Ursaren (9 RP)

For ages, the ursaren have lived peacefully without the need to interact with other races. Very few who even travel through the forests, tundras, and mountains where ursaren live ever realize the race is there, let alone talk to or trade with them.

Physical Description: Most ursaren are covered in shaggy fur befitting the region in which they grew up. Browns, blacks, and whites are as likely as a blend of colors. Some ursaren are naturally shorter than others, though none are ever really considered small. They have short muzzles, large eyes, and round ears atop their heads. Ursaren helmets are sometimes made with holes in the top so their ears can stick out.

Society: Ursaren live in village-sized communities on the outskirts of dangerous regions. They are a shamanistic race, believing in nature and life over gold and war.

Relations: Because they lack knowledge of the other races, ursaren have an open mind when it comes to meeting new people of any background. Those who adventure are often curious how other races solved some problem that took the ursaren people generations to work out, or wish to try their luck at games of strength and chance.

Alignment and Religion: Ursaren are usually good, but their ethical alignment differs from person to person. They worship nature and practice shamanism.

Adventurers: When pushed to battle, ursaren take on a countenance much like the bears who acted as precursor to their race. They are fierce combatants, with specialized armor made to fit comfortably over their fur without tearing or itching. Despite the natural claws they are born with, most use manufactured weapons in when forced to battle as barbarians, fighters, or rangers. Others tap into the mystical gifts they were blessed with as clerics, paladins, occultists or truenamers to strike down enemies and bolster themselves or their allies.

Male Names: Irah, Kopur, Roke, Sabin, Sorin

Female Names: Asta, Else, Frida, Jenny, Ulla

Random Starting Ages
Adulthood Intuitive1 Self-Taught2 Trained3
39 years +2d6 years
(41 – 51 years)
+3d6 years
(42 – 57 years)
+5d6 years
(44 – 69 years)

1 This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, trainers, and witches.
3 This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

Random Height and Weight
Gender Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Male 5 ft. 8 in. +2d12 in. 239 lbs. +(2d12×7 lbs.)
Female 5 ft. 3 in. +2d12 in. 209 lbs. +(2d12×7 lbs.)

Standard Racial Traits

Usaren usually have the following racial traits.

  • Ability Score Modifiers: Ursaren are a race of strong, spiritual warriors, but their homeland is secluded from the trappings of society. They gain +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.
  • Type: Usaren are humanoids with the ursaren subtype.
  • Size: Usaren are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Base Speed: Usaren have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Languages: Usaren begin play speaking Common and Ursoc. Ursaren with high Intelligence scores can choose Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Gnomish, or Orc.

Feats and Skills Racial Traits

  • Keen Senses: Usaren receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
  • Natural Athlete: Usaren An ursaren gains a +2 racial bonus to Climb and Swim and always treats those skills as class skills.

Magical Racial Traits

  • Mysticism: An ursaren with spellcasting levels gains a bonus to caster level checks made to concentrate or counterspell equal to his Wisdom bonus (if any).

Senses Racial Traits

  • Low-Light Vision: Usaren can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Alternate Racial Traits

Usaren can select the following racial traits.

  • Cornered Fury: Whenever an ursaren is reduced to half its hit points or fewer and has no conscious ally within 30 feet, it gains a +2 racial bonus on melee attack rolls and to Armor Class. This racial trait replaces mysticism.
  • Natural Gladiator: Some ursaren villages have a longstanding tradition of gladiatorial combat. These ursaren gain a +1 natural armor bonus and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against foes who flank them. This racial trait replaces natural athlete.
  • Sharpened Claws: Primitive ursaren still use their claws to fight. They gain 2 natural claw attacks, which deal 1d4 points of damage. An ursaren can make two claw attacks at its highest attack bonus as a full-attack action, but all of its attack rolls during that round suffer a -2 penalty. This racial trait replaces mysticism.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all usaren characters who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

  • Barbarian: Add +1/3 to the bonus from the superstition rage power.
  • Cleric: Add +1/2 to the cleric’s channeled energy total when healing creatures of the animal, fey, and plant types.
  • Fighter: Increase the fighter’s natural bonus granted by the natural gladiator racial trait by +1/2 (max +5).
  • Monk: Increase the monk’s dodge bonus granted by the natural gladiator racial trait by +1/2 (max +5).
  • Occultist: Add a +1/3 bonus on any skill check attempted as a part of an occult ritual.
  • Oracle: Add +1/6 to the oracle’s level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation.
  • Ranger: Choose a weapon from the following list: claws, kukri, longbow, longsword, short spear, or shortbow. Add +1/2 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using that weapon (maximum bonus of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
  • Truenamer: Add a +1/2 bonus to Diplomacy or Intimidate.
  • Witch: Add +1/4 natural armor bonus to the AC of the witch’s familiar.

Racial Archetype

The following racial archetype is available to usaren:

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to an usaren character who meets the prerequisites.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

The Book of Many Things, © 2018,Samurai Sheepdog; author Kevin Glusing.

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