The Centaur Papers
Two manuscripts become one very long article
by Stephen Inniss and Kelly Adams
Editor's introduction
Coincidence is a funny thing.
A while back, we received two manuscripts
within days of each other, both from
western Canadian writers and both
about
centaurs. Each article was well written and
contained much valuable information that
corresponded well with and complemented
the information in the other article. As you
would expect, neither author had any idea
of what the other one was doing.
We contacted the authors and asked for
permission to combine the best features of
each article into one large one, and they
kindly agreed. Herewith, we present virtually
everything you could ever want to know
about centaurs, from two who seem to know
the most about them. -- RM
C e n t a u r s a r e p r o b a b l y
t h e l e a s t u n d e r s t o o d
o f t h e s e m i - h u m a n r a c
e s , d e s p i t e t h e i r
c l o s e a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h
h u m a n s . P e r h a p s
t h e i r r a r i t y i s t o
b l a m e , b u t i t i s
m o r e l i k e l y
t h a t b e c a u s e t h e m a
j o r i t y o f s c h o l a r s a r
e
h u m a n , t h e i r w r i t i n g s
h a v e b e e n i n f l u e n c e d
b y h u m a n p r e j u d i c e
a g a i n s t t h e h o r s e p e o p l e .
C e n t a u r s , c l a i m t h e s
a g e s , a r e a
w i l d , r u d e , a n d b a r
b a r o u s p e o p l e , l i v i n g
i n
w o o d l a n d f a r f r o m h
u m a n c i v i l i z a t i o n .
T h e y a r e n o t v e r y
b r i g h t , a n d a r e p r o n e
t o
d r u n k e n n e s s a n d v i o l e n c e
. T h e y a r e s l a v e s
t o i m p u l s e a n d i n s t
i n c t ; e v e n w h e n t h e y
m e a n w e l l , t h e y a r e
u n t r u s t w o r t h y . T h e r e i s
s o m e t r u t h b e n e a t h
t h e s e s l a n d e r s , b u t t
h e y
h a r d l y g i v e a n a c c u
r a t e p i c t u r e o f c e n t a
u r
l i f e a n d m a n n e r s .
Anatomy
The unique structure of the horse-people
lies behind many of their differences from
other intelligent species. A centaur is most
simply described as a creature with a human
trunk, arms, and head, with a horse's
body and legs. The human portian of a
centaur's body merges with the equine at
what would be the neck of a horse, the
lower human back fading into horse shoulders
and the human belly meeting the
equine chest, so that the hominid navel is
almost level with the withers. The lower,
equine body stands about 15 hands high,
with a range of 14-19 hands, the largest
ones being quite rare.
The rest of a centaur is proportionately
large so that an average one stands over a
head taller than a human of the same sex.
Those in lands distant from the horse-people
may confuse them with giants or
ogres, and in this they are not too far
wrong. A large centaur may weigh as much
as a small giant, and few centaurs weigh
less than an ogre does. The hominid elements
of centaur anatomy are within the
human range, however, and not truly giant-sized.
The joining of apparently disparate
elements in a centaur is not superficial; it
forms a harmonious and coordinated whole
that looks entirely natural to the accustomed
eye.
The upper torso and limbs of a centaur
are larger and somewhat coarser than the
human average. The same applies to the
head and facial features. With their high-bridged
noses, powerful jaws, and broad
teeth, centaur faces have a definite equine
cast. Centaurs have more hair than the
average human. The females have long
thick hair, and the males sport abundant
body hair and unusually heavy beards as
well. Male centaurs rarely go bald in old or
middle age.
Centaur voices are more powerful but
have the same range as human ones. Centaurs
lack the infravision and keen hearing
of demi-humans, but overall, centaurs have
senses superior to humans. They can detect
the scent of another equine (any horselike
creature, including pegasi, unicorns, and
normal horses) if that creature has passed
within twenty yards of the centaur's current
location within the past hour. This ability is
negated by rain or strong winds, or by the
presence of overpowering odors such as
skunk musk. A male centaur can scent a
female in heat up to one mile away on a
clear day; the mare is equally sensitive.
Centaurs are more sensitive than humans to
other smells, but not so much so that it has
any real effect. Centaur vision is better at
picking out movement, and this generally
m a k e s t h e c r e a t u r e s
s u p e r i o r h u n t e r s .
C e n t a u r s p o s s e s s o n l y
s l i g h t l y b e t t e r h e a r i n g
t h a n t h e h u m a n r a c e
, b u t u s e w h a t t
h e y
h a v e w i t h g r e a t e r e
f f i c i e n c y : t h e y w i l l
a t t e n d
t o a s m a l l s o u n d
t h a t a h u m a n w o u l d
n o r m a l l y i g n o r e .
Coloration follows the patterns found in
domestic horses, with the most common
color being a brown bay (brown body with
dark head hair and tail), and the least common
being true appaloosa and palamino
(unless one counts the albino, which is
extremely rare). As with horses, head-hair
color and tail color are the same in most
cases. It is not uncommon, though, to see a
centaur with white and black head hair (in
the case of a piebald or a skewbald), a phenomenon
that never occurs among humans.
The upper and lower parts of a centaur
generally correspond in color and build so
that a stocky, red-haired centaur is stocky
and reddish in both hominid and equine
halves, and a thin, black-haired centaur is
thin overall and has black fur on the lower
torso and legs. Hair color does not have to
match skin color. Pinto coloring, for instance,
does not extend to a centaur's skin,
and some tropical centaurs are solidly black
or brown above, though their lower bodies
are striped black and white. Most centaurs
tend to show a certain resemblance to local
human and equine populations.
Centaurs can touch the ground with their
fingers without bending their knees. The
region of the withers and lower hominid
back is of marvelously sound and flexible
construction, with powerful muscles, strong
ligaments, and an odd but effective set of
vertebrae. The rest of the centaur body is
also surprisingly flexible, much more so
than that of a horse. It is not difficult for a
centaur to braid his or her tail.
Centaurs have two hearts, one in the
upper body and one in the lower. Each is
about three times the size of a human heart,
and they beat together in a slow but powerful
rhythm. There is also a pair of lungs in
each chest cavity, though the lower pair is
mostly a bellows for the peculiar but efficient
upper respiratory system. The chests
of a centaur expand and contract in unison.
The overall construction of the centaur
body is such that it is less vulnerable to
injury than that of a human. Most of the
major organs, such as those of the digestive
system, are carried underneath the lower
torso, where they are less easily reached by
an enemy and well protected by less vital
tissues. Many, such as the liver and kidneys,
are proportionally smaller than in
humans (as is common in larger creatures),
and are therefore less likely to be hit. The
area that appears to correspond to the vulnerable
human abdomen is mostly composed
of fat and muscle, with equivalents of
the human windpipe, jugular vein, and
such buried deep within it. All this makes it
difficult to score a telling blow on a centaur.
It also explains why damage from a small
weapon is so much less serious than that
done by a weapon that reaches the vital
areas of such a large creature.
There are some less favorable effects of a
centaur?s weight, The bones and tissues of
large creatures are proportionally weaker
than those of smaller ones (strength does
not increase as quickly as weight) so that a
centaur will take + 1 on each die of falling
damage it suffers.
Birth and aging
The equine body carries the reproductive
organs. The fertility period of the females is
monthly, but conception is most likely in
spring or early summer. The gestation time
is 11 months, but pregnancy is not so burdensome for a female centaur
as it is for a
human woman, and birth is easier and safer
for both mother and child. There is usually
only one foal, but twins are possible. The
umbilicus is so attached that a centaur?s
navel is on the upper torso.
At birth, a foal?s human portion is
roughly equivalent in growth to a 4-year-old
child. A newborn centaur is at first covered
with a coat of fine hair, with a few longer
strands on head and tail. Within two
months, it will lose its downy covering and
begin to grow fur on the lower torso and
legs. Centaurs can stand within an hour of
birth, and by the time they reach the age of
two years can run as swiftly as a grown
man. Most learn to talk by their first birthday. Mothers kneel down
to nurse their
young (their mammary glands are on the
upper torso, just like humans), and must do
so often; young centaurs have great appetites. In some societies, the
diet of the infant
is supplemented with milk from domestic
animals. Centaurs are not fertile either with
humans or with horses.
Centaurs have a slightly extended lifespan compared to humans, as the
following
table shows (see p. 13, DMG).
| Child | 0-14 years |
| Young Adult | 15-19 years |
| Maturity | 20-40 years |
| Middle age | 41-75 years |
| Old age | 76-95 years |
| Venerable | 96-135 years |
Centaur children are called foals; specifically speaking, a male child
is a colt and a
female child is a filly. Mature adult males
are stallions; mature females are mares.
Adult status in a herd is usually granted
at the age of seventeen for females and
nineteen for males. Centaurs age gracefully,
remaining active and healthy until the last
year or two of their lives.
Diet
Though they weigh six times what humans
do, centaurs need only four times the
nourishment. Larger creatures eat less,
pound for pound, than smaller ones, as any
human that has been host to halflings is well
aware. Still, finding enough food can be a
serious problem for the omnivorous centaur
(see "Hunting and farming," below). <>
Though they have powerful jaws and
high-crowned molars, centaurs are not
suited to eating such coarse and abrasive
f a r e a s g r a s s , t w i g
s , t r e e b a r k , o r
l e a v e s .
T h i s d o e s n o t p r e v e
n t t h e m f r o m c o n s u m i n
g l a r g e a m o u n t s o f
f r e s h o r d r i e d a l f a l f
a ,
d a n d e l i o n s , r a w t u r n i p s ,
p e a s ( a l o n g w i t h
t h e p o d a n d v i n e ) ,
v a r i o u s s e e d y a n d b i t
t e r
f r u i t s a n d b e r r i e s ,
a c o r n s , a n d a b r o a d
r a n g e o f o t h e r f o o d
s u n p a l a t a b l e o r u n d i
g e s t i b l e t o h u m a n s , a
s w e l l a s l e s s d
i f f i c u l t f a r e .
G r a i n s , p a r t i c u l a r l y o a t
s , a r e e a t e n a s
a
s t a p l e f o o d . F r e s h
m i l k , c h e e s e , a n d m i l
k
p r o d u c t s m a y b e t a k
e n i n g r e a t q u a n t i t i e
s ,
e s p e c i a l l y b y y o u n g
g r o w i n g c e n t a u r s .
A h e a l t h y a d u l t c e n
t a u r e a t s r o u g h l y t h e
f o l l o w i n g a m o u n t s ( b y
b o d y h e i g h t i n
h a n d s ) :
| under 12 hh | 14-16 lbs. |
| 12-13 hh | 16-19 lbs. |
| 13-14 hh | 19-22 lbs. |
| 14-15 hh | 22-24 lbs. |
| 15-16 hh | 24-26 lbs. |
| 16+ hh | 26-28 lbs. |
In an ideal centaur diet, approximately
50% of the above must be concentrates, of
which 30% should be meats and 70% oats,
barley, maize, split beans, and other vegetables. The remaining 50%
of the diet should
be bulk: hay, alfalfa, chaff, bran, sugar beet
pulp, oat straw, and the like. In an average
day, a centaur must drink 5-12 gallons of
water or other fluids, depending upon its
size. Fair quantities of salt are also desired.
