Therianthropy is the mythological ability of human beings to metamorphose into other animals by means of shapeshifting. It includes but it's not limited to Lycanthropy.

IMHO it should only be possible between other Mammals and Humans (mammal to mammal if you have other inteligent mammal races in your game) or between reptiles and a reptilian inteligent race.

Transmission is by the saliva, you have to get bitten, the fangs need to pierce your skin and saliva to be introduced into your body. Saving Throw accounts for the chance some of this didn't happen.

You failed the saving throw. Roll 1D4

1.- Madness, the shock of having another voice in your head drives you mad, you'll transform in the next full moon and become a ravenous beast that will not stop killing until it's killed and will not return to the human shape.

2.- Control, (roll 1D2 1 you control the beast, 2 the beast is in control) doesn't matter if you have human form or beast form only one of the spirits is in control of the shared body. If the beast is in control your INT is equal to the beast's + 2. Both spirits are constantly in battle for control.

3.- Cooperation, you and the beast reach an agreement and work together at all times, you can use the beast's instincts, senses, strentght even in human form starting with 2 in 6 and it increases by one every other uneven level. Let's say you got bitten at level 2, then at level 5 you have 3 in 6 chances of succesfully using the "powers" of the beast in human form or the beast using yours while in beast form, caps at 5 in 6. You can transform at will but HAVE to transform during the full moon.

4.- Integration, both spirits become one, you retain a certain ammount of beast characteristics while in human form and some ammount of human characteristics while in beast form, you start at 50% on both cases and this increases by some % (haven't worked the math yet) every level up to 95% at the max level of your system of choice. You can transform at will but HAVE to transform during the full moon. You can achieve the hybrid form.

Downside: Most people hearing you use the word "therianthropy" will immediately assume you're either a furry or a Tumblr two-spirit.

Why restrict it to Linnaean classes?

You could add more roleplaying elements, with basically a long skill test or something of that nature to determine what kind of accommodation you come to with the beast.

Maybe call it zoanthropy? And infectious zoanthropy?

I just call it "Lycanthropy" for simplicity's sake.

I assume you're not entirely playing this for horror like old-school D&D does. From your table, there is a chance for the PC to become a werebeast in full control of their faculties. And does the restriction on transmission mean that you won't see mammals turning into werecrocodiles and Lizardmen becoming werewolves?

I can also see lycanthropy being "rewarded" by Gods of Hunting or such to a strong warrior. Which I think would be cool, personally.

Quote from: Pat on March 10, 2022, 04:23:14 PM
Downside: Most people hearing you use the word "therianthropy" will immediately assume you're either a furry or a Tumblr two-spirit.

Actually the "furry" community has a long standing disdain for Therians and tend to look on them as either trying to co-opt other groups, or in some of the more extreme cases, as kooks, nutters, loony toons.

And its not just limited to animals, or even mythical beasts. There is now a therian equivalent who believe they are reincarnations of... video game characters. No... really...

But the general gaming or role playing community will not know or care long as you spell out what for your game Therianthropy means.

Quote from: Pat on March 10, 2022, 04:23:14 PM
Downside: Most people hearing you use the word "therianthropy" will immediately assume you're either a furry or a Tumblr two-spirit.

Why restrict it to Linnaean classes?

You could add more roleplaying elements, with basically a long skill test or something of that nature to determine what kind of accommodation you come to with the beast.

I don't care what people assume about me.

IMHO it doesn't make any sense to have a mammalian turn into a lizard or viceversa.

Care to expand?

Quote from: PsyXypher on March 10, 2022, 07:52:00 PM
I just call it "Lycanthropy" for simplicity's sake.

I assume you're not entirely playing this for horror like old-school D&D does. From your table, there is a chance for the PC to become a werebeast in full control of their faculties. And does the restriction on transmission mean that you won't see mammals turning into werecrocodiles and Lizardmen becoming werewolves?

I can also see lycanthropy being "rewarded" by Gods of Hunting or such to a strong warrior. Which I think would be cool, personally.

Lycanthrope = Werewolf

It's for my Urban Fantasy game, for when a PC gets bitten, the GM should work out the results of NPCs and how many weres are out to eat ppl. But I'm working on a % table to make it way more likely to get bad outcomes than good outcomes.

