More Than a Shaggy Person

Wizards of the Coast · Sep 12, 2012

Yesterday, James covered minotaurs in his Wandering Monsters column. Today, Jon will go over the minotaur, too. Or, to be more accurate, youâ??ll help Jon go over the minotaur and how it develops in terms of visual look and feel for D&D Next.

Read More Than a Shaggy Person on D&D Insider here!

Tovec · Sep 12, 2012

I like this new format, though I have to admit the last question stumped me. I don't know which form I prefer: Breasts/Udders?

All my answers, still unsure about the final question so far left unanswered, were answered as 'more cow than man' and certainly more cow than hairy feral cow if that makes any sense.

Where do you range?

Chris_Nightwing · Sep 12, 2012

I prefer neither breasts nor udders, because I liked the fluff of Minotaurs being cursed beings rather than a race. I like them to be men with cow heads and a tail though, with some cow hair is fine too.

Klaus · Sep 12, 2012

Back in 2000, before 3e came out, I made this picture, which sums up my preference:

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Human legs, hooved feet (hooves in place of toes), cow hair, no tail, human-like breasts on females.

Kinak · Sep 12, 2012

I think it's interesting how the hooves vs. feet question is basically a "monster-only race vs. playable race?"

In any case, there's no reason they can't have some variation in their appearance.

I'd personally prefer something like this:
First-Generation (cursed/blessed) minotaurs are Large and have cloven hooves.
Later generation (playable) minotaurs are Medium and have human feet.
Female minotaurs are rare and exclusively later generation.

Cheers!
Kinak

Tovec · Sep 12, 2012

Kinak said:
I think it's interesting how the hooves vs. feet question is basically a "monster-only race vs. playable race?"

In any case, there's no reason they can't have some variation in their appearance.

I'd personally prefer something like this:
First-Generation (cursed/blessed) minotaurs are Large and have cloven hooves.
Later generation (playable) minotaurs are Medium and have human feet.
Female minotaurs are rare and exclusively later generation.

Cheers!
Kinak

I don't really disagree, but how do you get later generations without females? Do minotaurs spawn through mitosis?

Kinak · Sep 12, 2012

Tovec said:
I don't really disagree, but how do you get later generations without females? Do minotaurs spawn through mitosis?

Heh, I should have spoken to that specifically. I figured they would be able to breed with whatever race they were before the transformation, passing on the curse/blessing to a new generation.

Cheers!
Kinak

I'm A Banana · Sep 13, 2012

Minotaur status is something inflicted on someone in my view.

Because of that, keeping the body essentially human (though perhaps super-buff and hairy) is key for that dissonance. Keep them mostly human. Human feet. Human hands. Human flesh.

Then cram a bull onto its shoulders.

It is fine if it is awkward and weird-looking and dissonant. It's a created monster, a being Not Meant To Be. It should look degenerate and uncomfortable in its own skin -- and hungering after flesh like an instinct.

This doesn't mean it has to be one way or another.

Krynn minotaurs and yak-folk are different things and they don't need to fit that mode (PC minotaurs and yak-folk have their own looks: Krynnish minotaurs are proud noble warrior people, yak-folk are wealthy and proud and civilized).

I don't think the minotaur should necessarily be male, either. It's about time D&D got the heck away from gendered monsters (in most instances).

Scars Unseen · Sep 13, 2012

Kamikaze Midget said:
I don't think the minotaur should necessarily be male, either. It's about time D&D got the heck away from gendered monsters (in most instances).

The problem with female minotaurs as monsters is that cows, in general, are not scary. Bulls are fine, since they have the horns and all, but cows? You'll end up with adventures such as The Night of Udder Terror and Vanished with Dairy a Trace.

As a race, gender inclusiveness is fine, but if you want to use a mythological monster, use a mythological monster("you" in this case meaning WotC, not you the DM, who can do whatever you please). There are plenty of female monsters out there already.

Klaus · Sep 13, 2012

Scars Unseen said:
The problem with female minotaurs as monsters is that cows, in general, are not scary. Bulls are fine, since they have the horns and all, but cows?

Er... several breeds of cows have horns. Here's a longhorn cow with young.