This attack does 2d4 in damage, and unless the opponent can make a Str-check with a greater margin than the Bear, the Bear can automatically hold the hug. In addition, a Bear can make a bite attack at 1d4 hp damage whether the opponent is held or not.

A Bear can also go berserk. If the Bear is berserk, the Bear cannot stop fighting until all (visible) enemies are taken care of. In addition, a Bear cannot use any other weapons than hand-to-hand weapons - it is possible that a Bear in a given situation will be so frustrated that he throws the axe or other weapon he is fighting with, but those are special (and thus, DM adjucated) situations.

The berserk lasts a maximum of [level]+1d10 rounds, and gives the following effects: Str 20, AC penalty +2, no notice of attacks, immune to fear and mind-altering magics, and +10 HP. After the berserk is over, the Bear rolls a Wis-check - if this fails, the effective Int of the Bear is reduced by -3 in as many hours as the berserk lasted in rounds. This is because the Bear gave in to his more bestial side, and has difficulty thinking normally. A ST vs. Spells is also required - if this ST fails, the Bear is exhausted, and has a -2 penalty on all to-hit and damage rolls because of this exhaustion. If the Bear is allowed to rest for as many turns as rounds he was berserk, and allowed to eat and drink during this period, the exhaustion will be gone.

Man: Sense of smell, berserk.
Hybrid: Sense of smell, bear hug (2d4), berserk, base AC 7.
Bear: Sense of smell, bear hug (2d4), berserk, bite (1d4), base AC 6.

Pseudowereshark:

The Sharks usually come from southern lands, with dark skin and grey or totally black, cold eyes. They are hotheaded and aggressive, but still fight with a cold efficiency that is partly inhuman. They have a tendency towards maliciousness and evil, but have no real limitations alignment-wise.

A Shark is an extremely good swimmer, no matter what form she is in. The Shark is of course faster in hybrid or animal-shape, but even in man-shape the Shark is nothing less than an excellent swimmer. A Shark gets the Swimming proficiency for free, and has a +4 on this proficiency.

Technically speaking, there are many different subspecies of Shark, just like any other pseudowere, based on the subspecies that occur in nature. For instance, there are Kodiak-Bears, Grizzly-Bears, Brown-Bears and Polar- Bears, and in the same manner there are Tiger-Sharks, Great White Sharks, and Hammer-Sharks.

In shark-shape and hybrid-shape, the Shark have a host of powers that come into play. In addition to an enormous improvement in swimming ability, a Shark is also able to bite with her razor-sharp, triangular teeth, and can also breathe water normally. In hybrid-shape, the Shark can only breathe water for one hour at a time, but in full shark-shape the Shark can be submerged for as long as she wants. Incidentally, it is no more than a myth that sharks cannot lie still at the bottom of the ocean without suffocating - the shark is more than capable of pumping water past its gills even if it lies still.

In hybrid-shape, the Shark can be on land for an hour, but need to soak in water (sweet or salt - doesn't matter) for a short time to avoid dehydration. This shows that the hybrid is neither man nor fish, but a little of both.

A Shark, as opposed to regular garden-variety sharks, has no problem with either fresh water or salt water - it can make do in both kinds of water. As long as the water contains oxygen, the Shark thrives. Water extremely oxygen-poor can make trouble for a Shark, and any other type of fish mucking about in water.

A Shark in water have some senses that can help in specific situations. A Shark can follow a blood trail in water 90% of the time, unless precautions to close the wound or prevent blood trails are taken. A Sharks eyesight under water is also phenomenal - a Shark can see as well as a natural shark under water.

In hybrid- and shark-form, the Shark have an improved Regeneration power. Instead of 1 hp per two hours, the Shark regenerates 1 hp per hour. This power only operates if the Shark is submerged, or mostly covered with water.

If a Shark is in hybrid-shape or full shark-shape while there is blood in the water, and a fight has occured at the same time, the Shark must roll a Wis-check every round she is in the water to avoid blood frenzy. A Shark can always freely succumb to blood frenzy. When the Shark is in this berserk state of mind, the Shark usually attacks whatever is bleeding.

If the Shark have several targets, she will either pick those she likes the least, or anyone classified as an enemy. If the Shark is going to attack a friend, the Shark may roll an Int-check or Wis-check, whichever is better (with bonuses to the DM's discretion if the Shark is about to attack an especially close friend) not to attack the target. If the shark is in blood frenzy, she has +3 to hit and damage, in addition to +20 hp. Strength does not increase the damage of the Shark's bite attack.

Man: improved swimming.
Hybrid: Sw 18, bite (1d10), AC 6, blood frenzy, normal sight, breathe under water, blood tracking, improved regeneration.
Shark: Sw 24, bite (1d12), AC 4, blood frenzy, normal sight, breathe under water, blood tracking, improved regeneration.

Pseudowerecat:

A Cat does not come from any particular area, and doesn't have any particular look. The pseudowerecats is the pseudowere-race that perhaps have the greatest variations within the race. No matter how the Cat looks, it has one great weakness - its insatiable curiosity. Like the saying goes - curiosity killed the cat. And this does hold true for the Cat too.