Yes, no humans turning into werecrocodiles or lizardmen werewolfs. At least for now, it's very much WIP.

That's a cool idea, I seem to remember something like that in some Urban Fantasy novels, weres being the blessed of Diana or something like that. IIRC weres could have offspring among them.

Cool idea, but I would make "Control" the default option, and treat it like an additional save every time the Beast tries to take control (every time you're under duress, there's a full moon, something pisses the Beast off, etc). Then make "Madness" something you can fall into if you fail your Control save too many times, and Cooperation and Integration steps you have to strive to achieve, and take time, and perhaps special quests to accomplish.

PS: I'm already stealing this (at least my take on it) for something I've been working on.

PS2: I'm allowing stuff like Hawk, Raven or Croc shifters and such (I call them "Shifters").

Quote from: VisionStorm on March 12, 2022, 12:38:48 AM
Cool idea, but I would make "Control" the default option, and treat it like an additional save every time the Beast tries to take control (every time you're under duress, there's a full moon, something pisses the Beast off, etc). Then make "Madness" something you can fall into if you fail your Control save too many times, and Cooperation and Integration steps you have to strive to achieve, and take time, and perhaps special quests to accomplish.

PS: I'm already stealing this (at least my take on it) for something I've been working on.

PS2: I'm allowing stuff like Hawk, Raven or Croc shifters and such (I call them "Shifters").

Don't be "that guy" and share here your take my dude!

PS: This is for a PC that gets bitten AFTER the game started, still thinking if I'll put monsters as PC's from the start.

The big factor will be the same as for say vampires.

Is it a curse? Is it some sort of biological contagion? Is it hereditary? Is just a mystical/science transformation? Is it something else?

The next is control. There are myriad variations on this going way back to very ancient legends and religions. Quite a few have some degree of control over either the change or after the change. Hollywood tends to treat it much the same as they do vampirism. The change is uncontrollable and the subjects personality is often totally erased/subsumed while changed. A rare few allow for the subject to fight through and gain partial or even total control of the change. And others have the change be a sort of merger of man and beast personalities. Hereditary transformations tend to be all over the place. Some have control, many do not.

Trigger is another factor. Full moon being the classic. For others its a talisman of some sort such as a necklace or cloak. And for others it is via a ritual or scientific process that triggers the change. And for others it is simply force of will. Theres even ones where the change is cause by a location. Entering it will change one or all who do so. And more.

Transmission tends to be from a bite. But again hollywood has muddled things to where it could be a scratch or even sex can transmit it to others. Or it could be a need to duplicate and subject another to the same conditions as the current did. Such as making a second talisman or potion. Or getting them under the were-ray.

One that gets often overlooked or unstated is. How does the shapeshifter get back to human?
In some depictions the killing of someone is required. Or just blood. Or just meat. Often only from humans. But some allow for animals. For others the change back is automatic at dawn. Or even after X amount of hours has passed. Or removal of the talisman. Or administering a potion. And for others again its simply will.

Also how long is the gestation period before the person starts changing? Is there a chance during this time for more easily curing the person?

Then theres weaknesses. If any. Silver being a popular one. Some rare few also add in holy symbols. Wolfsbane comes up now and then. Other times its beheading as the only way to ensure a werecreature stays down. Which brings up the next.

Whats it take to cure or permanently kill one of these things. Hollywood loves to make werecreatures practically immortal. Regenerating from fatal wounds or upon removal of whatever bane prevents their rising. Fuzzy vampires really. Others just require the killing blow to be with the required bane. And in a few rare cases the killing blow has a chance to end the curse and revert the subject back, and alive. And for others there is no cure because it is not a disease or a curse or something that can be treated. Suppressed maybe. And for others its as simple as removal/destruction of the talisman/device that causes the changes.

Usually if the changes are via a curse, and often for disease versions too, then crafting or just applying the cure can be an arduous task or epic quest. Also these two types tend to completely subsume the victim when they are changed. And tend to have a very high likelyhood of being easily transmitted to others if they survive an attack.

Lots of factors to consider as options. And very often they all can impact the transmission factor.

Another one to consider is. Does the creature have any control over transmission? In many depictions the answer is. No. Anyone they injure can and likely will contract it. But as with everything there are some where the creature can either control who does and doesnt get infected. Or there are certain steps that control the transmission. Such as a person can only be infected on the days the moon is at complete fullness. Or the curse only takes effect if a symbol or mark is placed on the person. Or placing a talisman on them. Dosing them with a potion, etc.

