Ursiya Ancestry

The blending of ursine and...something proto humanoid, you know that you are a child of the Faei, your ties via blood and storm go back to before the world broke. A bestial, yet you are not some feral monster, though you've the strength of one. You are Ursiya, a creature of ancient duty and loyalty. You have the ferocity of the mountains, the strength of the great bear, the hardiness of mountains. You are a child of storm, and magick, yet you are mortal. You know the world beyond your tribe and tribal home have forgotten your kind, have grouped them all together, and hold certain opinions. Rightfully so given how many of your fellow beastfen have fallen, lost to the feral curse of the Void, becoming naught more than ravening monsters. Bestials is an appropriate label for them. Whatever your reasons, you have decided that the lands beyond the safety of your tribe call to you. Perhaps it is past time the new sapients of the realms, those calling themselves human, or elf, or gnome or halfman, whomever they might by, whatever they might be, find out and learn that not all from the times before the Sundering was lost. Perhaps it is time one of your kind reach beyond their home.

GM WARNING: Ursiya as a playable ancestry/race come with a notable power jump. It is suggested when considering a party's effective CR and how to balance the game, if you have an Ursiya character in the party, you should count their character level as 1 higher than it actually is when checking over your balance of the game, however strictly or loosely you check such things.

Ursiya Playable Ancestry Base Mechanics

Starting Ancestry Hit Points: 10+Constitution Modifier

Size: Medium or Large

Speed: 35 feet, 20 feet climb or swim speed

Ability Modifiers: +4 Constitution, +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 to Charisma or Intelligence

Languages: Feriak, Valarian (Common)

Scent: +2 to Perception if smell can matter within 100 feet

Hardy: They start with the Hardy Talent

Feral Stomach: They do not need to cook food, Ursiya live off raw food and in fact it is healthier for them to do so

Cold Resist (2+X): All Ursiya are naturally cold resistant. An Ursiya character has a Cold Resistance equal to 2+1/2 character level (minimum 1)

Ursiya Heritages

Unlike most ancestries where heritage might just have feat limitations, and you can choose to not pick one, with the Ursiya you must choose a heritage, and these heritages place immediate limitations upon you as well as dictating which attribute takes the negative, and of course, your size. Furthermore it dictates which of the professions will be available to you (and perhaps in some cases focus paths too)

Black Bear: You take the -2 to Intelligence, you are Medium sized. You only get +2 Constitution and get both the climb and swim speed. You cannot use any magick of any kind, nor can you play a Chemist, Tinkerer.

Brown/Grizzly Bear: You take the -2 to Charisma, you are medium sized. You get the swim speed but not climb. You cannot use magick of any kind, and cannot play a Chemist, Entertainer or Tinkerer.

Cave Bear: You take the -2 to Charisma. You are large sized. You get the climb speed but not swim. You can use magick, but you cannot play Chemist, Entertainer, Magister, Templar, Priest, Tinkerer or Scoundrel Professions.

Polar Bear: You choose which -2 to take, Charisma or Intelligence. You are large sized. You get the swim speed but it instead equals your normal movement speed of 35 feet. Furthermore you get the climb speed of 20 feet. You can use magick and furthermore gain Aethyr Sight automatically. You cannot play Chemist, Magister, Templar, Priest or Tinkerer professions. This heritage would indicate someone of great importance to an Ursiya tribe so such a character should justify accordingly how they have become an adventurer.

Ursiya Ancestry Feats

Ursiya like all Ancestries have feats of course tied to their ancestry progression that you shall have to pick from. Some of the options will be locked behind one heritage or another, others will be available based on previous selections at lower levels, as one might expect.