The digestive system of a centaur is
suited to this varied diet, and has both
human and equine aspects. The stomach is
relatively large, as in humans, so that meals
can be taken more infrequently and in
larger amounts than with horses. Centaurs
can eat meat and other fatty foods because,
unlike horses, they have a gall bladder,
which aids in the breakdown of fats. On the
other hand, centaurs have a fully developed
horselike caecum (equivalent to the nonfunctional appendix of humans)
which
permits the digestion of rough, fibrous
foods. With such a system, it is not surprising that centaurs actually
enjoy tough
foods, or those with exceptionally bitter or
sour flavors, as well as foods humans enjoy.
Though centaurs are quite similar to
humans in outlook, the major physical
differences between the two create significant differences in behavior.
Humans tend
to overstate these and confuse real differences between centaurs and
humans with
those associated with the usual centaur way
of life. Most commentators are townsmen,
and do not realize how similar the horsefolk are to human nomads and
tribesmen.
They are also prejudiced by the physical
appearance of centaurs. Observing their
half-bestial bodies, they attribute to them a
beastly nature as well. A centaur?s ready
reply to this would be that centaurs do
indeed partake of the nature of both man
and horse, combining the best aspects of
both.
The true nature of centaur psychology
and its relation to human ways of thinking
are best seen by less partisan races. If
asked, an elf will point out that (like humans) centaurs are rough
and boisterous,
coarse of manner and feature, dimwitted,
unappreciative of subtle jokes and song,
that they eat and drink to excess, and that
they are impatient and irascible. A dwarf
might add that (like humans) centaurs are
unruly, shortsighted, and short of memory,
that they are unable to devote themselves to
a task, and they quail before difficulties.
Other nonhumans give similar reports, and
so the similarity of centaur and human
minds can be regarded as established. It is
the ways in which centaurs and humans
differ that are of interest.
Centaurs are self-willed to the point of
stubbornness, and some are even more
individualistic than uncivilized humans.
They have little regard for custom and
precedent, and have few laws. Often, they
are seen as liars because they are apt to
abide more by the general spirit of an agreement than by its particular
terms, and will
abandon it altogether if keeping it seems
harmful to themselves or others. Few centaurs are good either at ruling
or being
ruled. They do not practice slavery and are
themselves rebellious as slaves or serfs. Like
elves, they are unlikely to treat others differently because of higher
or lower station.
Such behavior is often offensive to other
races, and combined with a centaur?s casual
c o n t e m p t f o r l a w a n
d t r a d i t i o n , a n d i t s
n a t u r a l s t u b b o r n n e s s , t h
i s t r a i t h a s p r o v e d
u n f o r t u n a t e o n m o r e
t h a n o n e o c c a s i o n .
P e r h a p s t h e s a m e b u
l k a n d s t r e n g t h t h a t
m a k e c e n t a u r s s o i n
d e p e n d e n t a l s o g i v e
t h e m t h e s e c u r i t y t
o d e a l o p e n l y w i t h
t h e
w o r l d . C e n t a u r s a r e
p o o r l i a r s , a n d p o o r
a t
d i s c o v e r i n g a l i e .
L i t e r a l l y b i g - h e a r t e d , t h e
y
f r o w n o n s u c h t r a i t
s a s j e a l o u s y a n d
d i s h o n e s t y , a n d p l a c e
g r e a t v a l u e o n a n
o p e n a n d
g e n e r o u s c h a r a c t e r . T h i s
d o e s n o t m e a n t h a t
t h i e v i n g i s u n k n o w n
i n c e n t a u r s , b u t i t
d o e s
m e a n t h a t i f t h e y
p r a c t i c e b a n d i t r y , i t
w i l l
b e e n t i r e l y a b o v e b o a r d ,
a n d t h e v i c t i m s w i l l
p r o b a b l y n o t l o s e m
o r e t h a n t h e y c a n
a f f o r d . C e n t a u r s a r e
g e n e r a l l y t o o g o o d n a t u r e d
t o p l o t s e r i o u s h a r m
e x c e p t i n
w a r f a r e .
M i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s s o m e t i m e s
a r i s e ,
h o w e v e r , f r o m c e n t a u r
c o n c e p t s o f o w n e r s h i p ,
w h i c h d i f f e r f r o m t h o
s e o f h u m a n s .
C e n t a u r s h a v e a l o w
r e g a r d f o r m o n e y , a n d
g i v e o r t a k e i t
f r e e l y . A l s o , w h i l e t
h e y u n d e r s t a n d o w n e r s h i p
o f i n d i v i d u a l i t e m s w
e l l
e n o u g h , t h e y d o n o t
r e c o g n i z e c l a i m s o f
l a n d o w n e r s h i p u n l e s s
t h e l a n d i s a c t u a l l y
i n
u s e . T h e y h a v e l i t t
l e r e g a r d f o r n a t i o n a
l
b o u n d a r i e s . C e n t a u r s a r e
k n o w n t o b r e a k
d o w n f e n c e s a n d d e s
t r o y o r d e f a c e b o u n d a
r y m a r k e r s , i f t h e y
f i n d s u c h t h i n g s o n
l a n d t h e y a r e a c c u s
t o m e d t o w a n d e r i n g
over.
I n t a n g i b l e a n d a b s t r a c t
t h i n g s h a v e l i t t l e
h o l d o n c e n t a u r s , n
o t f o r l a c k o f u
n d e r s t a n d i n g b u t f o r
l a c k o f a p p r e c i a t i o n .
T h e y
p r e f e r d i r e c t a n d e
a r t h l y t h i n g s , s u c h a
s
f o o d a n d d r i n k . T h e
y a r e l u s t y , t h e i r
g a m e s
i n v o l v e r u n n i n g o r
w r e s t l i n g r a t h e r t h a n
t h i n k i n g , a n d t h e i r
j o k e s a r e m o r e o f t e n
p r a c t i c a l t h a n v e r b a l .
G o l d a n d j e w e l s a r e
c o n s i d e r e d f o r t h e i r
l o o k s r a t h e r t h a n f o r
w h a t t h e y c a n b u y ,
a n d a r e e a s i l y t r a d e d
f o r
s o m e t h i n g m o r e d i r e c t l y
a p p r e c i a b l e i f t h e i r
n o v e l t y w e a r s o f f .
M o d e s t y i s a n i n t a n
g i b l e f o r w h i c h c e n t a
u r s h a v e n o u s e ,
a n d t h e y e n j o y a m u s i n
g
t h e m s e l v e s b y e m b a r r a s s i
n g n o n - c e n t a u r s .
B e c a u s e t h e y a r e s o
l a r g e , c e n t a u r s h a v e
n o
room to be shy. They have no discomfort
r e g a r d i n g n u d i t y , a n d
p r e f e r t o r e m a i n
u n c o v e r e d w h e n e v e r t h e
c l i m a t e p e r m i t s .
B r e e d i n g i s a n a t u r
a l p a r t o f l i f e ;
a l t h o u g h a
m a r e a n d s t a l l i o n w
i l l u s u a l l y c a r r y o n
s u c h
a c t i v i t i e s i n p r i v a t e ,
t h e y a r e n o t d i s t u r b e
d
o r s h o c k e d i f t h e y
a r e w a t c h e d .
T h e h u m a n v i e w o f
c e n t a u r s a n d t h e i r
d r i n k i n g h a b i t s i s
a d i s t o r t e d o n e , d u e
t o t h e
f a c t t h a t t h e m o s t
c o m m o n l y s e e n c e n t a u r s
a r e y o u n g m a l e s w h o
a r e i n t o w n o n h
o l i d a y , s q u a n d e r i n g t h e i r
m o n e y a t t h e w i n e
m e r c h a n t ? s , b r a w l i n g , a n
d s t a g g e r i n g u p
a n d d o w n t h e s t r e e t
s a n d i n a n d o u t
o f
h o u s e s a n d s h o p s . T
h e b e h a v i o r o f t h e s e
f i e r y y o u n g s t a l l i o n s
a w a y f r o m t h e i r b a n d
i s h a r d l y t y p i c a l ,
b u t t h e f a c t r e m a i n s
t h a t
c e n t a u r s a p p r e c i a t e d r i n
k m o r e t h a n h u m a n s
d o , a n d a r e s t r o n g l y
a f f e c t e d i n p r o p o r t i o n
t o t h e i r w e i g h t . O n c e
d r u n k , a
c e n t a u r r e m a i n s s o
f o r a l o n g t i m e
? a
r e s u l t o f i t s l a r g e
s i z e . I f i t w e r e
n o t s o
e x p e n s i v e a h a b i t ,
t h e r e m i g h t b e a
g o o d
n u m b e r o f f o u r - l e g g e d
a l c o h o l i c s . C e n t a u r s
a r e a t t r a c t e d t o a
n u m b e r o f o t h e r d r u g s
a s
w e l l , m o s t n o t a b l y
t o b a c c o . T h o u g h s m o k i n g
i s n o t u n c o m m o n , m o s t
p r e f e r t o c h e w
c u r e d t o b a c c o l e a v e s ,
w h i c h a r e c o n s i d e r e d
a g r e a t d e l i c a c y .
F r o m t h e i r e a r l i e s t
y e a r s , c e n t a u r s a r e
a c c u s t o m e d t o s t a n d i n g
o n t h e i r o w n f o u r
feet, and they do not enjoy riding or being
c a r r i e d . T h e y a r e p
a r t i c u l a r l y s u s p i c i o u s o f
b o a t s , a n d w o u l d c e
r t a i n l y o n l y t r u s t t o
a n
a n i m a l t o p u l l t h e m
s o m e w h e r e a s a l a s t
r e s o r t . T h e n e e d t o
k e e p t h e i r f e e t f i r m l
y o n
t h e g r o u n d a n d t o
b e a b l e t o m o v e
s w i f t l y
m e a n s t h a t c e n t a u r s
d i s l i k e u n s t a b l e
ground, heights, and dark or enclosed
s p a c e s . T h e y d o n o t
l i k e a n y s o r t o f
u n c e r t a i n t y , p r e f e r r i n g t o
c o n t r o l a s m u c h o f
t h e i r
s i t u a t i o n a s p o s s i b l e .
H u m a n s h a v e a n u m b e
r o f s t o r i e s i l l u s t r a
t i n g t h e v i o l e n t n a t u
r e o f t h e h o r s e - f o l k ,
b u t c e n t a u r s a r e i n
f a c t n o m o r e v i o l e n t
t h a n o t h e r r a c e s . W
h a t m a k e s t h e m s e e m
s o
r o u g h i s t h a t t h e y
o f t e n o v e r e s t i m a t e t h e
r o b u s t i c i t y o f n o n - c e n t a
u r s . H o r s e p l a y i s
c o m m o n w i t h c e n t a u r s ,
a n d t h e y a r e b a f f l e d
w h e n o t h e r s a r e r e l
u c t a n t t o j o i n i n
t h e i r
games.
A c e n t a u r ? s f a u l t s
a r e l i k e l y t o b e
t h o s e o f
e x c e s s ? too much love for food, drink, or
other pleasures, too emotional a response,
too volatile a mood. In this, even sophisticated centaurs resemble
some human primitives, acting without thinking and trusting
to strength instead of wit.
As centaurs are fiercely independent and
prideful creatures, affront can be taken in
all the manners common to humans (e.g.,
suggestive comments regarding ancestry,
insults regarding family relations, etc.), as
well as a few common only to centaurs. Any
insult regarding a stallion?s virility is sufficient reason for an
immediate duel, possibly
even a fatal one. A stallion is also very
protective of his hindquarters, and is apt to
kick first and ask questions later. It is decidedly unwise to pat a
male centaur on the
rump unless he knows you very well. Rude
remarks about one?s tail, as noted elsewhere, can also prove hazardous.
