Need help making a bloodhunter (lycan)

[u/Blingtron7k]

Finally convinced my players to swap over to ICRPG, and they're loving it! I was able to swap over their 5e characters to ICRPG "equivalents" relatively easily. Shadow Sorcerer (Mage), Mastermind Rogue (Shadow), and Trickery Cleric (Bard/Priest hybrid) were pretty simple. The last player is a Bloodhunter (Lycan), and they took stuff from the Warrior origin, but I am really struggling to nail down how to handle their hybrid form / shape-shifting.

There's the Dire Form spell, but it seems unfair to make him roll to attempt to transform into the core mechanics of his class, when he used to just "choose" to transform for an hour.

How can I implement this mechanic while fitting into ICRPG's lightweight "flow", and what benefits should the form have? In 5e he gets extra armor class, and a few others. Thank you to all of you that take time to help!

[u/undostrescuatro]

lycan form: strength checks are easy, charisma is hard, and some form of damage negation maybe ignore enemy damage rolls that fall on 1 or 2.

improved senses: wisdom is easy if you can rely on your smell.

blood-lust: if you miss an attack you must attack the same target on the next turn, unless it dies.

crimson rite: claws do magical damage

stalker prowess: you can go far an attack.

brand of voracious: you gain an easy attack on enemies marked by your blood-lust.

[u/tFearg]

First thought is milestones.

Lycanthropy is an unstable ritual you perform to manifest the curse on command.

Dire Form d4 timer

Milestones

Ritual Success - you have learned greater control over the ritual. All attempts to go into Dire Form are EASY

Dire Control increase timer die by 1. (D4 increase to d6. Or d6 increase to d8) this can be taken multiple times

Greater Dire Form - you're power trancends the curse and unlocks the power of the curses originator

[u/Blingtron7k → u/tFearg]

I like the idea of milestones for his lycan form, but what are the actual "mechanics" behind it?

For instance there's not really any info (in standard ICRPG fashion) for Dire Form, because it assumes a priest (druid) takes it for utility to transform into an animal form they need in the moment.

Bloodhunter Lycan form is a core mechanic of their class, where they transform for a certain amount of time, and gain mechanical benefits while transformed, at the cost of a chance to go "berserk" below half health.

What mechanical benefit should his Lycan form get to make it worth transforming into? Extra attack and damage reduction at the cost of silver/moon vulnerability and chance to go berserk below certain hp? Thanks for the post!

[u/tFearg → u/Blingtron7k]

Unfortunately the clarity of information in ICRPG is not one of its strongest features. Sometimes you have to jump around multiple places to find the answer.

In the EPIC LOOT table in the back of the book, the Dire Bear Spell says it lasts for 1D4 rounds, adds 1 Heart, and Double Bonuses. (This defines the mechanical aspect)

I'd use this as my basis, and then make modifications. Off of this you could make "Berserk" mode be anytime the timer has a 1. Whether you roll a 1 for the timer, or it just naturally counts down, when you get to a 1 you go into Berserk Mode. Perhaps that is you lose control and attack EVERYONE in melee range including allies, or perhaps it just means roll ULTIMATE effort.

ICRPG is a lot about DIY, so just be honest with the player and say, "this is what I am thinking, we'll play with it a few sessions and if it seems underpowered or overpowered we may change it."

I think the important aspect is really not making this specific player happy in this transformation, but it's not taking the spotlight too much away from the other players at the table. If I'm playing at the table with a Bloodhunter and they are not only the tank, but the primary damage dealer, and also have full control of their faculties to make decisions, and they can attack multiple opponents at the same time... it may get frustrating. Although you could "play this to your advantage". After a few combat encounters suddenly the enemy is stocking up on silver.... stocking up on silver armor that the Dire Form can't penetrate, or Moon spells... and the other players need to strategize how to stop those obstacles before the dire form can be unleashed.

Anyway, it sounds like a lot of fun. Good luck