Difference between revisions of "Centaurs"

Revision as of 06:40, 10 October 2011

Overview of Centaur

Racial Traits

• Adaptable Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence, +2 one other ability score (not Wis or Int).
• Large: Centaurs are large sized, with a five-foot reach.
• Normal Speed: Centaurs have a base speed of 50 feet (35 feet in armor).
• Natural Armor: Centaurs have a +1 Natural Armor Bonus.
• Tough: Centaurs gain Toughness as a racial feat.
• Natural Attacks: two hoof attacks for 1d6 damage, bludgeoning. Critical 20 x2.
• Vison: Low Light Vision
• Natural: +2 racial bonus on Survival skill checks
• Awkward: -2 racial penality on Climb skill checks
• Tauric Form (Ex): Centaurs cannot make use of any footwear and do not have the Foot slot. They may, however, wear magical horse shoes. They also may not wear normal or magical pants.
• Mounted (Ex): All Centaurs are always treated as mounted, and they can use equipment and combat actions as if mounted. Further, all centaurs are considered to have the Mounted Combat feat for the purpose of meeting feat prerequisites. This ability does not, however, grant the abilities of the Mounted Combat feat.
• Undersized Weapons (Ex) Although a centaur is Large, its upper torso is the same size as that of a Medium humanoid. As a result, they wield weapons as if they were one size category smaller than their actual size (Medium for most centaurs).
• Centaur begin play speaking Centaur and Tauric. Centaur with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Common, Minotaur, Liontaur. Note that Centaur do not automatically know Common.

• See this page for height, weight, and age, and additional Taur rules.

Large Size Modifiers

• AC: -1
• To Hit: -1
• +1 to CMB/CMD
• Fly Skill: -2
• Stealth Skill: -4
• Special attacks: Size bonuses often figure into special attacks.
• Carrying Capacity is doubled for minotaurs
• Centaurs occupy a 10x10 space, and have a 5' reach.
• Armor for large size weighs double and costs four times normal (costs for magic enhancements are not doubled)

Centaur Adaptability

Centaurs are great keepers of knowledge and common sense, but are too independent for serious study. As the most adaptable of the Ignoble Races, different centaur herds focus on different attributes, one on charisma (renowned as musicians), one on strength (renowned as warriors), one on dexterity (renowned as archers), and one on constitution (renowned as tough guys).

Centaurs in Combat

Centaurs use the same rules as all D&D creatures for natural attacks and attacks with manufactured weapons. As a standard attack, centaurs can make one hoof attack or one weapon attack. As a full round attack, centaurs can make usual weapon attacks and two secondary hoof attacks at -5 to hit. Centaurs can take the Multiattack feat to reduce this secondary attack penalty from -5 to -2. Centaurs can also take a unique Centaur Charge feat:

Centaur Charge [Racial]

• Benefit: You may charge an opponent even if you do not have a straight line to the opponent. You still must have at least 10 feet of straight line distance to end the charge. Difficult terrain still hinders a charge. A Fighter may take this Feat as a Fighter Bonus Feat.

Personality

Generally speaking, centaurs are known to be logical, studious, and academic. They are known the Wold over as scholars, naturalists, druids, and bards. Some have undertaken study of arcana and become mighty wizards. On the other hand, centaurs are proud and some are easily offended.

They must eat a lot to power their great bodies (the largest of all Taurs), and have been known to over-indulge when it comes to wine and ale. Under the influence of alcohol, centaurs display rowdy, boorish, and aggressive behavior. Centaurs possess an innate curiosity and wanderlust that sometimes becomes a compulsion. They make excellent companions and hardy travelers. While they might sometimes offer a two-legged companion a ride, centaurs do not consider themselves pack animals or sources of transportation. In fact, they often become insulted if such a role is suggested. They also do not tolerate horse jokes, though otherwise they have good senses of humor.

Physical Description

Wolidan Centaurs appear as described in the Pathfinder Bestiary: This creature has the sun-bronzed upper body of a seasoned warrior and the lower body of a sleek warhorse. These people vary widely in appearance, their skin tones typically appearing deeply tanned but similar to the humans who occupy nearby regions, while their lower bodies borrow the colorations of local equines. Centaur hair and eyes trend toward darker colors and their features tend to be broad, while the overall bulk of their bodies is influenced by the size of the horses their lower quarters resemble. Thus, while an average centaur stands over 7 feet tall and weights upward of 2,000 pounds, there are vast regional variations—from lean plains-runners to burly mountain hunters.

Roleplaying

Centaur society values the right of the individual above all. They are organized into family groups, which are themselves organized into tribes. Tribal life is very democratic, though family groups have a definitive head of the family -- called the Stallion -- whose word is law within their group (usually the oldest living member, though not always.) As such, Stallions may be male or female. Centaurs are able to move between family groups and even tribes as they like, migrating to the Stallion that suits them best. The more centaurs that follow a Stallion, the more influence that Stallion has in the tribe. Literally, they vote with their hooves!

