Cursed Bear

Large beast, chaotic evil

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	10 (+0)	20 (+5)	3 (-4)	11 (+0)	7 (-2)

Skills Athletics +7, Perception +4
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Fear of Fire. If the bear starts its turn within 10 feet of a creature that is carrying an open flame, such as a torch, the bear must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of that creature until the start of the bear’s next turn.
• Frenzy. If the bear starts its turn with 30 hit points or fewer, it goes into a frenzy. While frenzied, the bear is immune to being frightened. On each of its turns while frenzied, the bear attacks the nearest creature it can see. If it can’t reach the creature, it takes the Dash action and moves as close to it as possible.

ACTIONS

• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage and if the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute.
• Nauseating Roar (Recharge 5 6). Each creature within 30 feet of the bear that can hear it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw against poison. On a failed saving throw, a creature is poisoned until the start of the bear’s next turn unless it doesn’t need to breathe. While poisoned in this way, the creature is incapacitated as it retches and reels.

BONUS ACTIONS

• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone or shoved back 5 feet (bear’s choice).

ABOUT

Some curses are so horrible that they afflict not only the creature that is at the heart of it but take root in the entire land, spreading to even the wildlife and innocent animals in an area. Cursed beasts are the pitiful result of such curses.

A curse can manifest in numerous ways in a beast, but it almost always involves agonizing pain and results in unnatural and aggressive behavior. Often, a curse will greatly increases the beast’s physical prowess and give it various abilities related to the curse making a pack of cursed wolves or a cursed boar much more dangerous than their unspoiled kin.

While cursed beasts are, luckily, a rare phenomena, most scribes believe that their accursed state can be cured as one would cure a curse on any other creature.

However, due to the powerful nature of these kinds of curses, a simple spell will usually do little help to bring a beast back to its normal state, providing temporary relief at best, until the curse is ended at its root.

Druids often seek out and at tempt to cure cursed beasts, seeing’t heir existence as an affront to nature.