Ideas for a Half-Bugbear

[Kereea]

So been working on a character for when I eventually get around to playing a cleric. Got the WHO she is down pretty well, but I want to play her as a half-bugbear.

My main idea is just to take a half orc and slap on Stealth proficiency, call it a day. Mechanically Bugbears aren't too different from orcs other than the added stealth and trickery aspects, and I don't want her to be too complicated or anything. Not sure if I should maybe add a penalty somewhere in exchange for the stealth proficiency.

But since Half-bugbears aren't an official race yet, I was wondering if anyone else had fun things they came up with for them and would like to share.

[loki_ragnarock]

Out of curiosity:

What's the other half?

(See, because there's the possibility you'd just be playing a half-elf, and that's hilarious to me.)

[Bobthewizard]

There are stats for a bugbear race. I think it's in Volo's. I'd just use those stats but call her a half bugbear. That makes more sense to me than giving her relentless endurance and savage attacks.

[da newt]

How did a half bugbear come about?

If the other parent is a halfling, does the union create an Ewok?

Mechanically if you add stealth prof, you should pull something else - or use all the half orc stats and the background (or class) to round out your stealth flavor (and just put fur on it).

[HappyDaze]

How did a half bugbear come about?


Any good slashing weapon will do the trick if you hit it hard enough.

[Magicspook]

If the other parent is a halfling, does the union create an Ewok?


HAHA YES

Thank you for making my day.

[Luccan]

I don't know if the Half-Orc is a good fit for a Half-Bugbear. Because of how they made the Orc PC race it barely seems like it's half Orc at all. Plus, don't bug bears get Str and Dex bonuses, not Str and Con?

If they're gonna be half human, I'd take Bugbear, remove the extra reach (or surprise attack) and powerful build. In exchange, maybe a unique trait not possessed by humans or bugbears? In the same way Half-Orcs are unique from their parentage, but without being almost completely different in this case.

[Tawmis]

I would say for the stealth (which makes sense, since Bugbears are traditionally ambushers)...

Maybe drop ONE of these from the Half-Orc build? (My vote would go for Relentless Endurance)...

Relentless Endurance: When you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a Long Rest.

Savage Attacks: When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon Attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

[Kereea]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! Honestly, DEX would made more sense than STR for the character anyway (leaning towards main weapons being thrown hatchets and javelins, backup morningstar for melee). Honestly, yeah, neither of the Half-Orc's main abilities make much sense for her so maybe taking on Brute and Surprise Attack would be better (tho the latter is unlikely to come up much, the character is designed more as a supporting attacker and will probably only strike first if that's the party's plans, going by how I play to RP her). Brute could be useful if dragged into Melee and forced to rely more on STR than DEX, since the latter will probably have a higher score.

[Wildarm]

So been working on a character for when I eventually get around to playing a cleric. Got the WHO she is down pretty well, but I want to play her as a half-bugbear.

My main idea is just to take a half orc and slap on Stealth proficiency, call it a day. Mechanically Bugbears aren't too different from orcs other than the added stealth and trickery aspects, and I don't want her to be too complicated or anything. Not sure if I should maybe add a penalty somewhere in exchange for the stealth proficiency.

But since Half-bugbears aren't an official race yet, I was wondering if anyone else had fun things they came up with for them and would like to share.

Assuming human is the other half. Half bugbear would be physically smaller and not as strong but perhaps has some of the versatility of their human heritage.

Drop the powerful build and reach, +1 Str/Dex and +1 to a stat of your choice and a skill. Keep the rest of the Bugbear abilities.