Wereleopard [Lycanthrope]

Wereleopards are a race of savage hunters that keep to themselves unless the paka, an evil and clever race of cat people, take charge of them, and then they are often drawn into dark deeds against the realm's people. They have only one form, almost an even blend of cat and human, able to fight upright or on all fours. They scorn clothing, relying on a thick spotted coat against the weather. Females are nearly all black with slightly paler spots; males are orange with black spots.

They speak their own growling tongue, which humans can hardly learn, and the language of the paka. They despise human speech and never learn it.

Faster than other lycanthropes, wereleopards love to chase a fleeing victim and bite at the tendons behind the leg, gaining +4 to hit instead of the usual +2 for a rear attack. A modified roll of 18 or more that hits hamstrings the target, who moves at half speed until healed. Hobbled or not, the bite deals 1d6.

Once prey is slowed, the pack circles and drives it this way and that until the victims are scattered and bewildered, then closes in for a fast, savage kill. They do not stop to feed until every member of the group is dead.

Only silver, enchanted weapons (+1 at minimum), spells, acid, fire or similar special attacks can hurt them. If it cannot use its favorite tactic, a wereleopard tends to avoid a fight; forced into one, it claws twice for 1d4 each and bites for 1d6.

Their one real weakness is a fear of lightning. Natural or magical lightning forces an immediate morale check at -4, and failure means fleeing for 5d4 rounds. Loud thunderlike noises also require a morale check, though at +4.

They hail from a hot, dry world of stark mountains towering over endless plains, and in the misty dread realm they settle in country that looks and feels similar. On their home world they were true leopards, led into evil by some unknown being; when they crossed into the dread realm, the curse of lycanthropy fell on them and bent their bodies permanently. Just 40% are true lycanthropes, the only ones able to spread the curse.

The pride creates cursed wereleopards to deal with particular local dangers, such as settlements, adventurers or other evil creatures. Once cursed, the victim drops to near-animal intelligence and obeys the true lycanthropes in everything. When such a servant is no longer useful, it is killed.

Under the full moon, cursed wereleopards turn human until dawn. Dazed and torn between loyalty to the pride and memories of their old lives, they usually try to flee, and the pride leaders gleefully run them down. Naked and unarmed, the humans do not survive long, and most are eaten. A few may be allowed to escape, since the pride knows they will return when sunrise changes them back.

Wereleopards eat only meat, fresh-killed when possible. Everything about them is feline: they lounge on high branches, groom their fur and tumble in the grass like innocent kittens. When the hunt begins, though, no one mistakes what they are.