Special Conversion Thread: Finishing off giants and their kin

[freyar]

Looks good.

[Shade]

Lycanthrope, Giant Werebear (Polarwere)

CLIMATE/TERRAIN Arctic lands
FREQUENCY Very rare
ORGANIZATION Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE Nocturnal
DIET Carnivorous
INTELLIGENCE Low to average (5-10)
TREASURE Z
ALIGNMENT Neutral evil
NO. APPEARING 1
ARMOR CLASS 1
MOVEMENT 12
HIT DICE 14
THAC0 6
NO. ATTACKS 3
DAMAGE/ ATTACK 3-13/3-13/2-20
SPECIAL ATTACKS Crush for 3-30; hug Large- or Huge-sized creatures for 4-16
SPECIAL DEFENSES Hit only by silver or +1 or better weapons; impervious to cold.
MAGIC RESISTANCE Nil
SIZE H (21')
MORALE Very Steady (13-14)
XP VALUE 8,400

Giant werebears are frost giants born with the ability to change into giant polar bears. Unlike their good-aligned lycanthrope cousins, polarweres are bitter, selfish creatures who care only for their next meal and a warm lair in which to sleep.

In giant form, the polarwere looks like a frost giant, albeit an especially broad-shouldered, hairy one. The polarwere rarely assumes this form, as frost giants are tribal and stand-offish. In ursine form, the polarwere resembles a giant polar bear, 10 feet tall at the shoulder and 20 feet tall when rearing on its hind legs.

Combat: Polarweres do not like combat and rarely attack unprovoked. When they fight-usually to feed-it is in bear form. Should a polarwere desire to fight in giant form, it usually wields weapons common to frost giants (throwing stones and battle-axes). In bear form, the polarwere attacks with two swiping claws and a devastating bite. Creatures of size medium or smaller hit by the polarwere's claws must also roll a successful Dexterity check or be knocked down; creatures of size medium or smaller bitten by the polarwere's bite must roll a Dexterity check at a -2 penalty or be snatched up in its jaws and crushed between its teeth every round thereafter for 3-30 points of damage. This attack requires saving throws vs. crushing blow for equipment and clothing. Unlike most lycanthropes, polarweres do not pass on their affliction to injured creatures unless the creature is a frost giant; frost giants suffer the normal 1% per hit point of damage chance of contracting the disease.

Polarweres share the typicallycanthropic immunities to normal weapons (in bear form only) and can be harmed only by silver or +1 or better magical weapons. Polarweres cannot summon normal bears like their smaller lycanthropic cousins, but they do share the werebear's ability to heal at three times the normal human rate. Polarweres are impervious to all forms of cold. They revert to bear form at death.

Habitat/Society: Polarweres mingle briefly with the tribal societies of frost giants. Indeed, some have lived among frost giant tribes for years, but normally they are solitary. They prefer to find huge caves hidden in arctic mountain ranges, far from even frost giant settlements; they are happiest when the only other living things they see are the ones they are about to eat. mating occurs on a haphazard basis, and only one young is ever produced from such an encounter. Females care for the young only until they can fend for themselves, at which time they either leave or are turned out by the mother.

Adventurers encountering polarweres can never be sure what to expect; the bear's reaction often depends on whether or not it is hungry, and whether or not the PCs look appetizing, but normally an unprovoked polarwere will not attack. A polarwere is extremely protective of its lair, however, and will chase invaders several miles across the arctic wastes if it catches them inside or nearby.

Ecology: Polarweres are at the top of their food chain. Their only natural enemies are the frost giants, who covet the huge pelts a dead polarwere provides, but a hungry polarwere will attack a frost giant if it is hungry enough. The land a polarwere hunts tend to be even more devoid of life than arctic areas normally are, as it takes a lot to fill a 21'-long bear; for this reason, polarwere territories tend to be many miles in radius, often taking the polarwere several days to roam them.

Originally appeared in Dragon #266 (1991).

[demiurge1138]

Are we going to stat this as just a frost giant were-polar bear (or were-dire bear?) or are we going to make it unique? Since it reverts to bear form, it almost makes me think therianthrope (like a wolfwere or jackalwere).

[freyar]

Can therianthropes pass on their affliction? If so, that could be a good idea.

[GrayLinnorm]

Originally Posted by demiurge1138

Are we going to stat this as just a frost giant were-polar bear (or were-dire bear?)?

Or a dire polar bear (Frostburn)?

[Shade]

I like the idea of a therianthropic dire polar bear.

[freyar]

Originally Posted by Shade

I like the idea of a therianthropic dire polar bear.

Yes, sounds cool! Is there a template in ToH to use? (I seem to recall one.) Want to add extra SAs?

[Shade]

Originally Posted by freyar

Yes, sounds cool! Is there a template in ToH to use? (I seem to recall one.) Want to add extra SAs?

There sure is. And yes to the extra SAs.

I'll get this one started soon.

[Shade]

OK, added to Homebrews.

I applied the therianthrope template to a dire polar bear and added the cold subtype.

