Worgen Weaknesses: RP Headcanon

Wyrmrest Accord
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Why isn’t everyone in Stormwind a Worgen now? Aren’t worgen bigger, better, badder, stronger than the average human? Considering there’s still ways to transmit the curse as suggested in the heritage scenario (Tess begs the PC to turn her [bow chicka bow wow?], even if she isn’t turned in the end), why aren’t more people becoming worgen?

Well, I’ve decided to take a moment and hammer out some headcanon about why you aren’t going to just go become a worgen for the fun of it. As always, these headcanons are not law, they’re just my perspective.

–The Worgen Curse is a contaminate

It is not a blessing. When a person is turned into a worgen, they become a feral beast that becomes ferocious and out of control. A worgen that’s been turned can bite another person, which spreads it again, which spreads it more. Soon you can have dozens or hundreds of ferals from a single bitten human, and these are very much not friendly creatures. It can be an absolutely apocalyptic outbreak, and there is good reason why there would be wardens keeping close tabs on potentially turned worgen and likely killing them.

In my headcanon, knowingly attempting to spread your curse is a very grave offense, and when Crowley did it on Fenris Isle he was technically committing a war crime. This is my headcanon because it’s freaking neat. I assume that all the Hillsbrad worgen became ferals, and there was no way to treat them. This is why Ivar’s support was so crucial, he had a way to harness the ferals that Crowley was planning on making.

–Cures are hard to come by

To bring the Worgen of Gilneas to heel, there needed to be an extensive ritual with the Scythe of Elune itself, which is an artifact so deeply intertwined in the worgen curse’s mechanisms that it’s basically one of the pillars of the magic. This is why the Wolf Cult wanted it so bad, this is why it was able to bring the Gilneans back. We’ve seen a few other worgen cured by medicine or alchemy, but these seem to be temporary fixes at best, and require incredibly skilled casters and crafters to maintain. So if you -are- turning people, you don’t just create a huge superpowered doggo with intelligent thinking, you get a snarling feral who can risk an outbreak in example 1, and probably an elf or human warden knocking on your door to take you and your experiments to a farm upstate.

This isn’t to say you can’t start creating worgen, but there’s opportunity for story here, you can think carefully about how you treat your new people or how you convince them to buy into your curse without a backup plan. Crowley needed threat of undeath to sway people, after all. There’s narrative here!

–Worgen aren’t… better.

This is the most homebrew rich element I have included here. I don’t think Worgen are better than humans, to be honest. They become more wolf like, they gain resistances to dark magics, but for the most part, they aren’t a straight upgrade compared to humans. Humans don’t have to worry about maintaining their mind and soul using magic, humans also have distinctly adaptable bodies that have even been acknowledged in the lore (their racial the human spirit I think represented canonically). They also are more populous and less burdensome than creating more worgen.

Becoming a worgen means you gain superhuman agility and a level of magical resistence, but the human spirit and its adaptability is gone, donzo. You are a lot more hyperfocused… Besides, you’re not necessarily physically stronger or wiser or keener of senses. If you take a worgen wizard, the worgen wizard is fast and has resistances, but the human will have more spell volume. In terms of skill they can evenly be matched, but the worgen would be a bit tankier and the human would be a bit more juicy. So it’s not exactly a direct trade up, it’s more of a hyperfocused specialization that trades off other benefits you might have had.

They’re different, not better.

Anyways, those are my thoughts, I’d love to hear yours if you’ve got them. :smiley:

Edit: I forgot my most important bit of headcanon. I don’t think a cured worgen can transmit through bite. This is why we don’t see more outbreaks. They have to transfer their curse through blood or it won’t take, a side effect of the taming nature of the blessing that they were given by Elune. This means it’s harder to actually change someone who’s unwilling unless you force feed them your blood.

Edit to the edit: I forgot, but there are two actual weaknesses according to wikipedia. Wolfsbane flowers and fire are natural worgen deterrents.

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It’s also possible that the Worgen(in general) have grown to see the worgen form as part of Gilnean identity and thus won’t turn a Stormwind human for example. Yes there are examples of non Gilnean Worgen but those could easily be exceptions. It’s different to turn people into worgen to make sure Sylvanas doesn’t raise them into undeath when such a thing is immanent. It could be a mixture of reasons though.

