Lycanthropy Isn't What It Used To Be.

You can keep your Vampires; that all too over familiar RPG and board game monster. You take the lid off a coffin in a creepy castle, and you know that you have just ill consigned yourself to hours of game time getting the lid back on hopefully with the reluctant occupant back inside. A played-out monster trope in essence.

Give me a good lashing of Lycanthropy on any full moon. Having one of your players unexpectedly turn into a were-creature is a nice turn of events in any RPG or board game and it doesn't happen enough. Just look how popular the mass-produced game One Night Werewolf or Ultimate Werewolf is as a hint to the gaming popularity. It's not just about the werewolf though, manufacturers of miniature figures have produced Were-bears, Were-Boars and even Were-rats for our gaming needs over the years. Thanks to Nick Park of Wallace and Gromit fame we also have an English Were-Rabbit. (Not to be confused with the North American Jackalope). The Lycanthropes I have encountered tend to lose all sensibilities when they turn and start killing characters off with much gusto. How often do you have a silver tipped spear or pistol with a silver bullet load handy? They are then fantasy's best unclear and present danger. Anyone can fashion a wooden stake quickly enough to deal with vampires but killing a Werewolf requires some pretty specific gear. They turn up in some weird game places as well. I once encountered one in a space pod during a game of Traveller, the sci fi RPG. I got into a pod after an exploration star ship core failed following a battle with space pirates (as you do) and my co-pilot turned into a Werewolf. You can imagine how well that ended. Turns out in space most moons are viewed as full, who knew.  O the Humaniti (little Traveller joke there). My favorite Werewolf game mechanic has been the blood moon expansion for Talisman. I have only played the expansion once, but it was memorable. The Werewolf moves around landing on players spaces, and they are presented with 6 options, the downside is that most options take 1 life, take a follower's life or turn you into a Werewolf. Time to take Lycanthropy as a game mechanism back into board games.

Not just wolves but Boars, Bears and Rats. Grenadier figures from the 80's

Not an obsession, just required reading........