When you channel a bear spirit, you may spend a spell point to increase the power of the bear spirit so that you transform into a bear for the duration of the effect. This is a polymorph effect.

When transformed into a bear, you gain the usual +10 bonus from polymorph to Disguise checks to pass as a bear, and you also lose your normal power of speech, although you gain the ability to speak and understand bears. You gain a bite attack and two claw attacks (1d4 Medium), and you gain low-light vision, scent, a 40 ft. move speed, and the benefits of being a quadruped. You gain a +2 natural armor bonus which increases by 1 per 5 caster levels.

At 5th caster level you gain a 30 ft. climb speed and a +2 size bonus to Strength.

At 10th caster level your claw attacks gain the grab universal monster ability, and you may choose to become Large size, which gives you +4 size bonus to Strength but a -2 penalty to Dexterity.

At 15th caster level, your bite and claw natural attacks increase their damage by one die size.

At 20th caster level you may choose to become Huge size, which gives you a +6 size bonus to Strength, but a -2 penalty to Dexterity.

While channeling a bear spirit, you gain the scent special ability. If you already have scent (such as when using the Bear Form talent), double the range of your scent.

While channeling a bear spirit, you gain a +5 ft. enhancement bonus to your speed per 2 caster levels.

You may touch a target and spend a spell point to grant them the benefits of your bear spirit for 1 minute per caster level. The target gains the benefits of any (bearacteristic) talents you possess that apply whenever you are channeling a bear spirit, and you may spend spell points as normal to activate any bearacteristics with a duration. However, the target does not gain access to bearacteristics you possess that require an action to activate.

Whenever you rest for 8 hours, you may spend a spell point to channel a bear spirit for the entire rest. Doing so heals you completely in addition to regaining your spell points. All non-magical poisons and diseases are also cured, and you may make an magical skill check to end any curse effect you might be suffering from.

While channeling a bear spirit, you may spend a spell point to make the area immediately around you (5 ft. + 5 ft. per 5 caster levels) difficult terrain for enemies for 1 round; enemies within this area cannot take 5-ft. steps and moving into, out of, or through this area costs twice as much movement as normal.

While channeling a bear spirit, you may spend a spell point as a free action to enter into a rage, as the barbarian class feature. This rage lasts for 1 round per caster level (or until the bear spirit ends), and you are fatigued afterward as normal. Unlike with most magic, you may continue to use Bear sphere abilities even while under the effects of this rage.

As a swift action, you may grow up to two bite attacks in place of up to two hands you possess, one per hand, until the end of your turn. This is a polymorph effect, but can be added on top of other polymorph effects and does not override them.

These hands become incapable of holding objects or weapons while they are replaced with bite attacks. You are considered armed while in possession of these bite attacks. You may spend a spell point when activating this ability to cause the bite attacks to remain until the end of the bear spirit.

The granted bite attacks count as both unarmed strikes and natural weapons, and deal 1d6 damage for a Medium creature. For every 5 caster levels you possess, increase the damage die size by 1 step.

While you are channeling a bear spirit you gain a morale bonus to Survival checks made to forage food and shelter equal to 1/2 your caster level.

As a standard action, you may spend a spell point to speak a terrible truth. All targets within 30 ft. must pass a Will save or be confused for 1d4+1 rounds as their minds reel from the effects of your words. This is a language-dependent effect; targets with an Intelligence below 3 or who cannot understand your words are immune.

While you are channeling a bear spirit you gain a bear’s thick skin and resilience. You gain +1 natural armor, as well as fire and cold resistance 2. You may take this talent multiple times; up to one additional time per 5 caster levels you possess. The effects stack.

While you are channeling a bear spirit, you gain the ferocity universal monster feature.

You gain a breath attack which deals 1d8 fire damage per 2 caster levels (minimum: 1d6) in a close-range cone. Targets within the affected area are allowed a Reflex save for half damage. You may use this breath attack once per 1d4 rounds, but may spend an additional spell point to use this ability again before 1d4 rounds have passed.

As a standard action you may spend a spell point to heal yourself or a touched ally for 2d6 hit points, +1d6 for each Bear sphere talent you possess beyond the base sphere and this talent.

