Creature Features (5e Variant Rule)
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Monster Transformations[edit]
This is designed to be an overhaul of the normal monster transformations that’s players and NPCs can undertake to become vampires or lycanthrope, providing supplementary rules for those two morphs and providing rules for the Host, a being similar to that of the mindflayer, but the relationship is more symbiotic. These will be structured in a way to be used as multiclass and will have non-stat dependent prerequisites.
Note: These classes can only be leveled up by killing opponents using these Features; if an opponent is killed while in lycan form, the lycanthrope class will level up, if an opponent is killed through Vampiric Strike or an ability acquired through Genomic Synthesis, the vampire class will level up, or if an opponent is killed through the Combatant Mutation, the host class will level up. Please note that all of these conditions can only be removed through the remove curse spell.
Lycanthrope[edit]
Requirements: You must have been bitten by a lycanthrope and survived. The player must make a note of the creature that bit them, as it will shape how lycanthropy affects their character.
Proficiencies: When you multiclass into the Lycanthrope class, you gain proficiency with the Nature, and Perception skills.
As a Lycanthrope you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Lycanthrope level
Hit Points per Level: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Lycanthrope level
- Proficiencies
Saving Throws: Constitution, Wisdom
Skills: Nature, and Choose one from Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Pack Summoned | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | - | Beast Within, Lycan Form, Lunar Cycle | |
| 2nd | d4 | Call of The Pack | |
| 3rd | d4 | Bestial Roars | |
| 4th | d6 | Ability Score Improvement | |
| 5th | d6 | Apex Predator |
Beast Within[edit]
At 1st level, the player immediately adds +2 to either their Strength if they were bitten by a Werebear, Wereboar, Dexterity if they were bitten by a Wererat or Weretiger or +1 to both if they were bitten by a Werewolf, all of which is to a maximum of 22. The player also adds +2 to their Constitution Score, to a maximum of 22. In addition, the player also gains advantage on Perception checks involving your sense of smell. The player gains darkvision to 60 ft, adding 30ft if the player already has darkvision.
Lycan Form[edit]
With this Feature, the player can transform into their monstrous form in a gory fashion, often damaging their equipment in the process. The player must pass a DC12 Constitution check, as their entire body is being ripped apart and reconstitutes as a Lycanthrope. Heavy Armor, or armour with Silver applies disadvantage to this transformation. The player adopts the stats of the Lycanthrope creature that bit them but add the listed proficiency bonus to their existing one. The player must then pass a DC 12 Wisdom Check to refrain from turning on their allies.
Lunar Cycle[edit]
As a lycan, the player draws power from the moon, the phase and effects of which is determined by the DM, using the chart below. Please note that rolls 2-4 accumulate, with the Moon being at its’ brightest, and then the power wanes in a similar way as the moon recedes.
| D8 | Lunar Phase | Effect on All Lycans |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Moon | Lycanthrope Checks are made with disadvantage. |
| 2 | Waxing Crescent | No change/ lycans are ‘charged’ enough to function normally |
| 3 | First Quarter | lycans can use dash action as a bonus action. |
| 4 | Waxing Gibbous | Lycans gain an additional use of their Bestial Roars. |
| 5 | Full Moon | Lycans recover 1d8 Health per turn, regenerating lost body parts at full health. Players also transform automatically under the light of a Full Moon |
| 6 | Waning Gibbous | Lycans gain an additional use of their Bestial Roars |
| 7 | Third Quarter | Lycans can dash action as a bonus action. |
| 8 | Waning Crescent | No change/ Lycans are ‘charged’ enough to function normally |
Call of The Pack[edit]
Upon reaching 2nd Level, once per Long Rest while transformed, the Player can perform a summoning howl to call Beasts into its’ pack. These Beasts are determined by the type of Lycan summoning them; A Werewolf will summon Wolves, a Wereboar will summon Boars, a Wererat will summon a swarm of rats etc. The player will roll a D4 to determine the number of units summoned and the Dungeon Master determines what way they enter from. The Lycan PC can command their pack to perform actions as a bonus action. The number of Summoned units increased to D6 at Lycan level 4.
