Harper Song curing Lycanthropy

[Dalenger]

I think the OP has a point.
I basically see two problems with it.
1. Poor targeting.
You can randomly cure people without intending to.

2. RP it.
An ability to cure people from lycanthropy against their will is okay; In my opinion it is an ability that needs to be RP'ed out though. You basically have to give away that you are a good aligned werewolf-healer, if you force it on other players without their IC/OOC consent. For me that is subsumed under RP before PVP.

So basically, for a harper to use one of his class features, he must first announce to the world that he is a harper?
Yeah, that'll go well.

[Yma23]

I think the OP has a point.
I basically see two problems with it.
1. Poor targeting.
You can randomly cure people without intending to.

2. RP it.
An ability to cure people from lycanthropy against their will is okay; In my opinion it is an ability that needs to be RP'ed out though. You basically have to give away that you are a good aligned werewolf-healer, if you force it on other players without their IC/OOC consent. For me that is subsumed under RP before PVP.

So basically, for a harper to use one of his class features, he must first announce to the world that he is a harper?
Yeah, that'll go well.

Yeah - The first part I entirely agree with. The Second is more complex.
If we want to make it a more 'active' thing then I think it must:
a) occur upon the werewolf's corpse, so that you as a player cannot see who does it. And that way it's happened before RP.
b) Or be an item, which bards in general can use - I've outlined this idea already.
c) Not be a harper scout ability. Remove that from them, and give them Something Else Cool. Maybe give it to the Healer Path instead - that does make an awful lot of sense.

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

I don't understand what the huge deal is about harpers being a major secret. The truth of the matter is that according to lore, if you go back through the FR novels and read any story that features a harper, they inevitably wind up revealing themselves to someone they're helping or someone who can help them get their job done.

Being a Harper is the worst-kept secret in all of Faerun- it's only really preserved from the people that might do them harm. Someone a Harper has helped usually winds up knowing they were helped by a Harper, and they'll usually go to the grave rather than giving up the name of the one that helped them.

I'm not saying they should go out waving their pin at every bad guy they take down, but they even give non-harpers they're helping passwords to be introduced to other harpers that will help them along their way.

I am thrilled that Harpers are a thing here, but I want to slap someone with a novel everytime they talk about how secretive Harpers are meant to be- being a Harper is not like Fight Club- the whole point of the Harpers is that people DO talk about them, and they inspire hope and opposition to the Evils of the Realms.

[Nitro]

it's only really preserved from the people that might do them harm.

You mean kind of like people who want to keep on being murderous werebeasts?

[susitsu]

Hm. Well, three day road-trips across country really make you miss some things. I'll be making a post once Ive finally landed in my new place. I think after a bit more discussion with a now calm mind-set, I'll be making a suggestion box thread with a few of these ideas in mind for comprimise. However, let me precede any further discussion by stating two things.

First off, I honestly half the time don't even want to deal with mechanically being a werewolf. But what it brings to my rp is really what matters.

Second off, fact is that if you want to give the Harpers any special cookies, you will be noticed. The fixation on secrecy is very flawed. I personally think of it like being a Witcher. To those you help, your name is known. And to those you hunt, you are known. People should be able to know the Harpers exist. But roleplay you personally keeping your identity as a Harper a secret how you want.

Fact is, get a cookie and someone else is gonna get a whiff of it. I'll get a much more thorough post going in like maybe three hours, been a long drive and for all I know after unpacking a bit, I might choose to play dead on my bed.

[Yma23]

Reguarding Harper Secrecy:

Here is something Irongron Said - The context was reguarding a chage in how Harper Scout tokens were handed out- it happend pre Harper Changes but gives an idea on part of the thought process that informed them.

A few months ago, I began to notice that harpers were everywhere, and in some cases knee-deep in PvP, furthermore who they were, and where they operated from, was becoming common knowledge. I was surprised that so many were seemingly taking the class, and a little disappointed that what should be a sercret organisation was so exposed.

