I am a great fan of werewolves. When I ran a little werewolf death cult subplot, the group I DM for gave me the thumbs up for a potential enwolfening. Sometimes, as a DM, you prepare these elaborate consequences, for things the characters never end up doing. In this case (to the delight of the players and the horror of the characters), the party actually gained a werewolf!
Which brings me to the issue: the rules as written for players as lycanthropes are... not great. My three biggest issues are 1) the rules are quite vague and not very fleshed out, 2) there is no mechanical drawback for being a lycanthrope and 3) it's relatively easy to get rid of. You simply gain two new forms which you can activate as many times as you like, and if you don't want to be a werewolf anymore all you need is a Remove Curse.
So, here are expanded rules for running a character who is a werewolf. I've focused on the kind that's a curse, transmitted by bite. If you want a different kind of lycanthrope, these rules should be easy to adapt. I've focused on making lycanthropy useful, while still making it dangerous and kind of a hassle. The main component of that is the mechanic of losing control, as well as some specific limits and drawbacks. And cool wolf powers.
Enjoy!
Official rules on lycanthropy for player characters
Werewolf as monster (official status block)
You transform into a wolf. You assume the physical stats (str, dex, con) of a wolf (wolf on dndbeyond) and you look like a normal wolf, albeit an unusually large one.
Your hit points total in this form is 11. This counts as a temporary hit point pool. Once these hit points run out, you will revert to your un-transformed form with its hit points. If you take more damage than your hybrid form has left, additional damage carries over to your normal HP.
In this form, you can’t speak or cast spells and you have immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. You also becomes vulnerable to silvered weapons
| Str | 12 |
| Dex | 15 |
| Con | 12 |
| AC | 13 |
Hybrid form is a bipedal, wolf-headed, fully furred form. Any items worn will absorb into the form (similar to wildshape rules). You can’t activate any magical items you were wearing as they have been absorbed into your hybrid form for the duration.
Your hit points total in this form is half the hit points of your regular form (rounded down). (An alternate way of calculating hit points which will result in higher hp at lower levels but much lower hp at higher levels is to take your level plus the form’s constitution modifier plus 10. Which method is used us up to DM discretion.) This counts as a temporary hit point pool. Once these hit points run out, you will revert to your un-transformed form with its hit points. If you take more damage than your hybrid form has left, additional damage carries over to your normal HP.
You take on the following stats (any not mentioned remain the same):
| Str | 15 |
| Dex | 13 |
| Con | 14 |
| HP | (your level) * constitution modifier + 10 |
| AC | 14 |
You can still speak (though you will sound like a talking wolf-monster) and wield weapons (unless your altered stats prevent it).
You can still cast spells in this form, but if the source of your magic is divine your deity may choose to withhold magic while you are in hybrid form. This is up to the discretion of the DM...
You have immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. You also becomes vulnerable to silvered weapons
You gain the following actions:
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with werewolf lycanthropy.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
You make two attacks: one with your bite and one with your claws.
1 time per long rest, you can turn into wolf or hybrid form voluntarily.
When you do so, you must succeed a dc 13 wisdom save in order to remain in control.
If you engage in combat in this form, you must additionally make a dc 10 wisdom save each turn to remain in control.
Specific roleplay actions may trigger an additional save (emotional/physical stress, the smell of blood, etc). This is up to the DM.
On the night of each full moon, you will turn into hybrid form.
When you do so, you must succeed a dc 16 wisdom save in order to remain in control.
If you engage in combat in this form, you must additionally make a dc 13 wisdom save each turn to remain in control.
Specific roleplay actions may trigger an additional save (emotional/physical stress, the smell of blood, etc). This is up to the DM.
When you lose control, the DM will take control of your character
Other characters may try to snap you out of it. You can roll another wisdom save of DC 16 with an optional bonus based on what the characters are doing (dependent on DM discretion)
You can also be controlled by silver shackles (see silver)
Otherwise, you will remain under DM control until sunrise (if during the full moon) or for one hour.
As a DM I recommend (with consent of the player) making the first turn of a new werewolf automatically out of control.
You will be sensitive to silver (see below)
You will have advantage on perception and investigation checks based on smell in all forms (wolf, hybrid, original)
Touching silver will hurt you. You take no damage from merely touching silver in your original form, but it is unpleasant and you will be compelled to avoid it. In your wolf or hybrid form, you will take 1 damage each turn if you are touching silver.
You are vulnerable against silvered weapons (double damage) in wolf and hybrid form.
If you have been restrained by silver (shackles, chains, anything that incapacitates you and you can't physically break) in your original form, you can’t turn (voluntarily or involuntarily).
If you are in wolf or hybrid form and you have been restrained by silver for ten rounds, you revert to your original form.
If you have been restrained by silver during a forced turn, removing the shackles before the duration of the transformation would be over results in you shifting into hybrid form until the duration of the original transformation is over (until dawn if it's a turn triggered by the full moon, otherwise 1 hour)
There are several ways to remove the curse, depending on whether it’s inherited or from a curse and how hard a DM might want to make it.
The option chosen here depends on what the affected player and the DM agree on.
The DM may also decide that this information is not readily available and must be discovered first.
Both “medium” options are an excellent start of a mini adventure or quest.
| Easy/RAW (infected) | Remove curse |
| Medium (option 1) | Remove curse + wolfsbane |
| Medium (option 2) | Remove lycanthropy |
| Hard/RAW (inherited) | Wish |
The lycanthropic curse can be removed by casting Remove Curse on the afflicted target with the additional spell component of wolfsbane.
Wolfsbane is a herb with blue flowers that grows in mountainous areas. It is poisonous and must be handled with care. You can find an expert herbalist to source you some, or you can try to forage it yourself.
Remove lycanthropy is a similar spell to Remove curse, but is only known by the disciples of of the Triple Moon, wandering priests who revere the cycles of the moon and the natural world. Some of them are lycanthropes themselves.
If you can find one of them, they will cure your curse in exchange for a favor.
Feel free to replace the Triple Moon with any suitable deity available in your game’s pantheon.