Wow. Yogi is having a really bad day. And he’s gonna make sure that you have one too, if you get on his bad side.
This joke is falling apart faster than my love life, let’s move on.
Lore: Gentle Giant
Of all the lycanthropes, werebears are the most powerful. They’re also the most dangerous, secluding themselves away from civilization for fear of spreading their curse. Even when they succumb to the curse, they’ll avoid biting those around them in order to protect them. They’ll only share the curse to those who volunteer in order to help it learn to control it. They’re so gentle that they’ll even protect the flora and fauna of their territory from intruders. Though there are some werebears every bit as evil as other lycanthropes.
When combined with the general lore, there’s a lot you can do here. Perhaps the players accidentally stumble into the territory of a werebear and they can find a peaceful way to avoid killing it. Or maybe the party can help a crew of some kind convince their werebear leader to spread its curse to them in order to help them. You’ve got opportunities aplenty!
Opportunities for a campaign-long villain? No. But for a one-off session? Perfect.
Design: Uh… Insert Joke Here
I… don’t know what I was expecting.
On one hand, I think it’s kinda hilarious how simple this design is. It’s a bear-man. Exactly what you’d expect. It’s the most brain-dead design one could possibly come up with for a monster like this.
On the other, it’s not exactly something you can analyze. What you see is what you get. Bear man is a bear. Shocker, I know.
Uh… moving on, I guess.
Stats: Bulky Bear
This isn’t a walking tank. It has a ton of HP, but it lacks in AC both in human, hybrid, and bear forms. However, it is completely immune to all melee damage done by non-silvered weapons.
In terms of offense, on the other hand…
Its bite is its most dangerous attack. Not only because it deals the most damage, but also because it spreads the curse of lycanthropy. Its claws are almost as deadly, though it does slightly less damage and doesn’t spread the curse. While in humanoid form, it can wield a greataxe, which is likely its least dangerous weapon, although it still packs a punch for an early-game monster.
This doesn’t make for an especially complex or memorable fight. Honestly, the best part is just the possible panic the players could experience every time it uses its bite attack. Aside from that, it’s yet another simple slugfest. Hit it until it dies, the end.
Placement
This is an alright entry. It doesn’t have much lore, but the lore that is there is pretty strong. Its design is lacking and its stats are boring. Overall, not a weak monster. But not a particularly strong one, either.
With all that in mind, let’s put the Werebear on the Best of the Bestiary!
- Beholder
- Death Tyrant
- Dragon Turtle
- Green Dragons
- Red Dragons
- Blue Dragons
- Black Dragons
- White Dragons
- Silver Dragons
- Couatl
- Behir
- Aboleth
- Sea Hag
- Lamia
- Bronze Dragons
- Brass Dragons
- Copper Dragons
- Gold Dragons
- Chuul
- Kuo-Toa
- Gibbering Mouther
- Kraken
- Intellect Devourer
- Chimera
- Death Knight
- Fomorian
- Bone Devil
- Dracolich
- Faerie Dragon
- Lich
- Kobold
- Kenku
- Hobgoblins
- Night Hag
- Green Hag
- Ankheg
- Hook Horror
- Storm Giant
- Hill Giant
- Empyrean
- Efreeti
- Grimlock
- Dao
- Cloud Giant
- Drow (all four of ’em)
- Shadow Demon
- Marilith
- Drider
- Aarackockra
- Azer
- Demilich
- Spectator
- Hydra
- Marid
- Harpy
- Werejackal
- Half-Dragon
- Cambion
- Fire Giant
- Animated Armor
- Banshee
- Basilisk
- Yochlol
- Bulette
- Cloaker
- Darkmantle
- Doppelganger
- Ghoul and Ghast
- Ettin
- Pit Fiend
- Erinyes
- Chain Devil
- Bearded Devil
- Barbed Devil
- Spined Devil
- Ice Devil
- Djinni
- Nalfeshnee
- Glabrezu
- Chasme
- Grell
- Barlgura
- Horned Devil
- Balor
- Shadow Dragon
- Werebear <——————
- Lizardfolk
- Vrock
- Dretch
- Gnolls (all three)
- Goristro
- Hezrou
- Manes
- Frost Giant
- Duergar
- Quasit
- Dryad
- Flumph
- Goblin
- Githyanki
- Planetar
- Imp
- Clay Golem
- Flameskull
- Displacer Beast
- Carrion Crawler
- Githzerai
- Grick
- Invisible Stalker
- Rug of Smothering
- Bugbear Chief
- Bugbear
- Flesh Golem
- Vine Blight
- Twig Blight
- Needle Blight
- Bullywug
- Hellhound
- Ettercap
- Gas Spore
- Cockatrice
- Lemure
- Homonculus
- Solar
- Deva
- Gorgon
- Hippogriff
- Griffon
- Cyclops
- Centaur
- Ghost
- Fire Elemental
- Water Elemental
- Air Elemental
- Stone Giant
- Deep Gnome
- Dinosaurs (All six of them)
- Iron Golem
- Stone Golem
- Earth Elemental
- Galeb Duhr
- Helmed Horror
- Flying Sword
- Crawling Claw
- Violet Fungus
- Shrieker
- Gargoyle
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