Help! I've been REINCARNATED as a BEAR

[Van Dyksun]

Okay, so I died again, along with another character. And this time, since we were out in the wilderness without a friendly cleric of high enough level to do an actual raise, my party decided to let the 9th level Druid reincarnate the two of us. My companion was lucky--he reincarnated as another human. Me, though--I'm a black bear now.

Now, the way I understand reincarnate, the soul's back in the body, but there's some noise in that memories are not necessarily all there and then you've got the new bodies natural tendancies. The DM and I have been trying to get our heads around all this, but I still have some questions.

1) I'm a multi-class character (started as a Ranger, took a couple of levels of Rogue, then was in the right place at the right time to actually meet a slice of my diety which meant that I really could't do anything but become a cleric). I had just become 9th level (3 Rgr/3 Rog/3 Clr). Dying meant I lost a level, which I assume means I lose the last class I took (Rogue level 3). Too bad, because it would be more useful than that 3rd level of Ranger. So, question one, I don't get to choose the class I lose, right?

2) Okay, so I've got a lot of feats that don't work so well now that I'm a bear. Bear's can't use bows, I'm assuming. Bear's can't hold weapons. But bears do have high dexterity (and mine's at 20, given the way reincarnate works), so I'm assuming that I can still do certain Rogue things like picking locks (using a claw?). What do you think?

I'll probably drop additional questions as they arrive....

 

[Skaros]

Another thing you'll want to figure out is whether you are able to talk or not.

There is some wording at the end of the Reinc description that implies you can talk (to my reading), but I can see how you could also interpret it to mean you can understand the languages, but can't speak them.

Since you are a Magical Beast, and NOT an animal, it does sort of make sense you'd have some benefits like the ability to speak (think Chewbacca) and be understood, but its up to your DM, really.

Second, is your DM going to apply any character level modifiers to you? Some DMs won't, saying its not the same as starting as a bear, but many probably would give you an ECL of +2 or so, since you are gaining huge stat boosts and a natural attack routine.

Third, you might convince the DM to let you trade out some of your now useless feats (like archery-related ones) for feats that coincide more with your new form (multiattack or whatever its called in MotW, perhaps).

Let us know how you guys rule on all of this, and what you end up with.

-Skaros

 

[jasper]

i would rule you could talk and understand any langs you knew before. I would not let you trade out feats. Death hurts and keeps on hurting. If I being really cruel , during winter I would rule you a little cranky and sleepy.

But think now you can do a great dancing bear act.
No Ecl bonus since you lost some feats
You would have to get new thieves tools to fit your huge paws you big ape.
I would rule the last level you gained since it all equal. Generally I think it the highest level.
Now you bear arms and win alot of bear pit matches.
Your scouting in the woods goes up.Who notices a bear except for hunters. Think of the oppurunities in a city.

Hey mister sell this dancing bear for 100 gp
Escape and repeat till the city gets a line on scam.

 

[Van Dyksun]

The description from the SRD for Reincarnate on languages seems to imply the ability to speak them: A humanoid reincarnated into an animal body can speak the languages it formerly knew and is a magical beast. The voice likely is something that people would have to get used to (the Chewbacca reference is apt!).

I've already done a bit of a personality change--I'm much more gruff and angry than I was as a human. I'll roleplay cranky all the time. It's fun. (-:

The DM's already thought about the dancing bear routine--one of the other members of our group is a illusionist entertainer. We'd make a good team.

The feats/ECL swap (i.e., I lost the ability of a lot of my feats, but instead gained a +2 in ECL) makes a lot of sense. Death does hurt, and my biggest disappointment is that I really can't use weapons anymore--claws are 1d4 and the bite is 1d6. Even with the +7 damage bonus because of my strength (of 24 now--yah, it's disgusting), that's not comparable to some of the damage I could do before. Ah well.

New thieves tools makes sense, too, although for basic locks I think a claw would probably do fine, no? Same kind of idea for disable device (simple ones).

I convinced the DM that I was still able to use magic armor (armor resizes to fit the wearer, according to DMG)--it's gotta be somewhat strange to see a bear in armor, but there's precedent of armoring animals.

Okay, next group of questions, since we've covered most of the ranger/rogue ones, what about the cleric levels. Verbal components are covered by whether or not I can speak above, but somatic components? Do you see any problems with that?

 

[AuraSeer]

Somatic components require hands, which you don't have. Looks like you'll want to pick up Still Spell, or use lots of verbal-only spells.

Speaking of the no-hands issue, you won't be able to carry anything except in your mouth. This means you can't wield weapons or hold tools, and you'll have a hell of a time trying to do anything that requires manual dexterity. Picking locks is out of the question; you've got no fingers to hold the pick, and your claws are too big to fit into a lock cylinder.

Similarly, if your DM is kind enough to let you wear normal armor, you'll need help putting it on or taking it off. If you fall into a river with your armor on, you could be in serious trouble.

Don't believe it'll be that hard? Try this: tape each of your thumbs to the adjacent index finger, so you can't move the thumb independently. (Get a friend to help.) Then try to do something simple, like writing your name with a pencil, or just getting dressed in the morning. You'll suddenly gain a new appreciation for the opposable thumb.

If you're lucky, one of your friends will help you free your hands before you need to go to the bathroom.

 

[Morose]

Sounds like MotW is going to be a good book for you to pick up now. The Natural Spell feat would let you cast and get around the "no hands" restriction on somatic components of casting. Otherwise, strictly by the rules, you can't cast somatic spells.

 

[Van Dyksun]

Bathroom? Don't you know? Bears in the woods.

 

[Van Dyksun]

Hands

To be slightly more serious though, yes, <sigh> the hands thing seems to be a problem. Good thing I wasn't much of a spell caster before. Gonna have to look through the cleric spell list to see what all had somatic components.

 

[Tom Cashel]

I've avoided the supplementary books, Van, but since you and Artemus (the Druid) could both make extensive use of it, I'll allow Feats from Masters of the Wild if you want to buy it.

Note on the armor: it's a mithral chain shirt +2, so falling into the water won't be that bad, considering the amazing Strength and Constitution...

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. How would you rule on the Multiattack thing? As a Ranger he has Two-weapon fighting, as a bear he gets a claw/claw/bite. Which takes precedence? Do they mix?

 

[Van Dyksun]

Multiple attacks

Plus, as an 8th level character, I have two attacks (with the strength bonus, it's +13/+8).

The bear normally gets three attacks (two claw attacks, one bite). 8th level means an extra attack, so I'm assuming three claw attacks and one bite.

Then, there's the two weapon thing that Tom mentioned.