Homebrew Armoured Bear Species Details

Bears are very difficult to deceive.

Panserbjørne are generally solitary creatures, but have a loose society centred on Svalbard. They are governed by a king

Some bears occasionally hire themselves out to humans as mercenaries or labourers, but only in the Arctic regions, and it is implied that bears who do this may be shamed in some way. Lands further to the south have little contact with the bears, though their existence is widely known.

Becoming an outcast is the worst shame to a bear. The outcast is forced to leave his home and if he approaches Svalbard again, he will be shot down from afar with fire hurlers. Bears consider death by fire hurler to be dishonourable. The outcast may not participate in a legal duel, and any other bear may kill him without punishment or censure.

Duels are ceremonial occasions to bears, and they do not usually end in death. When a bear knows he will be defeated, he is obliged to signal his submission to the victor. On rare occasions, however, an issue may be so important that there is no other option than to kill one's rival. 

Armour is extremely important to the panserbjørne; they consider it the equivalent of a dæmon or soul, albeit one that they consciously make for themselves.

A bear fashions his own armour using 'sky-iron', a rare metal collected from meteorites which the bears discover on, or buried in, the ice.

A bear's primary weapons are his immense strength, savage jaws, and razor-sharp claws. He uses these in close combat or when fighting duels with other bears. However, bears use fire hurlers, which are a combination of flame throwers and catapults, against human enemies and outcasts.

Armoured Bear Traits

The Armoured Bears are incredibly skilled at metallurgy and even the worst smiths among them are leagues ahead of human black smiths.

Metallurgy

If supplied with a blacksmiths kit, materials (as decided by dungeon master) and knowledge of an item a bear can build it. Bears cannot imbue or make magical items unless they require no magical knowledge

Claws and Teeth

Bears can use their natural teeth and claws in combat, known for being as tough as, if not tougher than some human steels. As a bear grows, their claws grow with them.

Blubber

Bears are large and have alot of blubber and muscle