Tauric Races

ADVENTURER’S OPTION: TAURIC RACES

Sample file

A player character race supplement for 5th edition rules ADVENTURER’S OPTION: TAURIC RACES

Contents Introduction ...... 2. Tauric Races in your Campaign ...... 3. Creating and Playing Tauric Races ...... 5. Tauric Race Outlines ...... 7. Backgrounds and Customization ...... 13. Races ...... 14. Final Words & Author’s Notes ...... 20.

Concept, Writing, and Layout by Oliver Bollmann Proofreading by Aaron Bertrand

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he mighty Centaur is a well- have found themselves described, expanded, and known mythical beast, easily recognized occasionally offered up as a player race with varying by gamer and non-gamer alike. At their degrees of success. mention, familiar images are likely to With the arrival of the 5th edition of D&D, the allure spring to mind: the famed half-human/ of tauric races has not abated. This supplement is half-horse charging valiantly over the intended to make available a wide variety of playable Thills, powerfully carrying someone tauric races within the 5th Edition ruleset, bringing away through the forest; or perhaps even dancing with them their uniqueness and special forms delightfully in a Fantasia-induced vision. Whichever while remaining within the balance and capabilities image most fits, the centaur is a familiar creature and established by other player races, thus making it easy a staple in the fantasy and mythological realms. to insert and play a tauric race in any campaign. In the western world, centaurs can trace their origins back to ancient Greece, arising sometime during the Bronze Age. The Greeks viewed centaurs Intentions as liminal beings, caught between dual and contrasting natures and symbolizing the tension The intentions of this Supplement on Tauric Races between the wild/untamed and the ordered/civilized. are to provide guidance for: Thus, in Greek tales and mythology centaurs were � Creating tauric races for all manners of base found both as barbaric antagonists and as learned mammals, reptiles, insects, and snakes. teachers. Similar hybrids of human/animal forms � Creating tauric races that are in line with existing can also be found in the ancient Mesopotamian and player races and do not require re-balancing Egyptian mythologies. While not sharing the same of adventure challenges nor any special level metaphorical connotations, this common interest adjustment rules for their inclusion. in the physical aspects of the form displays the � How to include tauric races in your campaign morphology’s allure. world. Centaur imagery persisted into Medieval Europe � How to play a tauric race. heraldry, both as horse- as well as lion-hybrid incarnations. With their position so well grounded in the cultural mindset, centaurs strode easily into early fantasy literature and artistry alongside many other fantastical beasts. Like the centaurs of ancient Greece, they were portrayed in varying roles, both savage and refined, as antagonists and as protagonists. Authors and artists soon began applying the centaur physiological makeup to many other creatures, creating a bevy of centaur-like creatures. It was there in fantasy and science fiction literature and art where “tauric” creatures found their fullest expression, with felines, canines, other equines, insects, and even reptiles taurically romping across the fantasy fiction landscape. Something about these creatures clearly appeals to our sense of wonder and On Nomenclature our collective imagination. In the common fantasy vernacular, many centaur- With the breadth of sources from which Advanced like species are referred to as [animal]taurs, thus Dungeons and Dragons drew its inspirations, the leading to foxtaurs, liontaurs, wolftaurs, deertaur, centaur charged into the world of the fantasy RPG. beetletaurs, alligataurs, dragontaurs, and so on. The very first Monster Manual released described the This supplement adopts this terminology, leading classic centaur, and it was soon joined in subsequent to the term “tauric” to refer to centaur-like, and books by taruic races created from goats (bariaur), “taurs” as the general term for all centaur-like lions (wemics), and even from the iconic dragons species and races. (dracotaur). Snakes (yuan-ti), ants (formians), and When creating a race for use in your campaign, spiders (drider) can also be considered part of this however, the race should be given a much more centaur-like genre, and in certain editions the lamia appropriate and unique name, in the same way were explicitly open to a multitude of beast-halves centaurs, wemics, and formians are individualized. (includingSample goats, deers, and lions). From those early One of the example races in thisfile supplement, a editions to today, the centaur and other tauric races foxtaur, was given the racial name of kendrii.

