Curse of the werebear

You have been afflicted with the primal curse of the werebear—an ancient lycanthropy tied not to savagery, but to strength, resilience, and a fierce, protective spirit. While many lycanthropes lose themselves to the beast, the werebear walks the line between guardian and predator.

Curse Effects

This curse cannot be removed by Greater Restoration alone. It requires Remove Curse, Wish, or a specific ritual determined by the DM.

Transformation

No Control

When you first contract the curse of the werebear, you have no control over your transformations. Instead you only transform under three conditions:

• You transform during the full moon, adopting all the features and traits of a werebear. You maintain your own Stats and AC.
• You transform when you have Half or less remaining HP.
• When you become surprised, your werebear awakens attacking indiscriminately for one hour or until you fall unconscious.

Gaining Control

You can gain control on one of three ways

• You conduct a ritual to commune with the beast within and create a permanent bond between you and the curse. The method can be through dialogue, combat, or merging your magic with the curse.
• Drinking the blood of another werebear you have bested in battle.
• Succeeding 10 successive CON saving throws of a DC 17 during transformations when you have lost control.  

Full Control

You can use a bonus action to transform into a Hybrid Bear Form or revert to your humanoid form.

• You can transform once per long rest.
• Transformation lasts for 1 hour, or until you drop to 0 HP.
• At higher levels (optional scaling), this improves (see Scaling below).

Scaling

Level 5

• Transformation uses: 2 per long rest
• Natural weapons count as magical

Level 11

• Gain +1 AC while transformed
• Temporary HP becomes 3 × level

Level 17

• Resistance becomes immunity to non-silvered weapons
• You can transform at will, but must still manage the curse drawback

Curse Drawback: Guardian’s Instinct

The werebear is not mindless—but it is territorial.

• When you take damage in combat, make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 12)
• On a failure, you must:
  • Attack the nearest hostile creature, OR
  • Defend an ally you perceive as threatened (DM decides if unclear)

This represents your instincts overriding strategy.