Werebadger

A werebadger was a lycanthrope that could transform into a humanoid–badger hybrid or a giant badger. Werebadgers most often infected dwarves with lycanthropy, as other humanoids had a lesser chance of becoming werebadgers.

Description
Werebadgers were rare creatures that lived underground, or above ground in hilly areas. They were shapechanging lycanthropes that could assume the form of a badger.

Society
Werebadgers preferred to live on the fringes of society, but were usually solitary. Many werebadgers chose to become skirmishers or scouts in dwarven armies. This was so that they could avoid other dwarven warriors in the core battalion. As they aged much quicker than a typical dwarf, werebadgers were often under threat of being identified.

They did not like to engage in physical labor, especially typical dwarven duties such as mining stone or working metal. Werebadgers did not like other lycanthropes, and would defend their homes and young with their lives.

Combat
When attacking, werebadgers would use their incredibly large claws and sharp teeth. The bite would always come last, as the claws themselves could not transmit lycanthropy. Due to the extreme power of their claws, werebadgers would not need to use weapons. Werebadgers would only wield weapons if they were magically enhanced. Typically, they wielded dwarven weapons such as axes and battlehammers. They could only be harmed by silver weapons, and poisoned by poppy seed oil.

Werebadgers could enter a berserk frenzy where their claws inflicted more damage and their bite became much stronger. In this state, they would rage and froth out of the mouth, and fight until they or their opponents died. In berserk mode, these lycanthropes had a double chance of transmitting lycanthropy.

Relations
Werebadgers were territorial, but would usually only fight if threatened. When transmitting lycanthropy to other humanoids, dwarves were most readily affected. Other underground dwellers, such as goblins and gnomes, would only have half this chance, and surface dwellers, a quarter. Rarely, a werebadger could be found with a mate and young, away from other creatures. If encountered, adult werebadgers would berserk and fight off any intruders.

Notable werebadgers

 * Jarthon Drael - leader of the Moonwood tribe, People of the Black Blood.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Ring of Winter
 * Computer games
 * Icewind Dale 2 &bull; Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate
 * Icewind Dale 2 &bull; Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate