[d20r, Race] Minotaur

[Fax Celestis]

Minotaurs are humanoids who appear like very large humans with a bull's head. Most also display coarse, shaggy, cow-like fur. A minotaur stands more than 7 feet tall and weighs about 700 pounds.

Minotaurs speak Giant.

• +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom
• Medium size: Minotaurs, being medium, receive no adjustments based on size (but see the Powerful Build ability, below).
• Monstrous Humanoid: Minotaurs are monstrous humanoids. As monstrous humanoids, minotaurs are immune to spells and effects that specifically target humanoids.
• Speed: A minotaur's base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision: out to 60'.
• Scent: Minotaur have a well-developed sense of smell.
• Natural Weapons: Minotaur have a gore attack that deals 1d6 points of damage. A charging minotaur who attacks with no other weapons than his gore deals double damage. A minotaur's gore attack is its primary natural attack.
• Natural Tracker: Minotaurs receive a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks used to track a target.
• Keen Senses: Minotaurs receive a +2 racial bonus on Awareness checks due to their keen senses.
• Powerful Build: The physical stature of minotaurs lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger.
  
  Whenever a minotaur is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the minotaur is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
  
  A minotaur is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A minotaur can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.
• Natural Talent: A minotaur has a small pool of reserve energy they may tap into daily. A minotaur has one charge per three class levels, minimum one. A charge may be spent to activate one of the following abilities as an immediate action or to power a feat with the [Minotaur] descriptor:
  
  • Born Tracker: A minotaur may activate this ability as an immediate action to attempt recover a trail he has lost in the last round.
  • Powerful Charge: A minotaur may activate this ability as an immediate action when charging. He takes an additional -2 penalty to his AC this round, but if his attack lands he deals an additional 1d8 plus Strength modifier damage.
  • Resounding Bellow: A minotaur may activate this ability as a standard action. All allies within 30' receive a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls for a number of rounds equal to the minotaur's Wisdom modifier. This bonus increases by 1 every four levels (to +2 at 4th, +3 at 8th, +4 at 12th, +5 at 16th, and +6 at 20th). This is a sonic morale effect.
• Automatic Languages: Giant. Bonus Languages: Common, Gnoll, Orc, and Terran.
• Favored Class: Ranger.

[MammonAzrael]

Wow.

Those are some crazy stat adjustments. My only question is if you could drop the Con bonus and Int penalty. But I'm really not sure about it.

Everything else looks good, and the favored class is perfect with your rangers new focus on terrain.

Not a lot to say about this, you pretty much nailed it.

My only concern is if it's a tad too powerful, or pigeon-holed due to its multiple stat adjustments.

[Xefas]

I'm not sure I understand the Charisma penalty. This makes them naturally worse at Intimidation than say...a Kobold?

Not to mention it seems, to me, to conflict with their Resounding Bellow ability. They seem like they would be talented at arousing emotions and getting their point across.

[Fax Celestis]

I'm not sure I understand the Charisma penalty. This makes them naturally worse at Intimidation than say...a Kobold?

Kind of. You forget the +4 bonus on Intimidate per size difference...and since Intimidate is an opposed check, Powerful Build applies.

Not to mention it seems, to me, to conflict with their Resounding Bellow ability. They seem like they would be talented at arousing emotions and getting their point across.

This, however, is a valid point. I may remove the +Con and -Cha.

[Lappy9000]

Not to mention it seems, to me, to conflict with their Resounding Bellow ability. They seem like they would be talented at arousing emotions and getting their point across.

I would second this, along with the removal of the Constitution bonus. +2 +2 +2 and -2 -2 -2 is just going too far.

Besides, I can definitely see minotaur as stronger and more alert, yet less responsive and somewhat slow. Oh, and the minotaur fluff as trackers is good. Something I've felt that they were lacking.

[Frog Dragon]

+2 Str, +2 Con -2 Int perhaps?
Fits the tracker thing

[Eldrys]

@^crazy overpowerd +2 to two most major front-liner stats for something that wouldn't really even apply to their prefered class seems too strong

I always thought of them as fast creatures with a 40' movement speed(which I realise could be considered too good) or something.

[daggaz]

If I may.. I would actually change the bonus to wisdom over to charisma, fluff wise, tho Im sure mechanics folks will argue about balance issues, but perhaps there is another way to knock him up a tad.

Just seems like minotaurs would have a really powerful presence -they feature rather prominently in greek mythology, after all, and this would be more akin to the +2 cha. Course, this plays hell with them as rangers, I know you want to make them rangers badly, after all. You could just make them special and give them charisma based ranger spells if and only if they take their favored class (does seem like a clunky crappy fix tho) As far as skills, they already have a bonus to awareness, but you could fatten it to make up for the loss of wisdom. I dont know... I know that seems wrong now I write it down, but they really seem like a +2 str -2 dex -2 int +2 cha beast to me.

Just a thought..

[Athaniar]

they feature rather prominently in greek mythology

If I'm not horribly mistaken, there was only one minotaur in greek mythology.

[Elfin]

...and not horribly like a ranger, either, waiting in a maze for its prey.