Fear the Bears! (PEACH?)

[NeoSeraphi]

A/N: This class was inspired by a very silly thread that a bunch of us did about wizards and feats.

Credit goes to SPoD and Seerow for their bearlike-shenanigans and ideas. Couldn't have made the class without you guys.

The bear master is never truly alone. He has bears. Lots of bears. And as any bear master will tell you, a bear master with lots of bears is as dangerous as well...a guy surrounded by bears. Seriously, bears will kill you.


"Come to Shatter Mountain! Now with 45% less bears! DO NOT BRING YOUR OWN BEARS! Seriously, there are still a lot of f&!@king bears running around!"- purpleeyesftw, Code MENT Episode 10 the Totally Non-Canon Version, youtube.com

The Bear Master

Hit Dice: d8
Class Skills: The bear master gets Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Jump, Knowledge (Nature), Listen, Spot, Survival and Swim as class skills.
Skill Points: 4+Int Mod (x4 at first level)

{table]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special
1 | +0 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Fight Like a Bear
2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Bear Fur +1
3 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Summon Bears I, Bear Hug
4 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Bear Companion
5 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Bite Like a Bear, Augment Summoning
6 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Wild Shape (Black) 1/day, Bear Fur +2
7 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Summon Bears II, Power of the Bear
8 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Wild Shape 2/day
9 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Rip Like a Bear, Wild Shape (Brown)
10 | +7 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Bear Fur +3, Wild Shape 3/day
11 | +8 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Summon Bears III
12 | +9 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Second Bear Companion, Wild Shape 4/day
13 | +9 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Wild Shape (Polar)
14 | +10 | +9 | +9 | +4 | Bear Fur +4, Wild Shape 5/day
15 | +11 | +9 | +9 | +5 | Summon Bears IV
16 | +12 | +10 | +10 | +5 |Wild Shape (Dire), Wild Shape 6/day
17 | +12 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Rend Like a Bear
18 | +13 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Bear Fur +5, Fight Like a Sleuth
19 | +14 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Summon Bears V
20 | +15 | +12 | +12 | +6 | Bear Form, Rage Like a Bear, Third Bear Companion[/table]

Class Features: The following are the class features for the bear master.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The bear master is not proficient with any manufactured weapons, though he gains proficiency with any natural weapon he wields. A bear master may wear padded, leather, and hide armor. Failing to adhere to this code results in a loss of his bears.

Fight Like a Bear: At first level, a bear master grows a pair of claws with which he gains automatic proficiency. They are his primary natural weapons. He may attack with both claws at his full attack bonus during a full round action, but does not receive iterative attacks with them for a high BAB as with a manufactured weapon. His claws deal 1d4 damage plus his full Strength modifier for a Medium sized bear warrior.

Bear Fur: A bear master's transformation starts with the obvious. The bear master sprouts thick fur that grants him a natural armor bonus. This is an actual armor bonus, not an enhancement, so it does not stack with his current natural armor bonus, if he has one. The bonus starts at +1, and improves by 1 for every four levels in bear master he gains, to a maximum of +5 at 18th level. If the bear master alternates form, through a spell or supernatural effect, this class feature carries over and becomes an enhancement bonus to his new form's natural armor (even if it is a bear). The new form looks shaggy and has hair or fur growing everywhere.

Summon Bears: The bear master gains the ability to call on bears to aid him in battle. Once per encounter, a 3rd level bear master may use a full-round action to cast Summon Nature's Ally II, as if the bear master were a druid of his class level. He may only use this ability to summon a black bear.

As the bear master's level increases, so does his proficiency with this ability.

At 7th level, the bear master may use this ability to call a brown bear instead of a black bear. If he chooses to call a black bear, he instead calls 1d3 black bears as a standard action.

At 11th level, the bear master may use this ability to call a polar bear instead of a black or brown bear. If he chooses to call a brown bear, he may instead call 1d3 brown bears as a standard action. If he chooses to call a black bear, he may instead call 1d4+1 black bears as a swift action.

