D&D 5E Feats as upward level adjustment

[Gradine]

OK, I was pretty young back then, so I may be wrong, but I remember LA basically penalizing your HP for any benefit you got beyond the basic races. Large size? +1 LA, so you're a level behind in HP. Spells were the same way.

So the Minotaur turns into a glass cannon

This was typically balanced with Racial Hit Dice, which often gave you more HP than you were giving up.

I'd look into weapon choices for Large sized creatures in 5e. Small creatures can't use Heavy weapons effectively. What weapons are to large for medium creatures? Can Large creatures use Versatile weapons one handed but use the two handed damage? Do you create weapons with higher damage dice and a designation higher than Heavy (Massive, maybe?).

 

[Boarstorm]

Large creatures get an extra dice on their weapon damage. 1d8 -> 2d8; 2d6 -> 4d6; and so on.

This could definitely be a balance issue. It's equivalent to critting on every attack.

Now, there's nothing saying you have to give PCs that benefit, but it might tweak the verisimilitude crowd's noses.

I'd imagine that's the primary reason that Large PCs are (currently) avoided.

 

[Wrathamon]

If you increase the damage die type or number I think that is a problem balance wise.


I might see the concept of can use heavy weapons like a versatile weapon and +2 damage for using it in two hands or use a Brutal mechanic re-rolling 1s & 2s.


I think you need a Gore attack or charge over the extra crit damage that someone mentioned. I think that is more in line with the concept of minotaurs.


Minotaur Traits
Your minotaur character has a variety of natural abilities like their monstrous relatives,

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Constitution scores
increases by 2.
Size. Minotaur range from 7 to 8 feet tall and your size is Large, you take up a 10x10 space.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Accustomed to dark mazes you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Labyrinthine Recall. you can recall perfectly any path you have traveled.
Charge. As an action, a Minotaur can use the dash action and must move at least 10ft straight towards a target and make a bonus attack on the same turn using it's horns. The Target takes 1d8+Strength modifier and must succeed on a DC (8+Strength) Strength Saving throw of be pushed back up to 10ft away and knocked prone.
Heavy Weapon. When a minotaur uses a heavy weapon with two hands they can reroll any 1s or 2s on a damage die roll. In addition, they can use all heavy weapons as if they had the versatile property.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant

 

[Dausuul]

Large creatures get an extra dice on their weapon damage. 1d8 -> 2d8; 2d6 -> 4d6; and so on.

This could definitely be a balance issue. It's equivalent to critting on every attack.

Now, there's nothing saying you have to give PCs that benefit, but it might tweak the verisimilitude crowd's noses.

I'd imagine that's the primary reason that Large PCs are (currently) avoided.

Again, this is a great place to bring back level adjustment. Give the minotaur a +5 or +6 LA, and the minotaur is getting one attack to the human's two; that's a big penalty with which to offset the minotaur's bigger weapon.

At a very rough estimate, the minotaur works with a +5 level adjustment if you give it:

+4 Strength
+2 Con
9d10 racial hit dice

You'll do less damage than a human fighter, but have superior hit points to compensate. I'll do some more sophisticated number-crunching later.

 

[Tormyr]

I think that rather than using feats or something to bring everyone else up to the minotaur, you should consider giving the minotaur player character equivalent racial bonuses to the other races. I think that deciding to play a minotaur should be more about flavor than mechanics. I won't have a PHB in front of me until later tonight, but looking at the minotaur in basic D&D I could see something like this being reasonable.

Ability Score Increase: Strength +2, Constitution +1
Age: Pull up some info from an earlier edition.
Alignment: Generally chaotic evil
Size: Large
Speed: 40 ft.
Languages: You can speek common and abyssal
Darkvision: 60ft
Charge: If you move at least 10 ft. in a straight toward a target and hit with a gore attack, the target takes an additional 2d8 piercing damage. If it is a creature, it must succeed on a (8 + your proficiency bonus + your strength modifier) saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet and fall prone.
Natural armor: It is difficult to make armor for you, but you don't need it. When calculating armor solely using dexterity modifier, you add an additional 4 to your AC.
Labyrinthine recall: You can perfectly remember any path you have traveled.
Gore: Strength based melee attack. +Proficiency and strength modifier to attack. Reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2d8 + strength modifier piercing damage.
Weapons: You have proficiency in heavy weapons (which are wielded one handed?) and spears. (You can only wield these weapons?).
Possible Subrace: +1 to wisdom instead of constitution.