INTRODUCTION 2 Chapter 1: Tauric Races In Your Campaign

auric races are exciting to Scales and the hardened exoskeleton of a chitinous play, owing to their unique physiology insect require much less daily upkeep. However, there and exotic natures. Those same traits, is the issue of molting, the periodic shedding of old however, also have unique challenges skin that takes several hours and leaves the new coat and rule impacts, and warrant a few underneath soft and sensitive for about a day until considerations for your campaign, it fully hardens. A reptile, snake, or insect taur who Twhether you are a player or the DM. undergoes molting will be aware when the time is approaching, and can make appropriate arrangements so that it doesn’t interfere with their daily lives, Body Morphology including helping to begin the process a few days All tauric races possess the familiar combination of early if need be. the upper body of a humanoid merged with the body and (with the exception of snake taurs) the lower legs of an animal. Living in a Humanoid's World For most species, the fusion between a taur’s It’s not always easy living as a taur in a world humanoid and animal halves is at the animal’s populated by two-footers. There’s rarely enough room withers, where the neck would begin, and at the humanoid’s pelvis, aligned such that the humanoid to move around, doors can be frustratingly too short, navel is about level with the withers. The two spines and some innkeepers don’t take kindly to you bringing connect at this point, with the humanoid’s back your “beast” inside. That doesn’t even begin to cover flowing into the animal’s shoulders, and the stomach their fascination with stairs and ladders… meeting the animal’s chest. This joint remains flexible enough such that the taur can touch the Adventuring life is rarely comfortable on an ground by bending at the waist, and can also turn ongoing basis, but it can be extra difficult for tauric around to reach at least the base of their own tail. races when forced to negotiate both the constructions The animal half also retains many of its base made by humanoids and the societal prejudices that animal’s capabilities and mannerisms. A centaur can arise. Especially in towns and cities, complaints can lower themselves to the ground to rest (or roll about “filthy” animals and beasts may arise frequently around) and have no trouble standing up, while and with fervor. wemics, wolftaurs, and other taurs of the type will Overall, the disadvantages of the tauric form in also happily sit on their hind legs as would any cat or navigating through humanoid surroundings can most dog. easily be imagined by considering a permanent fusion Insect and snake-taurs don’t possess the leg between an animal and a typical humanoid rider. If structures more familiar on other mammals or a knight takes their horse into a dungeon, there will reptiles, and arachnid-type taurs (such as driders) be tight corridors through which to squeeze, difficult have a different placement between their humanoid inclines to surmount, stealth hampered by the sound and spider halves. Their mobility remains equally of hooves on stone, and extra rations required. At capable, however, and at times even superior given the end of the adventure, the knight rides their mount some insect’s capacity to walk along walls. Similarly, to town for a mug of ale and a good meal. Inside the snake taurs can slide through tight terrain with ease, inn, tables and chairs need to be moved to make room and they may coil themselves up to rest. for the mount to lay down. Will the knight be able to While the humanoid half of a tauric race remains, ride his horse up to the rooms above for the night? overall, the same as the upper body of a typical Or will he be forced to sleep in the stable? human or elf, there are differentiations including Different animal bases for a taur can mitigate or whether or not it is covered in fur or scales, has an exacerbate some of these difficulties. For example, animal head, or is topped by horns or antlers. The as a feline taur a wemic is smaller and more agile, section on Aesthetic Considerations in Chapter 2 allowing for easier negotiation of corridors and tables covers these variations in more detail. alike. By contrast, a massive taur based on a bison or dragon would find themselves even more at odds with most constructions unless they were built by ogres or Fur and Scales giants. When it comes to social interactions, neither are likely to find many favors. While a lion is more For mammalian taurs with fur – whether short and familiar due to being somewhat like a gigantic cat, fuzzy or long and thick – an extra layer of care and they are still scary predators. Reactions can be even grooming is required to maintain hygiene and to avoid worse if you are a formian or other insectoid taur; the uncomfortableSample mattes and tangles. A good brush- file innate “ick” reaction by a town could be immense. down can be as delightful to a taur as is a hot bath is to many humanoids.

Tauric Races In Your Campaign 3