Ironfur Bear (4e Monster)

Named for their typically dark grey fur and their natural endurance, ironfurs are among the most vicious species of bears known. They are notoriously difficult to kill: they have been known to survive the barrage put down by an entire platoon of archers, and at least one unconfirmed report claims that an adult ironfur bear fought off a black dragon.

Ironfur Warbear
Hand-picked from those ironfur cubs who display the most desirable traits -- specifically endurance, aggression, and a willingness to follow the lead of others -- warbears are bred from birth for the sole purpose of serving as combat mounts. Breeders often take great pride in their stock and may rise to positions of high esteem among the barbarian tribes that often utilize warbears. The finest breeders can trace the lineage of their warbears back a dozen or more generations and offer only the best of any given generation for sale; if there is even the slightest doubt about an ironfur bear's potential worth as a mount, it is slain for food and clothing instead.


 * style="color: #fdf9d3; background-color: #8c844e; padding: 0.0625em 0.125em 0.0625em 0.625em;" colspan="3" | Traits
 * - style="background: #dacc84;"


 * style="color: #fdf9d3; background-color: #8c844e; padding: 0.0625em 0.125em 0.0625em 0.625em;" colspan="3" | Standard Actions
 * - style="background: #dacc84;"


 * style="color: #fdf9d3; background-color: #8c844e; padding: 0.0625em 0.125em 0.0625em 0.625em;" colspan="3" | Triggered Actions
 * - style="background: #dacc84;"

Ironfur Warbear Tactics
An ironfur warbear is a tenacious but simple combatant that fights to the death. It attacks the closest target, relying on its raw strength and natural resilience to overcome its foes. Once it is bloodied it uses ironfur defiance and begins repeatedly making warbear frenzy attacks against a single target until the enemy drops. If a mounted warbear's rider is knocked unconscious or otherwise unable to direct the bear, it does its best to defend the rider and direct enemy attacks away from him or her.

Ironfur Bear Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.

DC 20: Ironfur bears are almost legendary for their endurance and ferocity. They are also noted among scholars for their curious pack behavior: unlike most bears, which are typically solitary creatures, ironfur bears gather into small groups called dens. These dens typically consist of a single mated pair plus their offspring which will remain with their parents for several years until they find mates of their own, at which point they will usually split off and form their own den. Ironfur bears mate for life and can remain fertile indefinitely; a pregnancy lasts for about seven months and produces anywhere from two to six cubs, so a den's exact size can vary noticeably from one year to the next. An ironfur den is an extremely close-knit group and fights to the death to protect its own -- they are especially vicious when they have young cubs, during which time they have been known to attack without provocation. Separate dens tend to give each other a wide berth but have been known to come into direct conflict when food is scarce.

Some ironfur bears never split off from their parent den even after they mate or produce offspring of their own, instead absorbing the new members into the existent den. These so-called "super dens" are exceedingly rare and no one is quite sure why they form, but there seems to be no upper limit to how large they can grow. Unfortunately these super dens can put a heavy strain on the available resources in a given area, and nearby civilizations are often forced to thin the bears' numbers.

DC 25: Because of their natural tenacity and their social behavior, ironfur bears are highly sought after as war mounts. Teaching an adult ironfur bear to accept a rider is almost impossible, but cubs are highly impressionable and will accept almost any species as its "mother" as long as it is cared for properly. Care must be taken when raising multiple cubs in close proximity, however: any females in the group will compete with one another for the position of matriarch (who in the wild is the "leader" of a den and generally gets first pick of both meals and mates). Though such conflicts are usually resolved through simple displays of ferocity, they can lead to outright fighting and, in rare cases, the death of one or more combatants (not to mention any collateral damage that might result from such fighting in a populated area). Even if a matriarch is decided upon peacefully, handling a female ironfur once she has assumed the mantle of matriarch can be difficult, as she will inherently attempt to lead the others, possibly conflicting with the commands of their handlers.

Encounter Groups
Level 13 Encounter (XP 4,100) — Troll Scouting Party
 * 3 bladerager trolls (level 12 brute)
 * 1 ironfur warbear (level 14 brute)
 * 1 war troll (level 14 soldier, Monster Manual pg. 254)