Stories About Bears
Bears are born as unformed lumps. Over months, their mothers lick them into shape and show them how they ought to prowl about. Lords covet bears in their unformed state—they can be made into shapes pleasing to the eye, or into frightening beasts. Some make their career massaging bears into shape with taut brushes, and demonstrating for them how they ought to behave. Cubs require a 24 hour tutelage.
It takes courage to snatch a cub from its mother. She can smell intent, and will giver her life to defend her young. The nose of a bear can pick out distinct scents up to 6 miles away. Once she smells a thief she becomes cautious and guarded. She'll roll her cubs into a cave hollow, or under a tree stump, and call this wisdom. But thieves say otherwise: like a paranoid king she piles up her goods only for the benefit of the thief. He needs only smoke the cubs out of their hollow and snatch them in a net while another distracts the mother and kites her rage.
Father bear is the forest's patriarchs—brutal and arbitrary. He stalk the woods like a revenant and metes out violence enough to split tree and stone alike. You cannot swim from him—he is faster; nor can you run, or even gallop on horseback, for he is master of the woods: he will push you to a river bank, or some rocky ledge, or see you pinned against a thicket. Those who have contravened some unknown Sylvan writ are killed, then hung on tree limb as a warning.
BEAR
HD - 6 (Mother) or 8 (Father)
AC - as Leather
Attacks - 1d6 Fang and Claw
No. Appearing - 1d3
A creature attacked twice in a row must Save or be pinned. On subsequent rounds the Bear automatically hits a pinned foe.
For these stat blocks, keep in mind that I have monsters with 1-3HD attack once, those of 4-7 attack twice, those 8-10 attack thrice, and those of 11+ attack four times. Thus, the 1d6 damage quickly adds up. Monsters only get bonus damage in exceptional cases.