Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana May 2018: Centaurs and Minotaurs

[Yaarel]

I really like ‘hybrid nature’, that assigns two creature types.

In the cases of Centaur and Minotaur, they are both humanoid and monstrosity.

This makes sense, and I like this mechanic to represent it.



The mechanic works elsewhere. The Eladrin Elf is both humanoid and fey.

The Genasi is both humanoid and elemental.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Hybrid nature is interesting (they haven't moved from PC's being humanoid before). Off hand, I can't think of any spells/items that specifically target monstrocities, but if they expand this idea to other types, that could lead to some big downsides (anyone with celestial, elemental, fey, or fiend hybrid nature will be effected by a bunch of things that don't bother gnomes, dwarves, humans, etc.).

 

[MNblockhead]

So, PC centaurs are part human, part miniature horse?

 

[Yaarel]

I assume ‘natural weapons’ can all be used simultaneously, and in the cases here, in addition to the standard attack being used for weapon.

Similarly, it seems, a spellcaster centaur could both cast a spell and kick with the forelegs.

(A kick with the hindlegs should probably push as well.)

 

[Yaarel]

Hybrid nature is interesting (they haven't moved from PC's being humanoid before). Off hand, I can't think of any spells/items that specifically target monstrocities, but if they expand this idea to other types, that could lead to some big downsides (anyone with celestial, elemental, fey, or fiend hybrid nature will be effected by a bunch of things that don't bother gnomes, dwarves, humans, etc.).

Gnomes and goblins should be fey.

The planar origins can come with benefits (such as prerequisite for cool magic items) as well as disadvantages (such as target of cool magic items).

 

[gyor]

It shows how determined they are not to allow large PCs, given that is states centur PCs are medium, even though they are normally large (as are horses).
Nerfing minotaur horn damage seems reasonable, 1d10 was a bit OP. Shame they lose the Dragonlance nautical fluff (which I think was originally inspired by Voyage of the Dawn Treader).

Maybe the PC Centaurs are on a low carb deit compared to other centaurs to get to a size medium.

Honestly I think this game really could have used a size Medium + for races and creatures that are between medium and large like Goliath's, Firbolgs, Centaurs, horses and so on.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I really like ‘hybrid nature’, that assigns two creature types.

In the cases of Centaur and Minotaur, they are both humanoid and monstrosity.

This makes sense, and I like this mechanic to represent it.



The mechanic works elsewhere. The Eladrin Elf is both humanoid and fey.

The Genasi is both humanoid and elemental.

I'd love to have more race with more ancestry than just humanoid.
I still use the Gnomes and Goblinoid as races that come from the feywild/feydark, even if a play in FR and that makes them more distinctive.

Also, having races that count both as fey and humanoid, or elemental and humanoid would allow me to as the DM to use some NPC statblock and add the racial trait to it to allow more interesting summons. What do you say about conjuring Genasi Bandits with Conjure Elementals or Eladrin druids with Conjure Woodland Being!

 

[MNblockhead]

Also, it seems weird that they would specify that the humanoid upper body can display all the human variety of skin tones and features but then state that below the waist, the horse coat tends towards "brown shades chestnut or bay)". Why couldn't they state that below the waist the coat can display all the equine variety of coat shades and features?

Hell with that, if I'm allowing players to play Centaurs (would need to be a special campaign, generally wouldn't work), they can play rugged mountain white-with-black spot Altais, Zebra bottoms, a pinto with patches of white and black/brown.

And you have to admit that the Golden Akhal Teke horse is just begging to have an elvan looking torso replace its neck and head (seriously, these horses look like they've just stepped out of the Fey Wild):

https://featuredcreature.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/x4GrE.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/341077371755033703/

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I dare to say somebody has read some comments by me about centaurs aren't so good to climb.

About minotaurs' horns we should to remember they can't wear normal helms, and horns aren't so good natural weapons for bipedal creatures with the head on the top. How to give headbutting againts smaller enemies (kobolds, goblins, springans..)? If the PCs are smaller humanoids, the players could ask an attack of opportunity against because they head down too much to can use the horns. And natural horns by mammals weren't created to be used against enemies with metallic armour. A knife in the hand would be more dangerous or useful, or a simple fist.

Could a D&D minotaur civilization use horns like "magic tattoos", single-use magic item? Sorry, I was remember some old 70's mecha anime about giant robots with horns shooting rays. And any power about horns in the fisst like Wolwerine's claws?

Could the horns from dead minotaur be used to craft "blessed weapons" to fight enemies with damage reduction?

 

[Yaarel]

For the size of the centaur, maybe make it composite.

Your size is Medium with regard to your human upper body, such as for size of weapons and armor. But your size is Large with regard to your equine lower body, such as for armor, the amount of space that you occupy, or weight of equipment carried in saddlebags.