Dire Bear

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Dire Bear (CR 9)

Dire Bears seem much larger than simply 'large', with their squat, powerful builds, massive jaws and claws, and that massively thick coat of fur. But Large creatures they are. Dire Bears are fairly simple foes, although magicians tend to hate them, as their massive coats render them highly resistant to all the best sorts of energy damage. Granted, melee combatants don't like them either, as they attack with deadly power and skill. When they take to time to deliver full power attacks, staying on your feet can be a real challenge with three tons of angry bear smashing you. Even worse, if it knocks an enemy down, it immediately falls to mauling the hapless victim, while its other attacks do not even slow down.

Dire Bears are great favorites of the large and powerful, and it has been speculated that there are more Dire Bears living as pets and attack beasts of the various Giant clans than live in all the wild. In the wild, Dire Bears are more than able to hold their own against such magical terrors as Drakes and Owlbears, although Bulettes.... Bulettes are in their own weight class.

Dire Bears are huge black and brown bears which can be encountered in almost any wilderness, mountain, hilly, barren, it doesn't matter. Dire Bears do amazingly well in swamps, of all places. Domesticated dire bears can be found anywhere their masters take them, where their durability in fights and keen noses make them valued pets and guards. Dire Bears are often encountered in pairs, and it is common for such pairs to have a fully grown third or even fourth bear attached as well.

GENERAL

CR 9 Hit Dice 14

XP 12,800 (Heavy Role included)

N, Large, Animal

Init +4; Senses low-light 120 ft, scent, Perception +14

DEFENSE

AC 28, touch 18, flat-footed 22 (+5 armor, +6 dex, +5 natural, +2 deflection)

hp 320 (Heavy Role included)

Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +8

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: ER 15/cold, fire, acid, lightning, Bruin's Vitality DR 15/-

Immunities: Immune to first instance of all conditions. See Heavy Role.

Weaknesses: -

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft., Swim 20ft

Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee Bite +15 (2d8+1/x2), 2x Claws +15 (2d6/x2)

Full Melee Bite +15 (2d8+1/x2), 4x Powerful Claws +15 (2d6/x2) + Prone, Reflex DC19 to stay standing

Ranged -

Special Attacks Raking Smash, Ursine Maul

Action Points 1 (Heavy Role included)

STATISTICS

Str 28, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 2, Wis 16, Cha 14

Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 25

Feats Combat Reflexes (EFFECT: 2 Attacks of Opportunity per round)

Skills Sense Motive +12

Languages -

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Raking Smash

As a standard attack action, a Dire Bear may sweep its huge paws in mighty scything arcs, attacking all creatures within its reach. It rolls a single Powerful Claws attack (Powerful Claws +15 (2d6/x2) against every enemy creature in its reach. Roll damage once, each struck creature takes that damage and must make the reflex saving throw (DC 19) or also fall Prone.

Bruin's Vitality

When a Dire Bear is reduced to zero hit points, it is not killed. Instead, it gains Immunity to all damage until the beginning of its next turn and its hit points are set to half its normal maximum. Its ability to take actions is not hampered in any way during this period of Immunity. At the beginning of its next turn, the Immunity expires and is replaced by DR 15/-, which remains for one further round. The Dire Bear is killed for good the second time its hit points reach zero. Detecting the fact that Bruin's Vitality has activated takes a Nature roll of DC 25 or a Perception roll of DC 35.

Ursine Maul

As a swift action once per round, a Dire Bear may make a Bite attack against any enemy creature it can reach that is Prone.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 8,000 gp (Heavy role included)

COMBAT TACTICS

A Dire Bear closes in for the kill. They are not particularly stealthy, but they have amazing speed for their size. Once engaged in melee, a Dire Bear fights with canny skill, moving in for a full attack and then spending its action point to use Raking Smash against as many as it can reach, hoping to knock someone down for Mauling. Dire Bears will not work to achieve flanks, but they certainly know what they are and will take advantage of flanks if they can. A Dire Bear's full attack delivered from a flank is something to be avoided!

Once the fight is joined, a Dire Bear will never even consider retreat.