At 15th level, the bear master may use this ability to call dire bears instead of polar, black or brown bears. If he chooses to call a polar bear instead, he may call 1d3 polar bears as a standard action. If he chooses to call a brown bear, he instead calls 1d4+1 brown bears as a swift action. If he chooses to call a black bear, he instead calls 6 black bears with maximized HP and a +4 bonus to their Strength and Constitution scores as an immediate action.

At 19th level, the bear master calls 1d3 dire bears as a standard action with this ability, or 1d4+1 polar bears as a swift action, or 6 brown bears with maximized HP a +4 bonus to their Strength and Constitution scores as an immediate action, or 10 black bears with maximized HP, a +4 bonus to their Strength and Constitution scores, and the Improved Natural Attack (Claw), Improved Grapple, and Combat Reflexes feats as bonus feats as a free action.

The bonuses to Str and Con stack with the bonuses from the Augment Summoning Feat.

Every time the bear master's summoning improves, he gets an additional use of Summon Bears per encounter. He must wait 1d4 rounds between uses.

Bear Hug: At 3rd level, the bear master gains the Improved Grapple feat as a bonus feat. He need not meet the prerequisites.

Bear Companion: At 4th level, the bear master gains a black bear as a companion to follow him around. Treat the bear master as a druid whose effective druid level is his bear master level -3. The black bear gains bonus HD, Str/Dex, etc, as usual for a druid. The bear master may switch the black bear with any other bear on the list, providing his class level is high enough to take the penalty. (At level 7, he could get a brown bear, for instance)

At level 12, the bear master gets another bear to travel around with him. It may be a brown bear or a black bear, and your druid level is treated as your bear master level -11. (You still qualify for the brown bear, but not any other type of bear.)

At level 20, you gain a third bear, which is a dire bear. Your druid level is treated as your bear master level -19.

All of a bear master's bear companions gain the Warbeast template (MM2).

Bite Like a Bear: At 5th level, the bear master's fangs grow longer, like a bear's and he may use them to attack his opponents. The bear master gains a bite attack as a secondary natural weapon, dealing 1d6 damage plus half his Strength modifier for a Medium sized bear master.

Augment Summoning: A 5th level bear master gains Augment Summoning as a bonus feat. He need not meet the prerequisites. It only applies to bears he summons with his Summon Bears class feature.

Wild Shape: As the druid class feature, but you may only use it to assume the form of a black bear.

At 9th level the bear master may assume the form of a brown bear with his wild shape. At 13th level he may assume the form of a polar bear. At 16th level, he may assume the form of a dire bear.

While a bear master is wild shaped, his natural weapons deal damage as if they were one size category larger. This stacks with Rip Like a Bear.

Power of the Bear: At 7th level, a bear master gains the ability to cast Animal Growth as a spell-like ability, as a standard action once per encounter. He may only affect bears with this ability. Every time he gains an additional use per encounter of his Summon Bears ability, he gains an additional use per encounter of his Power of the Bear ability.

Rip Like a Bear: At 9th level the bear master gains the Improved Grab ability, and may use it in his natural form or any form he assumes with his wild shape class feature. His natural weapons (in all forms) also deal damage as if they were one size category larger. (This does not stack with the Improved Natural Attack feat or any other effect that improves damage, but does stack with actual changes in size)

Rend Like a Bear: At 17th level the bear master gains the Improved Multiattack feat if he doesn't already have it. He need not meet the prerequisites. If he already has the Improved Multiattack feat, he instead gains the Rapidstrike feat (Draconomicon) as a bonus feat. He need not meet the prerequisites. This class feature does not allow the bear master to later qualify for the Improved Rapidstrike feat.

Fight Like a Sleuth: At 18th level, the Bear Master is so in touch with the bearness in all things that once per day, he can bring forth the bear spirit in each of his companions. As a swift action, he can begin a bear patrol. All allies within 100 feet who can see and hear the bear master transform into dire bears, as if they had the wild shape class feature (allies who have fewer HD than a dire bear transform into polar bears, and if they have fewer than that they transform into brown, etc. Allies within 100 ft who have less HD than a black bear are not affected). If they do not wish to be a bear, they may make a Will saving throw to negate the effect (DC 10 + one-half the bear master's class level + the bear master's Constitution modifier) The bear patrol continues until the end of the encounter. All allies who turn into bears gain the benefits of the Natural Spell feat for the duration of the effect, ignoring the prerequisites.

