Bear Warrior is NERFED

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

The Bear Warrior isn't NERFED.

It can't be nerfed, as it hasn't been changed.

Something is NERFED when it starts out powerful and then is made weaker - generally in the name of "balance."

Now, if you want to argue that "Bear Warrior is WEAK," then go ahead.

[/pedantic]

 

[Mekabar]

Perhaps he meant the BW is a nerfed Barbarian?

 

[cantrip]

Losing good Will-save and one extra rage may not seem much, but it's still nerfing

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

The only "problem" with the Bear Warrior is it is well-designed: a balanced PrC built around a theme that lets you do interesting things that are normally not possible.

Compare Bear Warrior to a Fighter.

Pro: d12 for HPs, 4 skill points per level, better selection of class skills, 1 bear "feat" every other level

Con: your bonus feat is selected for you by the class

That looks like a net win to me.

A Bear Warrior built to grapple will make mincemeat of a single Medium creature in a one-on-one match up. The cost is you are not necessarily as good at fighting multiple foes.

 

[Nail]

The only "problem" with the Bear Warrior is it is well-designed....

That is a problem! I never take a PrC unless it's way more uber than my other options.

 

[Anditch]

you say that the next bear form the brown bear is alot better. You dont get that until 5th level. Hands up all those people that want a prestige class that last 10 levels and the first 5 levels are worse than the original character. It means for 5 levels your character is not getting better compared to the barbarian as this prestige class is meant for. At least make it on par with the barbarian.

 

[Corlon]

you say that the next bear form the brown bear is alot better. You dont get that until 5th level. Hands up all those people that want a prestige class that last 10 levels and the first 5 levels are worse than the original character. It means for 5 levels your character is not getting better compared to the barbarian as this prestige class is meant for. At least make it on par with the barbarian.

As other people said, he is on par when you factor in coolness and things like grappling, just not in beating people with a greataxe.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

you say that the next bear form the brown bear is alot better. You dont get that until 5th level. Hands up all those people that want a prestige class that last 10 levels and the first 5 levels are worse than the original character. It means for 5 levels your character is not getting better compared to the barbarian as this prestige class is meant for. At least make it on par with the barbarian.

It's called patience. You don't get all the best benefits of a PrC at first level, nor should you. For the levels when you only have access to the black bear form, you are sometimes better off raging in human form and sometimes better off raging in black bear form (e.g., fighting foes who trip/sunder/disarm - the latter two are often a Power Attacking barbarian's nemesis). Which is fine, because you can only take bear form 1/day at that point, so you should be judicious in using it.

And the PrC should not be an outright improvement over the straight barbarian class. It should be an interesting, different, and roughly equal option. If a PrC is so superior that everybody takes it, it's poorly designed.

 

[Crothian]

Any class that lets use quote the Buffy episode Pangs is a good thing.

The class is not for everyone, specifically not for players worried about their own power. I like it, I think it would make a fun character especially using dthe beat tribe option from UA.

 

[Mad Mac]

Ever since picking up OA, I always kinda wanted to play a korobokuru Bear Warrior. You know, the quiet, unassuming little guy who'd suddenly turn into a gigantic bear and devour you alive because you made some comment about his mother.