Wereshark [Lycanthrope]

Weresharks are greedy hybrids of human and shark that ravage fishing grounds, fishermen included, and attack almost any sea life, even thinking peoples like tritons, sea elves and mermen. In human shape a wereshark is a massive, heavily muscled brute, usually maimed somehow (a lost limb or eye, deep scars or other disfigurement), though the marks never show on its shark form. Transformed, it becomes a great white. It is cruel and arrogant as a man and worse as a shark. It has a 35% chance to speak with and give orders to normal sharks.

On land it relies on raw strength (18 to 18/00), mauling foes barehanded; an attack roll of 20 against an opponent it has grappled for a round rips off an arm. Facing odds worse than three to one, or anyone wielding weapons, it creates a distraction and flees for the water, changing to shark shape to escape.

In the sea it circles under its target to strike at the legs, an attack foes can barely anticipate (they are surprised on a roll of 1-4). The bite does 5d4 and leaves deep gashes. It does not lock its jaws; it either chews at leisure or swallows whole. Any hit that beats the needed roll by 5 or more swallows the victim: against a selkie (AC 5) the wereshark needs a 5 to hit, so a 10 or better gulps it down. A swallowed creature takes 15 damage per round. With an edged weapon it can try to cut free, attacking AC 5 with a cumulative -1 per round, but it escapes only once the wereshark has lost over half its hit points.

Only silver or enchanted weapons affect it; anything else glances off or makes a shallow cut that closes at once. Swallowed victims may use any edged weapon from inside. In human form it can breathe water for one hour, after which it takes 1d10 per round until it drowns, reaches air or turns into a shark.

Weresharks are loners in either shape, out for themselves above all. Brief, rare alliances happen with their own kind, with sahuagin, or with evil sea gods' priests. Most keep a retinue of common sharks that attack alongside them. In crowded waters, blood can draw swarms into a feeding frenzy, and weresharks often slash victims in passing just to set the other sharks on them while they wait to pick up magic weapons and other valuables.

They are fiercely territorial, claiming a sunken hulk or sea cave and fighting to the last to keep it, then looting them to profit on land. Sea folk whisper of sahuagin weresharks, honored as holy warriors and bigger than any human wereshark (12 Hit Dice).