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Worgen weaknesses include: Ear scritches, fleeing Vulpera, and squeaky toys. I know it’s low-hanging fruit, but it’s impossible not to pick it.

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Vacuums are by far the biggest weakness of the Worgen.

It’s why the Jailor in the Maw is tormenting all the worgen who died between Legion and now with a vacuum.

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:thinking:

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A bad worgen can be tamed with a rolled up newspaper and belly rub.

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Have you looked up the worgen’s actual strengths and weaknesses on wowpedia before?

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Mhm! It was my first place of research. The lore primarily explained that Wolfsbane and fire were their greatest weaknesses, which I admittedly forgot to include. I mainly focused on their racials tbh.

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Off the top of my head, their canon weaknesses include Wolfsbane, “fire”, and the Mindless State.

Weaknesses

Wolfsbane :wilted_flower:

Wolfsbane is poisonous to everybody (at least in real life). Though it is considered “deadly to worgen” in at least three ingame sources, so it is a notable and true weakness for worgen.

“Fire” :fire:

Fire is actually used in the form of torches, campfires, and even bonfires by feral worgen in Duskwood[3]. Members of the Wolf Cult even use campfires and candles to read [2]. So the phrase “these fiends hate fire!” suggesting a fear of fire is from an unreliable narrator, and is proven false. However, he is right in that fur and fire don’t mix well. Worgen like and use fire just fine, but it can be weaponized against them. [1]

The Mindless State :anger:

While losing your humanity is a concern for all worgen, this only really applies to those who have spiraled into insanity due to traumatic events. As seen by the examples we’ve seen so far.

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See Genn Greymane[2], Darius Crowley, Alpha Prime, and the whole Northrend Wolfcult who have not taken the Ritual of Balance and are compeltely fine[1]. See also all the Mindless State examples, including Sven Yorgen, the Player Character, and Mardigan.

We are also told that the Ritual of Balance itself can cause the mindless state, and that some worgen that take the ritual have to be put down (Wolfheart). Not only that, for those that pass the trials, it is not a cure. Gilnean worgen still hunt on all fours and eat raw meat, feel the rage, and are compelled to shift “when driven to anger or with a force of will” (Curse of the Worgen).

Strengths

Meanwhile strengths do include

Super Strength :muscle:

Strength among worgen is featured in several cases. In the worgen starter zone, Darius Crowley finds himself able to wield a much larger sword than before, and Genn Greymane utilizes sword-and-claw combat in Wolfheart, with a sword in his right hand to pierce armor, and bare claws of his left to rend flesh. In Curse of the Worgen, we see worgen are able to lift another worgen up by their neck with one arm, and are able to rip a grown man in two with their bare hands.[1]

Agility :foot:

The worgen are also gifted with incredible agility, even capable of keeping pace with the agile Kaldorei. This includes super leaping, leaping from branch to branch, climbing buildings and roof-jumping, and more. [1]

Wolfheart pg 51

He watched the night elves leap gracefully out of sight, moving with an inborn skill that few other races could match but which made him sniff in contempt. He had not meant to cross their path, but perhaps it had been for the best. While the news of which they had spoken did not outwardly seem of import, anything that in the least concerned Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage would be of interest to his own master. Information was always valuable, especially in these times.

With a slight growl, the figure leapt in the opposite direction. He moved through the foliage with as much skill and grace as the slimmer but taller night elves had. Perhaps more, even. After all, they did not have long, long claws with which to better grasp a tree branch . . . or rend a foe, when necessary.

Wolfheart pg 51

Speed :horse:

Worgen possess speed to match a horse, on four legs or two. Very possibly contributing to a minor speed increase in human form as well[1].

"Worgen: Running Wild"

Due to their ties with the wilds, worgen are able to call upon their bestial fervor to travel great distances. With the aid of all four limbs, a worgen can sprint at speeds rivaling the swiftest horses, nightsabers, and mechanostriders. As though it satisfies some primal urge deep within, worgen relish this mode of travel over those used by Azeroth’s other races, who rely on mounts to transport them.

https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/game/races/worgen

Super Senses :eye:

Out of all the perks of the worgen curse, one of the most undeniable is that of their heightened senses. Hearing, smell, eyesight, and more are strengthened beyond what any human would have dared dream[1].