Bestial Roar[edit]
Upon reaching 3rd Level, when Transformed, the player can spend an action to perform one roar from the list below. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and Charisma Modifier (a minimum of once). You must take a long rest to regain all uses of this feature. Roar of Bloodlust:
- All allies within 30 ft gain 1d4 Inspiration, to be used on attack rolls, saves or ability checks,
Howl of the Moon:
- All allies within 30 ft gain D8 + Charisma modifier in Temporary HP
Shriek of Discord:
- The Lycan casts dispel magic at third level without material or somatic components. The Spellcasting Ability for this Howl is Charisma.
Rallying Call:
- All allies within 30 ft become immune to being charmed and frightened.
Ability Score Improvement[edit]
Upon reaching 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. This carries over into your Lycan form
Apex Predator[edit]
Upon reaching 5th level, when players transform, they gain the following features:
- They can use dash action as a bonus action.
- All attacks add proficiency bonus to their damage rolls
- The player can add half their proficiency bonus to their Natural armor.
- The range of All Roars are increased by 10 feet.
Vampire[edit]
Requirements: You must have been bitten by a Vampire and survived,
Proficiencies: When you multiclass into the Vampire class, you gain the following proficiencies: Persuasion, Stealth.
As a Vampire you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Vampire level
Hit Points per Level: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Vampire level
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Persuasion, and Choose one from Acrobatics, Investigation, Religion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Vampiric Strike | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | d4 | Deathly Pallor, Vampiric Strike, Genomic Synthesis | |
| 2nd | d4 | Embrace of Shadows | |
| 3rd | d6 | Night’s Minions | |
| 4th | d6 | Ability Score Improvement | |
| 5th | d8 | Vampire Lord |
Deathly Pallor[edit]
At 1st Level, the player immediately adds + 2 to their Dexterity and Charisma abilities, to a maximum of 22. The player is no longer classified as Humanoid, becoming Undead. The player gains Sunlight hypersensitivity. When in Direct Sunlight, the player has disadvantage on all attack rolls and Ability checks and gains D4 Radiant Damage per turn. This can be abated by wearing a hood, standing in shade etc. The Player gains darkvision to 60 ft, adding 30ft if the player already has darkvision. The player must feed on a liter of fresh blood once a week or gain one level of exhaustion for every day they are blood-starved. Suitable sources are down to DM’s discretion, but it’s advised to keep the list to Humanoids, Beasts, Dragons, Fey and Giants, excluding creatures that deal poison damage; their blood is likely as toxic as their venom.
Vampiric Strike[edit]
Upon reaching 1st level, player gains a special Action called Vampiric Strike; this is a reflection of the player’s fangs sharpening to the point where they can deal significant damage; the increase in damage reflects how adept the fledgling vampire becomes when using their teeth in combat.
The player gains the following benefits:
- The player can use the Vampiric Strike in place of their traditional unarmed strike
- The player can add either their Strength or Dexterity to their Vampiric Strike, dealing piercing damage,
- At fifth level, this attack is considered magical in regards to resistances, and the player uses Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity, inflicting Necrotic Damage, instead of Piercing Damage
- If the opponent is wounded by a Vampiric Strike, the attacking player recovers hp by half of the damage inflicted.
Genomic Synthesis[edit]
When a player drinks fresh blood through the Vampiric Strike, they can elect to instead try to synthesise one of the Target’s abilities instead of recovering hitpoints, manifesting as a one-use power that can be held upto eight hours after obtaining the ability. The player can only hold one such power at a time; if they try to obtain another ability, they will lose the pre-existing one. You must take a Long Rest before you can use this Feature again. To synthesise a power or ability, the player must pass a DC (10 + CR of the creature whose ability you’re trying to synthesise) Constitution check to synthesise a power selected by the DM. If the power requires a Spell Save or Spellcasting modifier, then Charisma becomes the Spellcasting Ability.
Embrace of Shadows[edit]
Upon reaching 2nd Level, you gain the following features:
- You can Perform dash action, dodge action, and hide actions as bonus actions.
- You can move up to your maximum movement and dash in shadows without breaking stealth, but cannot move through lit spaces in this way,
- Once per turn, you can attack from the shadows, gaining (XD6; X is your proficiency bonus) bonus damage as a sneak attack. You don't need advantage on the Attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and you don't have disadvantage on the Attack roll. This breaks your cover and your opponent will see you.