You gain a fear aura that affects targets within 30 ft. of you; activating or deactivating this aura is a free action. All targets who are or come within this area must pass a Will save or become shaken for as long as they stay within the aura. If a creature succeeds at the saving throw, it cannot be affected again by the aura for 24 hours.

When you fail a saving throw, you may spend a spell point as an immediate action to reroll the save. You must accept the results of the reroll, even if it is worse.

While you are channeling a bear spirit you gain a morale bonus equal to 1/2 your caster level to Intimidate checks made to influence an opponent’s attitude.

When a target within your threatened area makes a melee attack roll against you, you may spend a spell point as an immediate action to make an magical skill check. If your magical skill check exceeds their attack roll, they must reroll their attack against themselves.

As a standard action, you may spend a spell point to cause one target creature to fall into a deep, restful slumber for one minute, immediately recovering 1 hit point per level and curing 1 point of ability damage for each ability score as though resting for 8 hours. Each round the target sleeps, they regain 1 hit point + 1 hit point per 3 caster levels (this counts as natural healing). If the sleeping target takes damage or another creature attempts to wake them as a standard action, the target does not automatically awaken, but instead must succeed at a Will save to wake up. An unwilling creature can attempt a Will save to negate this effect, and on a successful save the creature is staggered for 1 round as they resist the urge to curl up and sleep. This is a mind-affecting sleep effect.

Author's Note: No, this does not count as a full night's rest for any purpose (no refreshing spell points, no healing from draining casting damage). It is bearly an appropriate substitute for the real thing.

When making a skill check, you may spend a spell point to add a +1d6 bonus to that skill check.

While you are channeling a bear spirit, an ally may hug you as a standard action. Doing so allows them to reroll their saving throw against any detrimental effect they are suffering from that required a Will save. They may only use this benefit once per effect.

When you fail a Knowledge check, you may spend a spell point and 10 minutes contemplating to reroll the check. You may only use this bearacteristic once per Knowledge check.

As a standard action, you may make an Intimidate check to demoralize against all enemies within 30 ft. of you. You may spend a spell point when doing so to add half your caster level as a bonus to this Intimidate check. If the target is already shaken (such as due to an application of Fursome Aura), the effect of this Intimidate check makes them frightened instead of shaken.

When using the bear strength bearacteristic and successfully striking a corporeal target, you may spend an additional spell point to compare the result of your attack roll to your opponent’s CMD. If your attack roll is higher, the target is knocked flying 10 ft. in a single direction of your choice and falls prone. The target cannot move closer to you than its starting square, and if an obstacle prevents the completion of the target’s move, it strikes the obstacle and each take 1d6 points of damage before the target falls prone in an adjacent space.

Prerequisites: Bear sphere, 5th caster level or higher.

As a full-round action you may draw a 10-ft. diameter circle on the ground and spend a spell point. The area inside the circle becomes immune to bears; all targets therein gain a +2 to AC and saving throws made against attacks or effects created by bears, and bears cannot break the circle nor cross beyond its boundaries. When creating an antarctic circle, the creator can spend an additional spell point to increase the circle’s power, granting bonuses against and repelling all animals, rather than only bears. An antarctic circle lasts for up to 1 hour per caster level, but if broken (such as by someone scuffing the drawing), the effect ends early.

Prerequisites: Bear sphere, Antarctic Circle, 10th caster level or higher.

When creating an antarctic circle, you may spend 2 spell points instead of 1 to transform it into an arctic circle instead of an antarctic circle. An arctic circle attracts bears, both natural (if any are nearby) and summoned (if there aren’t). It takes 1 minute for bears to arrive if natural bears are attracted, but summoned bears can take up to an hour to arrive.

When the bears do arrive, they form a troop that obeys the caster. The bear troop lasts for 1 minute per caster level before dissipating as the bears either disappear or go back to their normal homes.

At 10th caster level, you may summon a black bear troop.

At 15th caster level you may summon a grizzly bear troop.

At 20th caster level you may summon a dire bear troop.

Statistics for bear troops are found under the Bestiary section below.

Prerequisites: Bear sphere, caster level 5.

As a standard action you may touch a bear and spend 3 spell points, granting it the ability to handle weapons and shields with its front paws. The bear gains proficiency with all simple and martial weapons, as well as firearms. While this does not make the bear more intelligent, they do gain the necessary knowledge to fight efficiently with its new weapon skills.