Raesokeran Ursus (5e Race)

Raesokeran Ursus

Physical Description

Image by Dark Natasha.

Among all the anthropomorphic bestial races of Raesokera, Ursus seems to have changed the least physically. The greatest change was in size, either shrinking slightly to better preserve energy or growing larger to fit more into societal norms. Since most already had the capacity for bipedal movement, the only structural changes made bipedal locomotion more comfortable and easy, though all Ursus retained the capacity for quadrupedal movement as well. Their hands are similar to other furred bestial races with non-retractable claws and tough pads on the fingers and palms. Raccoon and red panda hands are more thin with unfurred and unpadded hands developed for greater dexterity. All of these races have thick fur covering their whole bodies with a wide range of colors. Brown bears and black bears have thick fur colored like their name implies. Polar bears have dense white fur. Panda bears have a pattern of white on their torso and head with black on each limb and the face. Wolverines and badgers are varied in color and pattern and so far have no particular set coloration. Raccoons have either gray or light brown fur with a long bushy tail that has a distinct repeating black ring pattern from base to tip. Their faces have a natural black mask over the eyes earning the nickname "masker." Red pandas are similarly patterned but with bright red and maroon colors and a white belly and snout.

History

Bears were among the last to evolve into sentience due to their long hibernations and solo lifestyles. Raccoons and the like, however, had strong ties with rodentus and humanoids. Their talents in stealth and deception grew in power as humanoid resources became scarce. Badgers and wolverines became more reclusive as their intellect and power grew. Few could be convinced to help fight in the war against Shahalla, but those that did were powerful warriors that could fight off a wolf pack or even battle a dragon alone and survive.

Legends tell of one such wolverine called "Bhale the Fierce" who was a mercenary companion to a red fox called "Jaemz the Wise." Jaemz was the only warrior ever to defeat Bhale. Together they sought the answers to the legend of the ancient humans and why they vanished. They managed to find the first underground quarantined descendants of humanity hiding beneath the mountains south of Al Khuhat, and released them from their prison. They traveled South from there, unearthing more of the humanoids as they made their way to the sea. Shortly after they made it to the coast where the final surviving Shahallan humanoids were hidden, Bhale betrayed Jaemz and slaughtered dozens of unsuspecting innocent humans in cold blood before attacking Jaemz directly. Both were mortally wounded in the battle. After his death, Jaemz was chosen to replace of the red fox diety for his courage and wisdom. The true history of the events that transpired are unknown, but all accounts from that time tell of a fierce bearish beast who slaughtered the first of the surviving humans, igniting the Purge of Shahalla.

Society

Most bears live solo or with a small family among other races. Due to their territorial nature, they distrust others of their own kind that aren't directly blood related unless they're seeking a mate. The mother of the house is usually in charge, since the father would likely leave and never return without a stern paw. Despite males' reluctance, both parents are very protective of their young and make sure they learn a valuable and useful skill to contribute to the village or city in which they live. They value tradition and family above all else.

Wolverines and badgers are mainly hermits or wanderers taking odd jobs for supplies or for the pleasure of spilling blood. Wolverines in particular are scarce due to their cruel and vengeful nature which makes mating a brutal affair, often leaving only a single survivor. They're also sought for a high bounty in Shahalla as all wolverines are considered criminals.

Raccoons and red pandas live comfortably within both urban and rural communities with large families. Raccoons still fight prejudice and discrimination from other races. Their history of deception and thievery makes it difficult for a "masker" to earn an honest living. They're often forced into joining less than reputable thieves, assassins, gambling, or smuggling guilds where their talents thrive.

Not much is known about the mysterious pandas and red pandas from Xiange, across the swamps to the east. Despite their similar appearance to raccoons, the red pandas have a more calm and empathetic nature. A few monasteries have been erected in Udraykeland and Grrovia where both the pandas and red pandas most often stay if they don't return to the Southeast. They survive in self-sustained communities, leaving only when absolutely necessary.

At first glance the Ursus language seems simple almost to the level of being unrefined. When spoken, it sounds like a chain of grunts, chittering, and groaning. Those who've never heard it before often mistake it for the sound mindless undead make with some added hisses, clicks, and half-hearted humming. Once one delves beneath the surface into the intricacies of timing and pitch, it starts to become more complex. However, the language is riddled with metaphors, figures of speech, and hidden context making it an ideal written language for passing coded messages that are only understood by the writer and its intended reader. The Ursus language is written in a script of hundreds of symbols, each representing its own word or idea. The language does not contain conjunctions, instead representing these with dots, dashes, or line outs. For example, "I have an apple and an orange, but not a pear" would be represented in basic as "I have 1 apple • 1 orange • pear ."

