Ursa Polaris

Thick, white fur coats this hulking ursine, and massive crystalline shards of ice protrude from its shoulders. When it lets out a mighty roar, frigid breath dances between the jagged sprouts of ice that form its teeth.

Large monstrosity, neutral evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 56)
Speed 40 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 4 (-3) 16 (+3) 5 (-3)

Skills Athletics +8, Perception +6
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Immunities cold
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Special Traits

  • Keen Smell. The ursa polaris has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
  • Snow Camouflage. The ursa polaris has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in snowy terrain.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The ursa polaris makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) cold damage.
  • Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage.
  • Cold Breath (Recharge 5-6). The ursa polaris exhales a blast of freezing wind and shards of ice in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) cold damage and 14 (4d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  • Hypnotic Array (Recharge 5-6). The ursa polaris sways its back, causing the ice formations on its shoulders to catch available light. Each creature within 30 feet of the ursa polaris that sees the light pattern must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 21 (6d6) radiant damage and is stunned for 1 minute. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn’t stunned. A stunned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The effect also ends if the creature takes any damage or if another creature takes an action to shake it out of its stupor.

About

A fearsome sight, the ursa polaris dwarfs even the largest of polar bears. Some believe that they are polar bears blessed or cursed by gods of cold, winter, and the north. Followers of such gods often leave a caribou carcass, whale blubber, or seal meat as an offering to the ursa polaris.

Creatures of Ice. The ursa polaris thrives in freezing arctic conditions and is capable of surviving off of ice alone, should other food sources become scarce. They dislike warmth; an ursa polaris will avoid warm waters and curl into its ice cavern when summer comes.

Fiercely Territorial. The ursa polaris is a solitary creature, carving a vast swath of territory for itself and going out of its way to kill trespassers. Somewhere within its territory, a female ursa polaris will carve out an ice cavern to rear young; this cavern may be within glacial ice, an iceberg, or simply a frosty stone cavern.

Hypnotically Deadly. The ursa polaris uses the mesmerizing play of light on the ice covering its body to hypnotize its prey for an easy kill.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.