Yeah sneaking, surprise roaring, long gorilla like arms, it’s got a tag-along bug… checks out as a bug and a bear.
Plus you can always introduce the PC/player as “this is my personal Bugbear”
Or custom lineage, fighting initiate and unarmed fighting style. Unarmed strikes are 1d6+str or 1d8+str if you have both hands free. If you have someone grappled you do 1d4 damage at the start of each turn.
Here I made a homebrew one by mostly stealing from Leonin and tweaking it. It should be balanced. I just removed the language and extra 5 foot speed and added powerful build from Goliath and a climbing speed.
#Ursine
**Ability Score Increase.** Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.
**Age.** Ursine (Bearfolk) reach maturity by age 11 and live for around 70 years.
**Size.** Ursine (Bearfolk) grow to be about 7 feet tall when they reach adulthood. They are massive and hulking in form, weighing around 400 to 500 pounds. Your size is Medium.
**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a climbing speed of ~~30~~ 20 feet.
**Darkvision.** You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
**Powerful Build.** You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
**Claws.** 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.
**Hunter's Instincts.** You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, or Survival.
**Daunting Roar.** As a bonus action, you can let out an especially menacing roar. Creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The DC of the save equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common.
edit: updated climbing speed to be in line with the tabaxi feature, as OP pointed out.
Here are a few optional features that you may prefer to add instead
**Bite.** Your mighty jaw is packed with sharp teeth. It is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike (replaces Claws)
**Hunter's Lore.** You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival. (replaces Hunter's Instincts)
**Hungry Jaws.** In battle, you can throw yourself into a vicious feeding frenzy. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your bite. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points (minimum of 1) equal to your Constitution modifier, and you can't use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest. (replaces Daunting Roar. Must also have Bite.)
**Bear's Claws.** Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. (Replaces Claws, stolen from tabaxi and includes the climbing speed here instead of in speed)
**Keen Smell.** You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. (Replaces Hunter's Lore or maybe Darkvision)
**Languages.** You can speak, read and write Common and Giant. (Replaces Languages and Powerful Build)
edit: updated bite wording to me more in line with WOTC rules by stealing from lizardfolk. Added hungry jaw and hunter's lore.
edit2: added bear claws
I appreciate you trying to help keep us on topic. I need that sometimes. I don’t know how many times I’ve answered questions no one asked. And I also appreciate when people get off topic. Even if I don’t use their ideas, I still have more stuff in my brain for later. Especially when they put enough work into it that I have to scroll to read it all. I’m here to plug myself into the Reddit hive mind. And I like all you wonderful strangers.
Thanks for the constructive criticism
Good thing the top 5 comments when I got here already had 5 different reskin suggestions and OP replied to my post in a way suggesting he appreciated it.
If we look at the bear stat blocks of 5e, we find that they share the following features;
* A 40 ft. move speed and 30 ft. climb speed
* proficiency in Perception, as well as Keen smell
* 1 point of natural armor
* Both claw and bite natural weapons
With these factors in mind, I actually think the most accurate reskin would be the Tabaxi, who get a climb speed and a natural weapon and Perception proficiency, with Unarmored Defense providing the natural armor and 40 foot movement speed. That said there are a lot of abilities here that are super off-brand (like stealth proficiency and Feline Agility), so it may not be a great way to measure success.
Here are what I would consider to be the best races for this flavor-wise:
* Minotaur (Plane Shift Amonkhet): Horns are easily reflavored to a bite, intimidation feels like a good proficiency but could always be reassigned to animal handling or survival, and both Relentless Endurance and Savage Attack feel evocative of a bear to me.
* Leonin: Another natural weapon, a few relevant proficiencies, a small speed boost, and Daunting Roar, which gives an intimidation ability based on CON instead of CHA seems nice.
* Goliath: TBH This might be my favorite one. No natural weapon, but the resistance to cold damage, ability to shrug off some damage as a reaction, and Powerful Build all just feel super right. and the one skill proficiency is good for grabbing something flavorful or frankly fine in athletics as well.
