An owlbear was a large magical monstrosity that appeared like the lovechild of an Owl and a Brown Bear. Aggressive and utterly ferocious, they were among the most feared predators in the wilderness. They had larger bodies than brown bears and were covered in shaggy coats of both bristly fur and feathers. They also possessed serrated beaks and sharp claws reminiscent of an owl's, but of a much greater size. Nocturnal and possessing avian eyes adapted to darkness, owlbears were especially active at night, and subsisted on a mostly carnivorous diet.
Owlbears generally lived in temperate climates and forested areas, but "snowy" variations could be found in colder temperatures and tundra.
The origin of the owlbear was a mystery: the mostly widely held theory was that the first owlbear was the product of a demented mage crossing a Bear and a Giant Owl. The goal was likely to combine the bear's strength, stamina, and claws and the owl's keen senses, but the experiment was likely a failure, given how bad-tempered and untrainable the resulting creature turned out.