No mechanics are given for this curiosity, but the DM should feel free to make XP penalties if the player of the Cat doesn't roleplay this properly.

In addition to this, a Cat is extremely fond of catnip. In man-shape, a Cat presented catnip or in any other way is close to catnip will become dreamy and friendly. If the Cat is in hybrid-shape, the Cat will instantly become subjected to an Animal Friendship spell, with all the normal mechanics for this spell, with the caster as all persons as long as the catnip is kept close to the Cat. In full cat-shape, the Cat will become subject to a Charm effect if it is allowed to indulge in the presented catnip. The DM will adjucate these situations on a case by case basis.

A Cat is always acrobatic, and moves with a gliding, feline grace. Even if the Cat doesn't belong to any rogue-class, the Cat will use the Average Chances table for Move Silently, as given in the DMG. If the Cat is a rogue- class or any other class with the Move Silently skill, the Cat will have a +2 bonus per level which will automatically go to Move Silently, and these points do not count towards the point limit per skill per level imposed.

In hybrid-shape, the Cat is about the size of a halfling or so, and has a +20% bonus to sneak around (they usually call it prowling, but still). In full cat-shape, the Cat is so skilled at prowling that it is the equivalent of an Invisibility-spell.

Like ordinary cats, a Cat will always land on her feet if dropped from any height. In full cat-shape, this is the equivalent of an innate Featherfall spell, with parameters determined by the Cat's level and so on. In hybrid form, the Cat can absorb [level]d4 feet from a fall before the Cat begins to calculate damage from a fall.

The hybrid-form and cat-form of a Cat are weak because of their small size. The hybrid form of a Cat will never have any Strength-bonuses on damage on any weapon wielded, and the cat-form is about as strong as an ordinary housecat.

A Cat has perfect Night Vision (60'), no matter what shape the Cat is in. If it is totally and utterly dark somewhere, the Cat cannot use this form of sight, as it needs at least some ambient light to function properly. A Cat also possesses excellent hearing.

Man: prowl, night vision, weakness for catnip.
Hybrid: prowl, night vision, weakness for catnip, absorb falls, base AC 7.
Cat: prowl, night vision, weakness for catnip, featherfall, claws (1d3/1d3), base AC 5.

Pseudoweretiger:

Tigers are usually found in the same areas as real tigers are, and look like the local population. Tigers will usually have an extraordinary hair color - a hair coloration that partially reflects the fur pattern of that tiger type the Tiger is (white, orange, whatnot). The most common Tiger subspecies usually have orange hair, with some black striping. The Tiger can of course dye its hair by magic or dyes.

Tigers have much the same behavioural patterns as Cats, but on a much larger scale. They are at least as curiousity-driven as Cats, and the statement on curiosity for the Cat is also true for the Tiger. A Tiger, however, have no great weakness for catnip, and if anything the hybrid and full tiger forms are more powerful than the man-form.

Just like the Cats, Tigers have perfect night vision (60'), and excellent hearing. They are just a tad less good at prowling as compared to Cats, as they use the same table as the Cats for determining the Move Silently chance if the Tiger isn't of a class with the Move Silently skill. If the Tiger is of a class with access to Move Silently, the Tiger has a +3% bonus per level to Move Silently. However, this Move Silently chance is unmodified no matter what shape the Tiger currently is in.

If the Tiger sneaks around in hybrid or full tiger form in its native terrain (varies with the exact type of tiger, but no tiger has "dungeons" or "cities" as its native terrain), the Tiger has an increased chance of Surprise. This power is negated if the Tiger prowls around with someone not a Tiger (or tiger), unless the DM decides otherwise. For the hybrid, the increased chance is a -3 to the opponent, and full tiger-form is -6.

A Tiger can to a certain extent absorb falls. In hybrid form the Tiger can absorb a fall equal to [level]*2 feet, while in full tiger form the Tiger can absorb a fall equal to [level]*3 feet.

Man: Night vision, hearing, prowling.
Hybrid: Night vision, hearing, prowling, absorption of fall, claws (1d6/1d6), base AC 6.
Tiger: Night vision, hearing, prowling, absorption of fall, claws (1d8/1d8), AC 5.

Pseudowerewolf:

Wolves usually come from temperate areas, where ordinary wolves exist. They are dark-haired or have totally black hair, but are nevertheless often fair-skinned.

Since wolves often hunt in packs, Wolves also sometimes do this. The Wolf may also have its own pack of wolves, and leads them as an alpha male. Even in man-form, a Wolf have a certain influence over wolves, regardless of whether they lead the pack or not.

If the Wolf is the leader of the pack, the Wolf has total domination over all wolves in the pack. If there are several Wolves in the pack, any Wolf is higher ranking than any wolf. Nevertheless, only one of the Wolves is the leader of the pack. If a Wolf isn't a leader of a particular pack, there still is a Charm-effect in place from the Wolf to the wolves.