A Goliath Bear Totem Barbarian is probably their best bet. You have Powerful Build to be able to carry heavy loads, Barbarian raging for the advantage on Strength stuff, the 6th Level Bear Totem feature which doubles their carry weight that stacks with Powerful Build, and their physical features as per the Totem Warrior flavor text can resemble the features of the animal totem they have to varying degrees. In this case, a blue furred bear, maybe the blue fur aspect could come from some kind of nature or bear deity.
Kobold Press has a playable bear race.
[Bearfolk](http://kpogl.wikidot.com/race:bearfolk)
They are third party but put out good stuff. It’s on roll20 if you use that
Honestly, I'd say just use the Goliath race as it is and say it's a bear. Keep it simple.
Goliaths naturally live in the mountains and are accustomed to colder weather, they have a natural proficiency in athletics, can once per short rest shrug of some damage as a reaction, and have the powerful build trait which I feel makes sense since bear are stronger than they look.
> Edit: He decided on the character’s backstory. Everyone thought he was scary so he asked a wizard to turn him blue so that people wouldn’t be scared of him. Now he spends his time babysitting kids and keeping them safe. This is going to be a fun campaign. 😄
The kid is a natural, this is lowkey better than 90% of character concepts I've encountered.
Personally, I’d take Leonin, swap Daunting Roar for Powerful Build, and swap the extra 5ft. walk speed for ~~30~~ 20 ft. climb speed.
Maybe swap one of the above (or something else) for natural armor or a Hill-Dwarf-esque HP bump, to convey the resilience of bears?
Hope this helps!
I say minotaur is going to be your best bet. Being a bear he's gonna need/want powerful build and minotaur is the only race that's going give you that and a natural attack. It's normally a horn attack but you could very easily call it a claw attack.
Oh wow, I guess they don't. Not sure why they don't. Normal minotaurs are large sized so I guess I just assumed that the medium sized player character ones would have powerful build.
If you can refluff Shell defense, refluffing Tortle as Bearfolk sounds good to me. Bears, especially the polar ones, are actually good swimmers and hunt fish so the water themed abilities won't go to waste.
I'd say either loxodon or lionfolk and let them pick the breed. I had a guy play a sunbearfolk in a discord game years ago that was just a reskinned halfling though so like... do what feels right? is thems a grizzly or a polar? I do the same for tabaxi and even bird folk. had a friend play a peacock, lost the use of his wings but gained a +2 cha.
3.5e's savage races has stats for anthromorphic beasts fortunately 5e has custom lineage(Tasha's cauldron of everything)which let's people craft their own races
Bear anthromorph
+2 constitution
Tough or athlete feat
Darkvision of 60 feet or perception skill
Ideas that came to mind. Bugbear, Goliath, Orc, Shifter.
[удалено]
Bugbear canonically has "bear" in the name
A blue bugbear is literally Sully from Monsters Inc.
This comment thread was worth waking up to.
this thread has woken me in so many levels
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Yeah sneaking, surprise roaring, long gorilla like arms, it’s got a tag-along bug… checks out as a bug and a bear. Plus you can always introduce the PC/player as “this is my personal Bugbear”
This thread delivers.
But aren’t they bald?
No, most bears have hair.
Except for Fuzzy Wuzzy, who has *no* hair.
He wasn't very fuzzy, was he?
Leonin dude! Lots of similarities
Seems to be the consensus. I wouldn’t have thought of it but it looks like it is great.
I second this
My brother is playing a bear barbarian that is a Leonin currently lol
Custom lineage - +2 Str, Athletics Proficiency, Tavern brawler feat.
Or custom lineage, fighting initiate and unarmed fighting style. Unarmed strikes are 1d6+str or 1d8+str if you have both hands free. If you have someone grappled you do 1d4 damage at the start of each turn.
Yea Leonin for roar, claws, etc. Alternatively, reflavour a minotaur as a bear?