[snip]

Harper Scout and Assassin are 'core' classes, not PC RP choices. When you take them there is no going back. Taking the class represents a commitment to that role-play, and to keep the secret. Rather than empowering Harper Scout as a great RP class, the habit of giving the tokens out to just about anyone totally ruined any potential it still had. This was a huge mistep from the DMs involved, but most of all from myself and Mithreas for not noticing this sooner. People that choose to be Harpers via RP alone, can then easily leave again, exposing the whole thing.

And here is from later quote- this one comes from Mithrea and reguards some changes made to the harper scout class:

Honestly, part of the reason for giving Harpers this bonus?

To encourage settlements to exile them if they are foolish enough to make their identities public knowledge.

Exiling known (or suspected) Harpers for being associated with a known organisation of meddling do-gooders is a perfectly sensible reason. Cordor regularly puts up laws against dark faiths, no reason that settlements that don't like the idea of outside interference shouldn't banish Harpers (with appropriate RP, as ever).

So yes, it's a very cool class feature for Harpers. But it's also a reason to encourage proper secrecy, and to encourage their enemies to take action against them if they work out who they are.

And from the Wiki, a bit about harper roleplay that insinuates the need for secresy and how it's supported.

Players on Arelith do not need to fear that the class Harper Scout is metagamed from the playerlist, as the player's build is hidden. The class abilities are also quite subtle, so if you're careful it won't be obvious that you have the class.

The above give examples that the Devs really do want the identities of Harper Scouts to, where possible, be kept secret.
The idea of secresy, of keeping ones identity hidden is one that has been encourged by the DMs, to the harpers in general of late, to a large degree. (I must add - I am not currently playing a Harper myself, but I have previously)
So I think the reason for the... strong reactions is that on the one hand you have the Devs/DM's insisting that Harpers need to be uber secret, we need to be very, very, very careful, we need to really live up to that.
And on the other hand... you've got a situation where it seems that one mistaken bard song causes someones idenity to be ruptured, because another player can check some info on the Wiki.

You can see how that can rub people up the wrong way yeah?

Speaking strictly personaly, I'm not so antsed about the uber tottaly utterly secret harper thing. But it's what the Devs and DMs have really have tried to enforce and encourage lately - and it feels just a bit wrong to go against that.

So that' is where I'm coming from, and that's why the strong reaction.

[susitsu]

Well, honestly, in that case it all very strong stands by what I just said-

I personally think of it like being a Witcher. To those you help, your name is known. And to those you hunt, you are known. People should be able to know the Harpers exist. But roleplay you personally keeping your identity as a Harper a secret how you want.

People have insisted absolutely nobody should know Harpers exist. That...is obviously flawed from what you've just quoted. It was never about the organization, but about the players identity as a member of it.

I feel like this settles a lot of the argument that has been present. I'm going to take a little while longer to settle into my new place before sifting through the past pages again. Keeping in mind as well a PM from someone when making a more proper post regarding everything. Ive had quite a bit of time to think over the past few days as well as regret how I initially approached making this thread with so much anger in mind.

Just like...an hour or two more to actually relax in not a car for fifteen hours straight.

[Death Above All Else]

No one is saying Harper identities must be secret. However, identifying them on a mechanic listed on the forums is what they meant. There has to be extensive research into a bards song to suggest that only a few have this uncanny ability to cure lycanthropy, and then what does that mean.

[NotAHarperBardDuh]

Responces:

I like to think informed people who know my character come to the impression that I might be a Harper- or more likely know Harpers.

I like to think I hide my involvement with the group well.
Not doing anything overly obviously Harper and making it clear what I do is for a obvious reason.

They say when you join were secret. You didn't know that.

