Half-Bugbear-Half-Dwarf

[Theocrat]

Half-Bugbear-Half-Dwarf
Hi all -
I am preparing my new upcoming campaign. For the first adventure, more like a side-trek, the PC's will be at the ToEE's moat house. Well, not "that" moat house, but that map of the moat house. They see 2-5 bugbears fighting a wyvern. The PC's can either help the wyvern, the bugbears, or wait and finish off the winners. If the bugbears are helped, they say thanks and their leader and many other bugbears arrive. If the Wyvern is helped the bugbears of the tribe come and beat up the PC's.
In either case the PC's will be with the bugbears, and they will meet their leader. Thyyric, a bugbear-dwarf. His mother was a bugbear witch that "snared" a dwarf warrior that was wiping out the tribe. Charm person worked well under 1/2e! He is a druid, and leader of the Speckled Pawn. In the end the PC's can either wipe out the tribe and win the moat house for the city, or they can work with the tribe and earn another ally in the fight against evil.
In the end Thyyric will be a constant contact. What I need is....A bugbear-dwarf race. How do I do this?

I have the MM, MM2, MM3, MM4, FF, Monsters of Faerun, Dangerous Denizens (Kalamar's official D&D monster book), Tome of Horrors, ToM 2, Creature Collection, CC2, and an untold number of PDF monster books, Dungeon, Dragon and other sources for monsters. I have Savage Species, Fantasy Flight's Monsters Handbook, and Green Ronin's Advanced Bestiary.

But none of them tell me how to merge two monstrous races. Or they might, but I haven't seen it, recognized or otherwise figured it out. So I need some help.
I need to create a bugbear-dwarf race. I don't think I'll be having a bunch of them run around, but it would be nice to at least have them for later use.
I also need to raise him up levels in druid. Maybe a level in Ranger. Level 4, 8, 10 and 12. I'm using 30 point buy system.
Any help in creating this odd mix of races and Thyyric the character would be helpful.

Also, if there is anybody that does artwork, I'm gonna need a picture of him as well.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Be Well.
Theocrat Issak

 

[shilsen]

Take a bugbear, give it a +2 boost to Con and a few of the dwarf's racial abilities (+2 to saves vs. spells and Sp abilities, +2 to poison saves, etc.), bounce up the CR by 1, and you're good to go.

 

[Nifft]

I'd just give the Dwugborf all the Dwarf's combat abilities -- Stability, normal movement in heavy armor, and +2 vs. spells. CR +1 over a normal Bugbear sounds about right. However, I'd have at least two of these with two fighter levels, wearing half-plate (with two-handed weapons).

Cheers, -- N

 

[Nyaricus]

Okayer, here's my opinion:

[sblock=Bugbear Stats] * +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
* Medium size.
* A bugbear’s base land speed is 30 feet.
* Racial Hit Dice: A bugbear begins with three levels of humanoid, which provide 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +3, and Will +1.
* Racial Skills: A bugbear’s humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 6 × (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot.
* Racial Feats: A bugbear’s humanoid levels give it two feats.
* +3 natural armor bonus.
* +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
* Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., scent.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Orc.
* Favored Class: Rogue.
* Level adjustment +1.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Dwarf Traits] * +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
* Medium size.
* A dwarf’s base land speed is 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
* Darkvision out to to 60 feet.
* Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up. Dwarves have a sixth sense about stonework, an innate ability that they get plenty of opportunity to practice and hone in their underground homes.
* Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
* Stability: Dwarves are exceptionally stable on their feet. A dwarf has a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
* +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. *Not reflected in the saving throw numbers given here.
* +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. *Not reflected in the saving throw numbers given here.
* +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs (including half-orcs) and goblinoids (including goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears).
* +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type (such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants).
* +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items.
* +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, Undercommon.
* Favored Class: Fighter.
[/sblock]

Now, combining these two together will be rather easy, IMO. Get rid of any sort of 'cultural aspect of the dwarven race (since this will favour the Bugbear side), take the average of their ability mods added togther, divided by two and rounded down, and mix and match as needed. Here's what I'd do:

• +2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Cha.
• Medium Size
• either give him 30 base speed and the normal speed reduction while wearing armour, or 20 speed and no reduction in speed while wearing armour (your choice).
• +1 Natural Armour Bonus
• +2 on Move Silently checks
• Darkvision 60 feet
• Scent with 1/2 range
• Stability with +2 bonus
• Auto Languages: Common, Goblin and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Orc, Draconic, Elven, Gnoll.
• Favoured Class: Rogue
• LA +1

I don't like the Humanoid levels, but if you *do* really want to include some, 1 level is what I'd do. It's suck though, with +0 BAB and a +2 ref save and a couple petty skill points; since he already has an LA, I just wouldn't bother.