Bear Form: A 20th level bear master is more bear than master at this point. He may now wild shape at will, and may stay in his bear form indefinitely. In all of his wild shaped forms, he enjoys the benefits of the spell Bite of the Werebear (Spell Compendium), and his type may either be animal or whatever it actually is, whichever is more beneficial to him. For example, if someone cast Enlarge Person on the bear master, it would work (assuming the bear master's original race is humanoid). But if the caster were to cast Charm Person on the bear master, he may choose to ignore the effect because he is an animal as well. If the bear master wished, he may receive the Animal Growth spell, because his type is animal, however, he may also ignore the Dominate Animal spell, etc etc.

Additionally, the bear master may now wildshape into any bear with the Legendary Animal template applied to it.

Rage Like a Bear: The bear master is only humanoid now because he chooses to be. When he wants to, he can turn into a powerful animal that runs solely on instinct. He and every bear he summons and all of his bear companions gain the Greater Rage class feature as a barbarian of 11th level.

[Seerow]

This class may be more bear than my body has room for.

Possible things to consider adding:

-The ability to buff bears earlier. Not just rage, but things like size increase or enhanced natural attacks (which the druid gets around level 9 or so). Consider some limited buffing ability that covers these sorts of things, and maybe give some benefits like augment summoning and such for free.
-The ability to summon stuff faster. Maybe each time you step down a notch in the type of bear you summon, you can lower the casting time one step (ie when you can summon dire bears, summoning a polar bear is only a standard action, a brown bear as a move action, or black bears as a swift action)
-Able to summon bears more than once an encounter. A Druid can summon bears with every action for at least 2 encounters if he wants. Do we want a druid to be better at chucking bears than a bear master? hell no.

[NeoSeraphi]

This class may be more bear than my body has room for.

Possible things to consider adding:

-The ability to buff bears earlier. Not just rage, but things like size increase or enhanced natural attacks (which the druid gets around level 9 or so). Consider some limited buffing ability that covers these sorts of things, and maybe give some benefits like augment summoning and such for free.
-The ability to summon stuff faster. Maybe each time you step down a notch in the type of bear you summon, you can lower the casting time one step (ie when you can summon dire bears, summoning a polar bear is only a standard action, a brown bear as a move action, or black bears as a swift action)
-Able to summon bears more than once an encounter. A Druid can summon bears with every action for at least 2 encounters if he wants. Do we want a druid to be better at chucking bears than a bear master? hell no.

I did give Augment Summoning for free. +4 Str/Con and max HP/HD instead of just +2 hp /HD (Admittedly, only to the black and brown bears but...)

You're right. Okay then. What do you think about the three bear companions, btw?

[NeoSeraphi]

Added increase per encounter uses of Summon Bears, as well as a free Augment Summoning feat and lessened the casting time. Also added in Animal Growth as a spell-like ability. Any other suggestions? (I actually want this to be around tier 2 or 3 and playable, because I want to play it!)

[wiimanclassic]

Added increase per encounter uses of Summon Bears, as well as a free Augment Summoning feat and lessened the casting time. Also added in Animal Growth as a spell-like ability. Any other suggestions? (I actually want this to be around tier 2 or 3 and playable, because I want to play it!)

Wielding a bear as a club?

[NeoSeraphi]

Wielding a bear as a club?

The bear master is too busy fighting as a bear to wield a bear. He only stops for a few seconds to swing his paw and make more bears, but bears can't wield weapons (unless they're machine guns). So no, bear clubs don't work. Besides, the only reason the bears don't attack YOU is because you keep them happy. Swinging a bear will not keep them happy.

[Seerow]

Cool stuff.

Couple more suggestions, a bit more out there, but still fitting the theme:

1) The 3 animal companions each get the war-trained template for free. Your bears are badass bears meant for war. (btw to answer your question, I do like the 1 animal companion of each type. It's a nice touch)

2) Several of your class features focus on giving natural attacks that become pretty much useless at level 9 when you get wildshape. Perhaps have those features also increase your damage die with those weapons while in bear form? (ie you are wild shaped into a black bear at level 9, but you have fight like a bear, bite like a bear, and Bear Fur. Because of this your claws deal 1d6 instead of 1d4 with your claws, 1d8 instead of 1d6 with your bite, and have +2 natural armor). This may or may not stack with rip like a bear.