Society and communities
Assertions that centaurs are completely
lawless are false. Nonetheless, it is true that
most centaurs know little permanent organization larger than bands
of less than a hundred adults. This may be just as well, as
any adult is allowed a say in tribal decisions, and usually has a long
one. Few
things are settled without shouting and
confusion. Fortunately, the majority of a
herd will usually follow the advice of one or
two individuals best informed in the matter,
most often either the warchief or the matriarch or both. The warchief
is simply the
most skilled and popular warrior, whose
advice has been useful in the past. The rest
of the centaurs will follow his lead in war,
and he settles disputes over cattle or quarrels between males that
might otherwise
come to a duel.
T h e m a t r i a r c h i s s i
m p l y t h e m o s t r e s p e c t
e d f e m a l e , o f t e n t h e
c h i e f c l e r i c
o f t h e
t r i b e a s w e l l . T h e
o t h e r s t u r n t o h e r
f o r
j u d g m e n t i n m o r e s e
r i o u s m a t t e r s , s u c h a
s
w h e r e t o s e e k w a t e r
i n a d r o u g h t , w h e t h e r
t o w a g e w a r , o r
h o w t o s e t t l e a
d i s p u t e
b e t w e e n h o u s e h o l d s . I t
i s i n t h e n a t u r e
o f
c e n t a u r l i f e t h a t m
a l e s l e s s o f t e n l i v e
t o g a i n
w i s d o m a n d l o r e , a n
d s o t h e o p i n i o n
o f t h e
m a t r i a r c h c a r r i e s g r e a t
w e i g h t . C e n t a u r
t r i b e s o f m o r e t h a n
a h u n d r e d m e m b e r s
t e n d t o f r a g m e n t d u
e t o a d u p l i c a t i o n
o f
l e a d e r s , s o t h e r e w
i l l s e l d o m b e m o r e
t h a n
o n e w a r c h i e f a n d o n
e m a t r i a r c h i n a
h e r d .
A s w i t h h u m a n n o m a d
s , t h e r e a r e n e a r l y
t w i c e a s m a n y f e m a l
e s a s m a l e s i n m
a n y
c e n t a u r c o m m u n i t i e s , d u e
t o t h e h a z a r d s o f
t h e w i l d e r l a n d s . S t i l l ,
b e c a u s e c e n t a u r s a r e
p o l y g a m o u s , t h e r e m a y
b e s o m e m a l e s w i t h
n o w i v e s a n d o t h e r s
( t h e m o s t w e a l t h y o r
o t h e r w i s e p o p u l a r ) w i t h
m a n y . C e n t a u r s
b e i n g a s t h e y a r e ,
t h i s p r e s e n t s f e w e r p
r o b l e m s t h a n m i g h t b e
i m a g i n e d , T h e c u s t o m
o f p o l y g a m y p e r s i s t s
i n m o r e s e t t l e d r e g i o
n s , w h e r e t h e r e m a y
b e l a r g e n u m b e r s o f
u n a t t a c h e d m a l e s a s
a r e s u l t
M o s t c e n t a u r m a l e s
a t t e n d t o h e r d i n g ,
w a r f a r e ( n e c e s s a r y a n d
o t h e r w i s e ) , h u n t i n g ,
a n d d e s t r u c t i o n o f
d a n g e r o u s p r e d a t o r s .
F e m a l e s p e r f o r m m a n y
b a s i c c r a f t s o f t h e
c o m m u n i t y , f r o m w e a v i n g
t o s m i t h w o r k ,
c a l l i n g o n t h e s t a l
l i o n s o f t h e h e r d
t o h e l p
w i t h t h e h e a v i e r a n
d s i m p l e r t a s k s . Y o u n
g
f i l l i e s m a y w a n d e r ,
b u t f e m a l e s w i t h y o u n
g
c h i l d r e n r e m a i n n e a r
t h e s e t t l e m e n t o r
e n c a m p m e n t , a n d t h e
r e s t o f t h e t r i b e
i s
v e r y p r o t e c t i v e o f
t h e m . S o m e c e n t a u r
b a n d s a r e d a n g e r o u s l y
c l o s e t o e x t i n c t i o n ,
w i t h f e w e r t h a n e i g
h t y m e m b e r s t o s e t
a g a i n s t t h e h u n d r e d s
o f h u m a n s , d e m i h u m a n s ,
a n d h u m a n o i d s . B e c a u s e
t h e y a r e
p o l y g a m o u s a n d h a v e
f l e x i b l e m a t i n g c u s t o m s ,
t h e c e n t a u r s c a n a f f o
r d t o l o s e a f e w
m a l e s , b u t c h i l d b e a r i n g
f e m a l e s a n d t h e i r
f o a l s a r e p r e c i o u s .
S t r a n g e r s , e v e n f r i e n d l y
o n e s , a r e l i k e l y t o
c o u n t f e w e r c h i l d r e n
t h a n
t h e r e a r e , t h e b a l a
n c e h a v i n g b e e n h i d d e
n .
C e n t a u r m a r e s a r e c
o n s i d e r e d e q u a l d e s p i t e
t h e i r p r o t e c t e d s t a t u s .
T h i s i s p a r t l y i n
t h e
n a t u r e o f c e n t a u r s ,
b u t t h e m a j o r r e a s o n
i s
p r o b a b l y t h a t f e m a l e
c e n t a u r s a r e m o r e
n e a r l y e q u a l t o m a l
e s i n s t r e n g t h a n d
s p e e d
t h a n i s s o w i t h
h u m a n s . F e m a l e c e n t a u r s
a r e a s l i k e l y t o
h a v e p o t t e r ? s w h e e l s ,
s m i t h i e s , l o o m s , a n d
t h e l i k e f r o m t h e i r
m o t h e r s , j u s t a s m a
l e s a r e l i k e l y t o
h a v e
r e c e i v e d c a t t l e o r
o t h e r l i v e s t o c k f r o m
a
f a t h e r . T h e f e m a l e s
h o l d m o s t o f t h e
d w e l l i n g s i n a c o m m u n
i t y , b u t t h e l o n e
m a l e s
m a y c o n s t r u c t p l a c e s
o f t h e i r o w n i f
t h e y d o
n o t l i v e w i t h a
p a r e n t o r s i s t e r.
T h o u g h s m a l l b a n d s
o f c e n t a u r s a r e o f t e n
n o m a d i c , l a r g e r c o m m u n i t
i e s m a y b u i l d
h o m e s , r a t h e r t h a n
s e e k s h e l t e r i n c a v e s
o r
u n d e r t r e e s . T h e l a
r g e s t s u c h c o m m u n i t i e s
m a y c o n s i s t o f a b o u
t 1 0 0 i n d i v i d u a l s , w i
t h
2 0 - 3 0 h o m e s . C e n t a u r
v i l l a g e s , w h e t h e r
t e m p o r a r y o r p e r m a n e n t ,
a r e h a p h a z a r d
a f f a i r s . H o u s e s a n d
t e n t s a r e p l a c e d a t
t h e
w h i m o f t h e i r o w n e r
s , a n d n e w b u i l d i n g s
e r e c t e d w i t h o u t r e f e r e n c
e t o a n y o v e r a l l
p l a n . C e n t a u r s o f t
h e f o r e s t u s u a l l y b u i
l d
p e r m a n e n t s t r u c t u r e s , w i
t h h e a v y l o g s o r
p l a n k s s e t s o l i d l y
o n s t o n e f o u n d a t i o n s .
T h e s e b u i l d i n g s a r e
l o n g a n d r a m b l i n g ,
w i t h h i g h c e i l i n g s ,
w i d e d o o r w a y s a n d l a r
g e
r o o m s . T h e y a r e w e l
l v e n t i l a t e d ( d r a f t y
i s
t h e t e r m m o s t h u m a n
s w o u l d u s e ) a n d
h a v e
h a r d c l a y o r w o o d e n
f l o o r s , s t r e w n w i t h
s a n d o r s t r a w . S t o r
e h o u s e s , f o r g e s , s m o k e h o u s
e s , a n d b a r n s a r e
s e p a r a t e s t r u c t u r e s ,
u s u a l l y o f s i m i l a r
d e s i g n . C e n t a u r s o f t
h e
p l a i n s l i v e i n s o d
h u t s o r i n l a r g e
t e n t s ,
d e p e n d i n g o n t h e p e
r m a n e n c y o f t h e s e t t l
e m e n t . I f a b l a c k s m i t
h s h o p i s n o t a v
a i l a b l e ,
t h e c e n t a u r s w i l l t
r a d e f o r s u c h s e r v i c e
s
f r o m o t h e r s w i t h p e
l t s , l e a t h e r i t e m s , w
o o d w o r k , f o o d g o o d s (
s u c h a s g r a i n s ) , o r
t h e i r
o w n c o n s i d e r a b l e l a b o r
c a p a c i t y .
T h e r e i s l i t t l e f u r
n i t u r e e v e n i n p e r m a n
e n t c e n t a u r h o m e s ; u s
u a l l y o n l y a f e w
h i g h
t a b l e s ( c e n t a u r s e a t
s t a n d i n g u p ) a n d a
f e w
s t r a w m a t s f o r c o m f
o r t a b l e r e s t i n g a r e
p r e s e n t . A n y o t h e r
p o s s e s s i o n s a r e k e p t
c l e a r o f t h e f l o o r ,
h a n g i n g o n t h e w a l l
o r
r e s t i n g o n h i g h s h e
l v e s o r i n c a b i n e t s .
C e n t a u r s w i l l g o t o
c o n s i d e r a b l e t r o u b l e t o
d e c o r a t e t h e i r a b o d e s ;
t a p e s t r i e s a r e n o t
uncommon, and any member of a househ o l d m i g h t
d e c i d e t o c a r v e a
p o s t o r p a i n t a
w a l l o f t h e d w e l l i n
g i n l e i s u r e h o u r s .
D e c o r a t i v e f l o o r c o v e r i n g s
a r e u n k n o w n , s i n c e
t h e s e w o u l d b e s o i l
e d w i t h m u d a n d
d u s t i n
short order.
C e n t a u r s o f t h e p l a
i n s a n d g r a s s y h i l l s are
primarily pastoral, and, like all centaurs,
are expert in determining when to move
their herds so that the pasture will be sweet
and full when they return. They are contemptuous of humans, who seem
unable to
use an area without overgrazing it or moving more often than need be.
Grassland
centaurs also hunt, and gather whatever
wild plants and fruits are available. They
may tend plots of grain and vegetables,
visiting them only a few times between
planting and harvest, but much of their
grain they get in trade or warfare.
Sylvan centaurs are fewer but more civilized, as their contacts are
more with elves
than men. They depend on hunting, but
they also grow crops and keep livestock.
Their fields are small but very well kept,
usually pastures or hayfields for their herd
animals or small plots of oats or vegetables.
Their livestock they keep well hidden, for
what little they have they can ill afford to
lose. Visitors, seeing the lush and carefully
managed fields close at hand, may be forgiven for mistakenly concluding
that the
rich grasses in them are intended for the
centaurs themselves.
