[4th]Minotaur(MM) Fighter + Maul = overkill?

[weem]

I play a Bugbear myself (Ranger) and played a Minotaur (Warlord) in another campaign for a few sessions... it seemed perfectly reasonable (balance-wise), and was a lot of fun. I was never throwing down damage to a degree that made anyone feel inadequate, hehe - there were plenty of times I was out-damaged as it all comes down to rolls really. Despite the advantage of using larger dice, it's not as though I am going to be rolling well every single time.

As has been said, try it and see. I have enjoyed it and it has not caused a single problem.

 

[zillah]

overkill would be a minotaur ranger, with 2 2d6 mauls because large characters can wield a 2h weapon 1h. and then he can make that 1h 2d6 maul and put it in his offhand.
with a +4 to hit because STR would be 18, he could easily do a 4-24 point damage attack with a twin strike at level 1

 

[Gloombunny]

overkill would be a minotaur ranger, with 2 2d6 mauls because large characters can wield a 2h weapon 1h. and then he can make that 1h 2d6 maul and put it in his offhand.
with a +4 to hit because STR would be 18, he could easily do a 4-24 point damage attack with a twin strike at level 1

Minotaurs are medium.

 

[Gort]

It does seem a little too much for my liking. I'm also not a fan of the bugbear's +1d6 damage with combat advantage.

 

[Gloombunny]

I'm also not a fan of the bugbear's +1d6 damage with combat advantage.

Why? It does less damage than the dragonborn racial for the same minor action, doesn't affect an area, requires combat advantage, and can't be further increased with feats. It piggybacks on an attack roll you're already making instead of using its own, which is probably a good thing but not too big a deal.

Or do you dislike it just because it's a bland "more damage" power? I can agree with that.

 

[MarkB]

I was poking around the MM the other night and saw the Bugbear/Minotaur ability to wield Large weapons...and I got to thinking.
Is it 'legal' to have a race with the "Oversize" ability as a 1st level party member? Am I too concerned with a Large Maul (2d8)? Is cilantro just another form of mint?

The text at the start of the Racial Traits chapter of the MM defines its legality - these races are presented as possible bases for monster-based NPCs, and balanced as such. Players may use them by DM's permission only.

 

[jtrowell]

overkill would be a minotaur ranger, with 2 2d6 mauls because large characters can wield a 2h weapon 1h. and then he can make that 1h 2d6 maul and put it in his offhand.
with a +4 to hit because STR would be 18, he could easily do a 4-24 point damage attack with a twin strike at level 1

Minautors and bugbears do *not* get to use 2H weapons with one hand, theyr get to use *larger* weapons, this is not the same thing.

A minotaur can use a large warhammer with only one hand, for 1d12 base damage, not 2d6

 

[Arivendel]

Minautors and bugbears do *not* get to use 2H weapons with one hand, theyr get to use *larger* weapons, this is not the same thing.

A minotaur can use a large warhammer with only one hand, for 1d12 base damage, not 2d6

Not entirely true, the term Larger weapons is used to refer to 2H weapons a Medium creature would wield, which means a Minotaur or Bugbear would consider this Weapons One Handed instead of 2.

What you are refering to would be weapons designed for Large creatures, a Large Battleaxe for example is a 1 handed weapon for a Mino/Bugbear but a 2H for a human, and a Standard Maul is 2H for a human but one handed for a Minos.

I got lost

 

[Hypersmurf]

What you are refering to would be weapons designed for Large creatures

Right.

a Large Battleaxe for example is a 1 handed weapon for a Mino/Bugbear but a 2H for a human

No, a Large Battleaxe is a one-handed weapon for a minotaur, and cannot be wielded by a human. PHB p220: "Creatures can't use weapons designed for creatures larger than themselves."

and a Standard Maul is 2H for a human but one handed for a Minos.

No, a standard maul is a two-handed weapon for a human, and a two-handed weapon for a minotaur. MM p278: "Oversized: You can use weapons of your size or one size larger than you as if they were your size." A minotaur (Medium creature) uses a medium maul (a weapon of his size) as though it were a medium maul - a two-handed weapon. He uses a large maul (a weapon one size larger than him) as though it were a medium maul - a two-handed weapon.

-Hyp.

 

[Belphanior]

Not to mention neither of those races are getting a strength bonus, so in -reality- the comparison becomes:
11 vs 9
20 vs 16
29 vs 23


Reality points out that oversized weapons can get -rediculous- quickly, and might not be as 'balanced' as you think... without -actually- looking at the -real- numbers involved.

Well, it is a racial feature. I'd expect the race to actually, you know, benefit from that. If the math worked out to equal damage it'd be really "ridiculous" because the minotaur would have an advantage that wouldn't help it at all.

Just because a race, power, feat, or class does something better than a PHB-counterpart doesn't make it overpowered. The minotaur's schtick is hitting really hard with weapons. The PHB classes meanwhile have their own advantages, up to and including teleportation. I've found this to be a huge thing in my games. Wizards use it to get out of jail for free, rogues can set up flanks you can't ever prevent, and fighters come to the rescue anywhere.