Night’s Minions[edit]
Upon reaching 3rd level, you can spend an action to magically call 1d4 swarms of bats, provided that the sun isn’t up. The summoned creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as your allies and obeying your spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until you die, or until you dismiss them as a bonus action. You cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest.
Ability Score Improvement[edit]
Upon reaching 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1.
Vampire Master[edit]
Upon reaching 5th level, your vampiric powers intensify. You gain the following features:
- Your Vampiric Strikes gain a range of 30ft, as you learn to hemokinetically draw the blood from your enemies; this is seen as a mist colored the appropriate shade of blood enshrouding both them and you,
- You can forgo an attack action to knock an enemy prone when using Embrace of Shadows.
- Your Minion Swarms now recover health per turn equal to half of the damage that they inflict. They also benefit from Embrace of Shadows at player discretion.
Host[edit]
Requirements: You must have a Symbiote implanted into your body,
Proficiencies: When you multiclass into the Host class, you gain the following proficiency in the Survival, and Investigation skills.
As a Host you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Host level
Hit Points per Level: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Host level
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Survival, and Choose one from Athletics, Arcana, Investigation, Perception, and Stealth.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Touched by the Eldritich, Combatant Mutation, Duo-Mind | |
| 2nd | Environmental Adaptation | |
| 3rd | Prehensile Grasp | |
| 4th | Ability Score Improvement | |
| 5th | Perfected Symbiosis |
Touched by the Eldritch[edit]
At 1st Level, the Player adds +2 to their Intelligence and Wisdom, to a maximum of 22. The Player is no longer classified as Humanoid, becoming an Aberration, but retains the appearance, The Player also gains truesight to a range of 60ft, adding 30ft if they already possess it, The player also gains disadvantage on Persuasion checks; this is to reflect their struggle to reconnect with people after they bonded with the symbiote.
Combatant Mutation[edit]
You grow a retractable pair of fleshy tentacles that can be used as Whips. The player takes the Two Weapon Fighting style with the following exceptions:
- You gain a +1 Bonus to AC when using both in combat,
- You can draw and stow the weapons as a bonus action
Duo-Mind[edit]
You learn to telepathically communicate only with the Symbiote who is altering your body to better survive. This communication may prove cumbersome at first, but it is the first step in creating a mutually beneficial relationship. The player now must consume twice the amount of food and water, or else suffer the effects of exhaustion. In addition to this, the player must roll on the Communication Chart used for Sentient Items to see what level the player and symbiote can communicate at. The player can then choose to talk to the Symbiote about anything they can sense; on the outside, this looks like the character talking to themselves in the third person and answering in thought. The Symbiote, like any NPC can then infer their own view and advise the player. In addition, the player will now refer to themselves using plural pronouns.
Environmental Adaptation[edit]
Upon reaching 2nd Level, the character gains Waterbreathing and a Swim speed equal to their walking speed. In addition, the player also gains advantage on Stealth and Survival Checks and has resistance against poison damage.
Prehensile Grasp[edit]
Upon reaching 3rd level, the player can spend their action to make one Grapple with both Tentacles, using their Dexterity to make a Grapple in place of Strength. This removes the +1 AC bonus, and the player can only move at half speed when performing this action.
Ability Score Improvement[edit]
Upon reaching 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1.
Perfected Symbiosis[edit]
Upon Reaching 5th level, you gain the following features:
- You gain the message, minor illusion, mage hand and vicious mockery Cantrips. The Spellcasting ability for these Cantrips are Intelligence,
- In addition, the Symbiote can now communicate with other characters through the message Cantrip at DM Discretion, instead of relying on the Host to deliver information,
- You can deliver a minor electrical shock through your tentacles to stun your opponents; while not damaging them, it is sufficient enough to grant a brief respite from them. When you wound an opponent using the weapons granted by the Combatant Mutation feature, you can spend a bonus action so your opponent cannot take reactions until the start of its’ next turn.
- You have advantage on rolls to break a grapple, and your movements do not provoke opportunity Attacks.
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