While an official "Werereindeer" doesn't appear in the core Castles & Crusades (C&C) Monsters & Treasure book, we can create a stat block for it by modifying the stats of a standard lycanthrope (like a Werewolf or Werebear) and incorporating aspects of a powerful deer/reindeer.
Here is a proposed stat block for a Werereindeer suitable for Castles & Crusades:
Werereindeer
Werereindeer are chaotic and elusive lycanthropes, often found in northern forests and frozen wastes. They are typically stealthy and prefer to gore their victims with their powerful antlers.
| Attribute | Score | Modifier |
| Strength (Str) | 17 | +3 |
| Dexterity (Dex) | 15 | +2 |
| Constitution (Con) | 16 | +3 |
| Intelligence (Int) | 10 | 0 |
| Wisdom (Wis) | 12 | +1 |
| Charisma (Cha) | 8 | -1 |
General Stats
| Statistic | Value |
| Armor Class (AC) | 14 (Natural Armor in Hybrid/Reindeer form) |
| Hit Dice (HD) | 6 (6d8 + 18) |
| Move | 120' (40' in Hybrid/Reindeer form) |
| Prime Attribute | Physical (Str, Con, or Dex) |
| Saving Throws | P: 12, M: 18 |
| Alignment | Chaotic (Neutral, Evil, or Lawful depending on the strain) |
| Challenge Level (CL) | 5 |
| XP | 1,000 |
Special Abilities & Attacks
Attack Bonus: +6 (Equal to HD)
Multi-Attack (Hybrid Form): The Werereindeer can make two attacks per round: a Gore and a Bite.
Gore (Hybrid or Reindeer Form): Melee Attack, $1d20 + 6$ to hit, deals $1d10 + 3$ (Strength) piercing damage.
Bite (Hybrid Form Only): Melee Attack, $1d20 + 6$ to hit, deals $1d6 + 3$ (Strength) piercing damage.
Lycanthrope Traits
Shapechanger: The Werereindeer can assume three forms:
Humanoid: Retains normal stats and equipment.
Hybrid: Half-human, half-reindeer with antlers, fur, and powerful legs. Uses the above stats.
Reindeer: A large, powerful reindeer. Uses the above stats but cannot speak or use weapons/complex tools.
Change is an action.
Damage Immunity: Immune to damage from non-magical, non-silvered weapons.
Keen Senses (Smell & Hearing): +4 bonus to all checks involving scent or hearing (Castle Keeper Check DC 18 on a d20 roll, or if the Werereindeer's Prime Attribute is used, DC 12).
Lycanthropy Curse: Any Humanoid damaged by the Werereindeer's Bite in its hybrid form must make a Constitution Saving Throw DC 13 or contract Werereindeer Lycanthropy.
Reindeer/Winter Traits
Charge (Hybrid/Reindeer Form): If the Werereindeer moves at least 30' straight toward a target and then hits with a Gore attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra $1d6$ damage and must succeed on a Strength Saving Throw DC 15 or be knocked prone.
Surefooted (Reindeer/Hybrid Form): The Werereindeer can move normally across icy and snowy surfaces without penalty.
Notes for the Castle Keeper
Infected Characters: If a Player Character contracts the curse, their Strength score becomes 17 (if lower), their AC gains a +1 bonus from natural armor in beast/hybrid form, and they gain all the monster's Lycanthrope and Reindeer/Winter traits while transformed. They also gain the monster's HD/Attack Bonus for its natural attacks.
Prime Attribute: Since the Werereindeer is a creature of primal strength, Strength is a good choice for its primary attribute, making its Saving Throw DC on Strength a 12 (instead of 18).
Here is a localized lair description for a Werereindeer alpha, likely housing the Crown of the Rime Stag or the Gore-Hoof Gauntlets.
The Glacial Hearth (Werereindeer Lair)
This lair is situated deep in a high-altitude mountain pass or the heart of an ancient, snow-laden forest.
Lair Location: The Frozen Cleft
The lair entrance is a narrow, ice-slicked crevice hidden behind a cascading, frozen waterfall known locally as the "Weeping Glacier."
Encounter Hazard (Physical): The approach is treacherous. Characters attempting to climb the slick, frozen path (100-foot vertical ascent) must make a Dexterity (Climb) Check DC 15 or fall $2d6$ $\times$ 10 feet.
Entrance Warning (Perception): A successful Wisdom (Perception) Check DC 14 reveals subtle, hoof-like drag marks in the snow, leading toward the hidden cleft.
Area 1: The Bone and Branch Antechamber
This small cavern is damp, cold, and smells strongly of damp fur and musk. The walls are festooned with bleached, interlocked deer and moose antlers, which serve as unsettling decorations.
Antler Netting: The antlers are strung together with sinew, acting as a crude but effective alarm system. If a character attempts to pass without a successful Dexterity (Silent Move) Check DC 16, the bones rattle loudly, alerting any creatures in Area 2.
Guardian Beast: The Alpha Werereindeer often keeps 2-4 Dire Wolves or a single Winter Wolf here as sentries.
