Krynn style Minotaur with optional racial traits


Advanced Race Guide Playtest


I went for a 10 point Minotaur race modeled after Dragonlance's Minotaurs which I always liked. These minotaurs exist as a race along with the more monstrous minotaur from which their race originated. They are a seafaring race (something that came over time due to their environment) in my world living on an archipelago of islands. This gives them a niche within the other races but I also provide some alternate traits in case you don't like that "flavor". I didn't get to add the alternate favored class options like I planned here's what I have so far with some of my custom racial abilities.

Minotaur Player (non monstrous) Race

Monstrous Humanoid (2 RP)
Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often havemagical abilities as well. A monstrous humanoid race hasthe following features.
Monstrous humanoid races have the darkvision 60 ft. racial ability.
Monstrous humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep.

Medium (0 RP): Medium races have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. A Medium creature has a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.

Standard Modifiers (0 RP): Members of this race gaina +2 bonus to one physical ability score, +2 bonus to onemental ability score, and a –2 penalty to any other ability score.
+2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Cha – Minotaurs have a strong build and a strong heart but their temperament can be off putting.

Standard Array (1 RP): Members of this race start with Common plus Minotaur. Furthermore, choose up to seven languages (except for Druidic or other secret languages). Members of this race with high Intelligence scores can choose any of those languages as their bonus languages. Aklo, Aquan, Giant, Dwarven, Orc, Sylvan, & Undercommon.

Natural Armor (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Minotaurs gain a +1 natural armor bonus due to their thick hide.

Stability (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.

Gore (Natural Attack): (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Minotaurs can use their horns to make a Gore attack. This is a natural primary attack that deals 1d6 damage. If a minotaur looses 1 horn, the damage is decreased to 1d3 and if both horns are lost the minotaur looses this ability. Spells and other affects that can regrow lost limbs can also replace lost horns but otherwise this loss is permanent.

Powerful Charge (2 RP): Prerequisites: Natural Attack; Benefit: Whenever a minotaur charges, it deals twice the number of damage dice with a gore attack plus 1–1/2 times its Strength bonus.

Seafaring* (2RP): Minotaurs gain a +1 to Craft: Ships, +1 to Profession: Sailor, +1 Profession: Fisherman and a +1 to Survival while on a ship

Maze Masters* (1 RP): Due to their monstrous ancestry, minotaurs gain a +4 to Survival, Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Perception checks while in mazes.

Herd Mentality* (-2 RP): Like cattle, minotaurs are easily commanded and suffer a -2 penalty to all Enchantment affects, Intimidate checks made to Influence Action (see Intimidate skill) and Diplomacy checks made to Make a Request (see Diplomacy skill).

Hoofed (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Minotaurs have hooves instead of feet. They can wear horseshoes in their feet slot, but cannot wear boots, shoes, sandals or other such traditional footwear.

Weapon Familiarity (1 RP): Trident and Net. Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Minotaurs are proficient with Tridents and Nets as they are already familiar with them as tools for fishing.

Easily Enraged* (-2 RP): Due to their bull like temperament, minotaurs can be antagonized (see Antagonize feat, UM) by targets even if they do not possess the Antagonize feat and take -2 penalty to be Antagonized. In addition they suffer a -2 penalty to any other affect that incites them to attack a target (i.e. Barbarian's Boasting Taunt)

Alternative Racial Traits

Natural Weapon: Hoof (1RP) 1d4 Secondary attack – Your kicks are so strong that they are considered a natural attack. This ability replaces the Stability trait.

Imposing Figure(Skill Bonus 2 RP) – Your physical presence and ruff demeanor grants you a +2 to Intimidate. This ability replaces the Hoofed and Stability traits.

Sprinter (1 RP): Prerequisites: Normal speed trait; Benefit: Minotaurs are quick when they get the space to run granting them a +10 ft. racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions. This ability replaces the Maze Masters trait.

Cave Dweller (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Your people live in underground caves and the nearby hills around them. They gain a +1 bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Survival checks made underground. This ability replaces the Seafaring trait.


I really like the idea of a “non-monster” minotaur race. The ones from Krynn are a great starting point. My version (see below) is more generic and tries to fill that big, powerful, player race niche. Comments and critics welcome...

Minotaur Player Race (10 RP)

Minotaurs are an isolated and mysterious race combining aspects of humanoids and bulls. It is believed that minotaurs inhabit a small series of islands far out to sea. These islands known only as the Labyrinth Isles are said to consist of a seemingly endless network of ancient tunnels and mazes. Legends and lore say that vast riches and the progenitor of the race known as Midas Taurus Prime wait at the center of this maze. These tales have never been confirmed as no one has ever returned from within the warrens of the Labyrinth Isles.

Monstrous Humanoid (2 RP)
Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often have magical abilities as well. A monstrous humanoid race has the following features:

Monstrous humanoid races have the darkvision 60 ft. racial ability.
Monstrous humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep.

Medium (0 RP): Medium races have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. A Medium creature has a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.

Hulking Brute (4 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: The physical stature of this race lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a this race is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for a Combat Maneuver Bonus or Combat Maneuver Defense (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), they are treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to them.

Members of this race are also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as grab or swallow whole) can affect them.

This race can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, this race’s space and reach remain those of a creature of their actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.

Standard Modifiers (0 RP): Members of this race gain a +2 bonus to one physical ability score, +2 bonus to one mental ability score, and a –2 penalty to any other ability score.

+2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Cha; Minotaurs have a strong build and a strong heart but their temperament can be off putting.

Xenophobic Array (0 RP): Members of this race start with their racial language only. Members of this race with high Intelligence scores can choose any language as their bonus languages.

Isolated Speech (-2 RP): Minotaurs speak Minotaurish, consisting of complex grunts, growls, and hand signals. They have no written version of the language. Minotaurs can learn to understand but lack the ability to speak other languages.

Natural Armor (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Minotaurs gain a +1 natural armor bonus due to their thick hide.

Stability (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.

Gore (Natural Attack): (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Minotaurs can use their horns to make a Gore attack. This is a natural primary attack that deals 1d6 damage. If a minotaur looses 1 horn, the damage is decreased to 1d3 and if both horns are lost the minotaur looses this ability. Spells and other affects that can regrow lost limbs can also replace lost horns but otherwise this loss is permanent.

Powerful Charge (2 RP): Prerequisites: Natural Attack; Benefit: Whenever a minotaur charges, it deals twice the number of damage dice with a gore attack plus 1–1/2 times its Strength bonus.

Hoofed (0 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Minotaurs have hooves instead of feet. They can wear horseshoes in their feet slot, but cannot wear boots, shoes, sandals or other such traditional footwear.


Bryan, I couldn't help but notice that your version of the Minotaurs are kinda similar to a homebrew race of mine that could be considered an off-shoot of the Minotaur race (they are related in most campaign settings, and that applies to Golarion as well). Also, is Hulking Brute in the actual book or did you just rename Powerful Build to avoid the stigma around that racial?


I would think having hooves and not be able to wear traditional footwear is a disadvantage for most player (magic items) and therefore should not have a positive RP modifier.

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