A Visitor's Guide to Nokt: Special Rules: Concerning Bugbears

Bugbears are the native race of Ereland; they were here before any of the colonists arrived, and they plan to be here long after the colonists depart.  With a rich history behind them, Bugbear culture could teach the colonists quite a lot about Ereland.

But the bugbear tribes are losing ground; the colonists grow stronger every year, and take more and more land from the bugbears.  Some of the tribes have worked out truces and agreements with the settlers; some have declared open war.  Without a local guide, it is sometimes impossible to know if a traveller or caravan is safe or not.

To make the situation even more complex, there are four distinct sub-types of bugbear present on Ereland: the common Plains Bugbear, the hardy  Mountain Bugbear, Sandbears (a rare variety of bugbear who inhabit the deep desert - more a rumor than fact at this point), and the very xenophobic Swamp Bugbears, of whom the famous Warchief Manach is a member.

Bugbear is accepted as a potential player race in the campaign, with DM approval.  Any player who takes on the challenge of playing a bugbear character needs to keep in mind that he will almost always be looked down upon as, at best, an oddity and, at worst, an animal.

Bugbear characters possess the following racial traits:

• +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
• Medium size.
• A bugbear’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Racial Hit Dice: A bugbear begins with three levels of humanoid, which provide 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attackbonus 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 skillsare Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot.
• Racial Penalties: Bugbears are generally mistrusted by humans and near-humans; as a result, all interaction-type skills (such as Diplomacy and Persuasion) suffer a -2 penalty when a Bugbear tries to use them against non-Bugbears.
• Racial Feats: A bugbear’s humanoid levels give it two feats.
• +3 natural armor bonus.
• +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin.
• Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Orc.
• Favored Class: Rogue.
• Level adjustment +2.

These stats are for Plains Bugbears only. The other sub-races of Bugbear are not available for players.