Homebrew Bearfolk Species Details

Protective Nature

Bearfolk have strong parental instincts and are willing to fight to protect their clans and families. To a bearfolk blood is thicker than water, and few situations would result in a bearfolk abandoning their clan and joining a life of adventure. Powerful and protective they tend to be wary of outsiders but make very loyal allies, though they rarely side with large kingdoms or armies due to their disinterest in politics. As strong in heart as in muscle, bearfolk have a strong natural parental instinct. In their families, both parents are expected to provide and care for their children (known as 'cubs') as best they can.

Uncertain Origin

While bearfolk have only been around for a few generations their origin is surrounded by mystery. Most believe that they are the result of malevolent druidic rituals; The bearfolk, it is said, upon achieving true sentience did not obey, killed their masters, and escaped. In bearfolk families gathered around campfires, they tell scary tales of evil druid pacts and monsters that will come to take children who do not perform simple chores or behave, though no bearfolk truly knows where they came from. Other theories of bearfolk origins are less credible, such as their role as native guardians in the Feywilds escaped to the Material Plane after a war, or that they owe their creation to a pact made by an army of great warriors, given the bodies and strength of bears to dominate their enemies. Intelligent or scholarly bearfolk often wish to discover this detail.

Blood Ties

A traditional bearfolk tribe consists of one alpha male, the strongest, as a leader with several females. Young bearfolk who wish to become alpha must battle in honorable unarmed combat to claim the throne - otherwise, the youth of the clan usually show great respect to their elders. Bearfolk clans tend to have tough, intimidating names like First Tooth, Furious Swipes, and Bloody Roar, and often use simple symbols that they scratch into tree trunks to designate their territory. Veteran travelers who recognize these symbols when traveling know to deviate their course to avoid getting attacked by aggressive tribes. Most often, a bearfolk leaves as a result of disgracing their family in battle or breaking code, though many bearfolk found in cities credit their abandonment to a family massacre, being lost, forest fires, or other causes that physically ejected them from their home. Bearfolk away from their homes are often drawn to a life of adventure as a result of their instinct and origin in the wilds.

Tradition and Honor

Traditionally, bearfolk tend not to be religious creatures, though all owe faith to Grizzus, their patron god of Bears. While clans differ vastly in beliefs and ideals, all owe allegiance to Grizzus and his ideals of clan law and leadership. Tribes and families of bearfolk are often found fighting and feuding, although complex politics and many of the concepts of ownership, such as money, are unfamiliar customs to them. Grizzus, who bearfolk believes watches and guides them through play and battle, often contacts Elders or shaman within tribes as well as particularly righteous or powerful warriors. They claim to have seen visions of their god in their sleep designating them a specific task, and it is not uncommon for a member of the tribe to leave in pursuit of this mission, which is a sign of honor.

Bearfolk Names

Bearfolk names are derived from their grizzly origin and therefore have strong sounds and syllables. Young bearfolk also usually have a pet name that they are known as throughout their tribe, and are often referred to as such affectionately by their elders and spouses even as they reach adulthood. Others who refer to them in this way are sure to raise a bearfolk's ire.

Childhood Nicknames: Butterball, Cub. Flatear, Fuzzy, Prickles, Roughnose, Scruffy, Southpaw, Tiny

Male Names: Argus, Brutin, Dale, Duggar, Gorf, Kidas, Mars, Orwin Pantg, Slark, Tusk, Zalk

Female Names: Alici, Brin, Connie, Flore, Mazie, Namina, Varen, Vixen, Tribbi, Willow

Clan Names: Bloody Roar, Cut Masters, Dust Burners, Final Bark, First Tooth, Furious Swipes, Proud Claw, Sharp Paw, Tough Hide, Warrior Clan, Wild Boar, Yellow Fur

 

Bearfolk Traits

Here are the racial traits

Keen Smell

Because of your keen sense of smell you gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

 

Bearfolk Weapon Training.

You have had to defend your home from invaders and hunters. You have proficiency with the battleax, handaxe, great ax, great club, and Warhammer.

Claws

Your mighty arms are packed with sharp claws. When you make an unarmed strike with your claws and hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 2d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal bludgeoning damage for an unarmed strike.

Ancestral Summon

Every bearfolk is given a few bones of their ancestors to aid them in life and to pass them on to their next of kin. As an action, you can throw the bones of your ancestors onto the ground in an unoccupied space within 10 feet, causing the bones to clatter and rise into the air, forming a misty, spiritual version of one of your ancestors. The ancestor lasts for 1 hour, until they are reduced to 0 hit points, or until you dismiss them as a bonus action. If the bones used to summon your ancestors are ever lost or broken, you must travel back to where your ancestors lay and beg for their bones to be shared. 

Your ancestor is friendly to you and your companions. Roll initiative for your ancestor, which has its own turn. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don't issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions. 

The DM has the ancestor’s statistics.

You may give your ancestor weapons and armor that you are proficient in for it to wield and wear; however it can’t activate magical items.

 

Ability score increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2.

 

Languages

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common, Sylvan, and Bearic. Bearic is a primitive language of growls and barks most often used to quickly convey details while hunting and to intimidate. It was no written form and is only spoken by bears and bearfolk.