D&D 5E "Bear Stride"?

[Kobold Stew]

Dimension door has a range of 500 feet level 4.
This is a similar ability, constrained to be near where one of his bears is.
Level 4, with reasonable operational constraint --> level 3, I'd say. It'll never be as high as 4; it's unlikely to go down to level 2, but that remains available to you in the future if you wish.

 

[Ancalagon]

Just have bear everything. Bear arms. Bear skin. Spiritual weapon? I think you meant spiritual bear. Wall of bears. Bear cloud. Power word: Bear. Etc etc.

 

[jayoungr]

I suggested maybe a "benign transposition" sort of effect instead - that is, he swaps places with one of his summoned bears instead of taking it over. I'm not sure how that would work, since the bear is technically not a bear but a fey spirit in the shape of bear.

What are the implications of the bear not being real?

You could maybe let him swap with one of the fey bears but then they become essentially mirror images--after he swaps places with a bear, it then winks out at the first damage... Just spitballing here.

 

[pukunui]

What are the implications of the bear not being real?

I have no idea! I just imagine it would be harder to possess a fey spirit than an actual bear.

You could maybe let him swap with one of the fey bears but then they become essentially mirror images--after he swaps places with a bear, it then winks out at the first damage... Just spitballing here.

It's a possibility.

This player is coming from 3.5/PF, and his idea just doesn't feel like it fits with 5e all that well, but I don't want to just say no out of hand. I'd like to accommodate him, as players coming to me with ideas doesn't happen as much as I'd like, and that's something I want to encourage. I just have no idea how to bend the rules to make something like this work.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

 

[The Human Target]

Just have bear everything. Bear arms. Bear skin. Spiritual weapon? I think you meant spiritual bear. Wall of bears. Bear cloud. Power word: Bear. Etc etc.

If I ever start a bluegrass band, I will call it Power Word: Bear.

 

[jayoungr]

I have no idea! I just imagine it would be harder to possess a fey spirit than an actual bear.

Oh, I was thinking he would actually physically switch places with the fey bear, rather than possessing it. But in a subtle way so that the attackers wouldn't notice the swap.

This player is coming from 3.5/PF, and his idea just doesn't feel like it fits with 5e all that well, but I don't want to just say no out of hand. I'd like to accommodate him, as players coming to me with ideas doesn't happen as much as I'd like, and that's something I want to encourage. I just have no idea how to bend the rules to make something like this work.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

I think the limited charges amulet is a good way to go. It gives you a chance to playtest at the table, so to speak.

By the way, does the bear druid already have the Mobility feat?

 

[Valetudo]

You do have to be careful of giving out too many abilities as while shapechanged. It's one of the things that made druids so opd in 3rd.

 

[Cognomen's Cassowary]

I would be hesitant to simply give this kind of an ability as a feature. I would either devise a quest to earn the power, or I would make it a feat. I would make it something similar to benign transposition, though I think there's a risk of it becoming a way of tying down enemies and extending the druid health pool. Thus, I would attach a cost and/or a limited number of uses. Something along these lines:

Wild Displacement: As a bonus action while you are in a beast form, you can expend a spell slot to switch places with a friendly beast of the same size. The spell slot you expend determines the range of this displacement, up to ten feet for a 1st level spell slot, up to twenty for a 2nd level slot, etc.

 

[Fimbria]

I have no idea! I just imagine it would be harder to possess a fey spirit than an actual bear.

It's a possibility.

This player is coming from 3.5/PF, and his idea just doesn't feel like it fits with 5e all that well, but I don't want to just say no out of hand. I'd like to accommodate him, as players coming to me with ideas doesn't happen as much as I'd like, and that's something I want to encourage. I just have no idea how to bend the rules to make something like this work.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

Mostly the implications are that it's a safe explanation of how the spell works. You can summon bears even if you are adventuring in a bear-free region. You will never accidentally summon the king's dancing bear during a performance. You can send a thousand bears to their deaths without a twinge of guilt, and surviving summons will not finish their time of service by staring around confused and wandering into the bandit camp in search of honey. In general, this explanation means there are no unintended consequences for a player's actions. (I suppose if you are adventuring in Faewild, all bets are off.) It also means the GM can make the bears do anything, because magic.

Your player's spell hasn't changed - it's still essentially a short range teleport with restraints. There already several teleport spells like that, so you won't break anything that wasn't already broken. At this point probably the easiest way to handle it is to give the player the amulet and let him demonstrate in play how it works. That ought to clear up any remaining confusion.

 

[pukunui]

By the way, does the bear druid already have the Mobility feat?

No, he went with a stat bump at 4th level.

You do have to be careful of giving out too many abilities as while shapechanged. It's one of the things that made druids so opd in 3rd.

Exactly. That is partly why I am unsure about this. But at the same time, there's all this pressure on DMs to say "Yes" to player ideas, and I'd like to accommodate him. I just don't know how. It's too out of left field for me.

I would make it something similar to benign transposition, though I think there's a risk of it becoming a way of tying down enemies and extending the druid health pool.

I think he was just looking for a way to escape when he gets tied down by multiple enemies in a combat. I suggested he look at the misty step spell, and that maybe we could come up with something that allows him to cast it while wildshaped. I might also point out the Overrun action option in the DMG.