I think minotaur's are the mystery race

[Gundark]

Why? From WotC_RichBaker talking about the adventure mod H2.

The setting of the adventure is a long-ruined minotaur city called Saruun Khel

Minotaurs in the current 3.x environment are pretty beastial. I know they were more civilized in Dragonlance. The above quote makes you think they're civilized in 4e...which suggests a potential player race.

[Reaper Steve]

I would much prefer minotaurs to orcs (or about any other used-to-be-evil humanoid race.) I think the game would benefit from a larger-than-human PC race, like Half-giants, goliaths, or minotaurs. For more reason than I feel like listing, I think that the designers would choose minotaurs out of those three.

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I'd like it, but I'm skeptical that it will happen, since that would be a race I'd actually be interested in playing.

[Plane Sailing]

I'd be surprised. Str is such a major stat for D&D combat that something as strong as a Minotaur would throw the balance out unless they've dramatically changed the way Str factors into combat.

Plus they've already got a horned race in the Tieflings - would they put two horned races in?

[Rechan]

Just because it's a city doesn't mean anything.

Although, Mearls did mention that he was creating a cult of minotaur with a dungeon keyed into the Abyss as a screening test for the cult members.

[Klaus]

I'd vastly prefer goliaths to minotaurs. For one thing, artist out there tend to have a pretty hard time drawing minotaurs without having them come off as cartoony (for instance, take a look at the Tauren).

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Originally Posted by Plane Sailing

Plus they've already got a horned race in the Tieflings - would they put two horned races in?

They don't seem to have a problem with including three with pointy ears. :\

[Gundark]

Originally Posted by Klaus

I'd vastly prefer goliaths to minotaurs. For one thing, artist out there tend to have a pretty hard time drawing minotaurs without having them come off as cartoony (for instance, take a look at the Tauren).

I've seen some realistic Minotaurs...I would argue that Tauren were supposed to be cartoony to begin with.

[cignus_pfaccari]

Originally Posted by Plane Sailing

I'd be surprised. Str is such a major stat for D&D combat that something as strong as a Minotaur would throw the balance out unless they've dramatically changed the way Str factors into combat.

Remember that racial stats will be stretched out, so it's possible that the minotaur or goliath would start off not terribly strong and get very very strong as they hit higher levels.

Brad

[Irda Ranger]

Originally Posted by Plane Sailing

I'd be surprised. Str is such a major stat for D&D combat that something as strong as a Minotaur would throw the balance out unless they've dramatically changed the way Str factors into combat.

Plus they've already got a horned race in the Tieflings - would they put two horned races in?

Although I don't have the link, I recall a WotC designer posting here about how they re-tweaked all of the stats, and how they're involved in combat, and "You'd be suprised which stat is the least determinative of combat effectiveness."

I don't know if that "least determinative" stat is Str, but I wouldn't be surprised if Str is now on more equal footing with the others.

[Aust Diamondew]

Originally Posted by Gundark

I've seen some realistic Minotaurs...I would argue that Tauren were supposed to be cartoony to begin with.

Warcraft is cartoony therefore tauren are cartoony.

That said I haven't been terribly impressed by most D&D illustrations with minotaurs.

[Ranger REG]

Darn. I was so rooting for Gelatinous Cube.

[Klaus]

Originally Posted by Gundark

I've seen some realistic Minotaurs...I would argue that Tauren were supposed to be cartoony to begin with.

Oh, I've seen realistic minotaurs myself. Examples include:

Keith Parkinson's cover to Taladas: The Minotaurs


Michael Kormack's portrayal of the minotaur Shibata in Ptolus: City by the Spire is also awesome.

[HeavenShallBurn]

Originally Posted by Aust Diamondew

That said I haven't been terribly impressed by most D&D illustrations with minotaurs.

For the most part neither have I but I think that they're tapping a pool of artists that don't necessarily have the right experience. There are quite a few races that are essentially anthromorphs and this requires something different from either pure humanoids ala elves/humans/dwarves OR pure beasts. For the minotaurs/gnolls/yaun-ti/lizardfolk/etc that are really anthropomorphic races they should find some good artists that have a reputation for well drawn life-like anthromorphs and commission them to do the work.

EDIT: some of the art has been good just not much. This one is from Dragonlance and is quite good.

[Roman]

Although I think this is still only razor-thin evidence, I want to believe. Minotaurs are a race I would like to see in the game as core far more than many alternatives floating on the forums.