Ursinal

(from Planescape: Monstrous Compendium Appendix II - 1995):

The scholars and philosophers of the guardinals are the ursinals, benevolent beings who resemble huge men and women with distinctive bearlike attributes. They’re advisers to the leonals, and the record-keepers and magic-users of their race. Ursinals are open with their knowledge but love to digress endlessly and often free-associate through many iterations until they’re holding forth on a subject with no relation to the original topic.

Ursinals stand 8 feet tall, with thick-set bodies. They’re covered with light golden, red, or golden-brown fur that’s long on their forearms, backs, and lower legs and too fine to see on their torsos and faces. An ursinal’s face has a pronounced muzzle and high ear-tufts, but its expression is kindly. It’s very difficult to move an ursinal to anger, but the powers pity the poor sod who manages the trick — it’s said that a fighting-mad ursinal can tear his way through any three gehreleths.

Combat: Ursinals dislike combat and avoid physical confrontations until they become inevitable. However, a body’d be wise to watch out when the ursinal finally decides to stand his ground. An ursinal’s as strong as a hill giant (Strength 19) and can dish out terrible damage with his sharp-clawed paws. If an ursinal hits an enemy with both paws, he can automatically hug his victim for an additional 2d10 points of damage and gains a +4 bonus to his bite attack against the hugged victim.

Ursinals’re skillful mages and have the spell powers of a wizard of level 9 to 16 (d8+8). They prefer spells of enchantment, misdirection, or divination, and rarely memorize many heavy-damage spells. Of course, under the right circumstances, an ursinal’ll make use of any spell in his books. They’re also fond of magical items such as rings, rods, or wands, and miscellaneous magic that enhances their spell-casting ability.

Like the other guardinals, ursinals have several spell-like powers that can be used once per round: continual light, ESP, hold monster, know alignment, polymorph self, magic missile (5 missiles), sleep (4d6 Hit Dice worth, affects creatures up to 7 HD), or create solid fog. An ursinal can cure disease, heal, or neutralize poison three times per day, and once per day he can speak a holy word. Once per year the ursinal can grant alimited wish.

Ursinals can be hit only by silver weapons or those that have been enchanted to +3 or better. They’re never surprised in Elysium.

Habitat/Society: The advice of an ursinal is a much sought-after commodity. As librarians, scholars, and record-keepers, they carefully catalogue and sort all manner of information. They’re especially knowledgeable about magical matters and also have a keen interest in prime-material histories and linguistics. In Elysium it’s said that if an ursinal doesn’t know something, he knows where to go to find out.

Ursinals are solitary creatures, but almost all are linked by constant correspondence and magical communications. They’re also fond of the company of lesser guardinals or petitioners who can “benefit” from the ursinal’s wisdom. Some view ursinals as intrusive busybodies, but most of their advice is strikingly accurate and always well intended.

(from Book of Exalted Deeds - 2003):

This large biped has distinctive bearlike attributes. Its body is covered with fur that varies in color from light gold to red to golden-brown. The hair grows thick and long on its forearms, back, and lower legs but thin and fine on its torso and face. Its face, which has a pronounced muzzle and high-set ears, bears a kind expression. 

Ursinals are the scholars and philosophers of the guardinals, benevolent and wise. They serve as advisors to the leonals and record-keepers of Elysium. They enjoy sharing their knowledge, often at great length with endless digressions. 

Ursinals stand just over 8 feet tall and weigh close to 700 pounds. They speak Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, and Infernal. 

Combat: Ursinals dislike combat and avoid physical confrontations as long as possible. They are as fierce once they enter melee as any dire bear, but they prefer to use their spell ability to break off combat before it gets started.

An ursinal’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as having the good alignment for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. 

Improved Grab (Ex):If an ursinal hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a claw attack, it deals normal lethal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. Thereafter, the ursinal has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use one claw to hold the opponent (–20 penalty on grapple check, but the ursinal is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals claw damage. 

