Taurans

“Brothers! Let the will of the powerful wash off your bodies like mud in a river. Let the shackles of their oppression shatter at your feet like glass. May you slip through their fingers like sand upon the shore! We shall rise against them like the sun in the sky, and destroy them with all of the ferocity and ceaselessness of its light! When all is said and done, and their blood has stained our axes, then and only then, we may rest. - Marisha Algoria, The Life and Deeds of Sir Antonio.

Liberation

The tale of the taurans, who were liberated by Mother Nature, is an inspiration to all those who have heard it. Taurans are seen as powerful symbols of change no matter where they find themselves. They push forward the tides of change, toppling dictatorships and rending oppressors wherever they stand. It may take their entire lives, but no self-respecting tauran would concede to the will of the world. Their task is as ceaseless as they are.

 

 

Appearance

Taurans are nearly indistinguishable from minotaurs upon first glane. They are large, sturdy folk. Their fur patterns are varied in both length and colour, echoing the different breed of cattle which the humans cultivated. All taurans have horns, with their size and shape changing depending on the personality of the individual.

Beasts of Burden

The Taurans share many things in common with their bestial ancestors, more than anything their tendency to carry the burdens of others. Taurans feel the weight of the world on their shoulders as they attempt to free others as they have been freed. It is the lifelong struggle of every Tauran to attempt to find a balance between their calling, and attempting to live the life their ancestors never got to.

Tauran Traits

As a Tauran, your limitless will and ancestral origins grant you the following traits.

Ability Score Increase: Increase one ability score of your choice by 2, and one different score by 1. Alternatively, increase three different ability scores by 1.

Age: Taurans average life span is hard to quantify, as they often place themselves in mortal danger attempting to help those in need. Taurans reach maturity at the age of 30, and may live to about 200.

Size: Taurans are large humanoids, often towering over their peers. Your Size is Medium.

Speed: Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan, and Oxtongue, a language created by Taurans to keep secrets in dire circumstances.

Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Powerful Build: You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag or lift.

Momentum: If you move 15 feet straight towards a target and then hit them with a melee weapon attack, you add your proficiency bonus to the damage of that attack. This damage only applies to the first attack you make against the target on your turn.

Horns: Your beastial ancestry grants you natural weapons. Your horns are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing/slashing damage (your choice) equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.

Titles: Taurans twist their former fates into bold new futures. Choose one of the titles below.

 

 

Matador

Before the liberation, the bestial ancestors of the Taurans were made to fight in arenas. They were constantly goaded by bullfighter, using their battle for entertainment. When the bestial ancestries were created, Taurans twisted this fate into a new title: The Matador. As Matadors, these Taurans goad their enemies into their reach, or trick them into running straight into terrible circumstances. Their wit is matched only by their will.

Common Paths

As Matadors, these Taurans will often find themselves as freedom fighters, adventurers or soldiers, using their wit and fighting prowess to topple great foes.

Matador Traits

You gain the following traits.

Work the Crowd: You gain proficiency in the Performance Skill.

Olé!: You know exactly how to get your opponents attention. As a bonus action, you can taunt a creature within 60 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier), or it must spend it’s turn moving as close to you as it can, and may only take the Dash or Attack actions. If an enemy misses a melee attack against you while affected by this trait, they move 15 feet in a direction of your choice as they blindly charge past you. This movement provokes opportunity attacks. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficency bonus, regaining all expended uses upon finishing a long rest.

 

 

Livestock

Taurans know all too well the way their ancestors used to be treated. Bred and kept to become food upon the table of the common folk, their ancestors were kept weak. They needed to be killed in a single blow, lest it disturb the other cattle. When the taurans awoke, the magic of Mother Nature gave them a newfound endurance. Those formerly kept weak were given immense strength and fortitude, and they fought to free themselves from their conditions.

Common Paths

Livestock Taurans often become folk heroes, guardsmen for small towns, or adventurers. They use their hardy natures to shield their allies from harm that would have brought low any other creature.

Livestock Traits

You don’t go down easy. You gain the following traits.

Hard to Kill: You have advantage on Death Saving Throws. When you are stabilized as a result of succeeding three Death Saving Throws, you are brought to 1 hit point, instead of 0.

Cultivated Endurance: Mother Nature grants you incredible endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can choose to instead drop to 1 hit point. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

 

 

Juggernaut

Cast as dangerous, violent beasts, the tauran’s ancestors were looked down upon. They were seen as mindless, unstoppable forces of nature. Some taurans take that old view and twist it into a new title: Juggernaut. These taurans lean into their physical prowess, throwing their weight into their strikes even more than other taurans. They destroy the obstacles in their path, letting nothing stop them from defeating their enemies, those who would keep others in chains. No tyrant, no matter how strong, has ever been able to withstand the overwhelming force of the Juggernauts.

Common Paths

Juggernauts are often warriors, bodyguards, or adventurers. They tear through their enemies, leaving nothing but rubble and gore in their wake.

Juggernaut Traits

None shall stand in your path. You gain the following traits.

Seige Weapon: Your very body can topple buildings. You deal double damage to objects and structures.

Disorient: The weight of your strikes disorient your enemies. Whenever a creature takes damage from your Momentum feature, it cannot take reactions until the end of your next turn.

 

 

Credits

Sketch Collection VII (Fluffy Minotaur), Mike Azevedo - https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rRevXG

Minotaur Monk, ArtDeepMind - https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/artdeepmind/minotaur-monk

Minotaur King, Iana Verge - https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ZGlJB8

Warcraft Tauren, Martin Paz Romero - https://www.artstation.com/artwork/3dPqOg

Minotaur Warrior, Nicholas “RookZer0” - https://www.artstation.com/artwork/9e5JDQ

Design Notes

I’m not sure about all of you, but I personally love understanding the design principals behind the stuff I read. I thought I’d explain some of the design choices, and perhaps shed some light on what I was trying to evoke and the balance I was trying to strike with the Taurans!

Momentum - This ability is meant to be a better version of the “Charge” feature that currently exists in 5e. As it stands, that ability doesn’t come up super often, is hard to use, and requires your bonus action. I thought that was unfun, so I’ve reworked into Momentum. Momentum is meant to activate at least once every couple of rounds, giving your Tauran a boost to their damage if you invest into running at people. It also frees up your bonus action, so you don’t lose any action economy. Hopefully, this is a more fun and still well balanced alternative to Charge.

Horns - standard unarmed strikes for 5e. Poor monks.

Ole! - I wanted to really channel the “goading your enemy into blindly charging” flavour, and that took some work. Ole is meant to be used to reposition and mess with your enemies. I wanted to create a battefield control option that would be useful on a more martially inclined character, and still be fun and flavourful. The limited uses hopefully keep this from being overpowered, but this ability is meant to be good.

Hard to Kill - Typically in combat, going down sucks but isnt super worrying. Unless enemies start to attack you, your cleric will probably healing word you back to 5hp, and then you’ll continue the yo-yo healing cycle. Since this is how healing works in 5e, I thought it would be fun to give a character the ability to pick themselves back up, instead of relying on their cleric. Shouldn’t be overpowered, as enemies can always come over and whack you if you’re making death saves.

Cultivated Endurance- Further movings towards that “im not going down” flavour, this is equivalent to the Half Orc Feature Relentless Endurance. In tandem with Hard to Kill this should make your character a real tough cookie.

Disorient- This ability was meant to evoke a dazing effect, as this 300 pounds cow-person rams you in the head with their horns. The “end of your next turn” means they can reliably chain this on a single enemy, which might be too strong. feedback on this would be lovely

Any feedback you have would be superb. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to read this homebrew! have a lovely day:)