The mechanical knowledge of a bard song curing a lycan requires some lore that such exists.
Which to my knowledge does not at current-
It's not from 3.5
It's not openly discussed.
So when you're cured you have everything you have interacted with- eaten- drank- and more since the last time you shifted. To presume it a rather common magic such as bard song seems a bit of a meta-presumption.
No more then you would presume that when a cleric casts prayer.
It's a boon of magic that effects many allies with several effects that full abilities only really remain known to those that study it.
So unless you can list off everything my bard song gives you- ICly- would I consider it reasonable to have such obviously rare lore.

---
Back to the TOPIC of this thread- Should a non hostile action without a save take away a boon/curse from your character without warning.

Without warning- Yes: It's needed for Harper RP sake- and you didn't get a lot of warning in the first place.

Without a save? Not sure what the save would be much less what it would be against?
Preform verse a (toggled on and off willing to be cured) fort save, made invisble? Perfect!
Is that reasonable for the DMs to put in? No idea how hard the scripting would be.
I only suggest it so that people feel better?
You don't get a choice when you're cured of any illness if the spell is cast willing or not.
If you have 'curse' and they cast remove curse- it works. Doesn't mean you want it.
But if the DM/Dev's are inclined and it would make people feel better I see no reason to avoid such.

Do I think it makes sense that Harper trained bards can do it? I see RP reason why Bards and Harpers would have this training and think it's reasonable- I see why it might not be too.

[susitsu]

Alrighty then...

So let me start by saying I do regret making this thread in anger. Acting out of frustration is rather unprofessional and I really wish I had waited a day and slept on it. Thought it all through before jumping on it. Honestly, I feel pretty bad for jumping down people's throats like that. I have sought to conduct myself as professionally as possible on the forums and I don't feel I'll be able to easily recover from how I acted earlier in this thread. I just finished up making a pretty big step through probably one of the more stressful times of my life and with all that done, my head is a lot clearer.

I really do apologize to everyone for all that.

Now, onto the subject matter of what should be done about the mechanic. Compromise, alternative, or removal. I feel like a lot of people would like to see this as a present mechanic, but far from as simply approached as it is. If it were to remain a mechanic whether swapped to healer or still on Harper, I cannot find it at all acceptable that it is something that can be forced on people.

For me and I'm sure how many other people have roleplayed it, being a werewolf grows with your character. After a while, it becomes something you're character isn't even sure they want to be rid of if they have a certain mind-set. It's far from easy to remove at times, especially if you're not friends with a druid.

For that reason, with how easy it is to catch for people who are just actively grinding (rather than those who want it, where it can be...surprisingly hard,) and it being first-pickings for Wolfsbane per reset, I do think there is reason for a mechanic like, but one that is entirely consent based and requiring rp.

And furthermore, whether it goes to Healers or Harpers, both should accept fully the dangers of having such a power and using it. It seems to me like the Harpers would entirely prefer that there be zero give-away to their being a Harper. I think that's a little silly, if not selfish, but I digress. It's your roleplay. As I'll mention its my and others roleplay to keep the 'curse' or 'disease.' Hard to say what the official Arelith approach is on that.

There should have to be a prompt box. Because everything else that other players can do that are big require your consent generally. Either that, or die by the vlad. AKA PvP. It's, in the end, the final decider for a lot of things. And personally, I accept this. There are evil groups who take issue with lycanthropy, much to people's doubt. Finding those who are accepting of it has been a...shaky process. Even finding others afflicted, I can't know their disposition. In-fact, I know there are some who are afflicted and want to be cured, but first-pickings per reset can be hard.

So, if there was a function of a class curing it, this could invite a great deal of interesting roleplay. But Harpers don't want to be known at all.

This is the main issue I see with even leaving the mechanic with Harpers. It seems like some people just do not find it acceptable to allow people to figure anything out.

My reasoning for pretty easily being able to pick something out as out of the norm and obviously a possible cause for why my lycanthropy literally vanished on the spot? I actively RP it being something that shows up when hunting. My character becomes far more violent, aggressive, and even playful at times when on hunts. It's all in the urges. The instinct. It's always thirsting for blood. It is, after-all, right from Malar, a chaotic evil god of hunting.