Because of the large, strong nature of the creature, I could also see adding 1 additional damage die to heavy weapon hits, and possibly making the maximum strength score a 22. Neither would be necessary to have an enjoyable time playing a minotaur (this is more about flavor than mechanics), and they might imbalance things slightly. The ability to wield a heavy weapon and a shield might be enough of an advantage, and large creatures double the weight that can be pushed or carried over medium and small creatures. As a DM, I would choose the 1 extra damage die for heavy weapons over raising the strength score as it is not as necessary to work within the rest of the rules framework.

We have a half-gnoll paladin in our current campaign. I allowed it because he was the son of that player's human druid and a tribe of good gnolls (based on gnoll aasimar) in our previous campagin. Right now he is a little short on racial trait bonuses because the gnoll statblock in D&D basic does not give much to work with. He got +2 strength, +1 dexterity, proficiency in intimidation (from half-orc), darkvision, gnoll language, and attack someone else as a bonus action when he fells an opponent. I think that is less than what most races in the PHB get. He has not minded any small difference from fewer racial trait bonuses. I guess what I am suggesting is that you not make the minotaur PC better than anyone else mechanically. Playing a special race is special and its own reward. The bonuses for playing that race should be the same or slightly less than the other races in my opinion.

 

[Boarstorm]

Again, this is a great place to bring back level adjustment. Give the minotaur a +5 or +6 LA, and the minotaur is getting one attack to the human's two; that's a big penalty with which to offset the minotaur's bigger weapon.

At a very rough estimate, the minotaur works with a +5 level adjustment if you give it:

+4 Strength
+2 Con
9d10 racial hit dice

You'll do less damage than a human fighter, but have superior hit points to compensate. I'll do some more sophisticated number-crunching later.

How would you handle proficiency bonus? By level, by hit dice, by CR?

 

[Dausuul]

How would you handle proficiency bonus? By level, by hit dice, by CR?

By level plus LA. In other words, a minotaur fighter 1 with +5 LA has the same proficiency bonus as a human fighter 6.

 

[Boarstorm]

Could work.

I have to say that I'm partial to monstrous PCs being... y'know, monstrous. It always made me cringe when a level 1 character of a monstrous race (which had been brought in line with normal PC races) was far weaker than his "run-of-the-mill" compatriots.

 

[Sir Brennen]

By level plus LA. In other words, a minotaur fighter 1 with +5 LA has the same proficiency bonus as a human fighter 6.

I'd much rather see actual racial levels instead of LA, like those presented in 3.almost5's Savage Species. LA was like "Hey! I'm going to start out as this great, powerful race that's better than all of you at 1st level, but I have to let my XP sit on it's butt until you all catch up to me. If you survive, that is, which I have a much better chance at, because I'm more awesomer at 1st level."

Give starting racial benefits on par with the existing races, then have a racial class the character can opt to take levels from if they want to gain additional benefits of the race. Or must take levels in. Or have to take levels in at specific class levels, like a manadatory substitution level ("Your character is level 5 now, so you need to take the level of minotaur that makes you Large.") Whatever. Just, please, no Level Adjustments.

For 5E, this opens up some interesting possibilities, too. Like "subclasses" of a racial class. If a minotaur turns out to be worth a 5 level racial class, maybe at 3rd level, you choose "Maze Runner" or "Buffalo Soldier" as an option which highlights specific sub-race or cultural differences of your race.

 

[Tormyr]

By level plus LA. In other words, a minotaur fighter 1 with +5 LA has the same proficiency bonus as a human fighter 6.

I don't think proficiency bonus should be changed. Proficiency bonus affects everything a creature is skilled at. It does not make sense that a minotaur would automatically be better at picking locks, investigation, performance, etc. just because its a minotaur.