Van Richten's Monster Hunter's.pdf - Askadesign.com

Van Richten's estimates for dietary
requirements are quite accurate, but
he fails to answer several key
questions. For instance, how much
flesh can a werebeast glean from the
average ran? From a goblin? For a
simple solution, use the following
guidelines in play: On average, a
man-sized victim yields 100 pounds
of flesh (including skin, marrow, and
organs). A creature classified as
"large" yields 150 pounds, while a
creature that is size "small" yields 50.
For each day beyond four that a
lycanthrope goes without sufficient
food, the creature loses one-eighth of
its hit-point total (rounded up). Each
day, it receives a saving throw vs.
polymorph to resist the day's loss.
Note that the loss is of one-eighth of
the creature's total normal hit points.
For example, a werebat whose hit
points usually add up to 24 is forced
to go without food. For the first four
days, it suffers no ill effects (except,
perhaps for an increasingly foul
mood). On the fifth day, and on each
From my own research and
encounters, I provide the following
estimates of food requirements for
different phenotypes. I must stress that
these are estimates: variation between
individuals may exist. Also, this does
not take into account the possibility
that certain werebeasts may prefer to
eat more than others.
The figures above represent my best
guess at average requirements. A true
lycanthrope can go for up to four days
without suitable food before it begins
to suffer any ill effects. This assumes,
however, that it eventually makes up
for the food it has missed.
Note that even the wererat discussed
above will probably slay one animal (or
person) every day (or couple of days,
at least). Since it prefers fresh meat, it
will orobablv make a kill iust to aet - its
two pounds'of flesh.
subsequent day, it mus t save vs.
polymorph or lose 3 hit points (oneeighth
of its total).
Note that a werebea: jt cannot
regain hit points lost to starvation
simply iy changing for m. (The
reverse is also true; obi Jiously, a
werebeast cannot heal combat
damage simply by eatii Tg a square
meal.) Although magic can restore
the points lost to starvz ition, the mere
passage of time has no effect. The
creature regains all stai (vation points
as soon as it devours a ll of the flesh it
should have eaten up t' 3 that point.
Progressive starvatic ,n has another
consequence. A starvir rg werebeast
has an increased cham :e of suffering
bloodlust. (Bloodlust is discussed in
more detail on page 1E io.) For each
day beyond four that tt Le creature
goes without sufficient food, it suffers
a -1 penalty to its save ~ vs. polymorph
to avoid bloodli 1st. This
penalty vanishes as so< m as the
creature makes up for all the time
that it's gone without SI ufficient food.
All lycanthropes apF )ear to prefer
human and humanoid flesh to that of
animals. This preferem :e is not so
strong that the creaturc 3s cannot
override it when neces: jary, however.
They can derive suster lance from any
form of flesh (keeping in mind the
restrictions I have set c ut above, of
course).
Life Spm and Lift 3cycle
Unlike the undead crez itures I have
studied, werebeasts fol low a natural
cycle from birth to dea th. They are
born, they mature to at dulthood, and
they eventually die of ( ,Id age. As
noted below, however, this pattern
varies between infectec 1 and true
lycanthropes.