Werebear advice.

[Joe Eskimo]

So i'll be making a 1st lvl human ranger werebear PC. He'll have 7HD(1 from ranger, 6 from the bear's HD). I don't have much experience with lycanthropes so I need help from you guys.

Seeing as I have 7 hd, does that give me 4 feats?
-1 at first level as a ranger
-1 for being human
-2 for the bear's 6hd(at 3rd and 6th hd) which advances me to 7hd

also, if i do get those 4 feats am I forced to spend them on the bear's feats(run, toughness) or do those feats(run,toughness) become bonus feats for being a werebear along with iron will and track? Leaving me my own choice as to what feats to choose.

Finally,, do I get an ability increase for my 4th hit die?

[Raineh Daze]

From what I remember...

1) 3 feats. Human, HD.
2) You don't have to spend on those feats, but you don't get them for free.
3) I think you get an ability increase? Not sure; racial HD can be weird.

Also, this should probably be in Ask A Question.

[phaedrusxy]

You get feats at 1, 3, and 6 hit dice, plus one for being human. So four, yes.
You do have to use the feats on something, but it doesn't have to be the same ones as for a "generic" bear, IIRC.
Yes, you should get ability increases every 4 levels, like everyone else.

[Raineh Daze]

... oh yeah, forgot the 1st HD feat. >_>;

Please, forget I said anything.

[Joe Eskimo]

Cool. Looks like I have my answer. Thanks!

[kitep]

It's total HD, not level or ECL that determines feats and stat increases.

Since you have 7 HD, you get 3 feats - 1 @ 1HD, 1 @ 3HD, 1 @ 6HD.  You get a 4th feat from being human.  You get a 5th feat because lycanthropes get Iron Will as a bonus feat.  You get a 6th feat because werebears get track as a bonus feat.  The first 4 feats you can take whatever, you don't have to take the ones listed in the MM.  The bonus feats have to be those specific 2 and cannot be changed.

You get another feat when you add 2 more HD.

You do get a stat increase @ 4HD.  You get another stat increase with your next HD.

You're consided a 9th level character -- 7 for HD, 2 for LA (or 10th level if you're a "natural" with a +3 LA)

Good luck!

[Joe Eskimo]

Thanks sir 

[xzyx]

Suggestion that may or may not be useful:

Have you considered using a Shifter instead of a werebear human to pass on the "werebear" feel?

They are from the "Eberron Campaign Setting" book, a race of half-lycnathropes (sort of). You could make an excellent werebear by doing a barbarian/fist of the forest (from Complete Champion)/bear warrior (from complete warrior), if you want to.

That aside, you can choose all of your feats even by going straight werebear.

[Joe Eskimo]

Thanks for the tip xzyx. I'll look into that.