Primal Path
Comments from the Finger: Though barbearians are barbearic, you’re bearly a barbearian if you don’t have your bearings in every situation. A barbearian should be able to survive any unbearable situation, even if it means walking bearfoot and living on nuts and bearies.
I’m beary sorry for that. I’m actually quite embearassed.
– – –
Also, our new book, Men and Monsters, drops on Patreon TONIGHT. Wanna play a teddy bear barbearian? You absolutely can.
– – –
Path of the Bear
To a barbarian, totems symbolize primal strengths and virtues to which the mighty should aspire. Some barbarians, however, embrace but one aspect of a totem, a single totem animal, to act as their singular inspiration and guide. This represents an abandonment of totemic virtue and a complete embrace of animal nature. In the depths of their primal rage, these barbarians even manifest traits of their chosen beast, becoming one with the totems animal.
The spirit of the bear symbolizes strength and resolve, and a determination to protect one’s loved ones. Barbarians who form a special connection to this spirit are called bear warriors, and develop a stocky build, grow a preponderance of hair, and normally tower above other men. In battle, by channeling their connection to the bear spirit, a bear warrior actually transforms into a bear while they fight.
Grizzly Transformation
Starting at 3rd level, when you enter a rage, you can become a fearsome bear for the duration of your rage. You automatically revert to your normal form if your rage ends, if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.
At 3rd level, you can transform into a black bear, at 6th level, you can transform into a brown bear, and at 10th level, you can transform into a polar bear.
While you are transformed, the following rules apply:
- Your game statistics are replaced by the bear’s statistics, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain your AC, Strength, and Constitution scores, if they would be higher than the bear’s.
- You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining the bear’s Perception proficiency, if it has one. Use your own proficiency bonus.
- When you transform, you assume the bear’s hit points and hit dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form.
- You retain the damage resistances from raging and rage bonus damage while in your bear form. You also retain the benefit of any other features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if your bear form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can’t use any of your Special senses, such as Darkvision.
- Your equipment merges into your new form and has no effect until you leave the form.
Hibernation
At 6th level, you sleep like a rock. When you take a long rest, you regain all expended hit dice, instead of half of them.
Bare Necessities
By 10th level, like the bear, you are hearty and resilient, requiring neither protection nor shelter. You never suffer levels of exhaustion or any other penalty for enduring the elements. In addition, you need half the amount of food and water as other members of your race to survive.
Lastly, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws you make against being exhausted.
Maul
Starting at 14th level, while you’re raging, if you hit a creature with two weapon attacks on your turn, the target takes an additional 2d8 damage.
Changelog: 8/1/17: Grizzly Transformation: You no longer end rage when knocked out of your bear form, no longer 1/long rest, bear forms progress faster; brown at 7th 6th, polar at 10th, multiattack is 3 attacks at 10th
8/3/17: You retain your own armor class while transformed
9/17/17: Grizzly Transformation: 10th level multiattack removed, you can keep your Str and Con scores, if they’re higher