Centaurs keep few domestic animals
other than cattle, sheep, or sometimes
goats. They are often uneasy in the presence of horses, and regard
them in much
the same way humans regard monkeys,
though with less interest. They find the
sight of horses pulling burdens or carrying
riders disturbing at first, and are angered at
any mistreatment of them. The thought of
eating horseflesh is abhorrent to them, just
a s m a n y h u m a n s w o u l
d n o t s a m p l e a s
t e w i f
t h e y s a w a m o n k e y ? s
h a n d f l o a t i n g i n i t .
M o s t c e n t a u r s l i k e
c a t s , a n d u s e t h e m
t o
k e e p s t o r e h o u s e s c l e a r
o f r o d e n t s . H o w e v e r ,
they dislike dogs, which they find annoying.
T h e s o u n d o f b a r k i n
g i s u n p l e a s a n t t o
c e n t a u r e a r s , a n d t h e
y r e a c t s t r o n g l y t o
h a v i n g
t h e i r h e e l s n i p p e d .
F i n d i n g f o o d e n o u g h
t o s u p p o r t a h e r d
i s
a t i m e - c o n s u m i n g t a s k .
S o m e g r o u p s o f
c e n t a u r s h a v e a l a r
g e a r e a o f l a n d
w h i c h i s
c a r e f u l l y f a r m e d , p r o v i d
i n g t h e b u l k o f
a
h e r d ? s n u t r i t i o n a l n e e d s
. T h e o l d e r c o l t s
( l e d
b y t h e b e s t h u n t e r s
f r o m a m o n g t h e s t a l l i
o n s , o r e v e n b y
e x c e p t i o n a l m a r e s ) a l s o
g o
o n r e g u l a r h u n t i n g
f o r a y s d u r i n g t h e g r e
a t e r
p a r t o f e a c h y e a r .
W h i l e a c e n t a u r f a r
m e r i s s t r o n g e r t h a n
a
h u m a n a n d n e e d s n o
b e a s t o f b u r d e n , h e
i s
s t i l l n o t f o u r t i m e
s a s g o o d a t f a r
m i n g , a s i s
n e c e s s a r y . T h o u g h c e n t a u
r s c a n e a t r o u g h e r
food, they must work longer hours and hold
m o r e l a n d t h a n s m a l
l e r f a r m e r s w o u l d , t o
f e e d t h e m s e l v e s a d e q u a t e
l y . W o r s e , t h e
f a r m l a n d t h a t s u p p o r t s
o n e c e n t a u r c a n
s u p p o r t f o u r o r m o r
e o f a l m o s t a n y
o t h e r
i n t e l l i g e n t r a c e . T h e y
a r e t h r e a t e n e d n o t
o n l y b y s t a r v a t i o n ,
b u t b y s h e e r n u m e r i c a
l
aggression by human, demi-human, and
h u m a n o i d t r i b e s .
F i n a l l y , s e t t l e d c e n t a u r
s l o s e a n i m p o r t a n t
a d v a n t a g e o v e r p o t e n t i a l
e n e m i e s u n l e s s
t h e i r f i e l d s a n d h o
u s e s a r e w e l l - h i d d e n :
t h a t
o f m o b i l i t y . C e n t a u r s
l e s s t i e d t o a l
o c a l e
c a n a l w a y s f l e e b e f
o r e s u p e r i o r n u m b e r s
i f
a l l e l s e f a i l s . U n f
o r t u n a t e l y , f a r m i n g s u p p o r
t s t h e g r e a t e s t n u m b e
r o f i n h a b i t a n t s o n
a n y r i c h , t i l l a b l e
l a n d , a n d s o c e n t a u r s
h a v e
r e t r e a t e d i n t o t h e
s t i l l u n c l e a r e d f o r e s t s
o r
o n t o l a n d t h a t i s
m o r e d i f f i c u l t t o p l o
w .
C e n t a u r s a r e w e l l s
u i t e d t o h u n t i n g ,
g a t h e r i n g , a n d h e r d i n g ,
a c t i v i t i e s t h a t p e r m i t
t h e m t o t a k e a d v a n t a g
e o f t h e i r s p e e d
a n d r a n g e . I t d o e s
n o t m a t t e r s o m u c h
t h a t
t h e y n e e d m o r e g r o u
n d i f t h e y c a n c
o v e r i t
m o r e s w i f t l y . I f t h
e y t e n d f i e l d s , t h e y
a r e
l e s s d e p e n d e n t o n t
h e m , s i n c e i f t h e y
c a n n o t
g r o w o r g a t h e r e n o u
g h v e g e t a b l e f o o d , t h
e y
c a n a l w a y s t r a d e f o
r i t w i t h t h e s u
r p l u s f r o m
t h e i r h e r d s , o r r a i
d t h e g r a n a r i e s o f
h o s t i l e
s e t t l e m e n t s . T h e r e i s
a p r i c e t o b e p a
i d f o r
t h i s s a f e r a n d m o r e
p r o s p e r o u s l i f e s t y l e , i n
t e r m s o f i s o l a t i o n ,
b u t w i t h t h e i r m o b i l i
t y ,
c e n t a u r s c a n m a k e c
o n t a c t w i t h o t h e r r a c
e s
a s t h e y p l e a s e .
I n a r e a s h e a v i l y p o
p u l a t e d b y c e n t a u r
t r i b e s , a n n u a l o r b
i a n n u a l f e s t i v a l s m a y
b e
h e l d , i n w h i c h e a c h
h e r d s e n d s a g r o u p
o f
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s m a d e u p
o f i t s f i n e s t a t h l e t e
s , a r t i s t s , w a r r i o r s ,
a n d l e a d e r s t o t h e
G a t h e r i n g o f t h e G r
e a t H e r d s . T h i s i s
h e l d
i n w h a t e v e r a r e a t h
e S t a l l i o n o f t h e
G r e a t
H e r d s h a p p e n s t o c a
l l h o m e , a n d c o n s i s t s
b o t h o f a w e e k - l o n g
p o l i t i c a l m e e t i n g a s
w e l l
a s a n a t h l e t i c a n d
a r t i s t i c c o n t e s t a m o n g
t h e
b e s t t h e c e n t a u r r a
c e h a s t o o f f e r .
A t e v e r y
t h i r d G a t h e r i n g a n
e l e c t i o n i s h e l d , w i t
h
e a c h h e r d h a v i n g o n
e v o t e , t o e l e c t
a n e w
S t a l l i o n ( t h e c a p i t a l i z e
d f o r m d e n o t e s t h e
S t a l l i o n o f t h e G r e
a t H e r d s ) . T h e c a n d i d
a t e s a r e c h o s e n f r o m
a m o n g s t t h e v e r y b e s t
o f t h e h e r d w a r c h i e
f s . T h e v o t e s a r e
t h e n
c a s t a n d t h e w i n n e r
i s t h e w a r c h i e f w i t h
t h e
g r e a t e s t n u m b e r o f
v o t e s .
I n t h e p a s t , i t
h a s o c c a s i o n a l l y o c c u r r e d
t h a t t w o s t a l l i o n s
o f e q u a l m e r i t h a v e
r e c e i v e d a n e q u a l n u m
b e r o f v o t e s . T h e
t r a d i t i o n a l p r o c e d u r e t o
d e t e r m i n e t h e w i n n e r
i n
s u c h a s i t u a t i o n i s
b y a p u l l - o f f , i n
w h i c h t h e
t w o c e n t a u r s a r e h a
r n e s s e d t o g e t h e r a n d
m u s t a t t e m p t t o p u l
l t h e o t h e r a c r o s s
a l i n e .
O n c e t h e S t a l l i o n o
f t h e G r e a t H e r d s
i s
e l e c t e d , i t u s u a l l y
f o l l o w s t h a t h i s e n t o
u r a g e
o f f e m a l e s i n c r e a s e s
i n n u m b e r a n d t h a t
h i s
p a r t i c u l a r h e r d g r o w s
i n s t a t u s , r e c e i v i n g
b e t t e r p r i c e s f r o m
t h e o t h e r h e r d s f o r
i t s
g o o d s , e t c . T h e S t a
l l i o n i s e m p o w e r e d t o
m a k e c e r t a i n ( o f t e n
m i n o r ) d e c i s i o n s r e g a r d i n g
t h e a f f a i r s a n d p o l i c
i e s o f t h e e n t i r e
c e n t a u r p o p u l a t i o n , a s
w e l l a s b e i n g r e q u i r e
d t o s e t t l e d i s p u t e s
b e t w e e n h e r d s a n d
t o h a n d l e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
s o f t h e h e r d l a
w
t h a t c a n n o t b e
t a k e n c a r e o f b y
t h e l e s s e r
h e r d s t a l l i o n s .
A l t h o u g h a l l c e n t a u r s
a r e o f a g e n e r a l l y
i n d e p e n d e n t n a t u r e , t h e y
w i l l r i s k e v e r y t h i n g
f o r t h e b e n e f i t o f
t h e h e r d . T h i s a p p a r e
n t c o n t r a d i c t i o n h a s
c o n f u s e d
r e s e a r c h e r s f o r m a n y
y e a r s , b u t i t m a k e s
g o o d s e n s e f o r t h e
s u r v i v a l o f t h e r a c e .
A
c e n t a u r w h o o n e d a y
s t a n d s i n d i r e c t o p p o
s i t i o n t o h i s h e r d
s t a l l i o n w i l l t h e n e x
t d a y
g i v e h i s l i f e t o
s a v e t h a t s a m e s t a l l i
o n .
Centaur law
H e r d l a w i s a n
u n w r i t t e n c o d e t h a t v
a r i e s
f r o m h e r d t o h e r d .
J u s t i c e i s u s u a l l y a d
m i n
i s t e r e d b y t h e m a t r
i a r c h a n d i s e x e c u t e d
b y
t h e h e r d w a r c h i e f .
A s t h e r u l e s a r e
u n w r i t t e n , a d i s c u s s i o n
o f t h e m c a n o n l y
b e g e n e r a l a t b e s t .
I n a f e w h e r d s ,
i t i s a c r i m e t o
i n s u l t
f r e q u e n t l y a n y i n d i v i d u a
l h e r d m e m b e r . I f
a
c e n t a u r i s c o n v i c t e d
o f t h i s , t h e m a x i m u m
s e n t e n c e i s t a i l s h
e a r i n g . C r o p p e d t a i l s
a r e
o f t e n m u c h i n e v i d e
n c e a f t e r c o u n c i l m e e
t i n g s , u n l e s s t h i s r u
l e h a s b e e n t e m p o r a r i
l y
suspended.
T h e d r a w i n g o f a
w e a p o n a g a i n s t a herd
member by an outsider, except in self defense, is a crime punished
by expulsion
from the herd environs. Use of a weapon by
one herd member against another carries a
maximum sentence of permanent expulsion
from the herd environs, unless the offense
was premeditated (which they rarely are).
Attempted murder of a herd member is
punishable by a maximum sentence of
sterilization. Murder of either a herd member or an invited guest of
the herd is punishable by death.
The breeding of underage herd members
with other underage herd members is usually punishable by tail shearing,
but not by
anything worse. However, the breeding of
underage herd members by full herd members is a crime punishable by
sterilization.
A full stallion caught breeding with a filly
(underage female) will be castrated forthwith, the only recourse being
a decision by
the herd stallion saying that the situation
(drastic decline in population,
tates early breeding.
Hoarding of food or supplies needed
for
herd survival is punishable by expulsion or
restrainment from breeding for as much as
five years. Surprisingly (especially considering the drives of a normal
stallion), if it is
decided that a particular stallion has committed a crime and cannot
breed any mares,
he almost certainly will obey the decree.
