Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Novama Jan 19, 2015 16:10:53	The following is what I typed up for it. Mainly the basics. The hybernation feature is used in a campaign that doesn't allow full reheal during long rests so it's significantly more useful and should be taken into consideration.   Ursus                 Humanoid bears of various types and regions. They tend to be peaceful, but are adept at war and fighting. They live in groups in secluded areas of the wilderness. Forests and mountains are their home. It’s rare to find them anywhere else except as adventurers who travel. Typically boisterous and selfish, Ursi usually do not know the meaning of ‘no’, but many of a lazy streak in them that make them tolerable when around others. Ability Score Increase: +2 Strength Age: They mature like humans, but can live to be a few hundred years old. Alignment: Most are some form of a chaotic Good. Keen Sense: you have proficiency in perception checks Fur: you have advantage on checks against the cold/ice. You have disadvantage on checks against heat/fire. You have resistance to cold/ice damage. You have weakness to fire/heat damage. Hibernation: You can go into a deep sleep. While hibernating, all ongoing effects cease to affect you and you begin regaining health at a rate of 1hp/2hours. Minimum length of time spent hibernating is 24 hours. Maximum length of time hibernating is equal to the number of rations consumed prior to sleeping + 1. Sleeping without consuming any rations prior or without sufficient rations per day hibernating will result in a 24 hour hibernation and an extreme hunger after which will require two rations to satisfy or 1 level of exhaustion will be the penalty until fed. Character is completely helpless while hibernating and unable to be awoken by normal means. Languages: Common, Giant Speak with medium beasts: you can communicate through gestures and sounds to communicate simple ideas to and with medium beasts. Subrace: the types of Ursi vary as much as the bears found in nature, but they all fall into 3 types, 2 of which are playable: Ursus Teddy and Ursus Regula Ursus Regula Size: medium Speed: 30 feet Ability score increase: +1 constitution Claw and Fang: Ursi are proficient in fighting with their claws and teeth. When not holding a weapon in a hand, they may make a claw attack with that hand with prof + str mod for d6 + str mod damage. If they have not attacked with anything other than a light weapon this turn, they may use their bonus action to bite with prof + str mod for d6 + str mod damage or use their empty hand to make a claw attack for the same. Ursus Teddy Size: small Speed: 25 feet Ability score increase: +1 dex Naturally Stealthy: you can make a stealth check even when only partially obscured by natural phenomena(bushes, rain, fog, trees, etc..) or creatures at least 1 size larger than you
#2 cowleymen Jan 19, 2015 23:01:55	Im curious how you treat hitdice in your game, It might be better to say that they can spend a free hitdie every 2hrs during hibernation. As for the fur, I would just give them advantage on saving throws related to cold weather. Animals shed whats called an undercoat of fur during summer seasons so that their fur doesnt cause overheating. Other wise fairly balanced.
#3 mictrepanier Jan 20, 2015 16:06:48	I agree with coleymen for the fur - no resistance, no weakness   The teddy bear is too weak- your only feature is one of the feature of the Wood Elf that just equalize the small disadvantage. It lack at least a +2 ability value
#4 Novama Jan 20, 2015 19:01:26	I added the weakness and resistance based on the fact the ursi will be more hairy than any other playable race and hair/fur is easy to burn, but is great insulation. It's also not common to see real bears travel further south than temperate regions (i'm not familiar with oriental bear habits though). Are the weakness/resistances seen as too strong in comparison to the other races? I know the dragonborn have resistances to their chosen element.    I thought about hD for the healing, but i felt the heal would be too powerful. Even if the ursi is a mage with a d6 hit die, the chance that they could full heal during 1 day of full sleep seemed a little potent. A problem I see with it currently as it is: it doesn't scale. So higher levels would benefit more from a low level spell heal than from hibernating. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I would imagine having a feature that because useless would be bad.   For the claw and fang, I have made the change that dex may also be used specifically for the claw attacks rather than str if chosen. It would be like a finesse weapon.   While I'm not against adding more features to the ursi teddy, I would question what more I could add that fits the character concept of a small humanoid bear. I also question how being able to hide in nature and behind medium or bigger things doesn't compensate enough when Regula only has one feature specific to it also. Both versions have the +2 to str though.   Any suggestions on what more I could add (if adding more would be appropriate) ?
