Werebear

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the werebear is a type of lycanthrope.

Publication history

The werebear first appeared in the original Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set (1974).

The werebear appeared in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the original Monster Manual (1977). The werebear appeared as a player character race in Dragon #24 (April 1979). The werebear appeared as a character class in White Dwarf #17, by Lewis Pulsipher.

The werebear appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977, 1981, 1983). The werebear appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991). The werebear appeared as a player character class in Night Howlers (1992).

The werebear appeared in the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and was reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).

The lycanthrope appeared as a creature template in the third edition Monster Manual (2000), and in the 3.5 revised Monster Manual (2003), with the werebear as a sample creature. The werebear appeared as a player character race in Dragon #313 (November 2003).

WereBear

The WereBears were a series of teddy bears released in 1983 in the United Kingdom. They were created by George Nicholas, a muralist and managing director with Impact Murals, philanthropist and director of his charity Art For Their Sake, cartoonist, animator, and author, so that boys could have teddy bears without worrying about being bullied.

History

Four bears were originally released in 1983. The bears were named Grizzler, Howler, Fang, and Gums. Each bear came with a story tape narrated by Oliver Postgate of Bagpuss fame, with one side explaining how the WereBears came to be and the other telling the individual bear's own adventure. In 1986, another line of teddies called the TerrorTeds were created. A fifth WereBear named Growler was released the same year.

Synopsis

The WereBears adventure begins near the fictional village of Munchen-Luncheon, a tiny place in a remote corner of Bavaria where time seems to have stood still. The Bears were created by kindly old toymaker Baron Egon Baconburger, who lives in Castle Casserole. But the Baron fell victim to an ancient curse on his family that changed him into a werewolf, and somehow he passed on this curse to the four teddy bears... hence they became WereBears. Now the Bears have got themselves hopelessly lost in the forest and the Baron desperately needs to find them before his secret is discovered. The Baron and the Bears may look scary, but they are still innocent and good-hearted inside. However, there are darker forces to be reckoned with... anything might happen in the forest beyond Munchen-Luncheon, because it is the enchanted domain of the horrible Witch Hazel, her hideous TerribleTeds, and other assorted nasties!