Spells: An ursinal casts spells as a 12th-level wizard. They favor Divination and Enchantment spells, as well as those that mislead or confuse opponents rather than deal damage. Typical Spells Prepared (4/5/5/5/4/3/2; save DC 14 + spell level; Enchantment save DC 15 + spell level): 0—daze, detect poison, flare, light; 1st—charm person, color spray, eyes of the avoral*, feather fall, hypnotism; 2nd— glitterdust, invisibility, locate object, touch of idiocy, yoke of mercy*; 3rd—clairaudience/ clairvoyance, daylight, elation*, healing touch, suggestion; 4th—celestial brilliance*, confusion, radiant fog*, scrying; 5th—dismissal, Purified wall of fire, teleport; 6th— mass suggestion, wages of sin*. 

*New spell described in Chapter 6 of this book. 

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—aid, daylight, deep slumber (DC 17), detect evil, detect magic, detect thoughts (DC 16), dimension door, dispel magic, hold monster (DC 19), magic circle against evil (self only), magic missile, polymorph, see invisibility, solid fog; 3/day—heal (DC 20), neutralize poison, remove disease; 1/day—holy word (DC 21). Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. 

Lay on Hands (Su): This works just like the paladin’s ability, but the ursinal can heal as much damage per day as its own undamaged hit point total. 

Speak with Animals (Sp): Equinals can mentally communicate with animals as a free action. This works exactly like speak with animals as cast by an 8th-level druid but does not require sound. 

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): While on Elysium, ursinals can react to danger before their senses would normally allow them to do so. They retain their Dexterity bonuses to Armor Class even when caught flat-footed. They lose this ability on other planes.

BHARRAI, THE GREAT BEAR:

This bipedal bear has thick snow-white fur, eyes like shards of blue ice, and massive paws. She stands 18 feet tall and wears immaculate robes of the finest quality. 

Bharrai (buh-RYE) is the matriarch of the ursinals. Some ursinals refer to her as “Mother Bear,” for she treats others of her kind like cherished children, taking great interest in their endeavors and exploits and fearing for them when they leave Elysium to study magic and fight evil abroad. 

When not accompanying Talisid and the other Companions on some important escapade, Bharrai resides in a great lodge overlooking a small lake, all nestled between four mountains on Eronia (the second layer of Elysium). The region enjoys hot summers and harsh winters. During the summer, Bharrai teaches her fellow ursinals about the importance of living in harmony with nature. In the winter, she turns the lodge into a college of wizardry—an isolated retreat where ursinals and visiting wizards can study and learn magic under her supervision. 

Combat: A formidable combatant, Bharrai prefers to cast spells than engage in melee combat.

Bharrai’s natural weapons and any weapons she wields are treated as goodaligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. 

Improved Grab (Ex): If Bharrai hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than himself with a claw attack, she deals normal lethal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. Thereafter, Bharrai has the option to conduct the grapple normally or simply use one claw to hold the opponent (–20 penalty on grapple check, but Bharrai is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check she makes during successive rounds automatically deals claw damage.

Spells: Bharrai casts spells as an 18th-level wizard. She favors Enchantment and Divination spells, as well as those that mislead or confuse opponents rather than simply deal damage. Spells Prepared (4/7/7/6/6/6/6/4/4/3; save DC 20 + spell level, DC 22 + spell level for Enchantment spells): 0—daze, detect poison, open/close, ray of frost; 1st—charm person, chill touch, identify, mage armor, ray of enfeeblement, shield, sleep; 2nd—bear’s endurance, cat’s grace, daze monster, fox’s cunning, scorching ray, touch of idiocy, yoke of mercy*; 3rd—clairaudience/clairvoyance, fly, haste, protection from energy, suggestion, water breathing; 4th—confusion, consecrated fireball, fire shield, greater invisibility, stoneskin, wall of ice; 5th—animal growth, break enchantment, dominate person, quickened mage armor, mind fog, wall of force; 6th—consecrated cone of cold, geas/quest, greater dispel magic, legend lore, mass bear’s endurance, mass suggestion; 7th—banishment, control weather, greater teleport, mass hold person; 8th—dimensional lock, moment of prescience, Otto’s irresistible dance, nonlethal polar ray; 9th—dominate monster, foresight, time stop. 

