A bear in Athas?

[Kzach]

I want to play a wasteland nomad half-elf exile sentinel... with a bear. Up until the bear portion of that, it all sounds quite fitting for a Dark Sun game. But I just can't imagine a bear even existing in Athas. Would it be a hairless bear? My DM is pretty nice so I'm fairly certain he'll let me change the animal type of the companion whilst keeping the stats the same but it has to at least be similar to a bear.

So, my question is, what kind of companion suits Athas and is in some way similar to a bear?

 

[Meatboy]

I would have to agree that Athas doesn't exactly scream bear. As for what might replace such a beast I would say that perhaps some kind of large reptile might suffice. I am imagining something like a large gila monster or komodo dragon looking creature. Either that or maybe some kind of large insect maybe not like a spider or anything overtly insectoid but at least something covered in chitinous plates and what have you.

 

[Kzach]

My searching has uncovered a reptile called a 'jhakar' which might suit the bill. Hopefully my DM will go for it.

 

[Stumblewyk]

So, my question is, what kind of companion suits Athas and is in some way similar to a bear?

I have a player running a Wilden Sentinel Druid in a Dark Sun game, and I allowed him to just substitute a medium-sized scorpion for the bear. I pitched a number of different monsters from the Dark Sun books as potential replacements, and he just decided to go with a big ole' scorpion, which is certainly thematically and setting appropriate in my book.

He also summons a bunch of "ancestral spirit creatures" thanks to some clever power choice selections to aid his allies. His backstory includes being created directly by the weakening primal spirits of Athas in a last-ditch bid to save the planet, so I rule that he summons up the primal spirits memories of what those animals looked like, and brings them into being for short periods of time. Perhaps you could work something off of that - his animal companion is a resurrected beast from an earlier time, giving flesh by the primal spirits or something.

My searching has uncovered a reptile called a 'jhakar' which might suit the bill. Hopefully my DM will go for it.

Jhakar would be appropriate, but they're small-sized. You'd have to house-rule that you've got a really, really big one to accompany you, but that's easy enough.

 

[Kzach]

Jhakar would be appropriate, but they're small-sized. You'd have to house-rule that you've got a really, really big one to accompany you, but that's easy enough.

Damn, I just noticed that they were small after looking them up in the Compendium. I thought it was large 'cause I found this awesome picture:

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/228/7/e/Jhakar_by_DaveAllsop.jpg

Oh well, maybe my druidicnesspowerz ubered it up? Sigh, even I don't buy that

 

[Stumblewyk]

Oh well, maybe my druidicnesspowerz ubered it up? Sigh, even I don't buy that

If you've got a lenient/reasonable/willing to entertain off-the-wall-ideas DM, couldn't you just sell him on the fact that any Sentinel's companion animal would be exceptional for it's species? Maybe the biggest, smartest Jhakar in the wastes was called by the primal spirits and directed to seek out your Druid, and your Druid was likewise called to seek out this "special" Jhakar?

Oooooh! Or a normal Jhakar wandered just a little bit too close to the Pristine Tower, and was mutated. He became smarter, stronger, and bigger than his kin. Eventually, your Druid wandered across it and recognized the incredible potential of the beast and made it your animal companion.

 

[Spatula]

I have a vague recollection of psionic bear-like creatures that live in the Forest Ridge, from the 2e DS monster supplements.

 

[ravenheart]

A tiger in Africa? (XP if you get the reference)

I remember some form of psionic bear creature used in RuneQuest, maybe you can work that angle? And make the fur heat-repellant somehow.

 

[Jared Rascher]

There was a running joke back in the 2nd edition material such as the sourcebooks and novels about bears. They are referenced several times as fearsome creatures no one wants to meet, but then there are off hand comments about their shells and things like that.

The joke being that bears may have changed a bit when it comes to the environs of Athas.

That having been said, I don't know if they ever "explained" the joke by fully describing bears.

 

[Raunalyn]

In the Dark Sun Novels, Rikus, Agis and Neeva (I think) are attacked by a bear in some dungeon. They called it a bear, but it was very large, with armor plating and psionic powers. So, if you are going for canon, yes, there are bears on Athas.