The Werehyena

Werehyenas are strong survivalists that many people are not aware of in other lands. They usually hunt wherever prey may be found, attacking sadistically.  They can be savage combatants and are unnerving to fight because of their taunting laughing.  Affliction with this form of lycanthropy only happens occasionally, since werehyenas tend to finish off whatever hapless victim come into their clutches (though they have a quirk in that they tend not to attack creatures of their humanoid form) . A humanoid infected usually joins the attackers’ pack. 

This template class assumes that the character is aware of his condition, whether because he was born a werelion or because he realizes he is afflicted with lycanthropy. Any ability noted as applying to all forms is available to the wererat in his natural, hybrid, and animal forms, but not forms acquired via polymorph or other means.

This template class assumes that the character is aware of his condition, whether because he was born a werehyena or because he realizes he is afflicted with lycanthropy. Any ability noted as applying to all forms is available to the wererat in his natural, hybrid, and animal forms, but not forms acquired via polymorph or other means.

Note that each lycanthrope template class has 3 levels, but only natural lycanthropes can take all the levels it offers. An afflicted lycanthrope can take only levels 1 and 2, since his level adjustment is +2 instead of +3.

Lycanthrope template classes also follow special rules relating to the benefits such characters acquire from their animal natures. The template allows for a level adjustment of +3 (or +2 for afflicted lycanthropes), but that value does not include the Hit Dice from the lycanthrope's animal form. So while a 1st-level human natural wererat warrior (as presented in the Monster Manual) has a level adjustment of +3, his ECL is actually 5 -- 1 from his warrior Hit Die, +3 from the template, +1 for his dire rat Hit Die. Likewise, a 1st-level natural werebear human warrior has an ECL of 10 -- 1 from his warrior Hit Die, +3 from the template, +6 for his bear Hit Dice.

Thus, in addition to the 2 or 3 levels offered via the appropriate lycanthrope template class, each kind of lycanthrope also has a separate (optional) class progression for his animal abilities. Essentially, a character progressing as lycanthrope multiclasses into the template class and can also multiclass into the appropriate animal class if desired.

 He is free to take levels in other classes between levels of the template class and the animal class, as desired. The animal class, like the template class, does not count when determining whether a character takes an XP penalty for multiclassing.

An afflicted lycanthrope that is cured of his lycanthropy (as described in the Monster Manual on page 178) immediately loses all [lycanthrope] class levels and {animal} class levels (if any). These levels cannot be restored with restoration or similar magic; they are simply gone. Most lycanthropes that do not wish to lose their lycanthropy in this way deliberately fail their saving throws against the spell in order to prevent this traumatic change.

Table SC-1: The Werehyena Template Class

Level	CR	Special
1	+1	+2 Wis, natural armor +2, alternate form (hyena), low-light vision, shapechanger subtype, werehyena feat (Feat)
2	+1	Alternate form (hybrid), damage reduction 5/silver, rat empathy, werehyena feats (Iron Will)
3	+2	Curse of lycanthropy, damage reduction 10/silver

[Lycanthrope] Template Class Features

All of the following are class features of the werehyena template class.

Ability Score Changes: The indicated ability score increases or decreases by the amount noted.

Natural Armor Improvements: At 1st level, the werehyena 's natural armor bonus increases by +2. A character that does not normally have a natural armor bonus (such as a human) is considered to have an initial natural armor bonus of +0 for the purpose of this ability. Thus, a human's natural armor bonus would increase to +2 at 1st level.

Alternate Form (Su): At 1st level, the werehyena can take the form of a hyena, and he undergoes this change involuntarily on the nights of the full moon or in times of stress, as described in the Monster Manual. Unless the werehyena is a natural lycanthrope, he does not automatically have control over this ability and must attempt a Control Shape check to intentionally change form or to resist an involuntary change. For an afflicted lycanthrope, Control Shape is a class skill for all classes as well as racial Hit Dice, if any. Natural lycanthropes have full control over when they change shape and do not need to take ranks in this skill. Changing form is a standard action that can be attempted once per round.