A Wolf has good night vision, out to 90'. The senses of smell and hearing are likewise better than a human's.

Man: Charm vs. wolves, night vision, sharp senses.
Hybrid: Domination vs. wolves, night vision, sharp senses, bite (1d4), base AC 7.
Wolf: Domination vs. wolves, night vision, sharp senses, bite (1d6), base AC 6.

Pseudowereeagle:

Eagles often live in mountains, and are usually loners. They often have some behavioral patterns of birds - they stare at something without blinking, and when they move, they often move with blinding swiftness interspaced with motionless periods.

The Eagle cannot fly in hybrid shape - but they can glide with the equivalent of the Murdock's Feathery Flyer magic indefinitely (until they come too close to the ground, of course). The spell is taken from the Tome of Magic.

Both hybrid and full eagle shape have extreme sharpsightedness - having "eyes like an eagle" is exactly what an Eagle has. An Eagle in full eagle shape is about the size of a Giant Eagle, with a wingspan of about 8m (24 ft).

An Eagle in hybrid form has a reduced Movement on the ground; MV 9. An Eagle in full eagle shape is even more handicapped; MV 6.

The Eagle can only carry 120lb. cargo in full eagle shape; any more than this makes the Eagle unable to do anything but glide. If the Eagle carries more than 240 lb., the Eagle is unable to fly at all, and plummets as per normal rules straight down. Additionally, an Eagle in full eagle shape can shriek with the effects of a Fear-spell. This Fear-shriek can be used [level] number of times per day.

Man: Sharpsightedness.
Hybrid: Sharpsightedness, gliding, AC 8, ground MV 9. Eagle: Sharpsightedness, flight 20B, AC 6, ground MV 6, carry cargo, Fear-shriek.

XP Penalty Table:

(This XP penalty is deducted from any XP the Pseudowere gets, in the same manner as in the Complete Book of Elves.)

Pseudowereanimal	XP Penalty
Pseudowerebear	20%
Pseudowerecat	10%
Pseudowereeagle	5%
Pseudowereshark	10%
Pseudoweretiger	15%
Pseudowerewolf	10%

Level-limit Table:

Pseudowere	Bard*	Cleric	Druid*	Fighter	Illusionist	Mage	Paladin	Ranger	Thief
Bear	--	12	14	10	--	10	--	12	8
Cat	12	--	--	7	12	9	--	12	U
Eagle	--	10	--	12	--	12	--	12	--
Shark	--	--	--	U	--	--	--	--	8
Tiger	--	--	9	12	--	--	--	15	11
Wolf	--	10	--	10	--	10	--	12	9

Multi-class combinations:

Pseudowere	Combinations
Bear	Cleric (Druid)/Fighter (Ranger), Fighter/Thief, Cleric (Druid)/Mage
Cat	Fighter (Ranger)/Thief, Fighter (Ranger)/Mage (Illusionist)
Eagle	Cleric/Fighter (Ranger), Cleric/Fighter (Ranger)/Mage, Fighter (Ranger)/Mage
Shark	Fighter/Thief
Tiger	Fighter (Ranger)/Druid, Druid/Thief, Ranger/Thief
Wolf	Cleric/Fighter (Ranger), Cleric/Fighter (Ranger)/Mage, Fighter (Ranger)/Mage

Note on the pseudoweres:

All pseudoweres have senses on the level of a normal animal's sense of the given type in full animal-shape. This means that most of the pseudo- weres have better hearing, sense of smell and so on than a human's - but instead of creating a host of game mechanics to simulate this, it is more up to the DM to adjucate this. But remember - even though a cat has a much better sense of hearing than a human, it will not necessarily hear everything sneaking up on it, or indeed hear any given, weak noise. I have personally snuck up on a cat, which was most gratifyingly startled when I made a noise to see if it had heard me or not.

A pseudowere can have children with other rases, but these will always be humans, half-elves and so on. The pseudowere counts as its race when it comes to these things, and will never give any of its special powers to its children. Only a pseudowere mating with a pseudowere of the appropriate type will beget pseudoweres.

Pseudoweres use the STs and THAC0 progression as per their class. If the alternative XP bonus system is used, a pseudowere also gets bonuses when they use their special powers in a way beneficial to the group, in addition to their class-related bonuses.

Most of the pseudoweres use the same age progression as humans. If there are exceptions, it is up to the DM to approve or disapprove of this.

If there are other factors I haven't paid attention to (except school, I mean), and which individual DMs think should be added (or subtracted) from the various pseudoweres, they can of course do what they like. The above information isn't written in stone, just like the rest of the AD&D system.

Something that I haven't discussed on purpose, is exactly how the various shapes of a given pseudowere look like, and neither have I discussed exactly what a pseudowere can do in their unusual shapes. It might not be unfair if a DM flatly refuses to let an Eagle in eagle-shape open a door... Otherwise, I hope these races are usable for AD&D, and that they are used by other DMs than just me.