Living with the whims of nature and the land around them, centaurs do not make the environment conform to their needs, but, rather, conform to the dictates of the environment, which -- on Centaur Island -- is dominated by Whistal Trees (very much akin to giant sequoias). The Tribal Druids are responsible for conferring with the trees of the village so that the families that live within them actually are doing so with the trees' own permission, as it is the tree that voluntarily "hollows itself out" to provide the living spaces inside. Whistal Trees can even create fireplaces in one area of the quarters, and centaurs make sure to monitor the fire whenever it's lit, having a natural fear of uncontrollable fire themselves.

Though centaurs have Druids attending to their religious aspects of their life, the race pays homage to Domi, from whom they've learned the art of guerilla warfare (which is used, for the most part, against the minotaurs that live east across Safety Channel). Centaurs have been taught that minotaurs are the source of all their woes from the Time of the Sundering, and so they are the hereditary enemies of the bovine-headed race. "A minotaur wind blows no good" is a favorite saying, and centaur parents often keep their colts in line with warnings that the Mighty Minotaur will "get" them if they don't behave and eat all their greens -- the Mighty Minotaur being the centaur synonym for the Bogey Man.

Centaur society is ruled by the members of The Corral, whom are chosen via majority vote from the Stallions of the tribe. The Druids of Centaur Island have at least one or two spots in The Corral, too. The Corral helps to settle disputes between members of its tribe if family Stallions cannot do so themselves.

They never use the Ride skill because there is no domesticated animal large enough for them to ride. They generally feel that it is beneath themselves to serve as mounts for other races. Taur Nature Oracles and Cavaliers gain a druidic animal companion who is not a mount, but uses the rules for animal companions, except are not ridden.

Wine plays a VERY important part in centaur society. Vintners and brewers are the most respected members of each tribe ... in fact, anyone connected with wine and/or spirits is thought of VERY favorably by the rest of the community. Purple wine is considered a very precious resource -- the only thing more valuable than that is the mystical Blue wine that is used for religious purposes only. It is an immediate death sentence to be caught dealing illegally in the making, trading, buying, selling or possession of Blue wine that one hasn't gotten permission from the Druids for. The only exception to this rule is the possession of healing-type (or other priest-produced) potions, which are all based on Blue wine. Magi make their potions using Purple wine.

A Centaur Tale

A short time before the Godwar and the Year of Ascension, an island appeared in the waters between Minotaur Isle and Centaur Isle, where land had never been before. Strange stories were told about this new place -- called Bridge Isle by most. These rumors said that Bridge Isle was a place that welcomed centaurs, minotaurs, and liontaurs -- a place where ancient enemies lived in peace.

Hearing word of this, a minotaur and a centaur each independently decided to travel to this Bridge Isle and see it for themselfs. They ended up, as chance would have it, on the same ship, a human merchant sloop. They avoided each other, but on the last day of their trip, they found themselves aboard the same longboat, rowed to shore by the human crew and the first mate of the ship.

The first mate smiled as he watched each taur pretend the other did not exist. Seeing a chance for good sport, he asked his two large passengers, "You both must be excited to see this wonder of nature."

"No wonder, but an abomination," the centaur said, tossing her head indignantly. "This place did not naturally appear. Nature was warped to create it. Lands do not rise from the sea garbed in flora and fauna. Strange and unnatural forces are at work."

"The abomination is not the nature of the island," the minotaur growled, "but the dishonor of those who have taken it. A true minotaur fights for his place and wins honor. This land was a gift given to the weak by a false craven god." She turned to look the centaur in the eye. "That is the abomination!"

"Craven!" The centaur's nostrils flared in anger. "Craven!"

"Come now, be at peace," the first mate said. "If you upset the boat, neither of you will arrive unsoaked.

The centaur listened, and her face became less red. Calmer, she said, "You will no doubt be displeased, minotaur, to learn that those who live here claim the god there is the same being honored in temples among your own people. Indeed, they say Imod of your folk is the same as Domi of ours.""

The minotaur shook her head swiftly back and forth, and her horns swished through the air. "Heresy!" she cried. "An insult to top all others! If your words are true, then those who live here have much to answer for! They spread lies! No doubt they seek to convert others as well. This must be stopped!"

The centaur agreed. "Those who would say my god is your god are deluded, or mad! It is absurd that the bull-headed, rigid, bloody god of your people could be the same gentle protector of knowldge we centaurs love." The centaur seemed amazed at the words she spoke: "I find myself forced to agree with you -- this must not stand!"

The minotaur snorted. "It galls me no end to see the honorable path lies under a centaur's hooves. But perhaps we will find common ground against these scoundrels."

"Perhaps the cleverest solution will be for us to join forces," the centaur said thoughtfully. "These apostates say they want to unite minotaurs and centaurs. Well, maybe they will unite two peoples -- just long enough to for a crusade to wipe the heretics out!"