Bear Shaman

A bear shaman who chooses an animal companion must select a bear. If choosing a domain, the bear shaman must choose from the Animal, Earth, Protection, and Strength domains.

A bear shaman can use wild empathy with bears and wolverines as a full-round action with a +4 bonus.

At 2nd level, a bear shaman may adopt an aspect of the bear while retaining her normal form. She gains one of the following bonuses: movement (+10 enhancement bonus to land speed, +4 racial bonus on Swim checks), senses (low-light vision, scent), toughness (+2 natural armor bonus to AC, Endurance feat), or natural weapons (bite [1d6] and 2 claws [1d4] for a Medium shaman, +2 to CMB on grapple checks). While using totem transformation, the bear shaman may speak normally and can cast speak with animals (mammals only) at will. Using this ability is a standard action at 2nd level, a move action at 7th level, and a swift action at 12th level. The bear shaman can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to her druid level. These minutes do not need to be consecutive, but they must be used in 1-minute increments. This is a polymorph effect and cannot be used while the druid is using another polymorph effect, such as wild shape.

At 5th level, a bear shaman may cast summon nature’s ally as a standard action when summoning bears, and summoned bears gain temporary hit points equal to her druid level. She can apply the young template to any bear to reduce the level of the summoning spell required by one. She can also increase the level of summoning required by one in order to apply either the advanced or the giant template, or increase it by two to apply both the advanced and giant templates. This ability replaces a thousand faces.

At 6th level, a bear shaman’s wild shape ability functions at her druid level – 2. If she takes on the form of a bear, she instead uses her druid level + 2. This ability replaces wild shape.

At 9th level and every 4 levels thereafter, a bear shaman gains one of the following bonus feats: Diehard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Great Fortitude, Toughness. She must meet the prerequisites for these bonus feats. This ability replaces venom immunity.