So when some bard came along and sung, I think it's only fair to say that considering he was actively killing things before AND after said bard appeared, he'd notice the extremely sudden vanishing of urges.

He'd done things with bards before while afflicted and you know, that inspiration just made him feel all the better about the killing. Hunting with even more vigor.

But this one bard? They sung and it all vanished. And it didn't come back.

How is that not a fair line of thought for reasoning that out? How is that so far-fetched? This is only fair for any and every werewolf PC. This specific bard used their bard song and the absolute opposite of what usually happens occurred.

I'm fine with this mechanic as long as its fully consent based. It's not okay if you demand it be the most secretive thing in the world. It's only expected that someone with an intelligence score above 6 to realize their killing instinct just went *poof.*

TL;DR 'Some kind of bard that can instantly cure lycanthropy,' was never 'THEY'RE A HARPER.' If the mechanic is still a thing on a class, it needs to be consent based. You have to accept that if you want this, you're going to be noticed and people are going to talk. With all this in mind-yes, I do believe that after thinking on it for three full days, it's only fair my character can bring this up with his more knowledgeable colleagues and that yeah, it may come back to 'bite' you.

I am not trying to target your class. I am not trying to target you. I am not trying to target anyone. I want to see an unfair mechanic changed. I have gone with the roleplay, as much as I didn't want to. Any expression of not wanting to was just that-of course I didn't want to. But I did.

But so should you. I'm going to think on it more for a day or two before making a Suggestion Box post with a handful of the ideas from this thread because I have honestly seen a lot of pretty cool ones, especially the one about it keeping a lycan from transforming and calming 'the beast' in roleplay (Though, that duration just couldn't work, especially with resets.) I am not okay with the mechanic staying as is. It sounds like it has literally only brought trouble to both sides of the Harper song curing. Don't cling to something like that. There's always better things to replace it with or alter it.

[Lorkas]

It doesn't have to be RPd that you suddenly lose your killing instinct entirely. After all, most people RP only gaining the killing instinct slowly after being afflicted, as aspects of the curse slowly bleed into your natural form. For most, the only difference initially is that they unexpectedly change into a CE beast at the next full moon.

You could easily RP that those changes to your natural form are lost only slowly as well, and that initially the only thing that's different is that you can't take the CE beast form anymore.

I would say that the second is more supported by mechanics (mechanically, the only difference is you can't shift anymore, and you don't know that you aren't a werewolf anymore until you try to shift). If the devs really wanted you to know ICly immediately that you were cured, then there would likely be either floaty text or yellow text telling you so.

Other than that, the main difference is that the I-lost-my-killing-instict-immediately path gives you knowledge over another character that you wouldn't otherwise be able to gain easily, while the alternative is biased against your own character.

As a general rule, when it comes to things that can be RPd in more than one way, but one way gives you an advantage over another player that you can't really mechanically claim, then we are expected to bias ourselves against our own character.

Since the second path both 1) matches the mechanics better, and 2) avoids claiming an otherwise unsupported "win" over another character, I would suggest the second, but I know that's not what someone who has lost their lycanthropy wants to hear. Maybe others think differently, but that's my take on it.

[Yma23]

No one is saying Harper identities must be secret. However, identifying them on a mechanic listed on the forums is what they meant. There has to be extensive research into a bards song to suggest that only a few have this uncanny ability to cure lycanthropy, and then what does that mean.

Thanks. Yes this is exactly what I mean.

And furthermore, whether it goes to Healers or Harpers, both should accept fully the dangers of having such a power and using it. It seems to me like the Harpers would entirely prefer that there be zero give-away to their being a Harper. I think that's a little silly, if not selfish, but I digress.