Level 1 Ursiya Ancestry Feats

Stormborn Immunity

Feat 1

Traits: Urisya, Primal, Elemental

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Be an Ursiya

All Ursiya are born touched by the storm as can be seen by their natural cold resistance. However some are blessed with even greater resilience as a gift from their ancestor spirit. An Ursiya whom chooses this feat chooses 1 of the two following benefits;

• Immunity to Lightning Damage



• Immunity to Thunder Damage

Ursine Ferocity

Feat 1

Traits: Ursiya, Death, Emotion

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: be an Ursiya character

Those Ursiya whom are not touched elementally by the Storm Father spirit are instead blessed by their other ancestry with the ferocity and hardiness of bears. When an Ursiya drops to 0 hit points if they have this feat, their ursine heritage kicks in, giving them a sudden last wind to fight back with. They seem to just defy unconsciousness and death. They recover HP equal to their Constitution Modifer+1/2 their character level (minimum 1) immediately. This ability can only activate 1/day. 1 minute after this ability activates they suffer Exhaustion (1) and Injured (1), and this exhaustion cannot be removed by any means mundane or magical, only by resting (so long rest/start a new day). The injured condition can be treated as normal.

Level 5 Ursiya Ancestry Feats

Immoveable Force

Feat 5

Traits: Urisya, Bear, Martial

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Be an Ursiya character

Traditional Ursiya martial training leans heavily upon their physical superiority, and this is but one way they embrace that. An Ursiya whom takes this feat utilizes their bulk in a meaningful way. Any attempt to utilize combat maneuvors or abilities (but not spells, only physical contact effects) that would forcibly displace them in any way (trip, shove, drag, reposition, etc) are at -2. This increases to -4 at 12th level and -6 at 19th level.

Sure Footing

Feat 5

Traits: Polar Bear, Ursiya, Movement

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Ursiya with the Polar Bear Heritage or the Cave Bear Heritage

Some Ursiya of these heritages naturally seem to have skillful footwork, likely a blessing of their heritage, as both Cave Bears and Polar Bears, given the terrains they call home, need to be sure footed. An Ursiya with this feat ignores natural terrain difficulties in arctic/tundra and mountain biomes.

Swift Climber

Feat 5

Traits: Ursiya, Black Bear, Movement

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Be an Ursiya with the Black Bear Heritage.

Taking this feat, an Ursiya with the Black Bear Heritage's Climb Speed becomes the same as their movement speed.

Swift Swimmer

Feat 5

Traits: Ursiya, Polar Bear, Grizzly Bear, Movement

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Be an Ursiya character with the Polar Bear or Grizzly Bear Heritage.

An Ursiya with this heritage has their swim speed become equal to their movement speed.

Ursine Might

Feat 9

Traits: Ursiya, Martial

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Be an Ursiya character with the Ursine Ferocity Ancestry Feat

This feature is a further embracing of their Ursine bloodline in the ferocity of melee combat. An Ursiya witht his feat has learned how to tap into the ferocity of the great bear. They gain a permanent boost to attack rolls and damage rolls on all melee attacks equal to 1/2 their character level.

Blessed of the Ancestors

Feat 9

Traits: Primal, Magick, Ursiya, Polar Bear, Cave Bear

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Be an Ursiya character with Stormborn Immunity Feat, and with Cave Bear or Polar Bear heritage. Be capable of casting magick.

Those whom are touched with magick and can wield the magicks of the ancestors, some eventually find themselves truly blessed. An Ursiya with this feat increases the Spell DC for any spells they cast that would be of Aeromancy, Aquamancy, Geomancy or Druidism schools (Divination, Enchantment, Conjuration or Transmutation for those whom are using base materials) school by 1/2 their character level.

Level 13 Ancestry Feats

Storm Father's Snarl

Feat 13

Traits: Open, Attack, Auditiory, Ursiya, Mental

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Ursiya, cannot be the Black Bear Heritage, must be at least Expert in Intimidation

This ability is a unique and special attack that those Ursiya whom show great prowess in martial combat seem to gain access to as they achieve greater and greater success, a reward from the ancestors. It is a single action attack, centered on you, with a radius of 20 feet. Any and all creatures you deem hostile are attacked by this. You roll the Intimidate skill as the attack roll, and let out a thunderous deafening snarl like roar, the deep bellowing of a great bear. Every creature who's AC you overcome actually feels the physical manifestation of this attack, the sheer shockwave force of your supernatural cry slamming into their chest dealing 2d10+your Constitution Modifier Thunder damage and inflicting the Deafened Condition upon them. Furthermore all creatures struck, regardless if they take damage, all creatures you deem hostile in the affected area must attempt a Will Save against your DC (Class/Profession DC in other words). If they fail they take an additional 1d10 psychic damage and become Frightened (1). If they critically fail they become Frightened (2) and take double damage. If they succeed they take half damage and no conditions. If they critically succeed they take no damage and suffer no conditions. Furthermore on a critical success they become immune to this part of your Storm Father's Snarl for a full day.

