D&D 5E What is the appeal of the weird fantasy races?

[doctorbadwolf]

The game says it is. I've already quoted it.

The game says what the lower body looks like. That’s it.

And regardless, the centaur isn’t a horse.

 

[Maxperson]

The game says what the lower body looks like. That’s it.

Wrong.

"Below the waist, they have the bodies of small horses, with a similar range of coloration- from various shades of chestnut or bay to dappled or even zebra-like striped patterns."

They HAVE the bodies of horses. Not they have bodies that look like horses. It's not relevant if they are not in fact horses. The body IS a horse and therefore has all the limitations of a horse. The humanoid torso is not capable of lifting 600 pounds of hanging horse up a sheer wall, so it doesn't matter when it comes to climbing up walls and cliffs.

 

[generic]

Wrong.

"Below the waist, they have the bodies of small horses, with a similar range of coloration- from various shades of chestnut or bay to dappled or even zebra-like striped patterns."

They HAVE the bodies of horses. Not they have bodies that look like horses. It's not relevant if they are not in fact horses. The body IS a horse and therefore has all the limitations of a horse. The humanoid torso is not capable of lifting 600 pounds of hanging horse up a sheer wall, so it doesn't matter when it comes to climbing up walls and cliffs.

Okay, but consider this...

According to the RAW which you so keenly insist on referencing, a Centaur has 18 Strength. That gives them base carrying capacity of 270, according to RAW. According to RAW, you can also push, drag, or lift up to twice your carrying capacity, in this case, 540 pounds, which gets us pretty close to that 600 pounds of hanging horse.

Dunno man, the 600 seems arbitrary, maybe it does work under RAW.

Edit: Carrying capacity is actually multiplied according to a size variable as well, putting the max carrying capacity in the 1080 range, definitely enough.

 

[Maxperson]

Okay, but consider this...

According to the RAW which you so keenly insist on referencing, a Centaur has 18 Strength. That gives them base carrying capacity of 270, according to RAW. According to RAW, you can also push, drag, or lift up to twice your carrying capacity, in this case, 540 pounds, which gets us pretty close to that 600 pounds of hanging horse.

Dunno man, the 600 seems arbitrary, mayube it does work under RAW.

Dragging is 1) used for weights outside of the creature, and 2) involves being able to use your body to leverage the strength. A centaurs arms are not enough by itself to drag 600 pounds, even if the DM is going to allow a 600 pound drag. Further that 600 pound weight is for the medium Ravnica centaurs, who average 11 strength, not the 18 strength large centaurs that weigh as much as a real horse(800-2200 pounds).

 

[generic]

Dragging is 1) used for weights outside of the creature, and 2) involves being able to use your body to leverage the strength. A centaurs arms are not enough by itself to drag 600 pounds, even if the DM is going to allow a 600 pound drag. Further that 600 pound weight is for the medium Ravnica centaurs, who average 11 strength, not the 18 strength large centaurs that weigh as much as a real horse(800-2200 pounds).

Lifting is 1) listed and 2) a valid point. A centaur's arms are enough to lift itself by RAW, because it doesn't take into account 3) the humanoid body, just the size of the creature. Further, why mix the descriptions if you're arguing from the Ravnica centaur?

 

[generic]

Dragging is 1) used for weights outside of the creature, and 2) involves being able to use your body to leverage the strength. A centaurs arms are not enough by itself to drag 600 pounds, even if the DM is going to allow a 600 pound drag. Further that 600 pound weight is for the medium Ravnica centaurs, who average 11 strength, not the 18 strength large centaurs that weigh as much as a real horse(800-2200 pounds).

Also, I'd like to see a purely RAW enumeration of a monster Centaur's weight.

 

[generic]

I believe that the actual body of a creature is pretty much never incorporated in carrying capacity calculations under RAW anyway, what's your point?

 

[generic]

If the Ravnica centaur follows normal player rules, carrying capacity doesn't count its body.

 

[Maxperson]

Lifting is 1) listed and 2) a valid point. A centaur's arms are enough to lift itself by RAW, because it doesn't take into account 3) the humanoid body, just the size of the creature. Further, why mix the descriptions if you're arguing from the Ravnica centaur?

Everyone here has been arguing with me about the Ravnica version, so I'm pointing out that the Ravnica version cannot drag itself with just its arms. Lifting, dragging, carrying in the PHB involve how much weight you can move. To move the maximum, you have to be able to use your maximum strength, which arms alone simply cannot do. Legs are stronger than arms and it would take all 4 centaur legs to drag its maximum weight.

Also, the MM version at 18 strength can drag 1080 pounds, not 540. Size large doubles the amount a second time. That would allow it to potentially drag a smaller size large centaur(1000ish pounds), but not most MM centaurs out there.

 

[Maxperson]

If the Ravnica centaur follows normal player rules, carrying capacity doesn't count its body.

because the body is assumed to be not only moving itself, but contributing to the amount it can carry/drag. If the body is dead weight, then the arms would be next to useless in moving 600 pounds of horse body up a cliff. It's not like a bench press where you have the advantage of leverage against the bench to help with your push.