If you were a Centaur...

[Zanfire]

Just for s&gs, I'm playing with the idea of fleshing out a build for a Centaur...except I'm having trouble settling on an archetype. I've mainly been tossing around lockdown or charger, maybe a reasonably effective combination of both...?

I do have this image of him getting pissed off at someone in a tavern and just backhanding him 80+ feet through the wall into the building across the street.

Looking for him mostly mundane, or at least strictly not an arcane/divine caster. I haven't messed with Incarnum/Binder/ any of the classes with infusions, but a little flavorful enhancement from that could be cool.

In essence, just picking the Playground's brain on interesting archetypes, with rough progressions/key elements, for a Centaur.

[Invader]

I think if you go with any kind of charger/lockdown/lots of str build you immediately throw out "interesting" because that's exactly what everyone does with something like a centaur. A meek bookish wizard centaur clip clopping through a library or a sneaky rogue centaur trying to scale buildings for B&E or picking pockets seems way more interesting to me.

[togapika]

Playing the exact opposite of what you should is also incredibly bland.
I'd say maybe make him a Tome of Battle class with focus on White Raven, maybe get a few more centaur you can lead as a group of mounted knights.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Fighter 2 or 6 with the Dungeoncrasher ACF from Dungeonscape and the feat Knock-Back from Races of Stone. Probably take War Hulk from the Miniatures Handbook after that.

[Zanfire]

I usually go the sneak or bookish type route so a tough guy is something new which is why I'm going for it.

Warblade/Crusader and Dungeoncrasher are on my radar.

What do you recommend about War Hulk?

Thanks for the input!

[Eldariel]

Hulking Hurler. Throw Stuff Centaur. Bonus points for it being hilariously effective.

[enderlord99]

If I were a centaur, I'd be a cleric that spouts cliche nonsense in worship of a deity I refuse to refer to by name.:smallwink:

[Saito Takuji]

centaur paladin, with focus on using his/her mount, only the mount isn't him/herself, but another creature, mabey a hexa-pedial something, or an aquatic mount, just imagine a centaur paladin riding a killer whale into battle with the enemy pirate ship.

[Yogibear41]

Scount/Ranger IMO your half horse no one is ever going to catch you, you should be running circles around people while you mow them down with a longbow.

[Lothmar]

I only have a four letter word as an answer... Monk.

Would love to hear his base speed after everything is applied, including magical horseshoes. ~chuckle~

[enderlord99]

If I were a centaur, I'd be a cleric that spouts cliche nonsense in worship of a deity I refuse to refer to by name.:smallwink:

The aforementioned deity would, of course, be a "God of Simplified Visual Art."

[Saito Takuji]

I only have a four letter word as an answer... Monk.

Would love to hear his base speed after everything is applied, including magical horseshoes. ~chuckle~

SRD assuming level 18-20 in monk would get 220 50 base +60 for monk levels, and double it for the horseshoes of the peerless steed, could probably put in for the next 2 levels something with more fast movement.

of course if you do it as ECL 18-20 it would be less due to LA and racial HD

[nedz]

I have a vision of a Centaur armed with only a great club galloping along whilst six or seven halflings bounce around on his back.

I'm not sure whether the Halflings should be a cohort and several ineffectual followers — the Centaur himself being a Druid; or whether this should be a halfling adventuring party with the centaur being the obligatory large member.

[Malroth]

Artificer/renagade mastermaker to turn yourself into a cyborg Centaur

[enderlord99]

...Why are people ignoring my answer?

[The Glyphstone]

Because no one else gets the joke? I sure don't.:smallconfused:

[enderlord99]

Because no one else gets the joke? I sure don't.:smallconfused:

Look at my avatar. I was describing exactly what "I already am" (by which I really mean what "my avatar already is.")

[Tvtyrant]

If I were a Centaur I would play a Wu Jen and be extremely mystical, and then use Giant Size to trample things to death with my colossal hooves!

[Tragak]

Well, most centaurs look down on being used as "steeds" for bipeds, but maybe this one doesn't see how it's different from bipeds who carry each other when one is injured?

Also, maybe he would get annoyed that, no matter how much he cares about his companions personally, they cannot keep up with him without mounts unless he walks at what he feels is snail's pace? Then, maybe in times like combat/scouting where the other people can't use their mounts as much, he would want to go off on his own (possibly carrying a specific companion) for the chance to not slow down as much?

[Blightedmarsh]

Spider climb so he can run up the sides of building.

[Xan_Kriegor]

It throws on +3 more LA, but if you add the Half-Dragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/halfDragon.htm) template you gain a fly speed double your base land speed, up to a cap of 120 ft. If you have a level in Barbarian (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/barbarian.htm) that'd put you up to the 120ft. fly speed. Sadly, the Monk's (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/monk.htm) Fast Movement feature gives an enhancement bonus so it doesn't stack nearly as well.

[ArqArturo]

If I were a centaur, I'd be a Cleric with the Trickery Domain, acting as an inquisitor.

Because No One expects the Centaur Inquisition!.

[Postmodernist]

Bard. Centaur bard. Centard.

