A monstrous cross between apid and ursid, a beer combines the aggression and territoriality of a bee with the doesn’t-die-when-it-hurts-you-once of a bear. Beers fill an important ecological niche, acting as pollinators of winter pansies and snow flowers in climates where normal bees are unable to survive. Their large bodies have layers of fat that protect them from the low temperatures.
A beer superficially resembles a bear in size and build, but their extra two legs, compound eyes, dangling antennae, and massive stinger provide distinct visual differentiations. Their fur has patterns similar to a bee’s body, with thick yellow-and-brown alternating stripes.
Beers can live on typical bear diets, but their innate craving for honey leads them to produce their own, particularly when providing for their young. An adult beer can easily fell large evergreens and strip their bark with powerful claws to expose their sap, which they collect in cheek pouches and bring back to their hexagonal dens to produce honey. Beer honey is nutrient-rich and highly desired by humanoid societies for the production of mead, but the inherent danger of collecting it from a beer’s den means such efforts are only attempted by the particularly brave or foolish.
Like their insectoid brethren, beers are highly social and supportive of other beers from the same pack. When one beer is in distress, they emit a powerful pheromone calling other beers to their aid. And like the ursine creatures they resemble, a beer will relentlessly attack anything that endangers them or their cubs. These combined traits lead most aspiring beerkeepers to think better of such endeavors.
Large monstrosity, unaligned
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 14 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 3 (-4) | 10 (+0) | 7 (-2) |
Charge. If the beer moves at least 10 feet in a straight line and hits a creature with their claws on their turn, the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength Saving Throw or be knocked Prone.
Pheremones. The beer has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Additionally, up to a range of 1 mile, the beer knows the exact location of every other beer and any creature cursed by the Mark of the Hive, as well as whether that creature has been damaged or is attacking another creature.
Multiattack. The beer makes two attacks with their claws and one with their stinger.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) Slashing damage.
Stinger (Recharge 5-6). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) Piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) Poison damage, and the creature must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution Saving Throw or be Paralyzed. At the end of each of their turns, the creature can repeat their Saving Throw, ending the Paralyzed condition on a successful save.
Mark of the Hive (1/Day). The beer targets a creature they can see or smell within 30 feet and uses their pheromones to Curse the target, marking the creature as an enemy of the hive. While Cursed in this manner, all beers have advantage on attacks they make against the target. This Cursed condition lasts for 24 hours or until the target dies.