Balance my werebear [Archive] - Wizards Community

Balance my werebear [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Killbert
07-18-06, 07:04 PM I'm going to start a campaign next week and i really want to play a werebear barbarian/warshaper. Unfortuantely, i looked at the werebear (in the SRD) and it is unbelivebly overpowerd. Did i read the rules wrong? or is there somewhere else where i can find a more balanced version of the werebear? (Books availible: complete war, complete adventurer, and core books)

Characters are starting at lvl 6, and werebear gets +3 level adjustment. With only 3 level adjustment he gets +16 str, +8 con, +2 dex, +2 wis and a whole bunch of abilities including +4 to BAB, damage reduction, and claw and bite attacks. I tested out a full round attack and I did 82 damage to a 20 AC target. In one round.

My DM is really busy right now, and next week when we start playing i want to have my character already made so that we can start as soon as possible. Anyone have a good idea of how to balance the werebear subtype without raising LA?

For starters i was thinking +8 str and +4 con (instead of +16, +8), damage reduction 3/silver instead of 10, +3 BAB instead of +4.

Thanks.
fatal error
07-18-06, 08:21 PM You also have to take the racial hit dice of the bear, in addition to the werebear's Level Adjustment, before you can start taking class levels.

So, your LA = 3, HD = 6, therefore ECL (effective character level) = 9. Thus, you're effectively a level 9 character. Either your DM is very nice and lets you play it with the level 6 party, or he could possibly drop you to 3 hit dice, then let you take the rest of the animal hit dice as the rest of the party levels to 9. After THAT you can start taking class levels.
Killbert
07-18-06, 09:59 PM ahhh, that makes more sense. Damn, so, i cant take like 1 bear HD instead of all 6?
runestar
07-18-06, 11:49 PM Heh, you wish. The many animal HD you have to take are there to balance out the massive physical ability boosts granted by being a werebear(more bonuses = higher ECL). Why do you think the various lycantropes have such great disparities in their stats if they all had the same ECL? ;)
Killbert
07-19-06, 10:18 AM ok, yeah, that makes way more sense, thanks.

I'll go with blackbear then instead of brown, its only 3 HD.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Killbert 07-18-06, 07:04 PM	I'm going to start a campaign next week and i really want to play a werebear barbarian/warshaper. Unfortuantely, i looked at the werebear (in the SRD) and it is unbelivebly overpowerd. Did i read the rules wrong? or is there somewhere else where i can find a more balanced version of the werebear? (Books availible: complete war, complete adventurer, and core books) Characters are starting at lvl 6, and werebear gets +3 level adjustment. With only 3 level adjustment he gets +16 str, +8 con, +2 dex, +2 wis and a whole bunch of abilities including +4 to BAB, damage reduction, and claw and bite attacks. I tested out a full round attack and I did 82 damage to a 20 AC target. In one round. My DM is really busy right now, and next week when we start playing i want to have my character already made so that we can start as soon as possible. Anyone have a good idea of how to balance the werebear subtype without raising LA? For starters i was thinking +8 str and +4 con (instead of +16, +8), damage reduction 3/silver instead of 10, +3 BAB instead of +4. Thanks.
fatal error 07-18-06, 08:21 PM	You also have to take the racial hit dice of the bear, in addition to the werebear's Level Adjustment, before you can start taking class levels. So, your LA = 3, HD = 6, therefore ECL (effective character level) = 9. Thus, you're effectively a level 9 character. Either your DM is very nice and lets you play it with the level 6 party, or he could possibly drop you to 3 hit dice, then let you take the rest of the animal hit dice as the rest of the party levels to 9. After THAT you can start taking class levels.
Killbert 07-18-06, 09:59 PM	ahhh, that makes more sense. Damn, so, i cant take like 1 bear HD instead of all 6?
runestar 07-18-06, 11:49 PM	Heh, you wish. The many animal HD you have to take are there to balance out the massive physical ability boosts granted by being a werebear(more bonuses = higher ECL). Why do you think the various lycantropes have such great disparities in their stats if they all had the same ECL? ;)
Killbert 07-19-06, 10:18 AM	ok, yeah, that makes way more sense, thanks. I'll go with blackbear then instead of brown, its only 3 HD.