Also how likely is the chance of having it transmitted. With hollywood its usually 100% even if a scratch

If a wereform is an option to a PC then there needs to be consideration of the change trigger, vulnerabilities, and whos in charge of the wereform. The player or the werecreature?

Quote from: GeekyBugle on March 12, 2022, 01:24:14 AM

Quote from: VisionStorm on March 12, 2022, 12:38:48 AM
Cool idea, but I would make "Control" the default option, and treat it like an additional save every time the Beast tries to take control (every time you're under duress, there's a full moon, something pisses the Beast off, etc). Then make "Madness" something you can fall into if you fail your Control save too many times, and Cooperation and Integration steps you have to strive to achieve, and take time, and perhaps special quests to accomplish.

PS: I'm already stealing this (at least my take on it) for something I've been working on.

PS2: I'm allowing stuff like Hawk, Raven or Croc shifters and such (I call them "Shifters").

Don't be "that guy" and share here your take my dude!

PS: This is for a PC that gets bitten AFTER the game started, still thinking if I'll put monsters as PC's from the start.

By "my take" I meant mostly what I already wrote about how I would handle the different stages that you posted. The ideas aren't yet fully fleshed out, but it's basically going to be for an Urban Fantasy setting I had been working on. The core idea of the setting is basically the same same world we live in, but... "What if magic and magical creatures were real?" There are going to be multiple possible campaign styles, but the default one is about normal, everyday people who suddenly find themselves caught in a world of paranormal occurrences they didn't know where real. Alternative styles include secret societies, government agents tracking down paranormal activity, monster hunter clans going back centuries, monster parties (the PCs are/can be magical creatures), etc.

The idea of the Otherworld is going to be central to the setting, and PCs can go on D&Dish otherworldly adventures in magical lands that exist at a separate layer of reality overlaid our world, or perhaps get trapped in one of them and have to find their way back home. But campaigns can also focus more on just killing invading monsters and investigating paranormal stuff. Horror elements are going to be present, but unlike most Urban Fantasy the focus isn't horror, but "What if magic exists?!?" with potential for just plain D&Dish stuff set in the "real" world (a la 3e Urban Arcana).

Shifters are still a work in progress, but are going to be humans infused with an animal spirit. People with shifter parentage are more likely to become shifters, but more because of spiritual residue in sticks to shifter offspring that tends to attract animal spirits, rather than genetic heredity. People might also become shifters through rituals calling on animal spirits to take them over, and killing a sacred animal might also cause its spirit to jump on you and try to take you over.

Quote from: VisionStorm on March 12, 2022, 09:28:23 AM

Quote from: GeekyBugle on March 12, 2022, 01:24:14 AM

Quote from: VisionStorm on March 12, 2022, 12:38:48 AM
Cool idea, but I would make "Control" the default option, and treat it like an additional save every time the Beast tries to take control (every time you're under duress, there's a full moon, something pisses the Beast off, etc). Then make "Madness" something you can fall into if you fail your Control save too many times, and Cooperation and Integration steps you have to strive to achieve, and take time, and perhaps special quests to accomplish.

PS: I'm already stealing this (at least my take on it) for something I've been working on.

PS2: I'm allowing stuff like Hawk, Raven or Croc shifters and such (I call them "Shifters").

Don't be "that guy" and share here your take my dude!

PS: This is for a PC that gets bitten AFTER the game started, still thinking if I'll put monsters as PC's from the start.

By "my take" I meant mostly what I already wrote about how I would handle the different stages that you posted. The ideas aren't yet fully fleshed out, but it's basically going to be for an Urban Fantasy setting I had been working on. The core idea of the setting is basically the same same world we live in, but... "What if magic and magical creatures were real?" There are going to be multiple possible campaign styles, but the default one is about normal, everyday people who suddenly find themselves caught in a world of paranormal occurrences they didn't know where real. Alternative styles include secret societies, government agents tracking down paranormal activity, monster hunter clans going back centuries, monster parties (the PCs are/can be magical creatures), etc.

