Warning: This is 3.0 Edition material. It is possible that there is more recent 3.5 Edition version.
Inaccurate?

Bear Warrior

(Oriental Adventures variant, p. 36)

Bear warriors, through a special relationship with bear spirits, literally adopt a bear's strength in the rage of battle, actually transforming into bears while they fight.

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +7

Feats: Power Attack

Special: Rage, fury or ki frenzy ability.


Hit die

d12

Skill points

4 + Int

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bear warriors are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. They do not gain any additional proficiency with armor or shields.

Bear Form (Sp): A bear warrior can transform into a bear while in a rage, fury, or ki frenzy. At 1st level, a bear warrior can assume the form of a black bear for the entire duration of one of his rages each day. This ability is similar to polymorph self, except that the bear warrior becomes an exceptional bear. His Strength score increases by +8, his Dexterity score by +2, and his Constitution score by +4 (these bonuses replace the normal raging bonuses). He gains temporary hit points from his new Constitution score as if raging and a +2 natural AC bonus. He still gains a +2 bonus on Will saves and suffers a -2 penalty to AC while raging. He can make two claw attacks at his full normal base attack bonus, each dealing 1d4 points of damage plus his (new) Strength bonus, and one bite attack at his base attack bonus -5, dealing 1d6 points of damage plus one-half his (new) Strength bonus. As with polymorph self, his weapons, armor, and other equipment merge into his bear form, becoming nonfunctional for the duration of the change (except for items specifically designed to supercede this limitation).

At 4th level, the bear warrior can assume bear form twice each day (while in a rage, fury, or ki frenzy) and can choose between black and brown bear forms. In brown bear form, the bear warrior's Strength increases by +16, his Dexterity by +2, and his Constitution by +8 . He gains a +5 natural AC bonus, and becomes size Large (suffering a -1 penalty to AC and attacks). His claw attacks deal ids points of damage plus his Strength bonus, and his bite attack deals 2d8 points of damage plus one-half his Strength bonus. He gains the improved grab exceptional ability, which he can use when he hits with a claw attack. His face becomes 5 feet by 10 feet.

At 8th level, the bear warrior can assume bear form three times each day (while in a rage, fury, or ki frenzy) and can choose between black, brown, and dire bear forms. In dire bear form, the bear warrior's Strength increases by +20, his Dexterity by +2, and his Constitution by +8. He gains a +7 natural AC bonus, and becomes size Large. His claw attacks deal 2d4 points of damage plus his Strength bonus, and his bite attack deals 2d8 points of damage plus one-half his Strength bonus. He gains the improved grab exceptional ability, which he can use when he hits with a claw attack. His face becomes 10 feet by 20 feet, and his reach is 10 feet.

Scent (Ex): At 3rd level, a bear warrior gains the scent special ability. This allows the character to detect opponents by sense of smell as a free action, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. The bear warrior can detect strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, at twice these ranges. The bear warrior can detect overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, at three times these ranges.

The bear warrior detects another creature's presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move equivalent action. If he moves within 5 feet of the scent's source, the bear warrior can pinpoint that source.

The bear warrior can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry's odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Bear warriors tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

Bear warriors can identify familiar odors just as normal humans do familiar sights. Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail.

False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odor completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures, and the base Wilderness Lore DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10.

Extra Raging: At 5th level, and again at 10th level, the number of times per day that a bear warrior can enter a state of rage, fury, or ki frenzy increases by one. For example, a 7th-level barbarian/5th-level bear warrior can rage three times per day, while a 7th-level barbarian/10th-level bear warrior can rage four times per day. If that same character were to advance one barbarian level, he could rage five times per day.

Advancement

Level BAB Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Bear form (black) 1/day
2nd +2 +3 +0 +3
3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Scent
4th +4 +4 +1 +4 Bear form (brown) 2/day
5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Extra raging
6th +6 +5 +2 +5
7th +7 +5 +2 +5
8th +8 +6 +2 +6 Bear form (dire) 3/day
9th +9 +6 +3 +6
10th +10 +7 +3 +7 Extra raging

Class skills

Skill name Key ability Trained only Armor check penalty
Animal Empathy Cha yes no
Climb STR no yes
Handle Animal CHA yes no
Intimidate CHA no no
Intuit Direction Wis yes no
Jump STR no yes
Listen WIS no no
Ride DEX no no
Swim STR no yes
Wilderness Lore Wis no no

Also appears in

  1. Complete Warrior

Spells for Bear Warrior