Domesticated Black Bear

If any bear species can be domesticated, it would be the black bear, as their are many examples of tamed bears in both the real and fantasy worlds.  In addition, all the other bear species are just too wild to be even tamed let alone domesticated through non-magical means.

Domesticated bears look very much like their wild cousins.  There are small differences:  A slightly shorter face, and slightly smaller body and paws.  Behaviorally, these bears are completely comfortable with their human companions.  Like dogs, these animals are wary of strangers, but become friendly once becoming familiar with their owners' human companions.  Domesticated bears attach themselves to one owner and his or her family, and are loyal, loving companions similar to some guard dog breeds.  These bears' intelligence allows their owners to train them to perform tasks more complex than most dogs are able to do.  Bears' sense of smell is better than a bloodhound, and their hearing is superior to any dog breed as well.  Unlike equines, bears have little fear of caves and enclosed spaces.  Along with their great strength (19 equivalent), domesticated bears make excellent companion and service animals, as long as their owners can afford to feed them.

Statistics:

Climate/Terrain:    Tropical to temperate land

Frequency:          Common

Organization:       Family

Diet:               Omnivore

Intelligence:       Semi- (2-4)

Treasure:           Nil

Alignment:          Neutral

No. Appearing:      1-2

Armor Class:        7

Movement:           14

Hit Dice:           3+1

THAC0:              16

No. of Attacks:     3 (claw/claw/bite)

Damage per Attack:  1-3/1-3/1-6

Special Attacks:    Hug for 2-8 hp

Special Defenses:   Nil

Magic Resistance:   Nil

Size:               M (4-6 ft. long)

Morale:             Average (8-10)

XP Value:           175

Combat:  Aside from the normal damage this bear can do, if it scores a hit of eighteen plus, it also hugs for an additional 2-8 hit points of damage.

Sekir the Consumer, an Artifact Class Weapon

A dull black Footman's Mace with gold trim, +5, that possesses abilities and powers that makes it an artifact class weapon. 

Name: Sekir the Consumer, Int – 18, Ego – 18, Alignment – Neutral Evil.

• Life Draining Ability – drain one level of experience per successful hit. The power is from a connection to the Negative Material Plane, and to keep this power activated, the possessor must seek out and attack any undead creature with life draining powers with the mace to maintain this connection. Once the undead creature is struck, it's body and essence is absorbed into the mace. This power must be recharged during the first period of new moons after the new year. Otherwise, the mace is a -2 cursed weapon and all other powers and abilities cease to function until it's recharged during another period of new moons later in the year.

• Dancing weapon per Sword of Dancing (cf).

• Confers to the possessor protection, +2 from all attacks, cf ring of protection.

• Detect Alignment when held and ordered, 90' radius.

• Confers to the possessor a mild case of paranoia to the effect that he, or she cannot bring him, or herself to trust anyone completely. Plus he, or she is always suspicious of people's motives.

• When the life draining ability is used, the possessor must save versus petrification at a -2 adjustment (cumulative with all other adjustments), or have one experience level drained as well. 

• When a good aligned character touches the weapon, he or she takes eighteen hit points of damage, save to half damage.  In either case, he or she will never want to touch the mace again.  When a character of any neutral alignment touches the weapon, it must make an appropriate saving throw, or its alignment instantly converted to neutral evil, and be possessed by the mace, otherwise take nine hit points damage.

The story behind this weapon is it was a reward for my anti-cleric after surviving an extremely difficult series of battles in an arena entertaining a group of mysterious god-like persons.  The beings never gave a clue as to who they were, or why they gave the mace to my priest of Set.  The whole situation was a complete mystery, so the mace's origins are mysterious as well.