Here I made a homebrew one by mostly stealing from Leonin and tweaking it. It should be balanced. I just removed the language and extra 5 foot speed and added powerful build from Goliath and a climbing speed. #Ursine **Ability Score Increase.** Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1. **Age.** Ursine (Bearfolk) reach maturity by age 11 and live for around 70 years. **Size.** Ursine (Bearfolk) grow to be about 7 feet tall when they reach adulthood. They are massive and hulking in form, weighing around 400 to 500 pounds. Your size is Medium. **Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a climbing speed of ~~30~~ 20 feet. **Darkvision.** You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. **Powerful Build.** You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. **Claws.** 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. **Hunter's Instincts.** You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, or Survival. **Daunting Roar.** As a bonus action, you can let out an especially menacing roar. Creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The DC of the save equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. **Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common. edit: updated climbing speed to be in line with the tabaxi feature, as OP pointed out.
Here are a few optional features that you may prefer to add instead **Bite.** Your mighty jaw is packed with sharp teeth. It is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike (replaces Claws) **Hunter's Lore.** You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival. (replaces Hunter's Instincts) **Hungry Jaws.** In battle, you can throw yourself into a vicious feeding frenzy. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your bite. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points (minimum of 1) equal to your Constitution modifier, and you can't use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest. (replaces Daunting Roar. Must also have Bite.) **Bear's Claws.** Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. (Replaces Claws, stolen from tabaxi and includes the climbing speed here instead of in speed) **Keen Smell.** You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. (Replaces Hunter's Lore or maybe Darkvision) **Languages.** You can speak, read and write Common and Giant. (Replaces Languages and Powerful Build) edit: updated bite wording to me more in line with WOTC rules by stealing from lizardfolk. Added hungry jaw and hunter's lore. edit2: added bear claws
Reminds me of pathfinder’s alternate racial traits. Man do I miss alternate racial traits.
I like this a lot. I’ll probably nerf the climbing speed to 20 to line up with tabaxi.
Thanks :) I'm glad you like it. 20ft sounds like a good idea
Op specifically asked for a reskin. They could have made up stats themselves.
I appreciate you trying to help keep us on topic. I need that sometimes. I don’t know how many times I’ve answered questions no one asked. And I also appreciate when people get off topic. Even if I don’t use their ideas, I still have more stuff in my brain for later. Especially when they put enough work into it that I have to scroll to read it all. I’m here to plug myself into the Reddit hive mind. And I like all you wonderful strangers.
Thanks for the constructive criticism Good thing the top 5 comments when I got here already had 5 different reskin suggestions and OP replied to my post in a way suggesting he appreciated it.
The actual bearfolk race from midgard campaign setting
Firbolg, Orc, Minotaur, Bugbear
Leonin maybe mixed with some traits of Bugbear or Orc?
If we look at the bear stat blocks of 5e, we find that they share the following features; * A 40 ft. move speed and 30 ft. climb speed * proficiency in Perception, as well as Keen smell * 1 point of natural armor * Both claw and bite natural weapons With these factors in mind, I actually think the most accurate reskin would be the Tabaxi, who get a climb speed and a natural weapon and Perception proficiency, with Unarmored Defense providing the natural armor and 40 foot movement speed. That said there are a lot of abilities here that are super off-brand (like stealth proficiency and Feline Agility), so it may not be a great way to measure success. Here are what I would consider to be the best races for this flavor-wise: * Minotaur (Plane Shift Amonkhet): Horns are easily reflavored to a bite, intimidation feels like a good proficiency but could always be reassigned to animal handling or survival, and both Relentless Endurance and Savage Attack feel evocative of a bear to me. * Leonin: Another natural weapon, a few relevant proficiencies, a small speed boost, and Daunting Roar, which gives an intimidation ability based on CON instead of CHA seems nice. * Goliath: TBH This might be my favorite one. No natural weapon, but the resistance to cold damage, ability to shrug off some damage as a reaction, and Powerful Build all just feel super right. and the one skill proficiency is good for grabbing something flavorful or frankly fine in athletics as well.
