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Minotaurs have had a convoluted history inDungeons & Dragons: Originating as dungeon-dwelling monsters in the pre-First Edition “White Box,” by Third Edition they were offered as a supplementary playable monsterous character option before making it into the Player’s Handbook as a base species in Fourth Edition.
While multiple printings suggest that minotaurs are a surprisingly popular species, it can be tough to find the source materials and pick which version you want to play. So let us guide you through the maze of conflicting information to choose the best bull for your buck.
Types Of Minotaurs
Minotaurs were an example species used in 3rd Edition’s Savage Species: Playing Monsterous Characters sourcebook, and were included as a base species in 4th Edition, so Wizards of the Coast clearly knew that players were interested in themas player characters. While they were notably absent from the 5th Edition Player’s Handbook,they’ve had species traits published no less than five timesin 5th Edition!
All of the official versions are similar, but different enough that you shouldtalk to your Dungeon Master before you build one. If they approve a minotaur from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse and you show up with a build from Planeshift: Amonkhet, they might be upset.
The Basic Minotaur
Described in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, this is themost common and most versatile versionof the minotaur species.
These minotaurs are different than the ones described in the Monster Manual, which are Large Monstrosities rather than Medium Humanoids. This can be explained by the association of most minotaurs with Baphomet, leading them to become more monstrous and savage, and the existence of some populations that have avoided that influence.
The minotaurs described in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse have the following features:
Krynn Minotaurs
Krynn is the Dragonlance setting, and the minotaurs of this world were described inUnearthed Arcana: Waterborne Adventures.Flavored as pirates rather than barbarians, Krynn minotaurs would be a fair species to play for seafaring campaigns.
Krynn minotaurs have the following features:
Unearthed Arcana (UA) is provided to players to playtest content that’s in development. The Krynn minotaurs are intended for the Dragonlance setting, which has not been officially released for Fifth Edition, but they are still compatible with the existing rules with your DM’s blessing.
Ravnican Minotaurs
Minotaurs on the plane of Ravnica aresimilar to those described in Monsters of the Multiverse, aside from more concrete attribute modifiers and trading the Labyrinthine Recall ability for Imposing Presence.
They generally belong with the Boros Legion, acting as law enforcers, but a few align themselves with the chaotic Gruul clan or the Cult of Rakdos. One notable physical difference is thatmany Ravnican minotaurs dock their tails, finding armor more comfortable without them.
Theros Minotaurs
Theros is a plane inspired by Greek mythology, from which minotaurs originate. They’re represented here as having their own culture and city of Skophos and following Mogis, the God of slaughter.
Theros minotaurs are identical to Ravnican minotaursin terms of stats and abilities, but their alignment is not dependant on the faction they associate with. Instead, those who remain in the minotaur city of Skophos tend towards Lawful alignments, while those who leave are more likely to become Chaotic.
Theros minotaurs arethe only group of minotaurs specifically described as having priests, who tend to decorate themselves with trophies of their fallen enemies.
Amonkhet Minotaurs
Minotaurs from Amonkhet are the most visually distinct version, resembling rams rather than bulls. Their horns curve around their ears, and they’re frequently depicted somewhat slimmer than other minotaur variants.
They also have the shortest lifespan, dying of old age around 40 despite only reaching maturity when they turn 20. This short lifespan results in themliving in a hurry, often manifesting as having direct, even brash demeanors and little patience.
Amonkhet minotaurs have the following traits:
Roleplaying A Minotaur
While each of the different versions of minotaurs provided is distinct,there are some common themesthat can be applied to any minotaur character.
All minotaurs are big and menacing, more than half of them receiving automatic proficiency in the Intimidate skill, and while all versions with set stat bonuses get a Strength bonus, only the Krynn version gets a bonus in Intelligence or Wisdom, and only then at the cost of a second Strength bonus. Each version has some form of natural weapon attack based on its horns that relies on Strength. you may also see a general trend towards Lawful alignment.
Based on the stat bonuses and natural weapons,minotaurs excel as melee classes such as Fighter and Barbarian, where they can put all of their innate bonuses to use.
Playing a spellcaster, even with the Monsters of the Multiverse version and putting your bonus into your spellcasting stat, will probably feel underwhelming because you’ll have little use for most features. After all,how often will your Wizard charge into melee to headbutt an opponent?
The Lawful alignment that most variants favor can be played up as an aspect of herd mentality:Minotaurs are social animals, like humans, and work towards the good of their clan, family, or party. Even Evil minotaurs can be fiercely loyal, going out of their way to ensure the safety and prosperity of their party, which is a net benefit for themselves.
The combination of loyalty and intimidating presence means thatminotaurs make ideal bodyguards, which can be a good way to get your minotaur character to join an adventuring party.
Evil doesn’t mean stupid, or so self-serving that the character doesn’t take care of their party. Try playing evil characters who treat the party as an extension of themselves, rather than simply tools to use and toss aside. They’ll still be loyal to the group, if only because they’re all stronger together.
Minotaurs aren’t subtle:They approach everything in life head-on, just like the way they charge into combat. Don’t beat around the bush trying to be polite! Instead, state blunt observations to tackle social situations directly. This may come across as rude to other species, so try not to take it too far.
WRONG: “Are you feeling alright?”
RIGHT: “You look like something I scraped off my hoof yesterday.”
In the Forgotten Realms setting, monsterous minotaurs are usually followers of Baphomet, and some lore even states that they’re former humans blessed with a form similar to the Prince of Beasts due to their devotion.The playable species is distinctly different from their monsterous brethren, but can still be played as descended from them, much like Tieflings are descended from fiendish ancestors of their own.
This presents unique gameplay hooks: Minotaurs may be universally recognized as monsters, forcing you to deal with terrified reactions whenever you enter a new village. Perhaps your minotaur Paladin hopes to break his relatives from their Abyssal master.
In combat, make full use of your natural weapons. Thanks to their horns, minotaurs are never truly disarmed, and have extra attack options unavailable to other characters. Goring Charge allows you tomove twice the distance of most other characters while keeping your attack, allowing you to ambush foes or chase down fleeing enemies.
Meanwhile,Hammering Horns allows a minotaur to push or shove an opponent in any direction, allowing you to push enemies off of cliffs, into traps, rivers, or campfires, of herd them into one location. Your wizard will thank you when you push the last gnoll into the blast radius of his next Fireball
