Normally, it is almost unheard of for bears to attack travelers. They are, in fact, so shy and so inactive during the day that most people never encounter a bear at all. However, should a bear be provoked, they are remarkably dangerous. The normally placid-seeming creatures become enraged, and can strike massive blows with their paws, capable of knocking a man off his feet.
—From Codex entry: BearBackground
Bears live in forests, often near settlements. They are known for breaking into cabins and stealing food. They have a special fondness for honey. There is also a trained bear with a trainer at the Pearl brothel in Denerim.
Types
Black Bear
A summoned black bear.
The more common type. Encountered in Lothering during the quest When Bears Attack and in the Brecilian Forest. A Mage Warden will also get the black bear companion for the remainder of the Harrowing in the Origin story. Second ranger talent lets you summon a black bear, while the shapeshifters can turn into one with their second spell. Ranger's bear levels up with character and thus makes for a great tanking ally, with high health and damage output. While same applies to the bear form, its use prevents the casting of spells and thus should only be used as a last resort.
They can use the following:
Slam (Ability)
Rage (Ability) (restricted from summoned bears.)
Great Bear
The one in the picture above. It is far larger and more powerful than the Black bear, and gains Overwhelm. Master Ranger converts the summoned bear to Great Bear, marginally increasing its power and letting it use Rage. Lieutenant - ranked Great bears are encountered in the Brecilian Forest, while a boss-ranked version can be fought on the Battlefield location.
Bereskarn
One of the Bereskarns.
A bear corrupted by the Blight, that has lost its sentience and became a ghoul, much like Blight wolves and Corrupted spiders. They use the same skills as Great bears, but have much higher stats, with increased armor, health, attack and defence. One is encountered in the Dalish Elf Origin, while the sloth demon in Mage Origin has stolen its form and appears and fights like one. Later on, The Warden can be ambushed by 3 Blight Wolves and Bereskarn in a Low Road encounter, while another, named Fade Rifter, can be fought during the Summoning Sciences quest.
A Shapeshifter's Bear Shape will be upgraded to Bereskarn with Master Shapeshifter.
Loot
- None, or random weapon/armor piece (scales up with the character's level.)
Bug
When summoned, the Great Bear will often get stuck in normal-sized doorways. This is noticeable, for example, during the Warden's Keep DLC quest.
