Lycan Ranger

Lycan Ranger

The lycan ranger is a hunter from the Selva wilderness with fearsome shapeshifting abilities.

At 2nd level, you learn to create unique types of arrows, made from natural flora and fauna of the jungle or other region(s). You know how to craft a number of arrow types as follows: L2:2, L3-4:3, L5-6:4, L7-8:5, etc.

Level Proficiency Bonus Innate Abilities Arrow Types Features
1st +2 - - Beast Form, Natural Explorer*
2nd +2 2 2 Fighting Style*, Special Arrows, Innate Natural Abilities
3rd +2 3 3 Beast Companion, Primeval Awareness
4th +2 3 3 Ability Score Improvement
5th +3 4 4 Extra Attack
6th +3 4 4 Improved Beast Form, Natural Explorer* improvement
7th +3 5 5 Preternatual Reflexes
8th +3 5 5 Ability Score Improvement, Land’s Stride*
9th +4 6 6 -
10th +4 6 6 Natural Explorer* improvement, Hide in Plain Sight*
11th +4 7 7 Multiattack
12th +4 7 7 Ability Score Improvement
13th +5 8 8 -
14th +5 8 8 Greater Beast Form, Vanish*
15th +5 9 9 Superior Hunter’s Defense
16th +5 9 9 Ability Score Improvement
17th +6 10 10 -
18th +6 10 10 Feral Senses*
19th +6 11 11 Ability Score Improvement
20th +6 11 11 Legendary Hunter

* Features marked with an asterisk above are off-site links to the standard ranger rules.

Beast Form

This ability replaces the standard ranger’s Favored Enemy. It was adapted from the werewolf rules and The Complete Guide to Lycanthropy in D&D 5e.

You have an animal within, which manifests under certain conditions such as during a full moon, in times of high emotional stress, physical trauma, or other triggers.

Keen Hearing and Smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely primarily on hearing or smell.

Shapeshift. You can use your action to transform into a beast, a bipedal beast hybrid, or back into your natural form. Your statistics, other than its AC, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed.

In these alternate forms, your statistics are adjusted as follows:

In beast form, you are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered.

In beast form, your limbs become too unwieldy to manipulate weapons and other tools, whereas in hybrid form, you can continue to use such items normally.

In difficult or extraordinary circumstances, the GM may call for a Wisdom saving throw to resist transforming, or to succeed in reverting to natural form.

While in these alternate forms, you gain the following natural weapon attack options:

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can make an additional attack whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. In beast or hybrid form, this attack takes the form of a second claw attack, whereas in natural form this attack is typically a second weapon attack.

Improved Beast Form

At 6th level, your beast form grows in power.

Your natural weapon attacks in beast or hybrid form count as magical +1.

In addition, choose two of the following abilities:

These abilities also become available as feats.

Greater Beast Form

At 14th level, your beast form reaches its pinnacle.

Natural weapon attacks in beast or hybrid form count as magical +2.

In addition, choose one of the following abilities:

Alternately, you may choose two additional abilities from the 6th level Improved Beast Form list. These greater abilities also become available as feats.

Special Arrows

Together with Innate Natural Abilities, this ability replaces the standard ranger’s Spellcasting.

Example Special Arrow Types

Min. level Arrow Type
2 Ensnaring Strike
2 Hail of Thorns
3 Acid Arrow
3 Spike Growth
5 Lightning Arrow
9 Arrow of Slaying

Innate Natural Abilities

Together with Special Arrows, this ability replaces the standard ranger’s Spellcasting.

Example Innate Natural Abilities

Min. level Ability Description/Notes
2 Hunter’s mark Once per short rest – but the ability is regained immediately if current target dies.
2 Animal friendship Cast as a ritual – takes 5 minutes to bond with an animal. Animal must be neutral or friendly to initiate.
2 Speak with animals Requires concentration – uses an action each round of use.
3 Swift shot As a bonus action, draw and fire an arrow at -4 penalty.
3 Beast sense You use your action to transfer your consciousness to your beast companion. You see through its eyes, and hear what it hears for up to 1 hour, while becoming oblivious to your own usual sight and hearing. Another action returns you to your own body.
5 Focused shot You can focus your concentration when attacking at range. As an action while no enemy threatens you in melee, you make one ranged attack with advantage, and add your Wisdom modifier to the attack roll.
5 Water breathing You have gills or some other means to breathe underwater.
5 Speak with plants Requires concentration – uses an action each round of use.
13 Regeneration You regain 1 hit point at the start of each of your turns (10 hit points each minute). Severed body members (fingers, legs, tails, and so on), if any, are restored after 2 minutes. If you have the severed part and hold it to the stump, the limb knits to the stump instantaneously.

Beast Companion

This ability replaces the standard ranger’s 3rd level archetype ability. See also the Ranger’s Companion and Primal Companion options of the Beast Master ranger archetype.

At 3rd level, you become bonded to mystic spirit animals of unknown origin. They are loyal, but not beholden, to you.

Primeval Awareness

This ability replaces the standard ranger’s Primeval Awareness.

Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestiais, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. You sense the creatures’ approximate direction (but not exact location or number), as well as approximate strength of presence, which is affected by the creatures’ quantity, force of will and distance. Use of this ability is regained with a long rest.

Preternatural Reflexes

This ability replaces the standard ranger’s 7th level archetype ability.

While in your favored terrain, you have advantage on initiative checks.

Multiattack

This ability functions very similarly to the standard ranger’s 11th level archetype ability. It is adapted from the Hunter archetype.

At 11th level, you the following two features:

Superior Hunter’s Defense

This ability functions as the standard ranger’s 15th level archetype ability. It is copied verbatim from the Hunter archetype.

At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

Legendary Hunter

This ability replaces the standard ranger’s Foe Slayer.

At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies. Once on each of your turns, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the attack roll or the damage roll of an attack you make. You can choose to use this feature before or after the roll, but before any effects of the roll are applied.

Appendix: Feats of Interest