Perhaps the fact that castration awaits the
breaker of such a decree has an effect, but
that is difficult to say.
Although centaurs do not lie, they find
nothing wrong in ?not telling the whole
truth.? Such editing allows a centaur to
avoid situations that could be dangerous to
life or limb, and is quite acceptable as long
as the guilty party is not caught. This, of
course, applies only to normal situations; in
a court of herd law, the telling of a partial
truth is serious indeed, and is usually punished by the shearing of
the offender?s tail.
A centaur would never, except in dire situations, avoid the full truth
when talking to a
friend unless that truth would cause needless emotional harm.
Appearance and grooming
Like many humans, centaurs take great
pride in their personal appearance. Many
decorate the upper torso with paint, and
wear carved trinkets of ivory, of bone (such
as from giant or ogre teeth), or of precious
metals. Clothes, usually only worn to protect the upper torso in cold
weather or as a
handy place from which to hang tools, are
elaborate and brightly colored, and look as
i f t h e i r p r i m a r y p u
r p o s e w e r e d e c o r a t i o n .
A
s h i n y c o a t o f f u r
b r i n g s h i g h s t a t u s , a
n d
e v e n t h e p o o r e s t c e
n t a u r s t a k e c a r e t o
c o m b
t h e i r h a i r . M a l e s a
r e , i f a n y t h i n g , w o r s
e
t h a n f e m a l e s i n t h i
s r e g a r d , h a v i n g a
b e a r d
t o a t t e n d t o a s
w e l l .
T h e t a i l o f a
c e n t a u r , b o t h a m o n g t
h e
s t a l l i o n s a n d t h e m
a r e s , i s a n o b j e c t
o f p r i d e
o f t e n b o r d e r i n g o n
v a n i t y . A l o n g , f l o w i
n g
t a i l , w i t h o r w i t h o
u t b r a i d i n g o r o t h e r
d e c o r a t i o n , i s t h e e n
v y o f t h e r e s t o
f t h e h e r d .
? M u d d y - t a i l e d ? i s a
c o m m o n c e n t a u r
e x p r e s s i o n f o r a n y t h i n g
u g l y o r p o o r l y k e p t .
P u l l i n g a c e n t a u r ? s
t a i l i s a g r a v e
i n s u l t , a n d
t o m a k e d e g r a d i n g c
o m m e n t s r e g a r d i n g t h e
l e n g t h , c o l o r , f u l l n e s s ,
e t c . , o f a c e n t a u r ? s
t a i l i s a s u r e
w a y t o s t a r t a f
i g h t . O n t h e
h e r d l e v e l , m a n y s t
a l l i o n s w h o c o m m i t
c r i m e s a r e p u n i s h e d
b y h a v i n g t h e i r t a i l s
d o c k e d ( a s n o t e d e l
s e w h e r e a b o v e ) . T h e r e
a r e o n l y t h r e e g r e a
t e r p u n i s h m e n t s : b a n i s h m e n
t f r o m t h e h e r d ,
c a s t r a t i o n , a n d d e a t h .
M a l e c e n t a u r s h a v e
a u n i q u e c u s t o m
w h i c h b e a r s m e n t i o n .
I f a c o m p a t r i o t a t
a r m s i s a l s o a
g o o d f r i e n d , a c e n t a u
r w i l l c u t
a s m a l l p i e c e o f
h i s t a i l h a i r a n d
b i n d i t t o a
l e a t h e r t h o n g ( o r w
h a t e v e r m a t e r i a l i s a
v a i l a b l e ) . W h e n w o r n
b y a f r i e n d , t h i s
s i g n i f i e s
t h a t t h e i n d i v i d u a l
w i l l b e p r o t e c t e d t o
t h e
u t m o s t b y t h e g i v e r
o f t h e t o k e n , a n d
t h a t
t h e g i v e r w i l l a v e n
g e h i s d e a t h i f
e v e r i t
s h o u l d c o m e t o t h a t
. U s u a l l y , t h i s a c t ,
c a l l e d
? s h a r i n g t h e t a i l , ?
o c c u r s w i t h e a c h c e n t
a u r
g i v i n g t h e o t h e r t h
e t o k e n a s d e s c r i b e d
a b o v e . O n v e r y r a r e
o c c a s i o n s , s u c h t o k e n s
h a v e b e e n s h a r e d b e
t w e e n c e n t a u r s a n d
t h o s e o f o t h e r r a c e
s , i n w h i c h c a s e
t h e n o n c e n t a u r w i l l u
s e a n y a v a i l a b l e b o d y
h a i r o f
s u f f i c i e n t s i z e t o
b e s e e n . T h e s h a r i n g
o f t h e
t a i l o c c u r s o n l y b e
t w e e n t w o c o m r a d e s a t
a r m s , a n d i s p e r h a p
s t h e s t r o n g e s t c o m m i
t m e n t a c e n t a u r c a n
m a k e .
A c e n t a u r v a l u e s i t
s h o o v e s a l m o s t a s
m u c h a s i t s t a i l .
T h e r a c e i s v e r y
p r o t e c t i v e
o f l e g s a n d ? f e e t , ?
and individuals are apt to
be upset if a stranger touches either. In the
same manner, centaurs insure that their
hooves are well looked after and usually find
a partner in the herd who is willing to cooperate both with hoof care
and grooming.
Some centaurs, especially adventurers, hire
their own squires to look after such details.
Hooves should be trimmed by a knowledgeable person once every two months.
This is sufficient on soft ground, but galloping about on stony surfaces
is an invitation
to disaster. Continual movement over paved
or rocky ground will wear down the hoof
faster than it can grow. In addition to the
minor discomfort from this, there is a 1%
cumulative chance per day of hard-road
travel of developing an injury that will keep
the centaur off his or her hooves for 1-4
weeks. This time cannot be shortened,
unless some sort of regeneration magic is
used, since cure wounds spells will not
repair the hoof?s nonliving nail-like material. The solution is to
wear horseshoes.
Good farriers are hard to find, though
there are many poor and mediocre ones.
Many lands will have poor shoeing customs, and some may be entirely
ignorant of
metal shoes despite a substantial material
culture. The latter should not be a problem
unless the centaur strays beyond the
vaguely medieval-Europe culture in which
most AD&D campaigns are set, but the
former will be hard to avoid. A centaur will
be able to tell if a shoeing is improperly
done, though what might be done about it
is another matter.
-
If all shoes stay on, reshoeing will be
required once every 4-6 weeks because of
hoof growth and the wearing of the shoe
itself. A centaur will know immediately if a
shoe is thrown, but unless it is reattached or
the other shoes removed, movement will be
awkward. In cities and along hard roads,
there is a 1 in 6 chance per week of throwing a shoe. On rough or rocky
ground, the
chance is 2 in 6, and elsewhere there is a 1
in 8 chance per week of losing a shoe.
Origin and history
Sages have debated for ages on the origin
of centaurs. Were they the result of magical
experimentation by an ancient mage? Not
likely. Could they have come from the mating of a human and a horse?
Jesters
think
so, but this, too, is not likely. Learned
clerics and sages have conferred with their
centaur equivalents to seek an answer to
this question, and the following hypothesis
seems most reasonable.
Sages believe that there existed a universe
of pure thought, from which the earliest
gods originated and from which the energy
to create the many planes and material
universes was drawn. In this universe of
thought existed pure forms representing all
basic things, whether they be chairs, trees,
humans, or horses. It is possible that some
of these pure thought-forms mixed together
when the first gods were created, and this
produced a centaur deity (Skerrit), who
then proceeded to create the race of centaurs in his own image. Centaur
herds were
then established on a multitude of worlds,
as were humans and other creatures.
Whatever their genesis, centaurs have
existed from the time of the earliest records.
Once they were common, and sizable communities farmed the rich river
lands, but
with the multiplication of humans, humanoids, and other hazards, their
numbers have
been reduced, and they have been driven
out onto the plains and into the hills and
forests. Now they have begun to grow again
in number, especially in peaceful alliance
with humans or demi-humans.
If centaur fighters and rangers (see below) are present, they may be
either individuals trained in dealing with
non-centaurs, or those who have broken
with centaur fighting methods to take up
foreign ways. Other centaurs than the rare
character-class types have begun to appear
in the outside world. Those knowledgeable
in herb lore are well known, and more
accessible than their elven colleagues. Centaur farriers are much in
demand, as they
are often highly skilled in their craft.
R e l i g i o n
S k e r r i t i s t h e m a j o
r d e i t y o f t h e f
o r e s t
c e n t a u r s , a s h e i s
o f m a n y o f t h e s
y l v a n
p e o p l e s . T h e h o r s e - p e o p l
e o f t e n a d o p t n o n c e n t
a u r g o d s a s w e l l ,
p a r t i c u l a r l y h u m a n o r
e l v e n o n e s . O f t h o s
e l i s t e d i n t h e
L e g e n d s
a n d L o r e v o l u m e , m e
m b e r s o f t h e G r e e k ,
C e l t i c , a n d A
m e r i c a n I n d i a n p a n t h e o n s
a r e
m o s t a p p r o p r i a t e , p a r t i c
u l a r l y P a n , D i o n y s u s ,
P o s e i d o n , H a s t s e l t s i , a n d
S i l v a n u s . O f
those in the WORLD OF GREYHAWK?
F a n t a s y S e t t i n g , O b a d - h a
i i s a n o b v i o u s
c h o i c e , b u t E
h l o n n a , F h a r l a n g h n , a n d
O l i d a m m a r a a r e a l s o
s u i t a b l e .
C e n t a u r s a l s o h a v e
v a r i o u s m i n o r d e i t i e s
a n d d e m i - d e i t i e s o f
t h e i r o w n . T h e s e i n c l
u d e N a h a r r a ( g o d d e s s
o f f e r t i l i t y a n d
love), Fanthros (god of the sky and
w e a t h e r ) , B r i l r o s a n d
h i s s i s t e r L i n r o t h
( t w i n d e m i - d e i t i e s o f
s t r e n g t h a n d s p e e d ) ,
a n d o t h e r s c o n c e r n e d
w i t h h e a l t h , s i n g i n g ,
c a t t l e , a n d o t h e r i
m p o r t a n t a s p e c t s o f c
e n t a u r l i f e . T h e f e w
e v i l c e n t a u r s i n e x i s
t e n c e
t e n d t o w o r s h i p o n e
o r a n o t h e r o f t h e
d e m o n o r d e v i l l o r d s .
C e n t a u r c l e r i c s a n d
d r u i d s a r e g r e a t l y
r e s p e c t e d i n t h e c o m m
u n i t y . C e n t a u r s s p e n d
c o n s i d e r a b l e t i m e i n
w o r s h i p , b u t d o n o t
f a s h i o n e x p e n s i v e t e m p l e s
o r a l t a r s . R e l i g i o u s
c e r e m o n i e s f e a t u r e
s i n g i n g , d a n c e s ( o f t e n
w o n d e r f u l l y c o m p l e x ) , c o n t
e s t s o f s k i l l , a n d
a c o n c l u d i n g
f e a s t .
