LibraryOgre
2021-10-30, 05:34 PM
Here's another entry in the "Turning Humanoids into Playable characters". But, first, a word from our sponsors,
Jimmy: Great Googly-Moogly, bugbears? These things are way too powerful for PCs!
Announcer: That's right, Jimmy, they are a lot more powerful than standard PC races! However, these stats are based off the ones in the Hacklopedia of Beasts!
Jimmy: But Mister Announcer, won't including bugbears destroy the game?
Announcer: Not necessarily, Jimmy. You see, while bugbears are powerful, they can occupy many places in a Hackmaster campaign. They might be used as one-off characters, in campaigns where everyone is a humanoid, or simply as a framework to build exciting and nuanced NPCs by a Gamemaster! And, since the Gamemaster gets to decide what's allowed at their table, they won't unbalance a game that the GM doesn't want unbalanced!
Jimmy: I think I understand, Mister. Gee whillikers, it sure is great that people do all this creative work for us, huh?
Announcer: That's right, Jimmy! Fan creators are what keeps Hackmaster great, and all their haters can go suck on a lemon!
haters does not include people with legitimate critiques. do not play bugbears while taking alcohol or stimulants. not responsible for consumption of small children. use only as directed by your game professional. not valid in muncie.
Bugbears at a Glance
Strength +6
Intelligence -1
Wisdom -1
Dexterity +5
Constitution +6
Looks -4
Charisma -2
Pros
*Size Large; 15 pt hit point kicker, 20 point knock-back, able to use many large weapons (except bows and polearms) in one hand.
*Claws do 2d4p damage (can use on near-perfect defense)
*Unarmored DR of 3
*Initiative Die 1 less than normal
*Free Purchases: Hiding, Listening, Sneaking, Observation
*Low-light vision
Cons
*Horrible racial reaction tables; most player character races Hate them, with gnomes, halflings, and pixie-fairies fearing them. Half-orcs and sil-karg generally merely dislike them. Even among other humanoids, feelings towards bugbears seldom rise above Dislike; they may be used, but they’re not considered allies. Even other bugbears merely Tolerate other bugbears from outside their own clan.
*Large Size: Goods and services are 5-8 times more expensive than for medium and small creatures, including, especially, food. Bugbears must consume twice the rations of medium humans, and twice the water. Seldom able to find armor that fits, resulting in piecemeal armor (which usually has the DR of its worst component, and the other penalties of its most restrictive).
Sidebar: Living La Vida Grande
Bugbears are unlike most other PC races; they are taller than most humans (averaging about 6’6”), and can weigh over 350 pounds. Despite this, their attributes are capped as with other PCs; they can have no more than 20/00 Strength, nor 22/00 Constitution. Any adjustment above these numbers will instead place them at these numbers.
Due to their size, however, their carrying capacity is twice that of a human of the same strength, and their reach with human-sized weapons is 1’ greater than normal, and they may use many large weapons in one hand (anything with a reach of 6’ or less, or bows, which require 2 hands by their design, not necessarily because of their size). Unlike grevans, they are unlikely to have huge-sized weapons; at the lower end of Large, they cannot use truly huge weapons, despite their strength, and are disinclined to make any for their own use. More improvised Huge-sized weapons (such as massive clubs), suited to bugbear hands, see their reach increased by 1 foot per size they are increased, and their die size increased by 1, or add a die if the die size is already d12; a bugbear-sized club is a large weapon doing 2d6p damage, with a reach of 3.5’ feet. Conversely, they find small weapons difficult to use, unless they are meant to be thrown; human-sized weapons with 1 foot of reach or less inflict a -2 penalty to strike and defense; they are akin to trying to fight with a pen knife one keeps on a keychain.
Bugbears consider human-sized shields as one size lower than they are; a buckler is nothing, a small shield is a buckler, a medium shield is a small shield, etc.