I think i'd have a lot less issue with the situaiton if it were a genuine slip up by said harper. Indeed, if it were something harpers could toggle on and off, that'd be a start. But it wasn't and it isn't.
So what we're saying is that if any harper bard sings, then they take a major risk of breaching their identity and being tossed out of the harpers/forced to delete/who knows what.
You have to admit that's pretty lame.
The thing is, as I've said three or four times before - I entirely agree with you!
There really does need to be a change to this mechanic. It's not fair that this happened for any party involved.
But IF if is changed, and kept to harpers, there must be an amount of subtltey available with its usage to stop it being a huge neon sign saying 'I am a harper'. Because the Devs Yes, the Developers! want harper identities to be kept a secret.
This doesn't mean that the ability can't be interactive. But if it is it must be something available to more than Harper Scouts, so that Harper Scouts have some form of plausable deniablity.

And also yeah, everything that Lorcas says. I 100% agree.

[CocoHaram]

It doesn't have to be RPd that you suddenly lose your killing instinct entirely. After all, most people RP only gaining the killing instinct slowly after being afflicted, as aspects of the curse slowly bleed into your natural form. For most, the only difference initially is that they unexpectedly change into a CE beast at the next full moon.

You could easily RP that those changes to your natural form are lost only slowly as well, and that initially the only thing that's different is that you can't take the CE beast form anymore.

I would say that the second is more supported by mechanics (mechanically, the only difference is you can't shift anymore, and you don't know that you aren't a werewolf anymore until you try to shift). If the devs really wanted you to know ICly immediately that you were cured, then there would likely be either floaty text or yellow text telling you so.

Other than that, the main difference is that the I-lost-my-killing-instict-immediately path gives you knowledge over another character that you wouldn't otherwise be able to gain easily, while the alternative is biased against your own character.

As a general rule, when it comes to things that can be RPd in more than one way, but one way gives you an advantage over another player that you can't really mechanically claim, then we are expected to bias ourselves against our own character.

Since the second path both 1) matches the mechanics better, and 2) avoids claiming an otherwise unsupported "win" over another character, I would suggest the second, but I know that's not what someone who has lost their lycanthropy wants to hear. Maybe others think differently, but that's my take on it.

I feel like that's a pretty one sided take on the whole winning thing, but the point you're making is pretty solid. Though personally I wouldn't put words in the devs mouth with the 'being cured' thing though you're probably correct.

Also assuming most players to be reasonable and take the second path is also a bit of a stretch. It's not exactly a henhouse or anything, but I doubt this'll be the only incident involving the mechanic that generates a bit of commotion - or for that matter leads into the dreaded 'Harper discovery'.




I think the real concern - besides players being worried that the Harpers are discovered - is less on nitpicking and fussing about immediately sniffing out a Harpers presence off the mechanic and more lays with the fact that this is a literally infinite song with no interactive RP.

The only real argument I've seen to this mechanic being worthwhile in any way is just giving the Harper something to make them a little nicer/more relevant, but this doesn't really generate any RP for the Harper as it is, does it?

Literally you can be walking down the road to Bendir Dale when someone using infinite bard-song walks by you, and zap - you're cured. I see a few people say that this generates RP for the player who was effected by it, but wouldn't it be better if the mechanic promoted interaction?

.. and as for the whole situation about walking down the road and getting cured,

Did he know you were a werewolf? Were you in werewolf form?

Does it generate any interesting RP that (won't send people into an epileptic seizure) doesn't just lead to the conclusion of one side arguing about metagaming a Harper, and the other ICly believing they've gained knowledge regarding some special anti-Lycan abilities?

IMO if it could be changed so that it doesn't just work on random people walking down the road, that'd be great. Making it a targeted ability would fix that, or making it need them to BE in Werewolf form.

[NotAHarperBardDuh]

On the limtless bard song- again mechanical information alone informed you Harper's have limitless bard song- and unless you going "So you're level 20 bard and thus you have over 20 songs! You're a harper!

Want to note every moderate bard build has minimally 16 songs which is a lot.

