Ursinians

The great ursinians live in the deep wilderness. At first glance, they look a lot like bears, but there are differences. For example, they have smaller paws with opposable thumbs, and unlike their wild forebears, they do not hibernate in winter. They rarely bother themselves with the affairs of other civilized races, but are fiercely protective of their own villages and homeland.

Most ursinians are good-natured, once you get through their distrust of outsiders. They enjoy the small things in life, such as catching the first salmon of the season, or stumbling upon a fresh patch of blueberries in autumn. They are generally slow to anger, but should someone wake their inner bear, their rage is scathing to behold. A good ursinian loves to tell stories, and to listen to others tell theirs. Ursine scribes take down these stories, and almost all cubs are taught to read. Some set their stories to music, and dance the summer nights away in clearings and on beaches.

Most ursinians are simple farmers or foragers, but some take up a craft or become a village guard. Some ursinians, especially those of Pandakin or Owlbearkin heritage, show aptitude for the druidic arts. Others devote themselves to a deity, and are granted divine magic. Arcane magic users are rare but not unheard of, most commonly in those of a bardic persuasion. Ursinians who specialize in martial combat usually wield heavy weapons, including boltcasters, massive crossbows that pack a real punch.

Ursinian names are gender-neutral and usually nature-derived. It is common that they use a shorter version as a nickname.

Ursinian Names

(Example nicknames in parenthesis): Applemuncher (Apples), Longpaw, Blueberry (Blue), Browntail (Tails), Moss, Bamboo, Sugarplum (Plum), River, Fjord, Fern, Lotusflower (Tussie), Goldfoil, Geranium (Gerry).

Ursinian Traits

All ursinians have some physical characteristics in common, and some characteristics from their subrace.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age

Ursinians mature at around 10, and have lifespans similar to humans.

Alignment

Most ursinians tend to be good, as their small, tight-knit communities promote working together and caring for others.

Size

Ursinians range from about 6 feet to about 8 feet in height. They tend to be quite stocky and round, with an average weight of between 200 and 600 pounds depending on sub-species. Females are slightly smaller than males on average. Your size is medium.

Languages

You can speak, read and write Common and Sylvan.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Powerful Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Clawed Paws

The sharp claws on your front paws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you can deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal bludgeoning damage for an unarmed strike.

Natural Foragers

You gain proficiency in the Survival skill.

Arctic Ursinians

These white-furred ursinians hail from the far northern realms, where the snow never melts and ice floes fill the sea. These ursinians are the largest of their kind, and usually spend their days wandering the tundra alone.

Polar Wanderers

You have resistance to cold damage. You are unaffected by cold climates.

Amphibious Living

You gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed and you can hold your breath for 15 minutes.

Savage Attacker

When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Forest Ursinian

These brown ursinians usually live in temperate forests, where they form small groups.

Hardy Belly

You have resistance to poison damage, and advantage on any saving throws against being poisoned.

Keen Smell

You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made using your sense of smell.

Bristly Fur

Your thick fur protects you from stikes and blows. When not wearing armor, your AC is 12 + your Dexterity modifier.

Pandakin

White with black sections, these ursinians come from far away lands. They tend to be wise and considerate.

Calm and Collected

You have advantage on saving throws against getting Charmed and Frightened.

Sylvan Magic

You know the Druidcraft cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Faerie Fire spell once per long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast Calm Emotions once per long rest. You can also use any spell slots you have to cast these spells, and you choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for these spells when you choose this race.

Owlbearkin

The owlbearkin ursinians are related to the owlbears that inhabit forests and caves.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Owlbear Heritage

You gain proficiency in your choice of Perception or Stealth. In addition, your fey origins gives you advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.