I n t e r s p e c i e s r
e l a t i o n s
I n t h e w o r l d o u t s i d
e t h e h e r d , a c e
n t a u r
w i l l m o r e o f t e n t h a
n n o t b e h a m p e r e d
n o t
o n l y b y l i m i t e d c h a
r i s m a ( s e e t h e s e c t i o
n o n
c e n t a u r s a s c
h a r a c t e r s ) , b u t a l s o
b y t h e
g e n e r a l r e a c t i o n o f
h u m a n s a n d o t h e r s
t o w a r d h i s r a c e.
| Centaurs: | preferred (P) |
| Dwarves: | neutrality (N) |
| Gnomes: | neutrality (N) |
| Half-elves: | tolerance (T) |
| Halflings: | neutrality (N) |
| Half-orcs: | antipathy (A) |
| Human: | neutrality (N) |
T h e r e a c t i o n o f c e n
t a u r s t o o t h e r r a c e s
i s
t h e s a m e i n m o s t
c a s e s , e x c e p t t h a t c e
n t a u r s
t o l e r a t e ( T ) t h e s m
a l l e r a n d l e s s a g g r e s
s i v e
g n o m e s a n d h a l f l i n g s ,
a n d t h e c e n t a u r s h a t e
( H ) h a l f - o r c s a n d t
h e i r k i n .
M a n y i n t e l l i g e n t c r e a t u r
e s a r e i n t i m i d a t e d b y
t h e s i z e a n d c a r e l e s s
s t r e n g t h o f
c e n t a u r s , a n d b y t h
e i r a p p a r e n t w i l d n e s s
a n d l a w l e s s n e s s . A s
m o r e t h a n o n e h u m a n
h a s r e m a r k e d , c e n t a u r s
d o n ? t j u s t s t e p o n
c o r n s ? they break toes. The more flexible
and tolerant groups are able to see that they
usually mean well, and harm others only by
accident, but such understanding peoples
are rare.
Despite their similarities, or perhaps
because of them, humans and centaurs do
not always get along well. Centaurs think of
humans as greedy, touchy, and by nature
tyrannical and servile. Humans are less
than pleased to see centaurs on the horizon
because of their reputation for violence, as
seen in many stories. Even more common
and less believable than accounts of centaur
violence and drunkenness are tales of the
abduction and rape of human women by
centaurs. These fables probably have more
to do with human fears and preoccupations
than centaur behavior, but they may have
some basis in a centaur?s idea of a joke. To
carry off a woman (and later release her
unharmed) would be just the sort of rough
jest that is considered the height of wit and
humor among centaurs. Despite occasional
incidents, centaurs can and do exist peacefully with humans, though
this is most likely
where the two lead largely separate lives
and where the humans involved are not
farmers or townsmen.
Dwarves and centaurs regard one another
with mixed feelings, but perhaps because
they seldom meet there is no open hostility.
Dwarves are scornful of the centaur disinclination to hard work, and
centaurs dislike
dwarves for their greed and lack of humor,
but neither bears the other any lasting
grudge. Centaurs have never succumbed to
gold fever and tried to raid a dwarven settlement, as many other races
have. This
may have more to do with the relative sizes
of dwarf and centaur populations than it
does with the centaurs? merely passing
interest in precious metals, but in any case
it has prevented a complete souring of
relations.
The small demi-humans, gnomes and
halflings, are not disliked or distrusted by
centaurs, as they are less numerous and
greedy than certain other races. However,
the attitude of these people toward centaurs
is somewhat cool. The small folk are even
more distrustful of centaur size and strength
than are the tall humans or the short but
powerful dwarves. Too often, centaurs have
trampled gardens, caved in burrows, or
thrust smaller folk aside by main force.
That such incidents are the result of carelessness rather than malice
does not make
them any less traumatic, and they are not
forgotten. Halflings in particular are wary
of centaurs and will usually hide and wait
for them to go away.
It is elves, particularly wood elves, that
get along best with the horse-people. They
are similar in their individualism, their love
of feasting and drinking, and their appreciation of nature. Centaurs
are less finetempered than elves, quicker to take offense
or to forget a quarrel, and more apt to be
rowdy and bawdy. For this reason, they
associate most closely with the more rustic
w o o d e l v e s , t h o u g h
m o s t e l v e s h a v e a
l i k i n g
f o r c e n t a u r s a n d a r
e w i l l i n g t o o v e r l o o k
t h e i r f a u l t s . P e r h a p s
b e c a u s e o f t h e i r l o n g
l i f e s p a n s , i t i s i n
t h e n a t u r e o f e l v e s
t o r e g a r d o t h e r r a c e s
a s c h i l d r e n , a n d s o
w h i l e
c e n t a u r s a r e r e g a r d e d
a f f e c t i o n a t e l y a s
s t u b b o r n a n d o v e r a c t i v e
b u t b a s i c a l l y g o o d n a t u r e d
c h i l d r e n , h u m a n s o r c
e r t a i n o t h e r s
a r e s e e n a s s p o i l e d
, s u l l e n , a n d i l l - m a n
n e r e d
c h i l d r e n . F o r t h e i r
p a r t , c e n t a u r s p r e f e r
t h e
t o l e r a n t a n d u n a g g r e s s i v
e e l v e s t o t h e
g r e e d y a n d o v e r s e n s i t i v e
s o r t s .
T h e r e i s o n e r a c e
o f e l v e s t h a t d o e s
n o t
l o v e c e n t a u r s , t h o u g h
t h e h o r s e - p e o p l e h a v e
l o n g f o r g o t t e n i t .
I n a n c i e n t t i m e , w h e n
t h e
e l v e s d r o v e f r o m t h
e i r n u m b e r t h o s e o f
e v i l
d i s p o s i t i o n , t h e c e n t a u r
s a i d e d t h e e l v e s
o f
l i g h t , t h e b e t t e r - n a t u r e
d e l v e n f o l k t h a t
r e m a i n i n t h e s u n l i
t l a n d s . T h e e l v e s
o f
d a r k n e s s , t h e d r o w ,
h a v e n o t f o r g i v e n o r
f o r g o t t e n t h i s . O n l y
o n e o f t h e i r g e n e r a t i
o n s
p a s s e s f o r e a c h f i v
e o f c e n t a u r s , a n d
t h e
d r o w a r e u n w e a r y i n g
i n h a t e . F e w d r o w
h a v e e v e n s e e n a
c e n t a u r , b u t i t i s
s a i d t h a t
t h e d a r k e l v e s p l o t
f o r t h e m a r e v e n g e
n o
l e s s h o r r i b l e t h a n
t h a t t h e y w o u l d v i s i t
o n
t h e e l v e s a n d f a e r i
e s o f t h e u p p e r
w o r l d .
I t i s t h e h u m a n o i d s
a n d o t h e r e v i l h u m a n l
i k e r a c e s t h a t p r e s e n
t t h e m o s t o b v i o u s
t h r e a t t o c e n t a u r s ,
p a r t i c u l a r l y t h e m o r e
n u m e r o u s a n d w e l l - o r g a n i
z e d o n e s . G i a n t s ,
t r o l l s , a n d o g r e s a
r e g e n e r a l l y t o o r a r e
o r
t o o p o o r l y o r g a n i z e d
t o b e m o r e t h a n
o c c a s i o n a l l y d a n g e r o u s . C e
n t a u r s m a y o u t w e i g h
t h e m , c a n o f t e n o u t
f i g h t t h e m , a n d c a n
c e r t a i n l y o u t r u n t h e m .
G n o l l s a n d b u g b e a r s
a r e a m o r e s e r i o u s
p r o b l e m , a s t h e y a r e
m o r e n u m e r o u s , b u t
t h e r e a l d a n g e r i s
f r o m
h u m a n o i d s o f l a w f u l
a l i g n m e n t : o r c s , k o bolds, goblins,
and hobgoblins. These races
h a t e a n d f e a r t h e
p o w e r f u l a n d s w i f t h o
r s e p e o p l e , a l l t h e m o
r e s o f o r t h e i r
a s s o c i a t i o n
w i t h e l v e s , a n d t h e
y f i n d c e n t a u r s l a v e s
i n t r a c t a b l e . T h e y h a v e
t h e r e f o r e c a r r i e d o u t
a c a m p a i g n o f e x t e r
m i n a t i o n , k i l l i n g a n d
e a t i n g a n y c e n t a u r
t h e y c a n c a t c h . T h e s e
c r e a t u r e s a r e m o r e
d i f f i c u l t t o a v o i d t h
a n
t h e o c c a s i o n a l b a n d
o f g i a n t s a n d o g r e s ,
a n d
w i t h t h e i r o r g a n i z a t i o n
a r e m o r e d a n g e r o u s
t h a n a r a b b l e o f
g n o l l s , w h i c h m i g h t n
o t
h a v e t h e p e r s i s t e n c e
t o h u n t d o w n a c
e n t a u r
t r i b e .
W h i l e c e n t a u r s h a t e
t h e s e h u m a n o i d s
w i t h a p a s s i o n a n d
i n t e n s i t y m a t c h e d o n l y
b y t h a t o f t h e
d w a r v e s , t h e y h a v e n e
v e r
w a g e d e x t e n d e d w a r s
a g a i n s t t h e m . T h e y
a r e n o t s o w e l l
o r g a n i z e d a s h u m a n s ,
o r s o
l o n g - l i v e d a n d f o r e s i g h t
e d a s e l v e s , n o r
d o
t h e y h a v e t h e i r o n
d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f t h e
d w a r v e s . W o r s t o f a
l l , t h e y a r e l e s s
n u m e r o u s t h a n a n y o f
t h e s e p e o p l e s . N e v e r t h e l e s
s ,
t h e b i t t e r s t r i f e b
e t w e e n c e n t a u r a n d h u
m a n o i d a c c o u n t s f o r t
h e r e a c t i o n o f c e n t a u
r s t o h a l f - o r c s o r
t o e v e n f a i n t l y
o r c i s h - l o o k i n g h u m a n s . M
o s t h a l f - o r c s
d i s l i k e c e n t a u r s , i f
f o r n o o t h e r r e a s o n
t h a n
t h a t a c e n t a u r i s
d i f f i c u l t t o b u l l y.
S a t y r s a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y
w e l l d i s p o s e d
t o w a r d c e n t a u r s , a n d
o f t e n a l l y t h e m s e l v e s
w i t h c e n t a u r t r i b e s .
F o r r e a s o n s n o t f u l l y
u n d e r s t o o d , t i t a n s a r e
a l s o e s p e c i a l l y
f r i e n d l y t o w a r d c e n t a u r s
o n t h o s e r a r e
o c c a s i o n s w h e n t h e y
m e e t t h e m . P e g a s i a r e
o n g o o d i f s o m e w h a t
d i s t a n t t e r m s w i t h
c e n t a u r s .
L i k e a l l i n t e l l i g e n t
q u a s i - e q u i n e b e i n g s ,
c e n t a u r s a r e a t c o n
t i n u a l w a r w i t h w o r g s
,
w i n t e r w o l v e s , w e r e w o l v e
s , a n d t h e l i k e .
F e w n a t u r a l p r e d a t o r s
w i l l a t t a c k a f u l l g r o
w n c e n t a u r , t h o u g h l a
r g e p a c k s o f w o l v e s
o r p a r t i c u l a r l y h u n g r y
b i g c a t s a r e s o m e t i m e
s a d a n g e r . G r i f f o n s
a n d b u l e t t e s a r e a
g r e a t e r t h r e a t , a s
t h e y a r e h a r d e r t o
k i l l a n d
m o r e a v i d i n t h e i r
p u r s u i t o f e q u i n e f l e
s h .