Area 2: The Trophy Chamber (The Great Hall)
This is a large, naturally formed ice grotto. The ceiling is dotted with frozen geodes that refract light into a dazzling, pale blue and white light show during the day (less so at night). The floor is packed snow and ice.
Lair Feature (Movement): The floor is treacherous. Any creature moving more than half its normal speed must make a Dexterity (Balance) Check DC 12 or fall prone, losing their turn.
Frozen Victims: Several large, frozen chunks of ice contain the perfectly preserved, antler-gored bodies of past adventurers or travelers. These serve as a grisly warning and are often the source of minor, non-magical treasure (coins, quality gear).
Area 3: The Glacial Hearth (The Alpha's Den)
This is the innermost chamber, a dry, circular pit dug out of the permafrost, warmed by the body heat of the Werereindeer and layered with thick, dark animal pelts. The Alpha is almost always found here.
The Alpha's Hoard: The Werereindeer's treasure, including the artifact (e.g., the Crown of the Rime Stag), is often buried just beneath the pile of pelts to keep it hidden and cool in the chamber's only semi-warm spot.
Escape Route: A small, icy tunnel exits the back of the lair, only large enough for a large beast (or a Werereindeer in reindeer form) to slip through quickly.
Lair Action (Optional Rule for a CR 5+ Werereindeer Alpha)
If the Castle Keeper wishes to make the encounter more challenging, the Alpha Werereindeer can use a Lair Action at initiative count 20 (losing ties).
Slick Ice: The Werereindeer snaps its fingers/hooves, and the moisture in the air causes a 10-foot radius patch of the floor to instantly become super-slick ice. Any creature standing in that area must make a Dexterity Saving Throw DC 14 or be knocked prone.
Freezing Mist: A blast of frigid air erupts from the frozen walls, hitting one creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw DC 13 or suffer a $1d4$ penalty to its next Attack Roll (due to frostbite and shuddering)
Since the Werereindeer is associated with the cold, forests, and powerful charges, the artifacts and treasures should reflect these themes, often utilizing bone, ice, and winter magic.
Here are three distinct treasures a party might find related to a Werereindeer, suitable for a Castles & Crusades campaign:
Artifacts and Treasures of the Werereindeer
1. The Crown of the Rime Stag
This is a major artifact, likely the item that originally cursed the Werereindeer's lineage or is worn by a powerful Werereindeer Alpha.
| Item | Type | Description |
| Crown of the Rime Stag | Headwear (Artifact) | A circlet fashioned from pure white, magically hardened antler bone and set with a single, swirling shard of sapphire ice. |
| Attunement | None required, but its full powers are only available to a Werereindeer (or other similar cold-aligned lycanthrope). | |
| Abilities (Worn by Non-Lycanthrope) | * Aura of Cold: Grants the wearer resistance to Cold damage. * Surefooted: Cannot be knocked prone by shove or charge attacks. * Defense: AC +1 bonus. | |
| Abilities (Worn by Werereindeer) | * Blizzard Charge: When using the Charge ability, the Gore attack deals an additional $1d6$ Cold damage, and the Save DC to resist being knocked prone increases to DC 17. * Summon Winter: Once per day, the wearer can conjure a localized Blizzard (obscuring vision within 60' to 10', speed reduction by half) that lasts for 3 turns. | |
2. Gore-Hoof Gauntlets
These are powerful, heavy gauntlets worn by a Werereindeer in its humanoid form, used to enhance their deadly natural attacks.
| Item | Type | Description |
| Gore-Hoof Gauntlets | Gauntlets (Magic Item) | Heavy leather gauntlets reinforced with iron plates that resemble polished, razor-sharp hooves and spikes. |
| Attunement | Requires attunement (Class/Level check DC 15) to access full benefits. | |
| Abilities | * Weapon Enhancement: The wearer's unarmed strikes (including fists or natural attacks) are treated as +1 Magical Weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance (like that of other lycanthropes). * Savage Strike: Once per turn, when the wearer successfully strikes an opponent with an unarmed attack, they can choose to reduce the target's movement speed by 10' until the start of the wearer's next turn (representing a painful, deep goring blow). | |
3. Iceshard Shrapnel Pouch
A small bag containing a collection of extremely sharp, naturally occurring ice crystals that retain their frozen state even in warm environments.
| Item | Type | Description |
| Iceshard Shrapnel Pouch | Supply (Consumable) | A small, worn leather pouch filled with incredibly sharp, perpetually frozen ice shards. |
| Charges | 5 Charges | |
| Abilities (Ranged Attack) | As an action, the user can draw and fling a handful of the shards at a single target within 30'. This is a Ranged Attack roll ($1d20 +$ Dex Modifier). On a hit, the target takes $2d4$ Piercing Damage and $1d4$ Cold Damage. All five charges can be used in one round (one charge per attack). | |
| Treasure Note | The shards melt immediately after striking an object or target, or if left outside the pouch for more than one turn. | |