The idea of the Otherworld is going to be central to the setting, and PCs can go on D&Dish otherworldly adventures in magical lands that exist at a separate layer of reality overlaid our world, or perhaps get trapped in one of them and have to find their way back home. But campaigns can also focus more on just killing invading monsters and investigating paranormal stuff. Horror elements are going to be present, but unlike most Urban Fantasy the focus isn't horror, but "What if magic exists?!?" with potential for just plain D&Dish stuff set in the "real" world (a la 3e Urban Arcana).

Shifters are still a work in progress, but are going to be humans infused with an animal spirit. People with shifter parentage are more likely to become shifters, but more because of spiritual residue in sticks to shifter offspring that tends to attract animal spirits, rather than genetic heredity. People might also become shifters through rituals calling on animal spirits to take them over, and killing a sacred animal might also cause its spirit to jump on you and try to take you over.

Otherwordly adventures... Have you considered Underhill?

Shifters, aren't werewolfs? If not this sounds like what the northamerican natives believed, have them be descendants of "Coyote, Wolf, Hawk,etc".

Quote from: Omega on March 12, 2022, 06:28:49 AM
The big factor will be the same as for say vampires.

Is it a curse? Is it some sort of biological contagion? Is it hereditary? Is just a mystical/science transformation? Is it something else?

The next is control. There are myriad variations on this going way back to very ancient legends and religions. Quite a few have some degree of control over either the change or after the change. Hollywood tends to treat it much the same as they do vampirism. The change is uncontrollable and the subjects personality is often totally erased/subsumed while changed. A rare few allow for the subject to fight through and gain partial or even total control of the change. And others have the change be a sort of merger of man and beast personalities. Hereditary transformations tend to be all over the place. Some have control, many do not.

Trigger is another factor. Full moon being the classic. For others its a talisman of some sort such as a necklace or cloak. And for others it is via a ritual or scientific process that triggers the change. And for others it is simply force of will. Theres even ones where the change is cause by a location. Entering it will change one or all who do so. And more.

Transmission tends to be from a bite. But again hollywood has muddled things to where it could be a scratch or even sex can transmit it to others. Or it could be a need to duplicate and subject another to the same conditions as the current did. Such as making a second talisman or potion. Or getting them under the were-ray.

One that gets often overlooked or unstated is. How does the shapeshifter get back to human?
In some depictions the killing of someone is required. Or just blood. Or just meat. Often only from humans. But some allow for animals. For others the change back is automatic at dawn. Or even after X amount of hours has passed. Or removal of the talisman. Or administering a potion. And for others again its simply will.

Also how long is the gestation period before the person starts changing? Is there a chance during this time for more easily curing the person?

Then theres weaknesses. If any. Silver being a popular one. Some rare few also add in holy symbols. Wolfsbane comes up now and then. Other times its beheading as the only way to ensure a werecreature stays down. Which brings up the next.

Whats it take to cure or permanently kill one of these things. Hollywood loves to make werecreatures practically immortal. Regenerating from fatal wounds or upon removal of whatever bane prevents their rising. Fuzzy vampires really. Others just require the killing blow to be with the required bane. And in a few rare cases the killing blow has a chance to end the curse and revert the subject back, and alive. And for others there is no cure because it is not a disease or a curse or something that can be treated. Suppressed maybe. And for others its as simple as removal/destruction of the talisman/device that causes the changes.

Usually if the changes are via a curse, and often for disease versions too, then crafting or just applying the cure can be an arduous task or epic quest. Also these two types tend to completely subsume the victim when they are changed. And tend to have a very high likelyhood of being easily transmitted to others if they survive an attack.

Lots of factors to consider as options. And very often they all can impact the transmission factor.

Another one to consider is. Does the creature have any control over transmission? In many depictions the answer is. No. Anyone they injure can and likely will contract it. But as with everything there are some where the creature can either control who does and doesnt get infected. Or there are certain steps that control the transmission. Such as a person can only be infected on the days the moon is at complete fullness. Or the curse only takes effect if a symbol or mark is placed on the person. Or placing a talisman on them. Dosing them with a potion, etc.

Also how likely is the chance of having it transmitted. With hollywood its usually 100% even if a scratch

If a wereform is an option to a PC then there needs to be consideration of the change trigger, vulnerabilities, and whos in charge of the wereform. The player or the werecreature?