Before we get to the hybrid and giant forms, do we want it to be Large (like a typical frost giant) or huge?

[demiurge1138]

Normal frost giant form should be large. Hybrid form should be huge.

[Shade]

Updated.

Stick with alternate form like lycanthropes, or borrow from Stormwrack's seawolf, as follows?

Change Shape (Su): A seawolf's natural form is that of a wolf-headed seal, but it can assume two other forms: a human or wolf-human hybrid. The human form is unique; a seawolf in human form always assumes the same appearance and traits, much as a lycanthrope would. In human form, a seawolf cannot use its bite attack, and it does not convey its curse.

In hybrid form, a seawolf's swim speed is reduce to 20 feet, but it has a much faster land speed, and it gains two claw attacks (or can use its claws to wield weapons, if it prefers). This form otherwise resembles the seawolf form.

A seawolf remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, nor does a seawolf revert to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell, however, reveals its natural form if it is in human form.

[demiurge1138]

How does this modified change shape differ from alternate form? Those two always give me a headache...

[freyar]

Differences between change shape and alternate form are:
1) Change Shape cannot grant aquatic subtype.
2) Change Shape lets you keep your natural armor, Alternate Form does natural armor of new form.
3) Alternate Form spells out that it does not grant Sp and Su abilities of new form, but this seems also implied in Change Shape.
4) In Change Shape, you keep your physical abilities; Alternate Form gives you Str, Dex, Con of new form (but hp don't change).

I'm guessing the dire polar bear has better natural armor and physical abilities (maybe?), so we probably want Change Shape.

[Shade]

And confusing the issue further, lycanthropes have the following modified alternate form ability...

Alternate Form (Su): A lycanthrope can assume the form of a specific animal (as indicated in its entry). It does not assume the ability scores of the animal, but instead adds the animal’s physical ability score modifiers to its own ability scores. A lycanthrope also can assume a bipedal hybrid form with prehensile hands and animalistic features.

Changing to or from animal or hybrid form is a standard action. A slain lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain their animal form, however. Afflicted lycanthropes find this ability difficult to control (see Lycanthropy as an Affliction, below), but natural lycanthropes have full control over this power.

[demiurge1138]

Let's go for lycanthropic alternate form, I think.

[Shade]

And here's the ability from the therianthrope template in Tome of Horrors...

Alternate Form (Su): A therianthrope’s natural form is that of the base animal. It can shift into two other forms as though using the polymorph spell on itself, though it does not regain hit points for changing forms, and only a specific human form or hybrid form can be assumed. Equipment carried by the therianthrope in human or hybrid form shifts with it and is absorbed into its animal form. Magic items do not function while in this form. When a therianthrope shifts back into human or hybrid form, equipment (including magic items) returns to normal and function normally.

A therianthrope’s first form is that of a human. A therianthrope always assumes the same appearance and traits in human form. In this form, it cannot use its natural weapons or any extraordinary special attacks. It can wield weapons and wear armor however.

Its second form is a bipedal hybrid form with prehensile hands and animalistic features. The therianthrope retains its natural attacks and extraordinary special attacks in this form, and can also wield weapons or wear armor.

Changing forms is a standard action. A slain therianthrope reverts to its animal form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain their human or hybrid form, however.

[freyar]

Hmm, does polymorph work more like Change Shape or Alternate Form? I'd say we should streamline the therianthrope's ability to get rid of the explicit reference to polymorph (following the usual errata).

I kind of think the lycanthrope's version of alternate form is a little odd to use here. With the lycanthrope, it's clearly intended to supplement the physical attributes of the (presumably weaker) humanoid or giant when it takes hybrid or animal form. But in our case, the dire polar bear is probably already hugely strong, so does it make sense for it to get stronger when it shifts to giant form?

[Shade]

How's this?

Alternate Form (Su): A polarwere's natural form is that of a dire polar bear.
It can assume the form of a specific frost giant (as indicated in its entry). It does not assume the ability scores of the giant (but does apply a size penalty to Str to account for its smaller size in this form). A polarwere also can assume a bipedal hybrid form with prehensile hands and animalistic features.

Equipment carried by the polarwere in giant or hybrid form shifts with it and is absorbed into its polar bear form. Magic items do not function while in this form. When a polarwere shifts back into giant or hybrid form, equipment (including magic items) returns to normal and function normally.

In frost giant form, a polarwere cannot use its natural weapons or any extraordinary special attacks. It can wield weapons and wear armor however.

In hybrid form, the polarwere retains its natural attacks and extraordinary special attacks and can also wield weapons or wear armor.

Changing to or from animal or hybrid form is a standard action. A slain polarwere reverts to its polar bear form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain their animal form, however.

[freyar]

So I think this is more of Change Shape (modified to include the size penalty to Str). Generally, I think this is about right, but maybe the frost giant form should get increased Dex for being smaller. What do you think?

[demiurge1138]

Agreed that if they get less Str as a giant, they should also get more Dex.