So unless you have someone with like 5 bard 5 Harper walking around spaming songs.. I don't think it's too far off for a powerful bard to have a LOT of uses.
But the end of the day truth unless you have some serious lore and spell craft and study bards- you have no reason to have any idea how strong or often my songs should be.

There is feats to get extra songs. If you're a powerful bard you talking 16-25 casts + 6 from feat.
verses using it maybe 40 times before resting for other reasons?

I think the only time I have ever used you know more then my 25 bard songs from comparison to the strength of my bard song might have been on long trips where how many songs I used wouldn't have been overly noticeable.

So basicly you're saying "Oh my god you're a really strong bard who can sing a lot! Something must be strange about you!"

[Stares]

Yes that screams I'm something BESIDES a bard- how?

--- On the other hand I will agree limitless bard song and cure lycan aren't overly powerful things. They're RP tools and I use them as such.
I roleplay my song being very powerful as it is.
As for the cure I personally role play it as a power awakened thru training with the Harpers

---If they choose to remove lycan cure I won't really be upset but it would be mildly disappointing as a character because lycan's seem to the be treated as the next best thing since sliced bread and curing them is near to impossible most of the time.
Harper's curing them accidentally with consistency only proves to me how much they're needed.
Personally though I think it would be great if they gave cleric's REGULAR high level clerics the ability to heal Lycanthropy with like greater restoration or something.
I would also vote for an alchemist created cure to be put in water sources.

Verse if it were like a moderate-major 5% and there was no cure short of very hard to get to plants that had to be eaten by the character.

---
As for the 'grinders only get it' agurement. Honestly I have had characters my own character be in the Forest of Despair and do the temple of Malar and get infected before we even reached the temple door. While being an archer. It's a roll and to my knowledge an invisible save.
---

The truth is intentionally or not I cured your lycanthropy. It is my character's fault. And if he had known you were infected he would have done it sooner. He learned these powers to cure those poor cursed souls willing or not.

No one but Harper's know what training they can gain thru their class. If that knowledge has been passed on someone is going against the Dev & Dm wish that Harper's remain secretive about their abilities and brotherhood.
There is no IC knowledge or Lore at this point besides those that seriously interact with the class choosing to know Harper Master get's the ability to remove the curse.
On an OOC note I don't see a whole lot of bards. I don't interact with or see a whole lot of other Harpers.
Why one would inform anyone or even risk identifying Bard Song as the only way to cure lycanthropy outside of wolfs bane would destroy RP for every Master Harper.
We would have a uncontrollable way to be outed as a member of a secret group without any fix.

Secrets on Arelith- If anyone knows. Everyone Knows!

The truth is if it gets out that I'm curing people with my song- I will have given team evil a reason to turn ever malarite and malarite wanna be against me. I'm not keen on that.

It comes across to me you want to role play being a nice person while choosing to use a 'evil power.'
You don't have to be good to be a nice person this is a common misconception.
If you want to go around helping people and being friendly, but at the same time have your character accept that despite the fact being they are a cursed monster is bad but keeps you safe at night.
Perfect.

It's RP. A lot of people are infected. Compared to the very few people that run around with a bard song that can cure it I am inclined to think I am the only active one. But I just might be missing the other(s).

In truth from my perspective most of the server's active characters are neutral or evil aligned character's that play nice with the things that go bump in the night. It's easier and more fun on most occasions.
A lycan is a curse that turns people into monsters. It's REALLY common on Arelith.
Now they have a class that can without warning or much for consequences go around and cure all these poor cursed souls.

You say you're not attacking me. I appreciate that but the thing is. You're attacking the class I am enjoying playing because we came to an impasse.

I was doing what I do and it did something you aren't happy about- mind you something that upsets you OOC.
I'm sorry you feel cheated.
I hear your argument of "It's not fair."
It's a perception.
I AM sorry our perceptions are different and that you feel yours is being ignored or overlooked.

