(3.5) Whoa there!

[herrhauptmann]

So I was thinking about how the inevitable qualifies for mounted combat feats due to its centaur shaped body. Then started wondering, which race would work best with stacking the mounted combat feats, in addition to leap attack/combat brute?

Centaur: 4 racial HD monstrous humanoid, +2 LA

Bariaur: 3 outsider HD. +2 LA

Zelekhut: No MM entry about being usable for PCs, but it is an 8HD construct.

What other centaur shaped creatures are there, with their LA? (Yes, I could just layer templates onto those for awesome bonuses, but I'm wondering about distinct races.)

edit: As duskeclipse said, yes Bariaur seems the best so far. Can start taking class levels sooner than the others, and outsider HD are better than monstrous humanoid. Just wondering what else is out there.

[Dusk Eclipse]

maybe a tauric creature using a low HD quadruped base with a high strengh torso.

Also from your list I believe Bariaur is the best one, it has less HD and LA and the outsider HD are quite good, d10 (or d8 HD), martial proficiencies, IIRC 6+int skill points.

[Darrin]

maybe a tauric creature using a low HD quadruped base with a high strengh torso.


Phynxkin (Dragon Magic) + Water Orc (UA). 2 racial HD, +0 LA. And I think there's some trick where any template you stick on the bottom half that doesn't change the creature type to a non-animal lets you ignore the LA.



Also from your list I believe Bariaur is the best one, it has less HD and LA and the outsider HD are quite good, d10 (or d8 HD), martial proficiencies, IIRC 6+int skill points.

SR 11 + class level, too.

[herrhauptmann]

SR 11 + class level, too.

Does that SR include racial hit die as well class level? If so, it might actually be useful, if not, no way would it actually be useful in a regular game (as a PC)

[Devils_Advocate]

It says "class levels", so I guess not.

Instead of the BoED's fancy shmancy exalted bariaur, consider a regular bariaur as detailed in the Planar Handbook. Only +1 LA, no racial hit dice, and it too has SR 11 + class levels. Only Medium, but I'd as soon avoid the weirdness of tauroids with human-size hands and arms wielding Large weapons.

[Simba]

There is the Wemic, a liontaur, with a total of 7 (3 LA and 4 RHD iIrc). Cool, but too costly.

[Eldan]

Hmm.... does that mean centaurs can use ride checks to avoid getting hit in combat? That could be useful.

[Vizzerdrix]

I remember a belt that turns warforged into quadrupeds.

[Starbuck_II]

I remember a belt that turns warforged into quadrupeds.
Belt of being a Furry?

[Eldan]

It's a warforged. Would that make it a platy?

[Ormagoden]

I recall some blue multimouthed Tauric creature in one of the MMs.
Quadraphon or something like that?

Also unicorns?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'm a big fan of Tauric Lammasu + any humanoid with high mental stats, or just use Human. It may get quite a few racial HD, but it gets an equal number of levels of Cleric spellcasting, plus the Lammasu LA is ignored, not to mention flight, Pounce, Rake, Magic Circle, spell-like abilities....

[Optimystik]

Bariaur: 3 outsider HD. +2 LA
...
edit: As duskeclipse said, yes Bariaur seems the best so far. Can start taking class levels sooner than the others, and outsider HD are better than monstrous humanoid. Just wondering what else is out there.

Actually, Bariaur is better than you think - it's only +1 LA according to Planar Handbook.

[KillianHawkeye]

There's a demon from Fiendish Codex I (the Armanite?), and the Dracotaur from one of the later Monster Manuals. I'm AFB, so I unfortunately can't tell you their ECLs.

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

I pay attention to this sort of thing. The list in order of awesomeness:

NI infinite template Tauric abuse (gagging on cheese)
Savage Progression Dracotaur (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fc/20060616a) (Feels cheaper that that darn Ambush Drake)
non-exalted Bariaur (Its medium ... not quite the same feeling)
Centaur (the baseline, old-school original)
Well-picked Tauric combo (3.0-smelling)
Dracotaur (dragons are buff)
Exalted Bariaur (goody-two shoes)
Wemic (awesome fluff, bad cost)

Not sure on the demon or Quadraphon one

[Sinfire Titan]

I remember a belt that turns warforged into quadrupeds.

