The Werebear: A Unique and Crazy Tank Druid Build | D&D 5e

Since you did a werebear, how about doing a “Weretiger” build next?

I love Dwarven Fortitude, you can start brawls just to get the opportunity to use your hit dice without needing to rest. Makes for a very fun cantankerous dwarf character.

Can you do a drakewarden build? Love to see a ranger optimized to fight on the back of a dragon

My versions would be kinda basic, I would probably choose the longtooth or beasthide shifter and pair it with beast barbarian. When shifted and raging you could have 3 attacks at level 3, and 4 at level 5 using claws and your BA bite. Throw in the slasher feat for when you crit using your claws or greatsword, and your reckless attacks become normal attacks from that critted enemy. Maybe take Sentinel at level 8, otherwise GWM is great if you want to go the more traditional route, though YMMV if you want to wield a weapon while utilizing the claw form.

As far as future multiclassing goes, hunter ranger (3 could get you an additional attack when hordebreaker permits, or colossus slayer would be consistent. Fighter (3 or 4) is always good, or long death monk, open hand or kensei monk could be good depending on wat you're going for [THP durability, control or ac durability respectively]

Alternatively, leonin could be used [reskinned as a bear person] instead of shifter for it's BA frightening roar. It's issues is it's just limited to once per short rest and its other features are kind of redundant/bad.


One correction, Flurry of Bows uses requires a use of the attack action for set up, while the brown bear is using the multi attack action to get its 2 attack in. Once you get extra attack from monk you can do 2 claw attacks with the attack action though followed up with FoB.

It would be cool if you would name some of the options of the build that you considered. For example Shifter Beasthide would be absolutely perfect here, but you didn't even mentioned it 😢
(Cool video)

The ac buff is nice, but if going for a bit more funny take 2 into undead warlock for undead bear with some extra temp hit points plus essentially "fearing bear strikes" due to form of dread, also makes for zombie/skeletal wildshapes

Plus, you can pick up Shillelagh as a druid, so you can use wis for your normal attacks out of wild shape.

I would personally go into more levels in Monk to 11th, just to get the Feature "Mastery of Death". That way you are a Tank rivaling Zealot Barbarian (as long as you have Ki Points), because you can't die as long you use 1 ki to come back with one HP. Its a free action, so it doesn't interrupt your action economy.

That still leaves 9 Lvls of Druid spells to take advantage off, which has some absolute bangers there.

YES!!!!!!! 😂 ☕️ ☕️

So many ideas .

Simic Hybrid comes to mind. Tho I think ive put this concept out on the channel before.
Moon druid. Astral Self Monk.
Take swim or climb speed at first lvl. (Whichever bears don't have/depending on the bear.) And grappling Appendages at 5th. Could do mad and slip into rune knight fighter. .... something about a large bear with something like 10 or 15 ft reach that grabber issues. Just seems terrifying.

Thanks for another great build! I may try this one out

I like the idea of gem dragonborn for this as a race. Psionic werebear, and now I also want a troll werewolf. But telepathic speech and gemflight is nice on this, and dragonbreath on flurry of blows or on grapples sounds fun.

One thing to point out: Multi-Attack is not the same as the Attack Action. Flurry of Blows requires you to take the Attack Action, so you can't get 4 attacks at level 4. You could do a single attack action Bite or Claw and then Flurry of Blows if you wanted to go that route for 3 attacks in a round. Getting Extra Attack from Monk at level 5 would allow for 4 attacks using natural weapons of your choice using the Attack Action + Flurry of Blows.

Also as a reminder for some, while all creatures can make unarmed attacks, the Claws and Bites are not considered unarmed in this context. However your Monk martial arts would apply to a bear Fist or Kick or Headbutt or whatever you want.

The main issue with Dwarven Fortitude, is that it's based on the Dwarf's Fortitude. The same reason that natural weapons or breath attacks, or most racial features, are less helpful or even pointless on a moon druid being because you change your physiology. If you're a bear, you are no longer physically a Dwarf, and Dwarf-Dependant features shouldn't work.

If we start as an owlin, we can be an owlbear. 🤣🤣🤣😂😁

Can you make a concept build for a Jedi? The prerequisite is you gotta have the classic lightsaber, use the force, and be able to manipulate people’s minds to your benefit.