For now though.
You were a monster unable to get help. You had accepted your new path and then it was suddenly and without warning or even how such was stolen from you.

You want to go around and start discussing the fact you have been cured unwillingly? Go for it.
A lot of Lycan's have been around me. Been sung to.
It's an OOC trust between me and the player's of my character's enemies that they won't meta-game the realization that I cured them. And in return I don't make a point of hunting them down just to discreetly sing to them.
I don't go around spamming song. I have try to be considerate of malarites on an OOC level.
We could debate if it's fair, we could debate if it makes sense IC, we could debate all these things back and forth but the truth is there is no clear right and wrong.

Facts:
Greater Restoration can be cast on someone who is hostile to you. It still removes the curses and illnesses willing or not. There is no save.
This mechanic happens without warning because the Dev's decided~ you wouldn't notice right away and you would only become aware when you tried to shift again.

---
So for now let's cover a few things:
You have made it clear you do not agree with the current Master Harper abilities and why.

But:
The Dev giveth the Dev doth take away.
They gave you the option to play a lycan you enjoy it.
They in such gave me the ability to cure it.
It's a balance.

If lycanthropy is what you want back.. Allow your character to change their mind so that you as a player can have fun. Go become a willingly infected. That's your choice, it's a GAME go have FUN.

If playing the victim of a curse was what you wanted. Sorry your curse has been lifted now go and enjoy your freedom! Be careless if you like and you will no doubt be cursed again!

You're a player. Don't lose your mind over a single mechanic. Life is too short.

[susitsu]

As I keep stating, dear, it's something noticeable as a 'kind of bard' that's out of place. It could warrant further IC investigation and questioning, but it wouldn't be hard for you to say some really BS answer in RP to convince them that it's something as simple as a specialized training you received in Thay or something. Perhaps you tell them that you are actually combining divine magic with your bard song and have a strong connection with your diety. Favored Soul, some might assume.

In the end, roleplay should come back to you, but you have many tools at your disposal to convince them of it being something else entirely. I keep saying...it's not about noticing something and saying you're a harper.

[NotAHarperBardDuh]

As I keep stating, dear, it's something noticeable as a 'kind of bard' that's out of place. It could warrant further IC investigation and questioning, but it wouldn't be hard for you to say some really BS answer in RP to convince them that it's something as simple as a specialized training you received in Thay or something. Perhaps you tell them that you are actually combining divine magic with your bard song and have a strong connection with your diety. Favored Soul, some might assume.

In the end, roleplay should come back to you, but you have many tools at your disposal to convince them of it being something else entirely. I keep saying...it's not about noticing something and saying you're a harper.

My character goes around the Arcane Tower asking for help on how to further empower his song. He is one of the rare bards that honestly works hard to have a strong song.
There is nothing strange about it. Just rare.

[cornelius_4]

My 2 cents (and a dollar too, initially guessed at 4-5 sentences).

Alternative ways to cure lycanthropy
Neat. Those plants can be hard to get a hold of.

Flavour
The end result kind of fits a Van Helsing-like character. I don't think doing it via singing seems the coolest however, so ok, but could be better.

Roleplay
Works well when the afflicted wishes to get rid of the curse. I'm imagining Van Helsing pouring a murky potion down a friends throat (or shooting a syringe like contraption) after an intense battle.

Kind-of works when the afflicted wishes to keep the curse, but seems harder to pull off in a way that is fun for all. Wouldn't say consent needs to be mandatory, but I'd say it is one of those things where it would be nice to ask first.

Mechanical
Seems like there's room for improvement. I like the idea of a means for the harper to toggle the curing on/off, it sounds wise to make sure the harper does it intentionally.

I also would like if the mechanical side would encourage more interaction as others have mentioned. For example, what if the harper had to know the character was a werewolf first? This could maybe be done using the (previously) *looks* mechanic so it is enabled either on a successful check or when the afflicted is shapeshifted.