Fighter: 20
Ranger: 50
Barbarian: 25
Thief: 30
Rogue: 50
Assassin: 25
Mage: 70
Fighter/Mage: 45
Fighter/Thief: 25
Thief/Mage: 50
Cleric: 40
Jimmy: Great Googly-Moogly, bugbears? These things are way too powerful for PCs!
Announcer: That's right, Jimmy, they are a lot more powerful than standard PC races! However, these stats are based off the ones in the Hacklopedia of Beasts!
Jimmy: But Mister Announcer, won't including bugbears destroy the game?
Announcer: Not necessarily, Jimmy. You see, while bugbears are powerful, they can occupy many places in a Hackmaster campaign. They might be used as one-off characters, in campaigns where everyone is a humanoid, or simply as a framework to build exciting and nuanced NPCs by a Gamemaster! And, since the Gamemaster gets to decide what's allowed at their table, they won't unbalance a game that the GM doesn't want unbalanced!
Jimmy: I think I understand, Mister. Gee whillikers, it sure is great that people do all this creative work for us, huh?
Announcer: That's right, Jimmy! Fan creators are what keeps Hackmaster great, and all their haters can go suck on a lemon!
haters does not include people with legitimate critiques. do not play bugbears while taking alcohol or stimulants. not responsible for consumption of small children. use only as directed by your game professional. not valid in muncie.
Bugbears at a Glance
Strength +6
Intelligence -1
Wisdom -1
Dexterity +5
Constitution +6
Looks -4
Charisma -2
Pros
*Size Large; 15 pt hit point kicker, 20 point knock-back, able to use many large weapons (except bows and polearms) in one hand.
*Claws do 2d4p damage (can use on near-perfect defense)
*Unarmored DR of 3
*Initiative Die 1 less than normal
*Free Purchases: Hiding, Listening, Sneaking, Observation
*Low-light vision
Cons
*Horrible racial reaction tables; most player character races Hate them, with gnomes, halflings, and pixie-fairies fearing them. Half-orcs and sil-karg generally merely dislike them. Even among other humanoids, feelings towards bugbears seldom rise above Dislike; they may be used, but they’re not considered allies. Even other bugbears merely Tolerate other bugbears from outside their own clan.
*Large Size: Goods and services are 5-8 times more expensive than for medium and small creatures, including, especially, food. Bugbears must consume twice the rations of medium humans, and twice the water. Seldom able to find armor that fits, resulting in piecemeal armor (which usually has the DR of its worst component, and the other penalties of its most restrictive).
Sidebar: Living La Vida Grande
Bugbears are unlike most other PC races; they are taller than most humans (averaging about 6’6”), and can weigh over 350 pounds. Despite this, their attributes are capped as with other PCs; they can have no more than 20/00 Strength, nor 22/00 Constitution. Any adjustment above these numbers will instead place them at these numbers.
Due to their size, however, their carrying capacity is twice that of a human of the same strength, and their reach with human-sized weapons is 1’ greater than normal, and they may use many large weapons in one hand (anything with a reach of 6’ or less, or bows, which require 2 hands by their design, not necessarily because of their size). Unlike grevans, they are unlikely to have huge-sized weapons; at the lower end of Large, they cannot use truly huge weapons, despite their strength, and are disinclined to make any for their own use. More improvised Huge-sized weapons (such as massive clubs), suited to bugbear hands, see their reach increased by 1 foot per size they are increased, and their die size increased by 1, or add a die if the die size is already d12; a bugbear-sized club is a large weapon doing 2d6p damage, with a reach of 3.5’ feet. Conversely, they find small weapons difficult to use, unless they are meant to be thrown; human-sized weapons with 1 foot of reach or less inflict a -2 penalty to strike and defense; they are akin to trying to fight with a pen knife one keeps on a keychain.
Bugbears consider human-sized shields as one size lower than they are; a buckler is nothing, a small shield is a buckler, a medium shield is a small shield, etc.
Fighter: 20
Ranger: 50
Barbarian: 25
Thief: 30
Rogue: 50
Assassin: 25
Mage: 70
Fighter/Mage: 45
Fighter/Thief: 25
Thief/Mage: 50
Cleric: 40