C e n t a u r s w i l l a l w a y s
s l a y s u c h a n i m a l s i f
p o s s i b l e , a n d g r i f f o n
f e a t h e r s a n d b u l e t t e
t e e t h a r e p o p u l a r d
e c o r a t i o n s w i t h c e n t a u r
w a r r i o r s .
Centaurs and warfare
C e n t a u r s a r e s u p e r i o r
i n m a n y s o r t s o f
c o m m o n l a b o r b e c a u s e
o f t h e i r s t
r e n g t h a n d
a b i l i t y t o c a r r y l a
r g e l o a d s . M o s t s o u g h
t
a f t e r b y s o m e h u m a n
s o c i e t i e s , t h o u g h , a r e
c e n t a u r t r o o p s .
A c h a r g e o f c e n t a u r
c a v a l r y i s m u c h
f e a r e d , a n d t h e i r a
r c h e r s a r e f a m e d f o r
t h e
p o w e r o f t h e i r b o w s
. W h e r e t h e y a r e
a l l i e d
w i t h ? t h e h a l f l i n g
f o l k , t h e y c a n c a r r y
t h e
s m a l l e r o n e s t o b a t
t l e i n l a r g e p a n n i e r s
s o
t h a t t h e h a l f l i n g a
r c h e r s a r e n o t i n
d a n g e r o f
b e i n g o v e r r u n b y h e
a v i e r t r o o p s . C e n t a u r s
a r e o f t e n e m p l o y e d
a s s c o u t s i n c o n j u n c t
i o n
w i t h e l v e n o r h a l f l
i n g r i d e r s , a c o m b i n a
t i o n
t h a t p e r m i t s s t e a l t h
o r s p e e d a s n e c e s s a r y
.
T h o u g h t h e y a r e g o o
d m o u n t s , c e n t a u r s w i
l l
u s u a l l y o n l y c a r r y
a f r i e n d , a n d e v e n
t h e n
m o s t w i l l b a l k a t
t h e i d e a o f a s a
d d l e . O n
r a r e o c c a s i o n s t h e y
w i l l c o n s e n t t o c a r r y
h u m a n f o o t s o l d i e r s .
T h o s e c e n t a u r s t r a i n e d
i n t h e m a r e v e r y
g o o d w i t h s i e g e w e a p o
n s ,
s i n c e t h e y n e e d n o
d r a f t a n i m a l s t o d r a w
t h e m o n t o t h e f i e l d
.
V a l u a b l e a s t h e y a r
e , t h e h o r s e - f o l k a r e
d i f f i c u l t t o f i n d i
n n u m b e r s u n l e s s t h e r
e i s a
m a j o r h u m a n o i d t h r e a t .
I f r e c r u i t e r s k n o w
w h e r e t o l o o k , t h o u
g h , t h e y m a y b e
a b l e t o
f i n d s m a l l g r o
u p s o f u n a t t a c h e d y o u
n g
m a l e s , e a g e r f o r a c
t i o n , p a y , a n d t h e
p r e s t i g e t h a t c o m e s w
i t h i t . A n o t h e r p r o b l
e m
w i t h c e n t a u r t r o o p s ,
b u t o n e t h a t i s
l e s s
e a s i l y s o l v e d , i s t
h a t t h e y a r e d i f f i c u l
t t o
k e e p i n o r d e r a n d
l i k e l y t o c h a r g e b e f o
r e t h e
p r o p e r m o m e n t . T h e y
a r e a l s o n e x t t o
u s e l e s s o n e i t h e r s
i d e o f a l o n g s i
e g e b e c a u s e
t h e y e a t s o m u c h
a n d t e n d t o l o s e
i n t e r e s t i n
a c o n t e s t i f i n a c t i
v e f o r m o r e t h a n
a f e w
days.
D e s p i t e c e r t a i n l i m i t a t i
o n s , t h e c e n t a u r
c h a r a c t e r i s a w o r k
a b l e a n d e n j o y a b l e a l
t e r n a t i v e t o t h e s t a n
d a r d s e t o f h
u m a n s a n d
d e m i - h u m a n s . I f p r o p e r l y
h a n d l e d , t h e r a c e
d o e s n o t u n b a l a n c e
a c a m p a i g n . O n t h e
c o n t r a r y , a c e n t a u r
i s a v a l u a b l e a d d i t i o
n t o
t h e g r o u p h e o r
s h e j o i n s . T h e b e n e f i
t s o f a
c e n t a u r ? s u n i q u e c h a r a c t
e r i s t i c s g o a s m u c h
t o t h e p a r t y a s
a w h o l e t h a n t h e
i n d i v i d u a l .
F o r e x a m p l e , a c e n t
a u r ? s s i z e a n d s p e e d
m a y b e u s e d t o
g o o d e f f e c t . O n e o f
t h e
m o r e u n f o r t u n a t e s i t u a t i
o n s i n A D & D
g a m i n g c o m e s w h e n a
p a r t y m u s t f l e e f r o m
a s w i f t a n d d a n g e r o
u s f o e . T o o o f t e n d e v i
l s
t a k e t h e h i n d m o s t ,
t h e s h o r t e s t - l e g g e d o r
o t h e r w i s e s l o w e s t m e m b e r
s o f a g r o u p .
W i t h a c e n t a u r p r e s
e n t a n d c o o p e r a t i v e ,
h o w e v e r , s m a l l d e m i - h u m a
n s n e e d n o
l o n g e r f e a r a b a n d o n m e n t ,
a n d t h e w o u n d e d
m a y l i v e t o f i g h t
a n o t h e r d a y . O n a
c e n t a u r ? s b a c k t h e s e
b o l d a d v e n t u r e r s c a n
m a k e
a s t r a t e g i c w i t h d r a w a l
a t m a x i m u m s p e e d .
W h e n n o t c a r r y i n g f
e l l o w a d v e n t u r e r s ,
c e n t a u r s c a n u s e t h
e i r g r e a t c a r r y i n g c a
p a c i t y i n t r a n s p o r t i n g
e q u i p m e n t o r t r e a s u r e .
T h e y a r e h a r d i e r t h
a n m u l e s f o r t h i s
p u r p o s e , a n d m o r e p o l
i t e i n t h e i r r e f u s a l
t o b e
o v e r b u r d e n e d . L a s t l y , c e
n t a u r s a r e v e r y
g o o d a t o p e n i n g d o o
r s a n d i m p r e s s i n g l a r
g e
f o e s . E v e n t h o s e D M
s w h o f e e l c o m p e l l e d
t o
f o l l o w t h e o f f i c i a l
r u l e s c l o s e l y m a y a t
l e a s t
w i s h t o i n c l u d e c e n
t a u r s a s N P C s .
C l a s s e s a n d
s t a t i s t i c s
W a r r i o r c e n t a u r s m a y
b e f i g h t e r s o r
r a n g e r s . I n
e i t h e r e v e n t , a d v a n c e m e n t
i s
l i m i t e d a s f o l l o w s .
C e n t a u r s o f 1 6 s t r e n g
t h
o r l e s s a r e l i m i t e d
t o t h e 6 t h l e v e l
o f f i g h t e r
o r r a n g e r a b i l i t y ;
t h o s e o f 1 7 s t r e n g t h
m a y
r e a c h 7 t h l e v e l , a n
d t h o s e o f 1 8 o r
b e t t e r
s t r e n g t h c a n a d v a n c e
t o a m a x i m u m o f
8 t h
l e v e l .
C e n t a u r s m a y b e c o m e
c l e r i c s o r d r u i d s i f
t h e y h a v e e x c e p t i o n a l
a b i l i t y s c o r e s . A s
c l e r i c s , t h e y a r e l
i m i t e d t o 3 r d l e v e l ,
a n d
t h o s e i n t h e d r u i d
s u b c l a s s m a y r e a c h 2 n
d
l e v e l . C e n t a u r s c a n
n e v e r b e m a g i c - u s e r s
o f
a n y k i n d . T h e y c a n
b e m u l t i - c l a s s e d f i g h t e r /
c l e r i c s , f i g h t e r / d r u i d s ,
o r r a n g e r / c l e r i c s .
A c e n t a u r c h a r a c t e r
s t a r t s o f f w i t h o n e
e x t r a h i t d i e o f
t h e a p p r o p r i a t e s o r t .
T h u s ,
f i g h t e r s w i l l h a v e
2 d 1 0 , r a n g e r s 3 d 8 , a n
d
c l e r i c s a n d d r u i d s
2 d 8 a t 1 s t l e v e l .
T h i s
e x t r a h i t d i e i s
r e t a i n e d , s o t h a t a
4 t h - l e v e l
c e n t a u r f i g h t e r w i l l
h a v e 5 d 1 0 h i t p o i n t s .
A l l c e n t a u r s h a v e t
w o v i r t u a l l y i n d e p e n d e n t
t y p e s o f p h y s i c a l s t r
e n g t h . F i r s t , t h e r e
i s t h e s t r e n g t h i n h
e r e n t i n t h e h u m a n
p a r t
o f t h e i r b o d y , w h i c
h i s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h
n o r m a l h u m a n s t r e n g t h .
T h i s s t r e n g t h s c o r e i
s
u s e d f o r d e t e r m i n i n g
d a m a g e f r o m h a n d h e l d
w e a p o n s a t t a c k s , a n d
f o r g r a n t i n g
a d d i t i o n a l e n c u m b e r a n c e
c a r r i e d . F e a t s
performed by the hands, such as bending
b a r s a p a r t , w o u l d a
l s o b e d e t e r m i n e d b y
t h i s f i r s t s t r e n g t h
s c o r e .
S e c o n d , t h e r e i s t h
e s t r e n g t h o f t h e i r
e q u i n e h a l v e s , w h i c h
i s t h e s a m e a s a
h o r s e
o f s i m i l a r s i z e a n d
c o n s t i t u t i o n . T h i s s e c o n d
type of strength is often ignored by humans,
w h o a r e t h e n s u r p r i
s e d a t w h a t c e n t a u r s
c a n
d o . F e w h u m a n s c o u l
d e v e n b u d g e a
t h o u s a n d - p o u n d b l o c k o f
s t o n e , b u t w i t h
p r o p e r h a r n e s s m o s t
c e n t a u r s c o u l d m o v e i
t
a b o u t w i t h r e l a t i v e
e a s e b y d r a g g i n g i t
a l o n g t h e g r o u n d . W
e i g h t s o f u p t o
o n e t o n
( f o r a l a r g e , 1 7 - h a
n d - h i g h s t a l l i o n ) c a n
b e s o
moved.
A t r a v e l i n g c e n t a u r
i s l i k e l y t o n e e d
o n e
o r t w o h u n d r e d p o u n
d s o f f o o d i n o r
d e r t o
s u r v i v e f o r a n y l e n
g t h o f t i m e i n a
r e a s
w h e r e n o f o o d c a n
b e f o u n d . N a t u r e h a s
p r o v i d e d f o r t h i s b
y g i v i n g c e n t a u r s b r o
a d ,
s t r o n g b a c k s ( s e e s
e c t i o n o n m o v e m e n t ,
b e l o w , f o r i n f o r m a t i o n
o n e n c u m b r a n c e
v a l u e s ) . T h e r e i s a
l s o t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o
f
h i t c h i n g o n e s e l f t o
a w a g o n o r c a r t ,
w h i c h
m a y d o u b l e t h e a m o u
n t t h a t c a n b e m
o v e d .
