So I have a request from a couple potential players to join my campaign under the Lionen and Werebear races if I am willing to port them forward from the older editions. I am mostly open to the idea but I know that I don’t want to over power or complicate things. My first thought was for the Lionen, I would simply use the Tabaxi traits but maybe add a slight twist to give them something unique. As for the Werebear, I’m at a bit of a loss. I haven’t owned the older books for years so I greatly appreciate any input from the community here.
There is a lion-person race in Theros, called leonen. That should fit the lionen. As for a werebear. Are you looking at keeping the were features. There’s shifters in eberron, and updated in mordenkainen monsters of the multiverse, which are close to were creatures. Beast hide in particular talks about being bear-inspired.
I second suggestion to use the Leonin race from Theros. For the Werebear, I might consider trying something like this:
Werebear
Creating Your Character
At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.
Ability Score Increases
When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.
Languages
Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.
Creature Type
Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race tells you what your character’s creature type is.
Here’s a list of the game’s creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.
Life Span
The typical life span of a player character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can live longer than a century, that fact is mentioned in the race’s description.
Height and Weight
Player characters, regardless of race, typically fall into the same ranges of height and weight that humans have in our world. If you’d like to determine your character’s height or weight randomly, consult the Random Height and Weight table in the Player’s Handbook, and choose the row in the table that best represents the build you imagine for your character.
Werebear Traits
As a werebear, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type
You are a Humanoid.
Size
You are Medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Bear’s Instincts
Thanks to your inner bear you have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Werebear Shifting
As a bonus action, you can shift into a hybrid bear form. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action. When you shift you gain temporary hit points equal to half your character level (rounded up). You can shift a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Whenever you shift into your hybrid form you gain the following natural weapons:
Bite. You can use your teeth to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Claws. You can use your claws to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Starting at 3rd level, when you shift you can choose to instead shift into the form of a black bear. At 5th level you can instead choose to shift into the form of a brown bear, and at 7th level you can shift into a polar bear, you choose which type of bear you shift into.
When you shift into a bear you use the bear’s size; hit points; AC; Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores; and Keen Senses trait. You use your own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores; and skill and language proficiencies. You loose the ability to speak, and to use your hands to hold or manipulate objects. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn't transformed. When your bear form drops to 0 HP, you revert to your true form.
It’s completely untested, and will likely need some adjustments, but you won’t know what until it’s playtested for a bit.
So I have a request from a couple potential players to join my campaign under the Lionen and Werebear races if I am willing to port them forward from the older editions. I am mostly open to the idea but I know that I don’t want to over power or complicate things.
My first thought was for the Lionen, I would simply use the Tabaxi traits but maybe add a slight twist to give them something unique. As for the Werebear, I’m at a bit of a loss. I haven’t owned the older books for years so I greatly appreciate any input from the community here.
There is a lion-person race in Theros, called leonen. That should fit the lionen. As for a werebear. Are you looking at keeping the were features. There’s shifters in eberron, and updated in mordenkainen monsters of the multiverse, which are close to were creatures. Beast hide in particular talks about being bear-inspired.
I second suggestion to use the Leonin race from Theros. For the Werebear, I might consider trying something like this:
Werebear
Creating Your Character
At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.
Ability Score Increases
When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.
Languages
Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.
Creature Type
Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race tells you what your character’s creature type is.
Here’s a list of the game’s creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.
Life Span
The typical life span of a player character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can live longer than a century, that fact is mentioned in the race’s description.
Height and Weight
Player characters, regardless of race, typically fall into the same ranges of height and weight that humans have in our world. If you’d like to determine your character’s height or weight randomly, consult the Random Height and Weight table in the Player’s Handbook, and choose the row in the table that best represents the build you imagine for your character.
Werebear Traits
As a werebear, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type
You are a Humanoid.
Size
You are Medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Bear’s Instincts
Thanks to your inner bear you have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Werebear Shifting
As a bonus action, you can shift into a hybrid bear form. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action. When you shift you gain temporary hit points equal to half your character level (rounded up). You can shift a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Whenever you shift into your hybrid form you gain the following natural weapons:
Starting at 3rd level, when you shift you can choose to instead shift into the form of a black bear. At 5th level you can instead choose to shift into the form of a brown bear, and at 7th level you can shift into a polar bear, you choose which type of bear you shift into.
When you shift into a bear you use the bear’s size; hit points; AC; Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores; and Keen Senses trait. You use your own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores; and skill and language proficiencies. You loose the ability to speak, and to use your hands to hold or manipulate objects. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn't transformed. When your bear form drops to 0 HP, you revert to your true form.
It’s completely untested, and will likely need some adjustments, but you won’t know what until it’s playtested for a bit.
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