Werebear: Smarter Than the Average Bear

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!

1. Beholder
2. Death Tyrant
3. Dragon Turtle
4. Green Dragons
5. Red Dragons
6. Blue Dragons
7. Black Dragons
8. White Dragons
9. Silver Dragons
10. Couatl
11. Behir
12. Aboleth
13. Sea Hag
14. Lamia
15. Bronze Dragons
16. Brass Dragons
17. Copper Dragons
18. Gold Dragons
19. Chuul
20. Kuo-Toa
21. Gibbering Mouther
22. Kraken
23. Intellect Devourer
24. Chimera
25. Death Knight
26. Fomorian
27. Bone Devil
28. Dracolich
29. Faerie Dragon
30. Lich
31. Kobold
32. Kenku
33. Hobgoblins
34. Night Hag
35. Green Hag
36. Ankheg
37. Hook Horror
38. Storm Giant
39. Hill Giant
40. Empyrean
41. Efreeti
42. Grimlock
43. Dao
44. Cloud Giant
45. Drow (all four of ’em)
46. Shadow Demon
47. Marilith
48. Drider
49. Aarackockra
50. Azer
51. Demilich
52. Spectator
53. Hydra
54. Marid
55. Harpy
56. Werejackal
57. Half-Dragon
58. Cambion
59. Fire Giant
60. Animated Armor
61. Banshee
62. Basilisk
63. Yochlol
64. Bulette
65. Cloaker
66. Darkmantle
67. Doppelganger
68. Ghoul and Ghast
69. Ettin
70. Pit Fiend
71. Erinyes
72. Chain Devil
73. Bearded Devil
74. Barbed Devil
75. Spined Devil
76. Ice Devil
77. Djinni
78. Nalfeshnee
79. Glabrezu
80. Chasme
81. Grell
82. Barlgura
83. Horned Devil
84. Balor
85. Shadow Dragon
86. Werebear <——————
87. Lizardfolk
88. Vrock
89. Dretch
90. Gnolls (all three)
91. Goristro
92. Hezrou
93. Manes
94. Frost Giant
95. Duergar
96. Quasit
97. Dryad
98. Flumph
99. Goblin
100. Githyanki
101. Planetar
102. Imp
103. Clay Golem
104. Flameskull
105. Displacer Beast
106. Carrion Crawler
107. Githzerai
108. Grick
109. Invisible Stalker
110. Rug of Smothering
111. Bugbear Chief
112. Bugbear
113. Flesh Golem
114. Vine Blight
115. Twig Blight
116. Needle Blight
117. Bullywug
118. Hellhound
119. Ettercap
120. Gas Spore
121. Cockatrice
122. Lemure
123. Homonculus
124. Solar
125. Deva
126. Gorgon
127. Hippogriff
128. Griffon
129. Cyclops
130. Centaur
131. Ghost
132. Fire Elemental
133. Water Elemental
134. Air Elemental
135. Stone Giant
136. Deep Gnome
137. Dinosaurs (All six of them)
138. Iron Golem
139. Stone Golem
140. Earth Elemental
141. Galeb Duhr
142. Helmed Horror
143. Flying Sword
144. Crawling Claw
145. Violet Fungus
146. Shrieker
147. Gargoyle