Ursine

The stout and abrupt ursines go by many names, but few of them are insults, for the ursines are both honorable and incredibly strong (and intimidating). Sometimes known as bearfolk or mountain walkers, ursine are bear-like humanoids with a thick coat of fur, clawed paws on their hands and feet, angular ears near the top of the head, and a massive bear’s mouth. Not easily hurt, the ursines are a very honor-driven race, and do not tolerate deep and sincere slights, or outright disrespect—this lasting perception of them is most often perpetuated only by those who are guilty of disrespecting members of this wise and peaceful race.

## Standard Racial Traits

* **Ability Score Racial Traits:** Ursines are strong and perceptive, but not very agile. They gain +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, and -2 Dexterity.
* **Size:** Ursines are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* **Type:** Ursine are humanoids with the ursine subtype.
* **Base Speed:** Ursines have a base speed of 30 feet.
* **Languages:** Ursines begin play speaking Common, and Ronsaur. Ursines with high Intelligence scores can speak Draconic, Dwarven, Elvaan, Lalafellan, Lupin, Orcish, or Sylvan.

### Defense Racial Traits

* **Fearless**: Ursines receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects.
* **Lesser Defensive Training**: Ursines gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against humanoids of the hume subtype out of necessary caution from past generations of being hunted by humes mistaking them for ordinary bears.
* **Solid Form**: Ursines receive a +2 racial bonus to saves vs. polymorph spells or effects, against diseases, and against ingested or inhaled poisons (but not against magical diseases or poisons).
* **Sturdy**: Ursines gain a +2 racial bonus to CMD vs. bull rush, overrun, and trip attempts made against them while standing on the ground.

### Feat and Skill Racial Traits

* **Imposing Figure**: Ursines are intimidating without trying due their bear-like features, and large bodies. They gain a +2 racial bonus to Intimidate checks.
* **Mountaineers**: Ursines are adept climbers, gaining a +2 racial bonus on Climb checks. In addition, they are immune to altitude sickness and do not lose their Dexterity bonus to AC when making Climb checks or Acrobatics checks to cross narrow or slippery surfaces.

### Movement Racial Traits

* **Terrain Stride**: Choose a geomancer favored terrain type. Ursines can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed while within the chosen terrain. Magically altered terrain affects them normally.

### Offense Racial Traits

* **Bear Hug** : Ursines gain a +2 racial bonus to grapple CMB checks.
* **Weapon Familiarity**: Ursines are proficient with the galkan war pick.

### Senses Racial Traits

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

## Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above.

##### Replaces Ability Scores

* **Unyielding Wisdom:** These ursine focus their efforts upon greater survivability over raw force, to the detriment of their own sociability. They gain +2 to their Constitution and Wisdom, while losing -2 to their Charisma. This racial trait alters the ursine’s ability score modifiers.

##### Replaces Defensive Training (Lesser), Imposing Figure

* **Humekin:** Varying populations of ursine have over time adapted to more hume-like forms and statures. Appearing like often-sturdy humes with bear-like ears and tails, their forms lend to more friendly appearances towards other races, gaining a +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy. This racial trait replaces the defense training (lesser) and imposing figure racial traits.

##### Replaces Low-Light Vision

* **Smeller:** The ursine gains the scent racial trait with half the normal range. This racial trait replaces low-light vision.

##### Replaces Solid Form

* **Nature Ties:** Few ursine commit to stronger connections to nature, particularly to their distant, non-sentient kin. They gain a +2 racial bonus to Handle Animal checks made to influence bears, raccoons, and wolverines. This racial trait replaces solid form.

##### Replaces Terrain Stride, Weapon Familiarity

* **Bear's Claws:** Some ursine have stronger and more developed claws than other members of their race, and can use them to make attacks. Ursine with this racial trait have a pair of claws they can use as natural weapons. These claws are primary attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage. This racial trait replaces the terrain stride and weapon familiarity racial traits.
* **War Ties:** You are an expert laborer in wartime. You gain a +2 racial bonus to any one Craft and one Profession skill for a specialty useful during wartime (Crafts such as armor, ships, and leather, and Professions such as cook, medic, and messenger work well, but basket-weaving or jewelry Crafts, and dancer or florist Professions do not); you always treat one of these skills as a class skill (choose one). This racial trait replaces the terrain stride and weapon familiarity racial traits.

