Bears

Bandit Lieutenant

Humanoid
Count	1
Motivation	Treasure
Statistics	hp:20+10 per player, ac:14, damage:6
Modifiers	STR/DEX/CON: +4, WIS/INT/CHA: +2
Special Abilities	Two Initiatives
Initiative 01	Shove Attack: Damage + 5 ft Move (DC 15 STR)
Initiative 02	Trip Attack: Damage + Knockdown (DC 15 STR)

Bears are individual enemies that pose a threat to parties. Despite the name, their statblock can reflect a wide range of creatures. A giant serpent, a skilled swordsman, or a flame-spitting demon can fit this role.

General Usage Information

Bears are sturdy enemies that get multiple actions per round. There is generally only one per encounter, sometimes accompanied by a swarm. They are more accurate, deal more damage, and can sustain more damage than swarms.

From the player perspective, bears are targets to focus fire on. These encounters usually bait players into expending “once per short rest” abilities and spell slots.

Running Bears

• Two Initiatives: Bears act twice each round, usually at initiative 15 and 5.

• Two Attacks: Use different attacks for each initiative.

• Tactics Change: Change behavior at half HP. Have them attempt to flee, plead for their life, or use a special ability.

Enhancing Bears

To make a bear stronger, consider adding one of the following:

Defense

• Resistant: Half damage from non-magical weapons.
• Tough: Add +10 HP (~2 hits).
• Magic Resistance: Half damage from fire, cold, acid, and lighting attacks.
• Beefy: Add +4 to physical saves, subtract -2 from mental saves.
• Magical: Add +2 to mental saves.

Offense

• Rider: Add a DC 15 save vs. condition on successful attacks (poison, knockdown, frightened).
• Ranged Option: Gain a ranged attack, such as Fire bolt or a bow.
• Armor Piercing: Gain a special attack that damages player characters when they fail a saving throw (WIS, DEX, etc.)
• Spell: Gain a spell that can be used once per fight.