(Wolfheart pg 263)

He knew that the worgen could not smell his scent yet, for the wind blew towards him. The king also knew they did not hear him, either, despite their acute senses. The curse might have given the Gilneans heightened senses, but they had not had the years to hone them as he had. (Wolfheart pg 263)

Aura Sensing :ghost:

The supernatural is a common theme in World of Warcraft, and some of the more magical races have been known to see ghosts or the good (or evil) aura surrounding an individual. Genn says that in addition to normal senses, worgen can sense things no mere human can, including the aura shimmering around Varian Wrynn.

Wolfheart pg 267

“Your quarry? You jest!” Genn sniffed at his opponent. “You think you can take him from me? Listen to me, Varian Wrynn! The curse more than heightened our senses. We see things that no normal human can. Some call you Lo’Gosh, though that they use a Taur-ahe title for you I find ironic. Still, it is but another name for Goldrinn, as we have come to know our patron spirit since our transformation. I saw the aura of that spirit around you the first moment you arrived at the banquet, and even though you gave every indication of crushing our hopes then, I still held out for our chances because I could see his touch upon you as if it were your own skin. . . .”

Wolfheart pg 267

Undeath Immunity :zombie:

Among the most useful of the curse’s passive blessings is a worgen’s immunity to undeath, attributed to its connection to Elune and Goldrinn, two benevolent gods of life.

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Duskwood is a good example of how humans are vulnerable to undeath, even without necromancers to raise them. Humans can wind up as ghosts, banshees, zombies, and even used as building material for Abominations. Worgen, once dead, are not subjected to any such fate, although worgen ghosts have been seen in Shadowfang Keep. It is this immunity that makes them unable to be raised as Forsaken, and so to humans battling the Forsaken the curse serves as both extra strength and insurance.

But whether its counted as a pro or a con, as differs between the Gilnean Greymane Worgen and the Gilnean Wolf Cult (the Bloodfang Pack) that bit them, worgen are different from humans, you’re right. Worgen are conpelled to hunt, even Genn Greymane and his noblemen hunt on all fours (Wolfheart), and Anduin Wrynn himself considers this a valuable feature, since they are an army that can feed themselves and dont need provisions (Before the Storm).

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Alll very helpful info, thank you <3

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I’d argue the ever-present racism is the biggest barrier to Humanity going full-Worgen to combat the Horde.

Why pass up on physical bodies equal to or greater than most of the threats you face, superior senses, heightened stamina and all the other advantages of the Worgen form?

The same reason Humanity looked down on both Dwarves and High Elves, two races with vastly superior life-spans, one whose grasp of the mundane sciences vastly surpassed that of Humanity, the other whom possessed a depth of magical know-how that, even with Humanity dominating the shared ‘Wizard’s State’ of Dalaran, gave them an edge over the arcane-fearing masses of Humanity.

Humans see themselves, and their ‘form’, as the closest thing to perfection. Every other race’s negative attributes are magnified while their positive traits are marginalized or considered ‘unfair’ or a ‘cheat’.

And Humans have always separated themselves from the ‘beasts’, seeing themselves as at least a step up from such things. Worgen may be good allies, but to be one? To sully the ‘perfect’ Human form with the qualities of a beast? To step down off the pedestal and make yourself like your enemies, the beastial races of Tauren, Orc and Troll?

The only thing worse would be to become an Undead, not just a violation of the species but an abomination against the faith …

For a less wordy and politically/racially/spiritually charged reason, Worgen likely also suffer many of the same drawbacks as canines. A heightened sense of smell and hearing can be a drawback, especially if you’re suddenly exposed to sounds no other race can hear or smells that, while dreadful to a Human, are positively destructive to the sensitive nostrils of a Worgen. There’s also the fact that most Human cities and facilities are built with the physiology of Humanity in mind. Going from a 5-6 foot humanoid to a 7-9 foot one means a lot of stooping, the chairs don’t fit, the stairs are too small, the beds are completely useless and you’re just too big to make anything work without a lot of strain and struggle.

