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Tyger
2007-10-03, 07:49 AM
I am doing a bit of home-brewing on the minotaur race for my upcoming campaign. I like the Dragonlance style minotaur base, and have come up with the following stats, based roughly on that race.

+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Base land speed is 30 feet.
+2 Natural armor bonus to AC.
+2 racial bonus on Intimidate, Swim, and Use Rope checks.
Minotaurs may take the Scent special quality as a feat.
Natural Attack: A minotaur may use his horns as natural weapons to make a gore attack, dealing 1d6 points of damage (plus the minotaur's Strength modifier). If the minotaur charges, his gore attack deals 2d6 points of damage, plus 1 1/2 times his Strength modifier. A minotaur can attack with a weapon at his normal attack bonus and make a gore attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll, and half Strength bonus on the damage roll).
Automatic Languages: Common and Minos
Favored Class: Fighter

I am thinking LA+1 is appropriate. A few skill points, the gore, an overall +2 to stats and +2 Natural Armor. Does that sound about right?

Zincorium
2007-10-03, 07:54 AM
Sounds pretty close, LA is pretty harsh and this is actually worth using despite it but isn't an automatic choice.

As an alternative, it could work with two racial dice of humanoid (non-monstrous).

I do have to ask about the swim and use rope though, I know minotaurs are considered excellent sailors, but they already have a bonus to swimming through a high strength, and use rope covers a lot of things that being a sailor wouldn't train you in. Not saying take it out, but look again at why it's included in there.

Overlard
2007-10-03, 08:52 AM
I'd say it teeters between +1 and +2.

The bonus to swim checks seems crazy though - they have hooves.

Tyger
2007-10-03, 09:00 AM
I'd say it teeters between +1 and +2.

The bonus to swim checks seems crazy though - they have hooves.

Well, I am pulling the Krynnish sailing race, so they are known as good sailors.

As for the hooves... never seen a horse swim have you? Those buggers can outswim any human. Partly because of their strength of course, but hooves are flat and solid, unlike hands and feet, which allow water to pass through the fingers and toes. In my experience (growing up on and around ranches) most hooved mammals are really good swimmers.

brian c
2007-10-03, 09:48 AM
I agree with Overlard, it's either a strong +1 or a weak +2.

daggaz
2007-10-03, 10:16 AM
Its definitely a +2 in my books. A great strength bonus and a con bonus, and you left both wisdom and intelligence unharmed? Sorry, but there are lots of reasons that charisma is a dump stat for so many people (not being related to saves or hps being the first two), and a -2 dex is easy enough to overcome for most characters, even without the +2NA which pretty much takes care of the AC side of things as it is.

As it stands, these guys are solid fighters, barbarians, clerics, druids, and even decent wizards. (you can live with the -1 to ranged touched attacks, given the awesome physical stats). Definitely +2 LA

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2007-10-03, 11:28 AM
Minotaurs may take the Scent special quality as a feat.

I would consider making this available at 1st level only.


Natural Attack: A minotaur may use his horns as natural weapons to make a gore attack, dealing 1d6 points of damage (plus the minotaur's Strength modifier). If the minotaur charges, his gore attack deals 2d6 points of damage, plus 1 1/2 times his Strength modifier. A minotaur can attack with a weapon at his normal attack bonus and make a gore attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll, and half Strength bonus on the damage roll).


This is a little strange.
The sole natural weapon usually adds 1 and a 1/2 times STR to damage.

Powerful Charge-like abilities would benefit a lot from saying that they deal double damage 1.5 x damage, double damage etc.

Tyger
2007-10-03, 11:56 AM
I would consider making this available at 1st level only.

This is a little strange.
The sole natural weapon usually adds 1 and a 1/2 times STR to damage.

Powerful Charge-like abilities would benefit a lot from saying that they deal double damage 1.5 x damage, double damage etc.


Good points both. The Scent I will incorporate, but the STR to gore is actually straight from the original text of the race as presented in the Dragonlance sourcebooks. Odd that.

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2007-10-03, 12:57 PM
Good points both. The Scent I will incorporate, but the STR to gore is actually straight from the original text of the race as presented in the Dragonlance sourcebooks. Odd that.

I know, and there are a few MM entries for Powerful Charge that are equally "funny".