Greater Wolfwere

A greater wolfwere switches among three shapes at will, each change taking one round. Its natural form is a huge dire wolf 5 to 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Its hybrid form stands 8 to 9 feet high with long, heavy arms ending in talon-like nails. It can also become any humanoid of either sex from 4 to 9 feet tall. In every form but human, its eyes shine red in darkness. It speaks the common tongue and the language of forest animals.

Its hunting style matches that of ordinary wolfweres. It approaches in the guise of a humanoid of the opposite sex, uses its charm and voice to get close, then sings its enchanted song; those who fail a save vs. spell fall into lethargy like a slow spell for 1d6+4 rounds.

As a dire wolf, it bites for 2d8. In hybrid form, it rakes with two claws for 1d6 each and bites for 2d6, or gives up the claws to use weapons at +6 damage. In humanoid form it can fight only with weapons, with Strength 18/00 (+6 damage). It has infravision to 120 feet.

Each also has the abilities of a 1st-level bard: it scales walls 55% of the time, hears noise 25%, picks pockets 15% and deciphers languages 10%. One in ten is a 2nd- to 5th-level bard (1d4+1), and one in twenty reaches 6th to 11th (1d6+5).

Only iron or +1 or better weapons can wound it, and unless a blow kills it outright, it regains every lost hit point as each round ends. Severed limbs do not grow back this way. It tolerates wolfsbane better than lesser kin: a successful save vs. poison lets it endure the herb's presence, while failure forces it to avoid the herb completely. Its howl brings 4d6 ordinary wolves, or 2d6 dire wolves, from the surrounding area if any live there, and they fight loyally with +2 morale.

Outwardly almost identical to common wolfweres, the greater breed often leads groups of them but seldom travels with its own kind. When two or more appear together, they are cooperating on a scheme that needs them both.

The first greater wolfweres were children of the wolfwere lord of a gloomy forested domain of the misty dread realm, whose evil was so potent that his offspring by female wolfweres were exceptionally powerful. They never breed with one another, only with ordinary wolfweres, and just 10% of those litters are greater wolfweres.

If one of its victims is left to rot, neither eaten nor properly buried, there is a 50% chance a gravebramble bush sprouts from the body; its berries are pressed into a prized local wine. Greater wolfweres share a near-empathic bond with all wolves but hate werewolves and attack them on sight.