It's a Minor Artifact in the ESC.

[herrhauptmann]

Instead of the BoED's fancy shmancy exalted bariaur, consider a regular bariaur as detailed in the Planar Handbook. Only +1 LA, no racial hit dice, and it too has SR 11 + class levels. Only Medium, but I'd as soon avoid the weirdness of tauroids with human-size hands and arms wielding Large weapons.

Knew it was in a planar book, didn't realize they were different.
Was planning to add Wemic to the list today, just remembered it existed a few hours ago.

Please tell me more about this Dracotaur? Is it like a centaur half dragon or osmething?

[herrhauptmann]

So what book has the dracotaur? I'm not finding it.

[Sinfire Titan]

So what book has the dracotaur? I'm not finding it.

MM3. 10+ letters.

[Simba]

Wemic (awesome fluff, bad cost)


I love Wemics, but they are so expensive that they are not worth it usually. And it is hard to find a group to play in as a Wemic. I have been looking for a while now, but found nothing.

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

I love Wemics, but they are so expensive that they are not worth it usually. And it is hard to find a group to play in as a Wemic. I have been looking for a while now, but found nothing.That's a shame.

If I felt like DMing I'd help you out cuz I have a balanced ECL variation that helps having a not all human/strongheart halfling party.

[herrhauptmann]

That's a shame.

If I felt like DMing I'd help you out cuz I have a balanced ECL variation that helps having a not all human/strongheart halfling party.

Don't be a tease, tell us more!

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

It was orginally on 339 before the stalinist purges "Forum Upgrades." I have on BG as well. I'm pretty I've mentioned it on this forum but here you go:

ECL = Floor[HD/2-LA] + LA + Class levels

0) This variant is done on a character by character basis. Some in the party might use this but, not all must. This is why its a 'variant' and is actually useful.

1) Racial HD does not normally add to ECL. This makes most races ECL = Class Levels + LA. For exceptions see below:

2) The racial HD does not get con bonus to HP as class levels do. DMs should be strongly encouraged to waive this exception if they want PCs with more normal amounts of HP - IMO PC HP is way too low compared to the damage they can receive.

3) If a race has racial spellcasting related to its racial HD, remove that abilities racial power source up to it's HD. For instance an psychic Illithid would have no psuedo psion levels but a Spellweaver would still have 2 psuedo sorcerer levels. Remember that this variant is done in a character by character basis allowing a psionic illithid to not use this variant while a spellweaver in the party does.

4) Skill points for the first level are not added twice. So a character with racial HD and one class level may choose either to have the 4x(_+int) for either according to the HD or the class level's skill point allotment.

5) Skill points from racial HD do not allow a character to exceed the normal 3+ECL max since the HD no longer count towards the ECL.

6) BAB still counts as long as the total BaB from HD and ECL is doesn't exceed 20 (if it would exceed 20 it is instead set to 20). However PrC prereqs may at DM discretion not use the racial BAB especially if it would not otherwise be possible for that PrC to be in the build later on.

7) Natural healing rate is based off of ECL and so is not affected by the free racial HD, though this might seem a bit counter intuitive. If you want the RHD to help, it won't make a difference

8) Per level option of LA or RHD counting towards the required level for buyoff. This makes buyoffs happen a bit earlier. For players who use restoration cheese add a 1 iteration cap on each 'magic level' per LA row in the chart.

What does this do in total? It gives players a small power boost (BaB, skills, saves) rather than making them purposely suicide and indebten themselves so that they can remove their racial HD via ressurection and actually take useful class levels.

[AslanCross]

I remember a belt that turns warforged into quadrupeds.

That's actually an artifact, if I'm not mistaken.