Wereray [Ravenloft]

Few lycanthropes are as odd as the wereray. Seen from above it is a giant manta, its vast wings made of rubbery gray hide. Beneath hangs a humanoid shape: free arms that can handle weapons and tools, plus legs, head and torso joined to the winged shell by thin membranes and unable to come away. Head and belly are a slick, sickly white; arms, legs and flanks match the gray shell. The long gray tail is tipped with a barb black as jet, and the black eyes have dull yellow slits for pupils.

Cursed wererays, those infected by true ones, change only under a full moon. The rest of the time their skin looks faintly gray, tight and rubbery, and once infected their irises stay black for good. Wererays have no tongue of their own but often know one or more human languages.

Wererays are among the cruelest lycanthropes and love spreading their affliction, so only 40% of any group are true lycanthropes; the others are stricken fishermen, swimmers or sailors who drew their notice.

They hide under a skin of sand, effectively invisible without a careful search, and lash out with the barbed tail when disturbed. The sting deals 1d6, and the victim must save vs. poison or take a nerve venom that paralyzes for 1d4 turns while inflicting agonizing pain. The helpless victim is usually left to drown, and the wereray comes back to feed once it has savored the death throes. It also has a 1d4 bite but rarely bothers with it.

Weapons below +1 cannot hurt them. Silver is no special threat, but coral or seashell weapons harm them even without enchantment.

Packs of 3d6 lair in deep undersea caves littered with the bones and loot of victims. What wererays lack in intellect beside other lycanthropes, they recover through sheer low cunning; at times they build false reefs and similar hazards to wreck ships and supply fresh prey.

Fish and other sea life make up most of their diet, though they prefer humanoid flesh. To catch land-dwellers they bury themselves in the shallows of warm salt waters across the misty dread realm and sting whoever wades too near.