Werepanther

Werepanthers are a species of werecat native to Dungeons & Dragons. They are associated with both the Forgotten Realms and with Ravenloft.

Faerunian Werepanthers

In the Realms, werepanthers are rare and found mainly in tropical mountains. They are believed to have been created long ago by a powerful and malevolent shaman who used dark rituals to marry the power and senses of a wild beast to a human. Like most werecats, they have three forms; human, panther, and humanoid panther. Of the three forms, they favor the man-beast form the most, and are typically found in tribes of up to two dozen werepanthers, led by powerful Shamans or Witch Doctors. They are proud, arrogant and cruel, with a love for humanoid flesh and a fondness for keeping slaves, although individuals who impress a werepanther with their strength might be dragged back to the lair to be converted into a werepanther in turn. There are usually two or three slaves in a tribe for each individual werepanther, and they are kept in line with the aid of jet maces (sculpted to resemble a panther's paw, complete with claws) and barbed scourges that can be used to maim the disobedient.

Werepanthers are vulnerable to silver, and are bitter enemies of weretigers, werejaguars, and wemics.

The most famous werepanther in Realms-lore is Kelemvor... who, ironically, none of the above lore actually applies to! He was a man cursed to transform into an otherwise ordinary panther whenever he performed charity.

Ravenloftian Werepanthers

In the Domain of Dread, they are mostly associated with the domain of Valachan, whose Darklord is a panther-turned-human-turned-nosferatu. As a result, he can create both vampire and werepanther minions with his attacks, and has used this to create separate cadres of followers.

Publication History

Werepanthers debuted in the Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two splatbook for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition, presented here more as a "generic" therianthrope.

Other AD&D sources are the Shadowdale and Hall of Heroes splats for the Forgotten Realms and the adventure Felkovic's Cat in Dungeon Magazine #50 for Ravenloft.

Werepanthers were converted to Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition in the Ravenloft Gazetteer IV.