Many creatures hunt the night of Midgard. While many are twisted beasts
of hatred born from darkness, some were
not always so.
The following ruleset provides players the ability
to become grim monsters of the dark themselves.
From dread-inducing werewolves to all-powerful
liches, the following transformations are available
to characters who meet the required prerequisites.
While transformations make for great roleplay
opportunities, at no point do they provide an
acceptable excuse to hurt the enjoyment of
other players at the table. If you want to create
a conflict between two player characters, it is
imperative that you discuss this with the table
(and particularly your GM) first.
Transformations
Individuals rarely choose to transform into beings
of the night. Instead, they have it forced upon
them. Foul curses, horrific experiments, and
the diabolical machinations of fiends, vampires,
and other dark agents are all examples of how a
character might start a transformation. However,
there are times when a character may wish to
begin a transformation of their own volition.
Perhaps they have succumbed to the lure of
power, or they see it as the only way to achieve a
greater goal.
Regardless, the first step in any transformation
should be a discussion with your GM. Make your
intentions clear, as the transformation may
not be suitable for the setting or story your GM
is running.
The next step in a transformation is to ensure you
meet all the prerequisites of the transformation.
There are 2 types of prerequisites: mechanical and
roleplay prerequisites. Mechanical prerequisites
can be ability score, spellcasting, and other
feature requirements. Roleplay prerequisites are
the in-game actions required by a character to
start a transformation. It is recommended that
this milestone be reached within the game rather
than through a backstory. However, you may
wish to discuss alternative avenues to pursue a
prerequisite with your GM.
Boons and Flaws
When you have achieved all the required
prerequisites of a transformation and reached
your first transformation level, you gain all
the boons and the flaw of the first level. These
constitute the beginning of the changes from the
transformation. The boons and flaws of these
iconic monsters come from folklore, pop culture
and our own imagination. If they differ from an
existing trope or stat block, it is because they
represent a variation unique to Midgard.
Leveling Up
Characters that have successfully completed
a transformation can continue the process
by increasing their transformation level. The
character must achieve a milestone before
gaining a transformation level. Each type of
transformation has an example list of possible
milestones that are thematically unique. Talk
with your GM to come up with applicable
milestones for your campaign and how you can
achieve them.
When you increase your transformation level, you
choose one boon from that level, or a lower level,
provided you meet that boon’s prerequisites. You
gain the new level’s flaw as well.
Transformation Levels
While transformations are milestone
achievements and each level comes with a flaw,
transformations still represent a significant
increase in power. For this reason, it is
recommended that players and GMs use the
following level table as a guide for when players
should be able to level up a transformation. After
all, only the strongest survive such an ordeal.
| Transformation Level |
Player Level |
| 1 |
1-4 |
| 2 |
5-10 |
| 3 |
11-16 |
| 4 |
17-20 |
Removing a Curse
Reversing a transformation is an incredibly
difficult process. The changes that have occurred
in a character have fundamentally altered their
biology, and perhaps their mind. However,
anything is possible in a magical world. To cure a
transformation, treat it as a curse from the curses
section. The curse level of a transformation is
equal to the character’s transformation level.
Rather than casting remove curse with the cure
components, the regenerate spell must be cast
with the cure components instead. A character
that has reached the 4th level of a transformation,
or that has been transformed for longer than
one year, can only be cured by a wish spell. If a
character is killed and resurrected, the GM decides
if they are resurrected with transformation levels.
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