Lycanthrope, Giant Werebat (Shadkyn)

Shadkyn are the dark cousins to the good voadkyn, or wood giants. They are true lycanthropes who can change form at will into giant werebats.

Shadkyn can assume three forms: voadkyn, mobat, and hybrid. In voadkyn form, they look like tall, thin, pale wood giants. They wear loose clothing that comes off quickly if they need to shift forms quickly. In mobat form, the shadkyn takes on all the attributes of the species, with the added benefits of 8 Hit Dice (instead of the usual 4-6) and a a +2 bonus to the mobat's THAC0. The shadkyn hybrid's flesh is a smoky color, with short black hairs sprouting on shoulders and legs; the arms elongate into giant wings, with a 12-16' wingspan. The hybrid form includes a pair of long, vampirish fangs.

All true shadkyn can take on all three forms. Infected shadkyn have a 75% chance to assume only two of the three forms - either humanoid and hybrid, or humanoid and mobat.

Combat: The shadkyn can fight in any of their three forms, though they prefer their hybrid form for battle. In giant form the shadkyn can fight with any weapon. They tend to tip their weapons with poison. In mobat form, the shadkyn fights as that species (see MONSTROUS MANUAL entry, Bat, Huge).

Their most vicious attacks come in their hybrid form, where shadkyn can utilize their elongated claws (2-8 points of damage per claw) or their bite (3-12 points of damage). Each point of damage brings the werebat's 2% chance of infecting the victim with Iycanthropy; this applies to all humanoids, though the shadkyn prefer to infect voadkyn. Voadkyn infected in such a way become shadkyn; other humanoids become common werebats with the smoky coloration of the shadkyn.

Shadkyn can, once per turn, emit a piercing screech while in hybrid form. This screech is emitted at the beginning of the round and does not count as an attack. All those within hearing lose initiative for that round, allowing the shadkyn to attack first; in addition, all who hear the screech must roll a saving throw vs. breath weapon or be stunned for 1-4 rounds.

Habitat/Society: Shadkyn society is tribal. A typical group of shadkyn live in a mountain cave, with 1d12 + 3 males, twice as many females, and 2d6 children. One of these shadkyn lords over the flock in what can only be described as a despotic rulership; this shadkyn is bigger and more powerful than the others, fighting with a +1 to THAC0 and +2 to damage, and gaining 1 extra Hit Dice. The group lives only to breed and feed. There is a 60% chance that a flock of shadkyn includes 1-10 normal werebats who act as scouts and servants.

Shadkyn parents produce only one child per union. This child is always shadkyn, with a few (5%) being born without the ability to change into one of the three forms (most often that of the mobat), and a very few (2%) being born with no shapeshifting abilities at all; these shadkyn are usually turned out of the flock to become bitter recluses. A shadkyn mating with a voadkyn has a 50% chance of producing a shadkyn offspring; if the child is born voadkyn, there is another 50% chance the child will be an infected Iycanthrope.

Ecology: Shadkyn fill a similar niche as their voadkyn cousins, although their lifestyle is not quite as sophisticated and their tastes run much more toward meat; cattle and other large herd animals are rare in areas near shadkyn lairs. The shadkyn have no natural enemies, other than the voadkyn, but their war is one of hatred, not survival. The only other enemy to shadkyn are other shadkyn, as they have been known to cannibalize weak or elderly members of the flock when food is scarce.