We also have no idea if the Worgen lifespan is any longer or shorter than that of an unaltered Human. Does the constant shifting wear out the body faster than normal, given that it’s a deviation, an aberration, of Druidic magic, that forged the original Worgen from an unwilling fusion of Elune’s controlling influence and Lo’gosh’s furious independence that infected the first Druids of the Pack into the original Worgen? Unlike normal Druidic shape-shifting, Worgen have little actual control over their shifting abilities, as the slightest hint of stress or adrenaline sends them into their Worgen form in combat, and while outside of combat Worgen can freely shift forms, we don’t know how this is handled since the Worgen curse is an infection passed through the blood, and while magical in nature, has an obvious physical component and has jumped the species, from Kaldorei to Humanity, and been watered down over and over again before being ‘diluted’ even further with the tinctures that the Gileneans used to give back the Human minds of their infected people, and then stabilized with the alchemical potions infused with Elune’s blessings and the power of a Moonwell.

From a power perspective, everybody on Team BLU should be a Wuggin right now purely for the inoculation side-effect if nothing else, but from a gameplay perspective there’s plenty of other reasons for folks to avoid going full-blown Twilight on matter.

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Because they can’t be monks

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Turning into a worgen is very inconvenient if you, say, have anxiety around things that aren’t fighting, even if you’re not mindless.

There’s no indication of this, in game that I know of, other than the fact that combat causes a transformation - but it’s something that I’ve wondered about.

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I had hoped with Sylvanas raising Night Elves in Darkshore might of made some want to attempt to become Worgen.

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Agreed. The worgen curse’s instincts of survival seem to be connected to the individual’s fear, despair, and anger, something we’ve seen exemplified time and again. It is the despairing memory of his sister committing suicide that pushed Halford Ramsey over the edge, and seeing his mother burned alive that threw Mardigan into a fit of rage. In contrast, the character Grandma Whal in Gilneas is the sweetest little old human lady, calm and unconcerned as you have to evacuate her, and she only changes into a worgen when Chance - her cat - is in danger. So one’s state of anxiety - or lack of it - is undoubtedly linked to control.

I can only imagine how screwed a character like Jitters would be if he were to get bitten.

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Fun fact, The Scythe of Elune was never used to cure the Gilneans.

In the questline, that’s what the Kaldorei tell you. You need to get the Scythe for us so we can cure you. But when you get the scythe, it is never once used in the ritual they offer you. Nor is the Ritual of Balance a cure by any means.

The Wolf Cult wanted the Scythe of Elune (known as Fang of the Father by the Cult) because their leader Alpha Prime intended to use it to summon the rest of the worgen from the Emerald Dream. The only reason the Kaldorei wanted it, was because they didn’t want that to happen. Alpha Prime’s plan in Gilneas was to turn as many Gilneans as possible, summon all the worgen from the Dream, and march on Darnassus to kill Malfurion Stormrage.

Only recently - five years after the Kaldorei had taken back the Scythe - did they figure out how to use the Scythe to remove the curse from a few select worgen in Val’sharah. Soon after, the Scythe was used alongside other artifacts to mitigate the damage done by Sargaras, rendering the Scythe useless. Or so we’ve been told.

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Odd, there were three wells in that quest, and the Scythe of Elune is invoked at the third well as the final element. I’m pretty sure it was used? They do say its name during the ritual.

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It is reasonable for there to be a rash of worg horde side. Worgen captured and used to try on the curse. Leper gnome cages refitted. Combat benefits weighed.

Something not talked about openly.

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You’re right they mention it, even say “let the Scythe unbind what has been bound”.

However, it is not used. Only the Ritual of Balance. The same ritual that is done again to Halford Ramsey in Curse of the Worgen, and to Varian Wrynn in Wolfheart, neither of which used the scythe in any way and had the same effects. In fact, the Kaldorei were performing the ritual on worgen in the Blackwald before they even had the Scythe.

The three wells and their purposes are better explained in Wolfheart, where we see Varian go through each well. Tranquility, Balance, and Fury. The ritual first has him remember the good old days of his youth, Balance took him through memories of his wife Tiffin, and Fury brought him to consider his anger and where to direct it. The ritual is done similarly for Halford Ramsey, taking him into his youth, then the suicide of his sister, then asking him to forgive her so he can move on and direct his rage elsewhere.

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An obvious weakness would be the sight and smell of live Silverpine trees. Worgen will roam around the area until interrupted by outside forces. Easy containment.

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