Ancestor's Shadow

Feat 13

Traits: Stealth, Skill, Ursiya, Black Bear

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Be a Ursiya, have at least Expert in Stealth, Black Bear Heritage

Though one would not first consider it so, those of Black Bear Heritage some of them also seem to discover a blessing of their own from the Ancestors. An Ursiya with this feat passively gains a boost to all Stealth checks equal to 1/2 their character level. Furthermore 1/day they can activate Ursine Shadow, fading from sight for one minute or until they take some sort of hostile action against a creature. This ability costs two actions to activate.

Level 17 Ancestry Feats

Mauler

Feat 17

Traits: Martial, Urisya, Attack

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Be an Ursiya character with at least Master proficiency with one melee weapon family, and with the Ursine Might Feat.

By this point any Ursiya whom has chosen to master martial combat of near any kind has also truly mastered the ferocity and raw overwhelming power of their ursine heritage. In combat, so long as they continue attacking the same target in melee, they simply ignore the Multiple Attack Penalty.

Primordial Embrace

Feat 17

Traits: Ursiya, Primal, Magick, Polar Bear, Cave Bear

Source: Adventures in Valerick

Access: Be an Ursiya with Cave Bear or Polar Bear Heritage, and capable of casting magick. Must have Blessed of the Ancestors Feat.

Shamans (being the most likely candidates) whom live long enough and accumulate enough reputation, prowess and practical experience can find themselves embraced by one of the primordial ancestor spirits, a truly amazing and immeasurable gift. Those whom acquire this feature must choose one of the four following elements. Poison, Lightning, Thunder or Cold. They gain the following benefits;

• Energy Transfusion: If they would take damage of the appropriate type, they ignore immunity or resistance for the purposes of what happens, and instead of taking damage, they heal for the amount of damage they would have taken. Furthermore if this healing would exceed their maximum HP they instead gain Temp HP.



• Primordial Aura (1/day): This ability costs 2 actions to activate, however it lasts for 1 hour. The Ursiya begins emitting a mighty pulsating aura that affects all creatures around them based on the element they had chosen. The aura has a radius of 50 feet This aura has two effects, able to read the Ursiya's intentions. The effects are simple, but slightly different for each element, so see below;
  
  
  1. Lightning: Crackling with the energy and electricity of Air. For allies, they gain 10 feet of movement speed and +2 to Reflex Saves, as well as Resist (10) to Lightning damage. For enemies, every round they start their turn within the aura they take 3d6+your Con modifier Lightning damage, no save.
  
  
  
  2. Thunder: Pulsing with the thunderous might of stone and rock. For allies, they gain +2 to their AC and Fortitude Saves, as well as Resist (10) to Thunder damage. For enemies, every round they start their turn within the aura they take 3d6+your Con Modifier Thunder Damage, and should they fail a simple Fortitude Save against your spell DC they call Prone.
  
  
  
  3. Poison: Pulsing with the energy of Nature. For Allies this heals them for 2d6 every round, and grants them +2 to Power Saves, as well as Resist (10) to Poison damage. For enemies, every round they start their turn within the Aura they must attempt a Fortitude Save against your Spell DC. Should they fail they take 3d6+your Constitution Modifier Poison damage and are afflicted with Toxic (1). If they critically fail they take double damage and are afflicted with Toxic (2). If they succeed they merely take the damage, if they critically succeed they take half damage.
  
  
  
  4. Cold: Flowing with the energy of water. For allies this makes them immune to the Slow condition, as well as granting them Hasten (1) and Resist (10) to Cold damage. For enemies they must attempt a Reflex Save against your spell DC if they start their turn within the aura. If they fail they take 3d6+Con Modifier Cold damage and are afflicted by Slow (1). If they critically fail they are afflicted by Slow (2) but do not take double damage. If they succeed they take full damage but are afflicted by no condition. If they critically succeed they suffer only half damage.