The 2024 Monster Manual made some.. let’s say unexpected changes that the Rust Moon Setting Guide has to account for. In particular, I’m not particularly happy with how Lycanthropy is handled. What follows are some rules for characters who have become Lycans during their adventures in the Rust Moon Territory.

The Rust Moon Setting Guide offers multiple paths to Lycanthropy. To build a Lycan character at the beginning of your adventuring career, you may choose the Lycan Species, in which case your character is already a Quelled Lycan as detailed below. When presented with the option to select a feat, you may select one of the Lycan feats. Finally, the Setting Guide offers a selection of subclasses meant to create characters who wield the power of a Lycan Spirit, reflecting the abilities a Lycan adventurer may learn. These three options are meant to give you the greatest range of ways to create a Lycan character in the Rust Moon Territory, and aren’t mutually exclusive. However, it’s important to note that exploring Rust Moon Territory carries the ever-present risk of joining the growing number of Lycans, and the Moon Spirit’s Curse is rarely a boon.

Lycanthropy[Curse]

When a humanoid is bitten by a Lycanthrope, there is a possibility that they will be cursed with Lycanthropy (typically the result of a failed saving throw). Upon failing this saving throw, they enter the first, dormant stage of the curse. A Lycan cannot be subject to more than one species’ Lycanthropy.

Dormant Lycanthropy. In this stage of Lycanthropy, immediately after failing to resist the effects of a Lycan’s bite, you exhibit no physical symptoms of the curse. However, when you rest, you are plagued with nightmares relating to the species of Lycan which bit you, and you require an additional 2 hours of downtime to gain the benefits of a Long Rest.

The remove curse spell and similar magic can cure a Dormant Lycan, but if the curse is not lifted within the first 30 days of infection, the disease takes hold, and you advance to the Feral stage.

Feral Lycanthropy. After the first 30 days of dormancy, a Lycan becomes Feral, transforming into their Lycan form whenever they fall asleep. They spend this time with no control of their body, acting in accordance with their Lycan species. The Feral Lycan has only a vague memory of its time spent transformed.

When you transform in this way, you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your character level. While transformed, your game statistics are replaced by the corresponding Lycan species’ stat block, but you retain your creature type; Hit Points; Hit Point Dice; Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores; class features; languages; and feats. You also retain your skill and saving throw proficiencies and use your Proficiency Bonus for them. If a skill or saving throw modifier in the Lycan species’ stat block is higher than yours, use the one in that stat block.

This transformation ends if you are Bloodied or come into contact with silver and have no Temporary Hit Points, or after 8 hours have passed. If the transformation is not ended before the 8 hours pass, you gain the benefits of a Long Rest when you revert to your natural form.

Only a wish spell or similar magic can cure a Feral Lycan. Every 7 days, you can repeat the saving throw you made when you were first cursed. When you succeed on this save 3 times, you become a Quelled Lycan.

Quelled Lycanthropy. Once a Feral Lycan has advanced to Quelled Lycanthropy, it retains its memories while transformed. You can transform as a Bonus Action into either a member of your Lycan species or a hybrid form, or revert to your natural form. Your game statistics, other than potentially your size, are the same in each form.

Prime Lycanthropy. If a Lycan in any stage of Lycanthropy comes into contact with an untethered Lycan Spirit, the Spirit can take control of the Lycan’s body. While the two are bound together, the Lycan is driven by the Spirit’s will, and the Lycan is trapped in its transformed state. While transformed in this way, use the Prime Lycan species’ stat block which corresponds with your Lycanthrope species. This transformation ends if you die or are subject to a remove curse spell or similar magic to separate the Lycan Spirit from your body, and you revert to the stage of Lycanthropy you were at before contact with the Lycan Spirit.

Lycan Feats

While adventuring in the Rust Moon Territory, if cursed with Lycanthropy, when presented with the option to choose a feat, you may select one of the following options.

Whispers of the Moon Spirit

You have recently become cursed by the Moon Spirit, beginning your journey into becoming a lycan.  You gain the following benefits:

Faster Gait. Your Speed increases by 10 feet.  This does not apply to fly or swim speeds.

Mind is Your Own. You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Charmed condition.

Body of the Moon Spirit

Prerequisite: Whispers of the Moon Spirit

Your curse continues to spread, turning you far more animalistic.  You gain the following features:

Natural Weapons. You gain the use of a natural weapon with which you are proficient, be it claws, fangs, or a powerful kick. When you make an unarmed attack, your attack deals 1d6 + your STR or DEX modifier bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage (your choice).

Rapid Healing. Your wounds can close faster than most creatures’. At the start of each of your turns, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier if you are Bloodied and have at least 1 Hit Point. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute or until expended.

Additionally, When you start your turn with temporary hit points, regain Hit Points equal to your Constitution modifier, up to your Bloodied value.

Silver Aversion. The curse of the moon spirit leaves you vulnerable to damage dealt by silvered weapons. If you are struck by a silvered weapon or projectile, you cannot regain hit points until the end of your next turn.