#5 Azylynne Jan 21, 2015 2:45:48	Personally, as have already been discussed, I would take out the Weakness and Disadvantage in heat.  I would just keep the Advantage/Resistance to Cold/Ice as it makes sense and seems balanced as Dwarves have a similar bonus with Advantage/Resistance to Poison. I am not really into the "Teddy"... I don't know why.  Reminds me of Ewoks.  I would almost prefer an Asura race if that was the case. I really forget what other powers Ursus have compared to the other races in Guild Wars, but are they really "chaotic" in terms of the alignment?  I know it doesn't ultimately make a difference, but compared to some of the other creatures within the realms of Guild Wars 2, the Ursus seem very peaceful, meditative, and orderly, in a sense.  I only know them from GW2 though.
(Reply to #3) RPGBG	mictrepanier wrote:
#7 Novama Jan 21, 2015 7:10:19	Thanks everyone for the comments.   The ursi I made are chaotic because they don't typically care about law and order. Biggest bear wins and typically no other race will have an easy time telling an ursus what to do. They relate to the peaceful ursi from other games in that they have a lazy go with the flow streak. They will do what they want when they want, which makes them chaotic, but they typically just want to laze about or chill with a pot of honey, so their alignment isn't so obvious.    Removing the heat related features shouldn't be a problem, but why doesn't need removed? Does it not make sense? Is it too much book keeping to keep track of 2 disadvantages/advantages? Is an imbalance created somewhere?   The regula bonus specifying a light weapon is to keep them from using a heavy in main hand and still get a bonus off hand with the claw. I see now that that would prevent them from clawing even after they acquire the dual wielding feat though. I will change it to state they may use bonus off hand claw or bite if main hand attack is claw, light, or feat enabled heavy melee weapon.
#8 Azylynne Jan 22, 2015 2:22:57	The heat related features doesn't make sense to me... in the sense that if "this" creature has fur, they will suffer from heat/fire attacks, then do ALL creatures with fur or heavy fur also suffer the same penalties?  Unless you are willing to change ALL creatures with fur or heavy fur to suffer the same effect, I see an inconsistency within the rules.  Does that make sense?   Ursi:  Heavy Fur/Fur equals to Heat Vulnerabilities Mammoth: HeavyFur/Fur does not equal to Heat Vulnerabilities Bears/Wolves/Winter Wolves/Yeti: Heavy Fur/Fur does not equal to Heat Vulnerabilities   I think if a creature was more flamable, like a plant creature or something, they perhaps have more vulnerabilities to fire.  But anything with heavy fur/fur, I just don't see it applying.  I understand your logic though and might want to account for something from the north not having as easy a time as in the heated desert, but I don't think every little nuance needs a game mechanic.
(Reply to #8) Novama	Azylynne wrote:
#10 Novama Jan 22, 2015 7:46:21	Alternatively, I could keep the cold advantage and say its based on fat reserves common in ursi. Specific to the beast and keeping things as they are.
#11 Azylynne Jan 23, 2015 3:28:41	I actually thought of a speed boon when going on all fours.  However, to make things simple, I would recommend sticking with the Cold Resist.  Cold Resist is very similar to the Dwarf Poison Resist and seems somewhat "fair" in comparison to what other races get.  I also, probably without thinking, tied your Ursus to the Kodan race in Guild Wars 2, my bad!  Those sentient bear creatures were from the north, and I was considering their background when thinking through your Ursus race.  Anyhow, good luck and have fun with it.  =)