Ursus Names

Ursus cubs are given a name at birth and a last name for the family. Mated couples decide upon the birth of their first cub which of their family names will be represented in their offspring. For bears, it is almost always the mother's family represented while raccoons will usually play games of strategy giving representation to the Victor. Bears are also given the title of Mother or Father the first time they have cubs as a mark of honor. A bear that dies as an adult without this title or a reward for heroism is burned and forgotten. Almost all wolverines have feminine represented last names since they're only born if the female survives. On the off chance both survive, the male doesn't stay long enough to see the birth and therefore has no input on the name. For non-ursus speakers, their names are translated into the common vocal equivalent.

Male: Ahm, Bnogg, Ehd, Grrsantn, Rrsk, Rossk, Slik, Teneb

Female: Appe, Burnnah, Dawn, Essa, Grrma, Layss, Milly, Nitnrr, Rremma

Ursus Traits

Anthropomorphic bears, Raccoons, Badgers, and wolverines from the continent of Raesokera.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1
Age. Ursus have similar lifespans to those of humans. They mature at age 15 and live upwards of 80 years.
Alignment. Bears and red pandas tend to lean more toward law while all the others are more prone to chaos. Wolverines are commonly evil.
Size. Your size is medium
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You may also get down on all fours which changes your movement speed to 40 feet. You cannot use a shield or wield a weapon except natural weapons when on all fours. Standing up from all fours requires 5 feet of movement and does not provoke opportunity attacks
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.
Bear Claws. You have claws that are natural weapons. You can make unarmed strikes with them, dealing slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier when you hit.
Languages. You can read, write, and speak common and Ursus
Subrace. Choose one between Brown Bear/Black Bear, Polar Bear, Panda Bear, Raccoon, Red Panda, Badger, and Wolverine

Brown/Black Bear

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Wisdom scores both increase by 1
Patron/Matron spirit of the forest. You are proficient in the Intimidation skill.
Protect the family. When you attack a creature within 5 feet of a creature friendly to you, you may reroll a 1 on the damage die. You may only do this a number of times per short rest equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all use after you finish a long rest.

Polar Bear

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2
Patron/Matron spirit of Ice. You have proficiency in the Survival skill. You also are resistant to cold damage.
White Fur. You have advantage on stealth checks made to hide against a white landscape.

Panda Bear

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution and Wisdom scores both increase by 1
Patron/Matron spirit of the East. You have proficiency in the Insight skill. You also know the druidcraft cantrip.
Panda Protection. While unarmored, your armor class is equal to 12 + your Dexterity modifier. In addition, at 3rd level, you learn and can cast the sanctuary spell without material components or expending a spell slot. usable once per long rest. At fifth level, you learn and can cast the sanctuary spell without material components or expending a spell slot. Once you cast either of these spells, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Wisdom.

Raccoon

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2
Patron/Matron spirit of the Night. You have proficiency in the Stealth, or Sleight of Hand skill. You are also proficient with thieves tools.
One with shadows. You may attempt to hide when in dim light and darkness without cover.

Red Panda

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores increase by 1
Patron/Matron spirit of the East. You have proficiency in the Nature or Insight skill. In addition, you know the druidcraft cantrip.
One with the forest. You have advantage on Athletics checks to climb and maintain balance within trees.
Monastic Traditions. You may take the dodge action as a bonus action during combat. You may only do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses after you finish a long rest

Badger

Ability Score Increase. your Constitution and Strength scores increase by 1
Patron/Matron spirit of the earth. You have proficiency in the Nature skill. Additionally, as an action, you can burrow through 5 feet of nonmagical earth, dirt, or sand.
Unfettered pride. You have advantage on saves against being frightened. In addition, when you make an attack with no allies within 5 feet of you, you may reroll 1’s on the attack roll, but you must use the second result. You may only do this a number of times per short rest equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all use after you finish a long rest.

Wolverine

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2
Relentless Vengeance. When you take damage from a creature's attack, you can designate them the source of your vengeance. For 1 minute, you have advantage in all attack rolls against that creature. You may only use this trait once, regaining use once you finish a long rest.
Mighty Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 0''	+2d8	200 lb (pandas 250) lb.	× (5 x 4d10) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 0''	+2d12	100 lb.	× (5 x 2d10) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 6''	+2d12	160 lb.	× (5 x 4d10) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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