Centaur Race [4e] (PEACH)

[Strormer]

Greetings all. This is what I have so far for a centaur race. The only thing I'm currently missing is a racial power and I was hoping for suggestions for something fitting and appropriate for the power level.

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Centaur
+2 Wis, +2 Str or Dex
Size: Large (Treat versatile weapons as one-handed)
Speed: 8 squares
Vision: Low-Light Vision
Languages: Common, Elven
Skill Bonuses: +2 Perception, +2 Endurance
Fey Origin
Quadruped: Double encumbrance limits
One With The Woods: Centaurs are natural members of woodland environments and so, in a natural environment, they may reroll one perception check per day, but they must use the second result, even if it is lower.
Racial Power: ???

[NecroRebel]

Well, Centaurs exist as monsters, and all of them have the Quick Kick attack, which is an at-will immediate interrupt that triggers when something moves to flank the centaur which does a minor amount of damage. Why not use something like this:

Quick Kick
At Will
Immediate Reaction - Melee 1
Trigger: A creature moves into a square where it flanks you.
Target: The triggering creature
Attack: Strength or Dexterity +5 (+7 at level 11, +9 at level 21) vs. AC
Hit: 1d6 + Strength or Dexterity damage.

That's basically what the monster centaurs have for their version of it. Feats could increase the damage to d8s, add a 1-tile push effect (quite powerful, as it would mean that the centaur would be vastly harder to flank), or change it from an immediate to a free action.



In another thread a few months ago, this subject was discussed. You might want to look at that thread for some ideas.

[Strormer]

Actually, thanks a lot. I'd forgotten about that and it linked to this, which I think I'll use with a little modification.

[Mando Knight]

*Gut reaction against using anything on those wikis*


...Actually, that one's alright. Except for the power. The attack bonus doesn't scale (and neither does the damage), and it doesn't allow non-Strength-based characters to use it at all.

[ninja_penguin]

Also, as a heads up; making them large sized with the 2x2 spacing makes for hilariously effective defenders.

[Talyn]

Remember that Centaurs are large and have hooves - that means that, in certain circumstances, they have some downsides and special circumstances, some of which will be hard to represent mechanically.

First: they can't wear shoes, so no footwear magic items (unless you rule they magically change into horseshoes when a centaur uses them)

Second: they can't walk down stairs. Seriously. Something to do with a way the horse's legs work and the hooves prevent them from walking down flights of stairs more steep than 3 or 4 degree grade.

Third: They are Large size, which means they don't fit through most doorways. Even if you handwave allowing them to walk down staircases, they can't walk down spiral stairs designed for medium-sized creatures, they are just too big.

Fourth: Do they wear chest armor or barding? If it's the former, you'll have to explain how the non-chest parts of the centaur are protected. If it's the latter, you'll need to homebrew some better barding, because 4E doesn't have barding designed to be the primary armor for PCs.

Fifth: They can't climb. Even at 24 strength (which is the best you are going to get before epic), their (relatively) puny human halves couldn't haul their thousand pounds or more weight up a rope - and that's before armor and gear.

Sixth: Did I mention they are large? That means that if they pick a sticky defender (fighter, warden, or knight) they are going to be strictly better at it than their medium-sized counterparts. Give them a weapon with reach and they can just sit in the middle of most rooms and hit everybody every round!

[ninja_penguin]

Second: they can't walk down stairs. Seriously. Something to do with a way the horse's legs work and the hooves prevent them from walking down flights of stairs more steep than 3 or 4 degree grade.

Third: They are Large size, which means they don't fit through most doorways. Even if you handwave allowing them to walk down staircases, they can't walk down spiral stairs designed for medium-sized creatures, they are just too big.

Squeezing rules.

Fourth: Do they wear chest armor or barding? If it's the former, you'll have to explain how the non-chest parts of the centaur are protected. If it's the latter, you'll need to homebrew some better barding, because 4E doesn't have barding designed to be the primary armor for PCs.

I think any DM worth their salt will just port over armor.