Wereraven [Ravenloft]

Wereravens are a wise, good race of shapechangers who fled into the misty dread realm centuries ago from some other world, where they have since died out. Natural wereravens have three forms: human, giant raven and a hybrid. Those infected get only two, always human plus either the hybrid or the raven, split about evenly. The hybrid resembles a werebat: long thin arms that feather out into wings, a hard straight beak, jet-black eyes and feathers instead of body hair.

Wereravens avoid melee, though they are deadly at it. Only silver or +2 or better weapons can hit them, so most armed groups do not worry them, and they are strong fliers who use the air well.

In human form they keep their immunities but have no natural weapon; unarmed they deal just 1-2, so they usually carry arms and inflict weapon damage. As a raven, a wereraven fights like a normal one: 1-2 damage, with a 1-in-10 chance per hit of pecking out an eye. One lost eye means -2 to all attacks until heal or regeneration restores it; a second peck leaves the victim fully blind until the same cure. In hybrid form the wings are nearly useless for fighting, but the beak becomes brutal, biting for 2d6. Beak and peck wounds infect at 2% per point inflicted.

A family lives only in deep forest, inside a great tree it has hollowed out. The only way in is from above, short of hacking through the trunk. Somehow they keep the tree alive, so it looks just like its neighbors. Their lair attracts 10-100 (10d10) wild ravens that nest nearby, serve their wishes and defend them.

Knowing they are islands of good in an evil land, wereravens survive by avoiding crowds and dramatic good deeds that would catch the eye of the domain lords. A flock seldom has more than 2-8 adults, plus 1-4 young per two adults; the young stay in plain raven form until they can fend for themselves and are rarely met. They help good causes, but grudgingly, out of fear of the dark powers of the realm rather than lack of will. Rumor says they have rescued wandering seers in trouble more than once and that the two peoples are close, though neither admits it.

Wereravens eat everything but prefer a vegetarian diet of nuts and berries. Now and then they eat carrion or kill fresh prey to stay healthy.