*New spell described in Chapter 6 of this book. 

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—aid, daylight, deep slumber (DC 23), detect evil, detect magic, detect thoughts (DC 22), dimension door (DC 24), dispel magic, hold monster (DC 24), magic circle against evil (self only), magic missile, polymorph, see invisibility, solid fog; 3/day—heal (DC 26), neutralize poison (DC 23), remove disease (DC 23); 1/day—holy word (DC 27). Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. 

Nature-Friendly Spells (Su): This ability allows Bharrai to change the composition of any energy-based spell she casts to something that is not destructive to nature. The spell must have the acid, cold, electricity, or fire descriptor, and Bharrai may choose to deal nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage against animals and plants targeted or otherwise affected by the spell. 

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): While on Elysium, Bharrai can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to Armor Class even when caught flat-footed. She loses this ability on other planes.

URSINAL GUARDINAL (5e homebrew)

Large Celestial, Neutral Good

Armor Class 17

Hit Points 136 (16d8 + 64)

Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 20(+5)   DEX 10(+0)   CON 18(+4)   INT 20(+5)   WIS 20(+5)   CHA 15(+2)

Saving Throws: WIS +12

Skills: Arcana +12, Insight +9, Intimidation +7, Nature +12, Perception +9, history +12, religion +12

Resistances: Acid, Cold, Force, Poison, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Weapons that aren't silvered

Immunities: Lightning, Petrified

Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 17

Languages: All

Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Keen Smell. The ursinal has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Celestial Weapons. The ursinal's natural attacks are magical. 

Innate Spellcasting. The ursinal's spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 20). The warden archon can innately cast the following spells, requiring only verbal components:

At will: continual flame, detect evil and good, dimension door, dispel magic, gaseous form, hold monster, light, magic missile (5 darts), polymorph, protection from evil and good, see invisibility, sleep (cast at level 6 for 15d8 HP sleepage), speak with animals.

3/day each: cure disease, heal, protection from poison

1/day each: divine word.

1/year: wish.

Lay on Hands. The ursinal has a pool of 70 hit points that it can use, as an action, to heal a creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in the pool. Alternatively, the ursinal can expend 5 hit points from its pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. The ursinal can cure multiple diseases and poisons with a single use of Lay on Hands, expending Hit Points separately for each one. The pool replenishes after a long rest, and has no effect on Undead of Constructs.

Magic Resistance. The ursinal has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Rage. As a bonus action, the ursinal can fly into a rage for up to 1 minute. While enraged, the ursinal gains advantage on strength checks and strength saving throws, +2 melee damage with strength weapons, and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. The ursinal can't cast or concentrate on spells or spell-like abilities while raging. The ursinal's rage ends early if it is knocked unconscious or if the ursinal's turn ends and it hasn't attacked a hostile creature since their last turn or taken damage since then. The ursinal can also end its rage as a bonus action.

Spellcasting. The ursinal is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). The ursinal has the following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): friends, mage hand, mending, message

1st level (4 slots): charm person, mage armor, magic missile

2nd level (3 slots): hold person, invisibility, suggestion*

3rd level (3 slots): haste, lightning bolt, tongues

4th level (3 slots): dominate beast, stoneskin

5th level (2 slots): geas

Actions

Multiattack. The ursinal makes two claw attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack:+9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage, or 18 (2d10 + 7) piercing damage while raging..

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack:+9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage. or 16 (2d8 + 7) slashing damage while raging. If the ursinal is in a rage and both claw attacks hit, it can grapple a large or smaller creature in a crushing hug (escape DC 18). Until the grapple ends, the target takes 38 (9d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the ursinal's turns, and the ursinal can make a bite attack on the target. Besides the bite, the ursinal can make no further attacks or actions while the target is hugged.