##### Replaces Weapon Familiarity

* **Potent Caster:** Ursine spellcasters gain a +1 racial bonus to all caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. This racial trait replaces weapon familiarity.

## Age, Height and Weight

Table: Ursine Starting Ages:

 17

Table: Aging Effects:

 35 years

Table: Height and Weight

 Male
(5 ft. 10 in.–7 ft. 8 in.)
 Female
(5 ft. 8 in.–7 ft. 6 in.)
(157 – 289 lbs.)

## Racial Feats

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

* **Bear Paw (Ursine)**
	+ *Your methods of wielding oversized weapons are powerful and precise.*
	+ **Prerequisite(s):** Str 17, base attack bonus +8, Ursine.
	+ **BENEFIT**: You can use all melee weapons sized for you as if one size category smaller for purposes of determining whether or not you can wield them in one hand and if they are considered light weapons.

## Favored Class Options

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

* **Archer:** Choose one weapon with which you are proficient. Add a +1/2 circumstance bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls with that weapon (maximum bonus of +4; doesn’t stack with the Critical Focus feat).
* **Astrologian:** Add +1/3 times per day for the draw ability.
* **Bard:** Choose one versatile performance. The bard adds a +1/2 bonus to the Perform skill linked to that versatile performance.
* **Blue Mage:** Add +1/4 bonus to damage to the blue mage’s natural attacks.
* **Chemist:** Add +1/4 to the chemist’s damage rolls with thrown weapons.
* **Chocobo Knight:** Add +1 to the chocobo knight’s CMB when making grapple or reposition combat maneuvers against a challenged target.
* **Cleric:** When casting spells of their deific order, add +1/3 to the effective caster level of the spell, but only to determine the spell’s duration.
* **Beastmaster:** Add +1 hit point to the beastmaster’s animal companion. If the druid ever replaces her companion, the new companion gains these bonus hit points.
* **Black Belt:** Add +1 to the black belt’s CMD when she’s resisting a trip or overrun combat maneuver.
* **Black Mage:** Add a +1 bonus on concentration checks made due to taking damage while casting black mage spells.
* **Blue Mage:** Add +1/2 bonus to all monster lore checks.
* **Dark Knight:** Add +1 to the dark knight’s holy element resistance (maximum +10).
* **Dragoon:** Add +1/3 to the dragoon’s attack rolls with spears, lances, and polearms.
* **Fighter:** Add +2 to the fighter’s Constitution score for the purpose of determining when he dies from negative hit points.
* **Freelancer:** Add +1/4 to the number of rounds the freelancer may remain in warrior focus. This has no effect if warrior is not set as the freelancer’s primary focus.
* **Geomancer:** Add +1/4 one spell known from the geomancer spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the geomancer can cast.
* **Gunbreaker:** Add +1/6 of a new gun arm technique.
* **Gunner:** Add +1/4 point to the gunner’s grit points.
* **Holy Knight:** Add +1/4 deflection bonus to AC while in Shield Oath or +1/4 bonus to attack rolls while in Sword Oath.
* **Red Mage:** Add a +1/2 bonus on concentration checks when casting red mage spells defensively.
* **Monk:** Add a +1/6 bonus to the DC of a Stunning Fist attempt.
* **Ninja:** Add +1/3 to damage rolls to the rogue’s sneak attack damage.
* **Samurai:** Add +1/6 to the DC for Bushidos.
* **Summoner:** Add +1/4 to the avatar’s natural armor bonus (maximum +5).
* **Scholar:** Choose one Knowledge skill. The scholar adds a +1/2 bonus on checks to that skill.
* **Sword Saint**: Add +2 to the sword saint’s Constitution score for the purpose of determining when he dies from negative hit points.
* **Thief:** Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using sneak attack (maximum bonus of +5). This does not stack with the Critical Focus feat.
* **White Mage:** Choose one Knowledge skill. The white mage adds a +1/2 bonus on checks to that skill.

This race was designed by sorceressUmbra. Do not repost or copy this content without permission of the creators. All images owned by dleoblack @DeviantArt and their respective owners.