3) The capstone bearform could let you turn into a legendary bear, rather than just a plain old dire bear like your companion. Makes a epic level bear warrior really ****ing epic, cause the legendary template is pretty amazing.

4) I was kind of expecting rend like a bear to grant a rend attack. I know that bears don't actually rend, but it might be something worth considering.


5) If you want to get really funky, add in some bear cavalry shenanigans. You should be a bear riding a bear (or have a bear riding you if you're simply the bigger bear I guess). Just for hilarity.

[NeoSeraphi]

Cool stuff.

Couple more suggestions, a bit more out there, but still fitting the theme:

1) The 3 animal companions each get the war-trained template for free. Your bears are badass bears meant for war. (btw to answer your question, I do like the 1 animal companion of each type. It's a nice touch)

2) Several of your class features focus on giving natural attacks that become pretty much useless at level 9 when you get wildshape. Perhaps have those features also increase your damage die with those weapons while in bear form? (ie you are wild shaped into a black bear at level 9, but you have fight like a bear, bite like a bear, and Bear Fur. Because of this your claws deal 1d6 instead of 1d4 with your claws, 1d8 instead of 1d6 with your bite, and have +2 natural armor). This may or may not stack with rip like a bear.

3) The capstone bearform could let you turn into a legendary bear, rather than just a plain old dire bear like your companion. Makes a epic level bear warrior really ****ing epic, cause the legendary template is pretty amazing.

4) I was kind of expecting rend like a bear to grant a rend attack. I know that bears don't actually rend, but it might be something worth considering.


5) If you want to get really funky, add in some bear cavalry shenanigans. You should be a bear riding a bear (or have a bear riding you if you're simply the bigger bear I guess). Just for hilarity.

Okay, improved natural attacks, got it.

And yeah, Rend like a bear doesn't work like that. The bear warrior does get Improved Grab though.

I shall fix bear form now to give the Legendary bear template, and give all my companions the Warbeast template as well. Great suggestions!

[SPoD]

Breath weapon.

He must breathe bears at his enemies!

Reflex save for half bear damage. Not to be confused with half-bear damage, which is the damage that a half-bear does to you.

[NeoSeraphi]

Breath weapon.

He must breathe bears at his enemies!

Reflex save for half bear damage. Not to be confused with half-bear damage, which is the damage that a half-bear does to you.

LOL! Come on, SPoD, as awesome as that is, save it for the other thread, this is supposed to be SERIOUS (if not epic) homebrew!

[SPoD]

Level 18 looks a little light to me, so...

Look at All the ****ing Bears, Man! (Ex): At 18th level, the Bear Master is so in touch with the bearness in all things that once per day, he can bring forth the bear spirit in each of his companions. As a swift action, he can begin a bear patrol. All allies within, oh, let's say 100 feet who can see and hear the bear master transform into dire bears, as if they had the wild shape class feature. If they do not wish to be a bear, they may make a Will saving throw to negate the effect (DC 10 + one-half the bear master's class level + the bear master's Con, plus 5 because who doesn't want to be a bear? What the hell is wrong with you?) The bear patrol continues until the end of the encounter.

[NeoSeraphi]

Level 18 looks a little light to me, so...

Look at All the ****ing Bears, Man! (Ex): At 18th level, the Bear Master is so in touch with the bearness in all things that once per day, he can bring forth the bear spirit in each of his companions. As a swift action, he can begin a bear patrol. All allies within, oh, let's say 100 feet who can see and hear the bear master transform into dire bears, as if they had the wild shape class feature. If they do not wish to be a bear, they may make a Will saving throw to negate the effect (DC 10 + one-half the bear master's class level + the bear master's Con, plus 5 because who doesn't want to be a bear? What the hell is wrong with you?) The bear patrol continues until the end of the encounter.

