Bearfolk
-- Braton Durik, The Eye in the Woods
Making their home in wild, untouched corners of the world, bearfolk thrive on their own independence. Covered in shaggy fur, bearfolk resemble common bears not only in their appearance but in their ability to survive and even thrive in the wilderness. Their keen senses and physical prowess make them formidable enemies, but their practical nature and protective instincts make them fantastic allies. Bearfolk rarely approach the civilized world without good reason. Those who do often find themselves pulled into excitement and adventure.
Solitary Hunters
Bearfolk have thick fur, long snouts, massive paws and a musky odor that makes them stand out in any crowd. Bearfolk usually stand well over 6 feet tall and often weigh upwards of 250 pounds. Like regular bears, bearfolk may choose to put on extra weight and hibernate for months at a time if they so desire. The color of their coat is usually dependent on the region they inhabit, and most are either black, brown, or white.
Bearfolk usually live alone, seeking out company to mate and raise children, or to defend their territory. A few bearfolk make a habit of visiting nearby humanoids to trade handmade goods, food, or stories. Their dwellings can be anything from a comfortable cave to a cabin of sturdy construction. They are obligate omnivores, and spend most of their time hunting game and gathering edible plants to satisfy their massive caloric needs. They are known to take good care of the land they inhabit, using controlled burns to regulate wildfires and choosing which animals to hunt in order to ensure ecological balance and prosperity.
Perplexing Personalities
Most outsiders tend to perceive bearfolk as standoffish or asocial, but the friendships they do form are defended fiercely. They often avoid unnecessary conflict and have been known to walk out of fights with the opponent still beating on their back, but when they choose to bare their teeth the aftermath can be disturbing. Many attribute this to the fact that bearfolk, who usually grow up without much company, simply aren’t well adjusted to most social environments. This is corroborated by the stories bearfolk themselves will tell to those they befriend. The Strange Experiences table suggests a variety of memories a friendly bearfolk might share.
Strange Experiences
| d6 | Experience |
|---|---|
| 1 | Once I made the mistake of drinking from a river too close to my kill, and felt awful for days afterwards. Since then, I never have food and drink at the same time. |
| 2 | I once lived in a cave together with a real bear for several weeks. The whole time, I thought he was actually my older brother. |
| 3 | One time I visited a halfling village near my home to trade, and the children spent hours braiding my fur and weaving flower stems into it. I’ve never been so nervous. |
| 4 | I’ve never been so offended as the time a druid saw me and immediately cast a spell to let them talk with animals. It took several minutes of speaking in Common for him to even realize what I was. |
| 5 | One time I roared out loud because I stubbed my toe on a rock, and then I heard another bearfolk roar back to me, from far away. We kept at it for hours, but they just kept copying what I said. |
| 6 | A hunter once gifted me some smoked venison, but it was poisoned because he was sick of me telling him to hunt responsibly. Nowadays I prefer all my food raw. |
Forgotten Ancestry
The true origin of bearfolk is unknown, but many scholars suspect they are the descendants of werebears that took to living in the wilderness. Over time, their lycanthropy became permanent and integral, giving them the best features of human and ursine biology, along with some weaknesses. The best evidence for this is their aversion to silver, which true lycanthropes are known to share. It is not uncommon for bearfolk to take in and mentor those who have been newly cursed with lycanthropy, teaching them how to live with their animal characteristics. It is not possible for bearfolk to pass on their ancestral curse, but the question of whether they can be infected with any new form of lycanthropy is unknown. What is certain is that their origins are not mundane, even though their connection to the natural world is strong. Despite not being related to true bears directly, they are still capable of limited communication with them.
Bearfolk Names
It is not uncommon for a lone bearfolk not to have a name at all. Some lineages of bearfolk have gone generations without contact with the outside world, and barely use spoken languages. Bearfolk that live in close proximity to towns or outlying settlements may take on names given to them by the people there.
Bearfolk Traits
Your powerful, resilient body grants you a number of natural advantages.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Bearfolk don’t live quite as long as humans, but mature faster and are self-sufficient much earlier.
Alignment. Bearfolk maintain ordered surroundings to survive, and tend towards lawful alignments. They rarely engage in moral disputes and are usually neutral as a result, but when they must they often take the side of good.
Size. Bearfolk are typically quite large, adults are usually 6 to 8 feet tall, and can weigh upwards of 300 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Here's how to determine your height and weight randomly, starting with a modifier:
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Choose either a climbing speed of 20 feet or a swimming speed of 25 feet.
Keen Smell. A highly attuned sense of smell is necessary for hunting and safety in the wild. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception), Wisdom (Survival), and Intelligence (Investigation) checks that involve smell.
Born Survivor. You are proficient in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Intimidation, Nature, or Survival.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the amount you can push, drag, or lift.
Bear Claws. You have large, curved claws that extend from your hands. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you can deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Ursine Fortitude. You have resistance to cold damage. At the end of a long or short rest, you can spend one Hit Die to gain a number of temporary hit points equal to a roll of your Hit Die plus your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). While you have these hit points, you gain a +1 bonus to AC if you are not wearing heavy armor. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Aversion to Silver. The cuts of silver blades cause searing pain. Attacks made against you with silvered weapons ignore the armor bonus of Ursine Fortitude. You cannot reduce or negate the bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage dealt to you by silvered weapons.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common as well as one other language of your choice.
Optional Bearfolk Feats
If your DM allows the use of feats from chapter 6 of the Player's Handbook, your bearfolk character has access to the following special feats.
Bear Paws
Prerequisite: Bearfolk
Your huge, powerful paws afford you a stronger grip on your weapons. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Attacks made with your claws can now deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit.
- When wielding a weapon with the Versatile property, you can roll damage for the weapon as if you were wielding it in two hands even when you are only wielding it in one hand.
- You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws to avoid being disarmed.
Hunter's Nose
Prerequisite: Bearfolk
Your nose is highly specialized, allowing you to navigate and hunt without light. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Constitution or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You gain blindsight out to 10 feet, limited only to things that have an odor and are not behind airtight walls. Creatures with a detectable odor cannot be hidden from you within this area. You lose this ability if you cannot smell, or while you are in an area permeated by exceptionally strong smells or noxious gases.
- Your Keen Smell trait now grants advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks provided you are within 5 feet of the creature and can smell them.
Bearfolk race for D&D 5e
Created by: u/NotTheDreadPirateArtist Credit: KAI LI - Chaos Dawn -- Bear Guard