A werehyena who is aware of his condition retains his identity and does not lose control of his actions when he changes. Each time he involuntarily changes to his animal form, however, he must make a Will save (DC 15 + number of times he has been in animal form) or permanently assume the alignment of his lycanthrope type (neutral evil for werehyenas) in all forms. Any voluntary change to hyena or hybrid form immediately and permanently changes the character's alignment to neutral evil.

Until the character has taken the optional levels in the hyena class (see Hyena Abilities, below), changing shape to hyena form does not give him the abilities of a hyena -- he simply is able to take that creature's shape, as if he had a perfect disguise. Since this ability is of limited use, most characters taking levels in the werehyena template class choose to take the optional levels of the hyena class as well in order to gain the full abilities of their animal forms.

At 2nd level, the werehyena gains the ability to assume a hybrid form -- a shape between his humanoid and his hyena forms. As with the hyena form, this change is purely cosmetic unless the character has taken the hyena class to gain the appropriate abilities. He will also gain a claw attack for use in his hybrid form (see the chart SC-3).

Natural Armor Improvements: At 1st level, the werehyena's natural armor bonus increases by +2 in all forms. A character that does not normally have a natural armor bonus (such as a human) is considered to have an initial natural armor bonus of +0 for the purpose of this ability. Thus, a human's natural armor bonus would increase to +2 at 1st level. The werehyena also gains additional natural armor increases in his hybrid or animal form if he takes the hyena class.

Shapechanger Subtype (Ex): At 1st level, the werehyena gains the shapechanger subtype.

Werehyena Bonus Feats: At 1st and 2nd level, the werehyena gains the feats indicated on Table SC-1, assuming that he doesn't already have them. If the werehyena doesn't meet the prerequisites (if any) for a bonus feat, he gains the feat but cannot use it until he does meet the prerequisites.

Low-Light Vision (Ex): A 1st-level werehyena gains low-light vision.

Hyena Empathy (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a werehyena in any form can communicate and empathize with normal or dire hyena.  This ability gives him a +4 racial bonus on checks made to influence the attitude of hyena or dire hyena. It also allows the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands, such as "friend," "foe," "flee," and "attack."

Damage Reduction (Ex): At 2nd level, the werehyena gains damage reduction 5/silver. At 3rd level, a natural lycanthrope gains damage reduction 10/silver. An afflicted lycanthrope's damage reduction does not improve beyond 5/silver.

Curse of Lycanthropy (Su): At 3rd level, a natural lycanthrope can infect other creatures with lycanthropy. Any humanoid or giant hit by the bite attack of a werehyena in animal or hybrid form must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or contract lycanthropy. Afflicted lycanthropes do not transmit lycanthropy.

Table SC-2: The Hyena (Lycanthrope) Class

Level	Hit Die	Base Attack Bonus	Fort. Save	Ref. Save	Will Save	Skills	Special
1st	1d8	+0	+2	+1	+0	2 + Int Mod	Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, bite, + 2 natural armor
2nd	2d8	+1	+3	+3	+0	2 + Int Mod	Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, scent, trip

Bite: The hyena animal class gives the werehyena a bite attack. The bite is a natural weapon that deals 1d6 points of damage. In hybrid form, it gains certain damage according to the lycanthropes’ size. (See table SC-3)

Hyena Abilities (Ex): Upon taking a level in the hyena animal class, the character gains the [animal]'s Hit Dice (in all forms), base attack bonus (in all forms), base saving throw bonuses (in all forms), ability score modifiers (in hybrid and animal forms), skill points (in all forms), and natural armor bonus (in hybrid and animal forms), as well as the special abilities indicated on Table SP-4.

In [animal] form, the werehyena’s speed changes to 50 ft. feet. Class skills for the hyena racial Hit Die are Change Shape, Hide, Listen, Spot. In hyena form, werehyenas gain a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in areas of tall grass and undergrowth. 

Scent (Ex): As a 2nd-level hyena, a werehyena in any form gains the scent ability.

Table SC-3: Claw and Bite damages for hybrid form

Hybrid Size	Claw damage	Bite damage
Small	1d3	1d4
Medium	1d4	1d6
Large	1d6	1d8
Huge	2d4	2d6