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Pathfinder just got much, much better...
13 years ago
General
...now that the Advanced Race Guide is finally out. The bad news is that it did not include a detailed entry on minotaurs. In fact, it didn't mention one of DnD's iconic monstrous races at all. The good news is that the last chapter of the book was all about creating your own races and, more importantly, how to balance them against the core races. And I made my own custom minotaur race.
Allow me a little digression. Pathfinder is basically DnD 3.75, it took everything revised 3rd edition did well and fixed what didn't work. Seriously, sorcerers in 3.5 were kind of useless but Vinden's an arcane powerhouse with a spellcasting versatility that shames most wizards. Another case in point: half-orcs. In 3.5 half-orcs got a boost to strength but penalties to intelligence and charisma. That rather limited their options. Pathfinder gives half-orcs, and half-elves, the same thing humans get; the ability to assign a bonus to any score of their choice. Yeah, half-orcs are now way more useful.
For the non-human races Pathfinder made them better too. 3.5 elves were + dexterity and - constitution. Pathfinder kept that but also threw in a bonus to intelligence, making them good at wizardry and archery (without having to split them into two different races, thank you very much 4e Eladrin). Dwarves keep their extra constitution and lessened charisma, but they get a boost to wisdom. Dwarf clerics are beastly.
Okay, enough tangents. Here's the racial stats I concocted for PC minotaurs. I won't say that Dragonlance and WoW Tauren didn't influence the final result.
Minotaur Racial Traits
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity: Minotaurs are as strong and sturdy as the cattle they resemble but their extra bulk hinders delicate manipulation.
Minotaur: Minotaurs are humanoids with the minotaur subtype.
Normal Speed: Minotaurs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Medium: Though they brush against the upper limit of the size category, minotaurs are medium creatures with no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Gore: A minotaur's horns count as a primary natural attack, dealing 1d6 points of piercing damage plus 1-1/2 times their strength modifier.
Sudden Charge: Minotaurs receive a +10 feet/round racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, and withdraw actions.
Tough Hide: Minotaurs receive a +2 natural armor bonus.
Healthy: Being strong as an ox affords minotaurs a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison, including magical diseases.
Keen Senses: Thanks to their better than human sense of hearing and smell, minotaurs receive a +1 racial bonus to
Perception checks.
Forager: Their keen senses also give minotaurs a +1 bonus to Survival checks.
Language: Minotaurs speal Common and their own racial tongue, Taurean. Minotaurs with high intelligence scores can choose to also speak Elven, Dwarven, Gnoll, Orc, Goblin and any other mortal language except secret languages (like Druidic).
With the way the book ranked racial abilities, these minotaurs are at the same vague level of power as elves and gnomes. I think the next race I rescue from the 4e quagmire and give wondrous new tabletop life in Pathfinder will be the Dragonborn. Shouldn't be too hard, biggest issue is how to balance that breath weapon thing they do. Only being able to use it once per day should work as a nice compromise.
Allow me a little digression. Pathfinder is basically DnD 3.75, it took everything revised 3rd edition did well and fixed what didn't work. Seriously, sorcerers in 3.5 were kind of useless but Vinden's an arcane powerhouse with a spellcasting versatility that shames most wizards. Another case in point: half-orcs. In 3.5 half-orcs got a boost to strength but penalties to intelligence and charisma. That rather limited their options. Pathfinder gives half-orcs, and half-elves, the same thing humans get; the ability to assign a bonus to any score of their choice. Yeah, half-orcs are now way more useful.
For the non-human races Pathfinder made them better too. 3.5 elves were + dexterity and - constitution. Pathfinder kept that but also threw in a bonus to intelligence, making them good at wizardry and archery (without having to split them into two different races, thank you very much 4e Eladrin). Dwarves keep their extra constitution and lessened charisma, but they get a boost to wisdom. Dwarf clerics are beastly.
Okay, enough tangents. Here's the racial stats I concocted for PC minotaurs. I won't say that Dragonlance and WoW Tauren didn't influence the final result.
Minotaur Racial Traits
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity: Minotaurs are as strong and sturdy as the cattle they resemble but their extra bulk hinders delicate manipulation.
Minotaur: Minotaurs are humanoids with the minotaur subtype.
Normal Speed: Minotaurs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Medium: Though they brush against the upper limit of the size category, minotaurs are medium creatures with no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Gore: A minotaur's horns count as a primary natural attack, dealing 1d6 points of piercing damage plus 1-1/2 times their strength modifier.
Sudden Charge: Minotaurs receive a +10 feet/round racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, and withdraw actions.
Tough Hide: Minotaurs receive a +2 natural armor bonus.
Healthy: Being strong as an ox affords minotaurs a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison, including magical diseases.
Keen Senses: Thanks to their better than human sense of hearing and smell, minotaurs receive a +1 racial bonus to
Perception checks.
Forager: Their keen senses also give minotaurs a +1 bonus to Survival checks.
Language: Minotaurs speal Common and their own racial tongue, Taurean. Minotaurs with high intelligence scores can choose to also speak Elven, Dwarven, Gnoll, Orc, Goblin and any other mortal language except secret languages (like Druidic).
With the way the book ranked racial abilities, these minotaurs are at the same vague level of power as elves and gnomes. I think the next race I rescue from the 4e quagmire and give wondrous new tabletop life in Pathfinder will be the Dragonborn. Shouldn't be too hard, biggest issue is how to balance that breath weapon thing they do. Only being able to use it once per day should work as a nice compromise.
I do recall playing a minotaur in some D&D offshoot that used cards. Apparently we just winged it since the guy running it ended up having not read the directions like he said he did. It was still fun though
Second most memorable was a tip of the hat to Deekin from the Neverwinter Nights expansion games. A kobold Bard that favoured the Doom song and for inspiration, played a bastardised (read, Kobold) version of Queens "We Are the Champions". Was hilarious to play :p
Despite there being no roleplaying groups near me, I'm perfectly happy with online forums to do my roleplaying needs ^^ Still, gotta love Pathfinder.
Or perhaps something related to Knowledge (Dungeoneering) bonuses while using it inside a Maze or so. Just a peronal idea though, I gotta love the one you made as well, gonna suggest it for our GM as well, it seems rather balanced.