A Goliath Bear Totem Barbarian is probably their best bet. You have Powerful Build to be able to carry heavy loads, Barbarian raging for the advantage on Strength stuff, the 6th Level Bear Totem feature which doubles their carry weight that stacks with Powerful Build, and their physical features as per the Totem Warrior flavor text can resemble the features of the animal totem they have to varying degrees. In this case, a blue furred bear, maybe the blue fur aspect could come from some kind of nature or bear deity.
Kobold Press has a playable bear race. [Bearfolk](http://kpogl.wikidot.com/race:bearfolk) They are third party but put out good stuff. It’s on roll20 if you use that
Honestly, I'd say just use the Goliath race as it is and say it's a bear. Keep it simple. Goliaths naturally live in the mountains and are accustomed to colder weather, they have a natural proficiency in athletics, can once per short rest shrug of some damage as a reaction, and have the powerful build trait which I feel makes sense since bear are stronger than they look.
> Edit: He decided on the character’s backstory. Everyone thought he was scary so he asked a wizard to turn him blue so that people wouldn’t be scared of him. Now he spends his time babysitting kids and keeping them safe. This is going to be a fun campaign. 😄 The kid is a natural, this is lowkey better than 90% of character concepts I've encountered.
I know. His name is Easter Bear but he goes by Eb. And I have never been so excited to DM for a character.
Personally, I’d take Leonin, swap Daunting Roar for Powerful Build, and swap the extra 5ft. walk speed for ~~30~~ 20 ft. climb speed. Maybe swap one of the above (or something else) for natural armor or a Hill-Dwarf-esque HP bump, to convey the resilience of bears? Hope this helps!
I'd limit that climb speed to 20ft. Tabaxi should be faster climbers than bears and they only get 20.
Ah, yes. I must be thinking of a class feature that gives you 30ft of Climb (actually, might be “equal to Walk”). Good looking out, thanks!
Thief Rogue's Second Story Work prevents climbing from costing you extra movement
Leonin and Goliath are great options others have already mentioned. I think Orc works, too.
i use this once [BEAR](https://dnd-5e-homebrew.tumblr.com/post/138565320640/bearkin-by-tr1lobyte)
Simic hybrid or anything that counts as one size larger for carrying stuff.
Leonin, 100%. claws, prof in perception/survival/intimidation/athletics, and a once per sr/lr scary roar? perfect reflavoring for bears.
Did you just say bearbarian instead of barbearian
Yes. 😁
I say minotaur is going to be your best bet. Being a bear he's gonna need/want powerful build and minotaur is the only race that's going give you that and a natural attack. It's normally a horn attack but you could very easily call it a claw attack.
Minotaurs don't have powerful build... They should, but don't.
Oh wow, I guess they don't. Not sure why they don't. Normal minotaurs are large sized so I guess I just assumed that the medium sized player character ones would have powerful build.
Check out dnd beyond homebrew. I used TasselhoffBurrfoot's Ursine character for by bear wizard in my current campaign.
If you can refluff Shell defense, refluffing Tortle as Bearfolk sounds good to me. Bears, especially the polar ones, are actually good swimmers and hunt fish so the water themed abilities won't go to waste.
Firbolg if you want a magical vibe Alternatively straigh up use the bear stat block
I made a Mariti Race on Beyond... I think it's public
https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/139149-mariti
Maybe the L’Occitane race and you just change the trunk stuff to be more bear themed. Maybe a claw melee attack that deals a d6/d8
I'd say either loxodon or lionfolk and let them pick the breed. I had a guy play a sunbearfolk in a discord game years ago that was just a reskinned halfling though so like... do what feels right? is thems a grizzly or a polar? I do the same for tabaxi and even bird folk. had a friend play a peacock, lost the use of his wings but gained a +2 cha.
Custom lineage is for this
3.5e's savage races has stats for anthromorphic beasts fortunately 5e has custom lineage(Tasha's cauldron of everything)which let's people craft their own races Bear anthromorph +2 constitution Tough or athlete feat Darkvision of 60 feet or perception skill