1.- Since it's a monster hunting urban fantasy game it is magical, there's no known cure, it's a curse in so far as it can turn the person into a ravenous monster, it's not a curse in so far as it doesn't always turn the person into a ravenous monster.

2.- Control... That has been taken care off in my original post, things may/will change but I will keep the chance of attaining control, cooperation and integration. Changes will be for Roleplaying purposes.

3.- Transmission is from a bite, but... see entry number 7

4.- Weaknesses, besides the AC increase from the thick fur (if any), all weapons do damage, silver is very dangerous/deadly, wounds inflicted by regular weapons heal twice faster than a normal human would. Beheading is offcourse deadly, so is a broken neck that causes the spinal chord to be severed and maybe/probably blunt force trauma that caves in your skull.

5.- Cure, no one knows of one, there's legends of some and by GM fiat some might even work.

6.- Control over transmission, NO.

7.- Likelyhood of transmission, 100% IF you were bitten AND the attack left you at death's door, roll save vs death, if you survive the attack then congratulations, you're now a weresomething.

8.- Triggers: The full moon of course, great distress, anger, loved ones in danger. The full moon is 100% the other trigers have a lower percentage modified by your WIS AND the strenght of the emotion.

9.- Hereditary transmission, I'm still not sure in which direction I'll go with this, IF weres CAN reproduce by sexual means, does the fetus survive the transformation of the mother?

10.- I'm going to include other shapeshifters, naguals/skinwalkers for instance, these work different and are ALWAYS evil. I'll probably STEAL get inspiration from Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson for another possible supernatural shifter that IS hereditary, and is also based on northamerican natives beliefs.

11.- Vampirism IS a curse, I might include Dhampirs as PCs, not sure yet.

12.- I might include Frankenstein's Monster as a PC, not sure yet.

Edited to add:

13.- Incubation period, none, after surviving the attack the next full moon or high enough distress/anger will triger the transformation.

Quote from: GeekyBugle on March 12, 2022, 10:11:09 AMOtherwordly adventures... Have you considered Underhill?

I basically have the underlying structure of how the cosmology of the Otherworld operates already, since I've been working on that for a while to use as the basis for how that works in my worlds in general (specific lands/realm are still WIP). But might check it out for ideas.

Quote from: GeekyBugle on March 12, 2022, 10:11:09 AMShifters, aren't werewolfs? If not this sounds like what the northamerican natives believed, have them be descendants of "Coyote, Wolf, Hawk,etc".

Yeah, I was never a fan of transmitting lycanthropy through biting, since I felt that maybe there was some sort of metaphorical/symbolic thing behind that that gets lost in literalist interpretations of "It's a dirty sickness!!!" And wanted to give it a more mystic, spiritual feel, plus not limit it to just wolves, but expand it to almost any animal. I also liked how White Wolf handled it, but didn't want to copy them, so I went with a more animistic feel that focuses on the mystical and spiritual stuff, and the struggle to achieve union with the "Beast within".

Quote from: VisionStorm on March 12, 2022, 11:13:28 AM

Quote from: GeekyBugle on March 12, 2022, 10:11:09 AMOtherwordly adventures... Have you considered Underhill?

I basically have the underlying structure of how the cosmology of the Otherworld operates already, since I've been working on that for a while to use as the basis for how that works in my worlds in general (specific lands/realm are still WIP). But might check it out for ideas.

Quote from: GeekyBugle on March 12, 2022, 10:11:09 AMShifters, aren't werewolfs? If not this sounds like what the northamerican natives believed, have them be descendants of "Coyote, Wolf, Hawk,etc".

Yeah, I was never a fan of transmitting lycanthropy through biting, since I felt that maybe there was some sort of metaphorical/symbolic thing behind that that gets lost in literalist interpretations of "It's a dirty sickness!!!" And wanted to give it a more mystic, spiritual feel, plus not limit it to just wolves, but expand it to almost any animal. I also liked how White Wolf handled it, but didn't want to copy them, so I went with a more animistic feel that focuses on the mystical and spiritual stuff, and the struggle to achieve union with the "Beast within".

I'm sure if one were to dedicate some time you could find in different cultures other means of transmission, but honestly I'm not going to do so right now. This game is on the back burner, only taking notes when inspiration strikes.

Which is what my original post was, I just had wrote it because inspiration struck.