I pointed out the Dwarven Fortitude + Patient Defense combo a couple months ago and I’m super stoked he finally got this out! I prefer to pair this with Barbarian instead of Druid and go with a more Wolverine/Deadpool vibe. Also, any ASIs after getting dwarven fortitude might be fun to put into martial adept to get battle master maneuvers.

Sweet build with amazing synergies, Sage, keep on keeping on! <3

Build idea: The Forcerer is a Fighter/ Sorcerer multiclass. Dungeon Dudes says it's a C-tier build, but I think the boosted action economy of combining quicken spell and action surge makes for a more consistent mixture of martial and magical combat. I really see a lot of potential for rune knight and battle master to mix with divine soul, storm soul, or clockwork soul, although i think most sorcerers work well here. Maybe there's a good mix of scagtrips, spells that use bonus actions, spells that avoid concentration, control spells, and buffing spells. I think this combo can tank or skirmish.

Strong Work, Sir !!
Original, durable, and excellent! I have not seen the dwarven fortitude used with much aside from bloodwell vials... This is very versatile and strong. I applaud this build idea.

I created this character as a Beasthide Shifter. Ability scores were a bit wanky this game, because they were rolled and the best stat spread was given to all players. So 13, 14, 10, 16, 20, 12 after the math settled.

Sage Background. My group also allows for a feat as part of backgrounds, i chose the Chef feat.

She was a small woman modeled after the diner waitress, southern belle, and farmer's daughter character Archetypes. A little woman with a blue sundress and blond hair braided into pigtails.

First level Barbarian. The only level where i felt danger. I relied on my shifter and chef temp hit points until i could earn enough money to buy Hide armor and a wooden shield.

2 more levels of barbarian, took the bear totem barbarian. She hasd a boss fight at level 2 where she solo-d a grizzly bear. Her beast totem was a leather book made from that bear's hide.

First 2 levels of Druid. Of course i chose moon druid. The bear-book was allowed to be my casting focus sence totems are allowed for druids. She came alive at level 5. All of her magic was bear-themed.

4 more levels of Druid. Levels 6-8 felt kinda bad. I was behind the curve on magical bear attacks. At level 9 (6 levels of druid) everything became alright again. I could shift into grizzlys finally, and my attacks were magical.

From here, i went into purely barbarian for 3 more levels. Took the bear totem option. At level 12, the DM mage a Huge Polar Bear boss that allowed me to take that form for the last stage of the game.

Had we continued that campaign after level 12, i would have went the rest of the levels in barbarian, taking the bear totem feature at level 20.

She didn't really cast spells in combat much. So most of her spells were for being the party momma bear out of combat. She had a couple though for when Raging was a bad idea. Summon Animals to summon bears, and a Bear-shaped Lightning Cloud.

Now i got another challenging build. Whats a way you would build two different characters in one? Say.. a curse that made two different people fuse into one mass. But each of those people have different strengths and weaknesses? It does sound more roleplay and flavoured focus but how would a build look for such character

I’ve always thought a monk dip was underrated for a moon Druid, happy to see you utilizing it here

I went with changeling instead of dwarf for my werebear to be able to pull off some creature feature shenanigans. Only took 1 level dip in monk so far, wasn't planning on going higher but you have me rethinking that.

I really like the Dwarven Fortitude + Bear.
The monk lvls are bad 😶, you cant use FoB because natural weapons are nor monk weapons or unarmed atks, this is Jeremy's ruling, i ask.
Totem or Beast Barbarian is really flavorful and more poweful.

Where bear? There bear!

I've never seen a build that uses traditional tanking (meaning intentionally getting attacked) that actually works. Using the bear's hit dice, PLUS the Dodge action, is pretty brilliant.

I’d maybe dip into bear totem barbarian for the resistances, but that isn’t entirely necessary.

Have you tried making a walls and barriers build?

A magic scroll master would be cool

Love the idea and the style.
I have a challenge for you as well:
Someone who excelles at fighting underwater. Maybe even within melee range with some options for ranged.

I am curious what you would come up with and what your though process will be.

When I saw The Werebear I thought it was going to be a Beast Barbarian build or a Shifter Build.

Try making a gunslinger paladin.😅

Hey man I just wanted to let you know I’ve been using some of these builds dialed down a step against my players and it’s been very fun

If the bad guys are getting damaged by the tank..they are gonna look for softer targets and leave your tank alone.

New to dnd, but quick question. Monks flurry of blood uses unarmed strikes right? Does the wild shape attacks count as unarmed? I thought they was just natural...again...new so curious how this works.