Specialist Necromancer: Mr. Dead. Can't beat a dead horse.

[Yael]

A friend of mine played a centaur once, we used to bully him because he placed ranks in climb, which is imposible on certain checks (like climbing a 90º tree). He rolled 20s on each of those checks, our dm let him do it because of the checks, and it looked fun.

Problem is the LA and the RHDs, ranger could fit the typical fey, also try druid.

[Jbr208]

Not an answer by any stretch of the imagination, but I read the title and immediately started thinking up a parody of "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof.

If I were a centaur,
Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum.
All day long I'd canter 'round the glade.
If I were a half-horse man.
I wouldn't have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy horse,
Idle-diddle-daidle-daidle man.

Those pesky "dibby's," "deedle's" and "daidle's" make it hard to parody without just duplicating the (in the new context) fairly random syllables. Damn you Tevye! If anyone has ideas for the next verse, I'm all ears. Syllable count by line in second verse:12/8/11/11/9/10.

[Darth Stabber]

centaur paladin, with focus on using his/her mount, only the mount isn't him/herself, but another creature, mabey a hexa-pedial something, or an aquatic mount, just imagine a centaur paladin riding a killer whale into battle with the enemy pirate ship.

Would a centaur paladin get a "special rider"?

Personally I would go with a warblade, and grab some charger feats too. Prepare for a ride on the pain train!

[Jeff the Green]

Would a centaur paladin get a "special rider"?

Pick up the Dragon Steed feat. At 12th level you can get a Gold Dragon wyrmling, which has alternate form (any humanoid or animal). Give him some armor and a lance and you're good!

[Hyena]

Wait, wait, I am so confused right now. Do the rules even allow you to use centaurs as mounts?

[Jeff the Green]

Wait, wait, I am so confused right now. Do the rules even allow you to use centaurs as mounts?

The rules allow halflings to ride dwarves, so I'm going to assume yes.

[Tragak]

Wait, wait, I am so confused right now. Do the rules even allow you to use centaurs as mounts? The rules don't matter: if one character wants to carry another who's small enough, he can do it.

If one has special techniques that he can use while riding, it would be even easier to do it when the creature he's riding is intelligent and can be taught what the rider wants to do and can practice helping him, instead of him training an animal and hoping for the best.

[ArqArturo]

The rules allow halflings to ride dwarves, so I'm going to assume yes.

So basically a halfling can call his trusty friend Hodor (http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/29900000/Bran-Stark-Hodor-game-of-thrones-29933390-1280-720.jpg)?.

[Jeff the Green]

So basically a halfling can call his trusty friend Hodor (http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/29900000/Bran-Stark-Hodor-game-of-thrones-29933390-1280-720.jpg)?.

Nah, Hodor's a goliath.

[ArqArturo]

Nah, Hodor's a goliath.

I thought Goliaths had Weapon profiency (gnome), Races of Stone taught me so.

[Deathkeeper]

If your DM let you consider yourself mounted for Lance charges, Knight would be pretty cool. He's the hero and the noble steed in one! Standard knight things would go fine. Stand still and some charging feats. Charge, get in the thick of it and maybe kill something, then keep anything from moving with SS with your Large size and Reach weapon. Normally it's a bit dangerous if they stab the mount, but you don't have one!

[Zanfire]

Wow, just checked in after work and enough replies to break the horses back ::smallyuk:

So I think I'm looking at charge & lockdown still as my best options, i can google those l8r unless anyone has some nifty mount oriented suggestions.

Any suggestions on the weird magic side? Initially my only thought was Psywar to pump size and some dmg buffs, but with the nature feel of centaur I'm still wondering if maybe totemist/binder might have any cool offerings to pal around with?

[Metahuman1]

Well, Totemist offers a trick to get perfect flight maneuverability if the dm allows it, off the top of my head.

Binder can get you things like free heavy armor that doesn't impede movement, better talking skills, healing, some teleportation, pounce, the ability to hit each opponent who's space you can move through, so on.

[Tokiko Mima]

...then you'd shop for clothes at 'Old Neigh-vy?'
...then you refer to all Paladins and Clerics as Knight Horsepitalers?

On a more serious, but not completely serious note, no one would expect a centaur Mortal Kombat character to meet them on the field of battle.

So here's your build: Warlock 4/Monk 2. Take Combat Casting at 1st level, Eldritch Claw at 3rd level, and Beast Strike at 6th. Then go into Enlightened Fist (ideally) from then on, or any other class you want, really.

The result: Your unarmed attack does 2d8 + 2d6 + Str mod damage. This goes up when your eldritch damage increases by the same amount, or when your unarmed strike damage increases you get double that increase. Throw fireballs! Strike with eldritch claws! You can choose invocation that allow flight and short ranged teleportation, and I recommend Repelling Blast when you can get it. :smallbiggrin:

[nedz]

Druid with Deadly Hunter and Avenger ACFs of course.

Full casting with Rage and Wis to AC, decent barding can be quite hard to source. More speed oh and you can do the track and FE thing also.

[killem2]

One of the races of books talks about centaurs and riders, it is totally possible but it it considered a great honor by the centaur and not something that should be taken lightly.