I can't believe I'm seriously considering this. You sir, are a bad influence. I dunno, Seerow, what do you think?

Edit: Alright screw it. This is tier 3 darnit, I can use a polymorph effect on my allies at level 18 if I want to.

[SPoD]

I'm a ma'am, thank you very much.

[NeoSeraphi]

I'm a ma'am, thank you very much.

O-oh! My apologies! I didn't mean to...geez why do they have to make those gender indicators so small?

Anyway, updated, changed the name to Fight Like a Herd and put it in at 18th level, changed the intro to credit both SPoD and Seerow for their assistance. What does everyone think of the finished product?

[SPoD]

Well, I think the rewrite lacks that certain je ne sais quoi of my version, but it looks good nonetheless.

[NeoSeraphi]

Well, your version is still up a few posts down from the OP for all who read this thread to see.

[Cipher Stars]

Needs more guns...

[Realms of Chaos]

This class may be more bear than my body has room for.

So... I guess you could say *puts on sunglasses* that it's more than you can bear.
Yeeeaaaaaahhh...

please don't hurt me...

[Seerow]

So... I guess you could say *puts on sunglasses* that it's more than you can bear.
Yeeeaaaaaahhh...

please don't hurt me...

I can't bear these puns.

[NeoSeraphi]

I can't bear these puns.

I know what you mean. These puns are unbearable. My sense of humor is stretched thin and laid bear. Maybe I should get some illithid grafts, because these puns are driving me madder than an Abbearration.

[Debihuman]

Fight Like a Herd is badly named. Bears aren't herd animals. A group of bears is called a sloth or a sleuth.

Debby

[NeoSeraphi]

Oh alright. Changed. Thank you

[TechnOkami]

Puns aside though, I have 2 things which nag at me about this class.

1) Specifically, here,

The bear master is now completely in control of his bear instincts.

2.) and here.

He and every bear he summons and all of his bear companions gain the Greater Rage class feature as a barbarian of 11th level.

The first one is pure wording. I don't think that his control of bear instincts would let him rage. Something along the lines of, "The Bear Master is now able to unleash all the prowess of his bear instincts." would work better IMO.

The second one is actually not a bad idea, but just a little random to me. Suddenly rage at the end of class? I think it would be better if there were gradual increments of rage throughout the whole class to make this make a little more sense.

Bear in mind though, this is your base class, not mine. Do as you will.

[Doorhandle]

You should look at the "wizards could do worse" thread.

fecktonnes of unbearable goodness in those.

[wiimanclassic]

You should look at the "wizards could do worse" thread.

fecktonnes of unbearable goodness in those.

That is what inspired him to make this.

[Veklim]

Super sweet ursine action!

Loving the bears, bears, and more bears. (Surprised you didn't reference Ursa Major/Minor somewhere in there though...)

[NeoSeraphi]

Super sweet ursine action!

Loving the bears, bears, and more bears. (Surprised you didn't reference Ursa Major/Minor somewhere in there though...)

Well, for naming my main concern was changing SPoD's Look at all the ****ing Bears, Man! to something more suitable. Though it would definitely make sense.

[NeoSeraphi]

Puns aside though, I have 2 things which nag at me about this class.

1) Specifically, here,



2.) and here.



The first one is pure wording. I don't think that his control of bear instincts would let him rage. Something along the lines of, "The Bear Master is now able to unleash all the prowess of his bear instincts." would work better IMO.

The second one is actually not a bad idea, but just a little random to me. Suddenly rage at the end of class? I think it would be better if there were gradual increments of rage throughout the whole class to make this make a little more sense.

Bear in mind though, this is your base class, not mine. Do as you will.

It's to encourage the class to be taken all 20 levels. As far as capstones go, sudden Greater Rage, Legendary Bear form and a 3rd animal companion sounds like a much better reason to stay in for all 20 levels than Mighty Rage, Perfect Self or an 11th bonus feat. (Yes Fighter 20 is awful. We all know)

Changed the wording on Rage Like a Bear though.

[NeoSeraphi]

I'm thinking that maybe I should put in rage a little earlier so that the bear master can qualify for the bear warrior PrC from Complete Warrior if he wants. Any opinions on that?