T h e i r g r e a t w e i g h t
m a k e s c e n t a u r s o n e
s t r e n g t h c l a s s b e t t e r
a t f o r c i n g s t u c k d o o r
s
t h a n a r e o t h e r b e i n
g s o f t h e s a m e s
t r e n g t h .
E v e n a 1 3 - s t r e n g t h
c e n t a u r o p e n s d o o r s o
n
a 1 - 3 , a n d a n
1 8 / 0 0 s t r e n g t h c e n t a u r
c a n
f o r c e a l o c k o r
s t u c k d o o r a s e a s i l y
a s a h i l l
g i a n t c a n .
S t r e n g t h i s d e t e r m i n e d
w i t h 9 d 6 , t h e b e s t
t h r e e s c o r e s b e i n g
r e t a i n e d a n d t h e r e s t
d i s c a r d e d . A t o t a l
o f l e s s t h a n 1 3
s h o u l d b e
r e r o l l e d . T h e r e m a i n i n g
a b i l i t y s c o r e s a r e
d e t e r m i n e d i n t h e s
a m e w a y a s f o r o
t h e r
c h a r a c t e r s i n t h e c
a m p a i g n , w i t h t h e f o l
l o w i n g a d j u s t m e n t s : i n t e l l
i g e n c e - 1 , w i s d o m
- 2 ,
c o n s t i t u t i o n + 1 , c
h a r i s m a - 2 . I n a d d i t i
o n ,
m a x i m u m a n d m i n i m u m
a b i l i t y s c o r e s m u s t
b e o b s e r v e d , a s s h o
w n b e l o w :
| Ability | Males | Females |
| Strength | 13/18(00) | 13/18(90) |
| Intelligence | 3/13 | 3/13 |
| Wisdom | 3/14 | 3/14 |
| Dexterity | 3/16 | 3/17 |
| Constitution | 13/19 | 13/19 |
| Charisma | 3/12 | 3/13 |
The unmodified charisma score should be
recorded, since the penalties and limits to
charisma apply only to dealings with noncentaurs. The large size and
unusual appearance of centaurs accounts for their
limited appeal to other intelligent creatures.
Females are seen as less threatening, and so
are not quite as limited in charisma.
Combat abilities
Unlike humans or demi-humans, a centaur
can inflict lethal damage without the
help of a weapon, striking an opponent with
its two forehooves for 1-6 hp damage each.
Using both a weapon and hooves in the
same round, however, requires special
practice and training. Normally, only centaur warriors have the time
to train, though
other adults do have some combat training.
Just as they do not have the hit dice of other
adult centaurs, fighter or ranger characters
do not in the beginning have the ability to
strike as ordinary centaur warriors do, with
both weapons and hooves. They have opted
for a more difficult but ultimately more
rewarding path, and differ from ordinary
centaurs in much the same way as a monk
character differs from a man-at-arms:
weaker at first, but with greater potential
for development.
A centaur character may strike with the
forehooves at any point at which a weapon
attack would normally be allowed. This
attack consists of a thrust with each hoof,
and may not be divided between two opponents. It does not allow the
character to use
his or her strength bonuses to hit or damage, though these bonuses
do apply to any
hand-held weapon attacks. Thus, a 2ndlevel centaur fighter battling
against crea
tures of less than one hit die can attack
either twice with a weapon, twice with each
hoof, or once with the weapon and once
with each forehoof. Skill in hoof use does
not count as a weapon proficiency.
Centaurs may also kick out with their
rear hooves. This attack replaces all normal
attacks during a round. Each hoof inflicts 1-
8 hp damage, but is at -2 to hit targets. This
attack requires no weapon proficiency to
learn, and a double-hoofed kick may be
made twice per round.
In most cases, a centaur uses weapons
just as any other character would. A centaur does damage equivalent
to a human
mounted on a medium warhorse if using a
lance, scoring 2-7/2-12 hp damage with
bonuses for charging as applicable. The-y
may use bows while running, just as a
human can shoot from horseback, with a -2
penalty to hit. Finally, a centaur?s weight
can be used to good advantage if he or she
uses a lasso (see Unearthed
Arcana).
Note that the use of front hoof attacks
requires that the centaur have at least 50%
of his height in clearance space above his
head; that is, a 9? tall (approximately 17-
hands-high at the withers) centaur requires
about 13?6? vertical space for his front hoof
attacks.
Centaurs, like mounted riders, can
charge an opponent with a thrusting
weapon. At least 50? of relatively level
space is required to build up speed for this
form of attack. Such charging makes defense difficult, thus raising
the centaur?s
armor class by one, but can result in double
damage if a hit is successful. The victim of
the charge can only do normal damage,
unless he has set a weapon. Setting a
weapon takes one round and is only possible
with pointed weapons of greater than 2? in
length. It simply means the weapon is positioned with its business
end pointing in the
direction the charge is coming from, doing
double damage if it hits the charger.
The movement rate of a centaur is in
most respects like that of a medium warhorse (18?), with all the advantages
and
disadvantages that implies, but a centaur
has the advantage of intelligence and hands
as well as a more flexible body. Normal
movement is at 18?, and a centaur gets the
bonus for quadrupedal movement if he or
she charges (p. 66, DMG).
The rate of 18?
can be maintained under loads of up to
4000 gp in encumbrance, plus bonuses for
strength as applicable, and a centaur can
still move at 9? while carrying up to 6500
gp plus bonuses. Armor may impose an
upper limit on movement rate regardless of
other considerations, as explained below.
Though they are able to enter typical
dungeon areas, centaurs are not ideally
adapted to moving around in buildings and
diggings made by humanlike races. They
cannot move faster than 6? up or down
stairs, and are plagued by a host of other
problems. Narrow passages, tight turns,
steep slopes, low ceilings, and collapsing
s t a i r s a r e j u s t a
f e w o f t h e s e a n n o y a n c
e s , n o t
t o m e n t i o n c r o w d e d
b a r s , p o l i s h e d f l o o r s ,
a n d s m a l l p o t t e r y s
h o p s , a n d t o s a y
n o t h i n g
o f s u c h h o r r o r s a s
l a d d e r s a n d r o p e b r i d
g e s .
C e n t a u r s m a y b e p r e
v e n t e d f r o m e n t e r i n g
o r l e a v i n g a n a r e a
b y l o c a l l a w , p h y s i c a
l
f a c t , o r n e r v o u s i n
h a b i t a n t s . N o i n n w i l
l
g i v e a r o o m t o
a c e n t a u r a n y w h e r e o t
h e r
t h a n i n a l o c a l
s t a b l e o r b a r n .
O u t d o o r s , h o w e v e r , c e n t a
u r s c a n h a n d l e
t h e m s e l v e s a s w e l l
o r b e t t e r t h a n d o n k e y
s o r
m u l e s . I f u n e n c u m b e r e d
b y a r i d e r , t h e y
c a n m o v e a s f a r
a s a l i g h t r i d i n g
h o r s e i n a
d a y , o r a s f a r
a s a h u m a n w o u l d ,
w h i c h e v e r
i s g r e a t e r ( p
. 5 8 , DMG). Movement over
marshy or snow-covered ground can be
tricky, though, particularly over the latter;
while humans can resort to skis and snowshoes, there are no equine
equivalents.
Climbing is next to impossible, indoors
or out. With the help of a crane (or a sling
around the rump and a rope to grasp), a
short cliff might be ascended, but under no
circumstances can a centaur actually pull
his or her unsupported weight up using only
the arms. Going hand over hand up a rope
or chinning on a branch or ledge is impossible unless the feet can
get a purchase so as
to support some weight. The best a centaur
can manage is to hang, and that only with
difficulty and for a very short time. Centaurs can swim much better
than they can
climb, but are not swifter in the water than
a human.
Though centaurs don?t always like to be
ridden, a few don?t mind carrying close
friends, and warriors may carry an armed
rider with a second spear or lance. Centaurs
are easier to ride than horses, since there is
an upper torso for the rider to grasp. This is
just as well, since most centaurs object to
saddles. A centaur may alter a harness so as
to be able to pull a cart or wagon if he or
she so desires. Getting personal transportation, rather than providing
it, will be troublesome and expensive for centaurs. Most
land conveyances will not carry a centaur in
comfort, if they can carry one at all, and
small or unstable watercraft will be unsuitable. A rowboat or canoe
with a centaur in
it will have very little freeboard, if it does
not sink outright.
A r m o r
Most centaurs go unarmed, since the
hide, size, and structure of the centaur body
is such that it has a base armor class of 5.
Centaurs may wear armor, with results
similar to those given for horse barding
by
Gary Gygax (DRAGON® issue #72 and
Unearthed Arcana), presented again here.
Normal human armor is, of course, of no
use.
| Type of Protection | AC | Weight | Move |
| None | 5 | - | 18" |
| Leather or padded | 4 | 170# | 18" |
| Scale, ring, studded leather | 3 | 280# | 15" |
| Splint, banded mail | 2 | 390# | 12" |
| Plate mail | 1 | 550# | 9" |
Dexterity adjustments and shield use will
modify the armor classes listed. Shields
have their usual values, but they are less
useful for centaurs than for humans, since
there is more unprotected space along each
flank. No magical armor found will even fit
a centaur?s upper torso. Magical rings and
bracers offering protection will be of great
help here.
Armor for a centaur is very expensive,
costing almost thrice the normal cost of
horse barding. Plate barding can run as
high as 3000 gp, chain barding up to 1000
gp, and leather up to 300 gp. The above
prices assume a normal-sized centaur. The
price is high to allow for special materials
needed to make the armor light enough to
wear. A centaur of 18 or better hands in
height can wear lower quality plate barding,
costing as little as 900 gp. One of 17 or
better hands can wear lower quality chain,
with a price of as little as 500 gp.
Other considerations
Centaurs are allowed a bonus on saving
throws against poison similar to that allowed dwarves (i.e.,
+ 1 for every 3½
points of constitution). They gain this bonus because of their size
and hardiness.
This resistance does not extend to any other
saving throws other than against death or
paralyzation magic.
Centaurs are larger-than-man-size for
determination of weapon damage. Up to
twelve attackers may engage a centaur foe
at once, if stabbing and thrusting weapons
are used or if overhand chopping weapons
are employed on a first strike. A centaur
surrounded by orcish halberdiers is in serious trouble!
Whatever their ability scores, no centaurs
will have psionics. If under attack from a
mind blast they are treated
as humans (p.
78, DMG).
Disease is, as always, a problem. In
monthly health checks, exposure to a human or equine carrier of disease
is 50%
likely to be significant.
Centaurs have, at best, rural backgrounds, and so will know only alignment
and centaur languages in addition to the
Common tongue ? and they may not be
particularly fluent in the latter. Those centaurs dwelling in remote
sylvan areas might
have learned elven instead of Common, and
any centaurs with the capacity to learn
another language will likely learn elven if it
is spoken in their environment. Centaurs
can learn other languages than those they
start with, if their intelligence
score permits
(p. 10, Players Handbook).
Centaurs are regarded as lower class, if
they have any class at all in human eyes.
This is the result not only of their appearance, but of their rustic
and unsophisticated
upbringing. Because of this, they do not
automatically attract followers of any sort.
At the DM?s option, other centaurs might
be attracted, however.
Certain secondary skills are unlikely,
given the background of the average centaur. If skills are randomly
determined,
allow only a 5% chance that a centaur will
have some minor skill associated with mining, the sea, or city life.
Otherwise, reroll
until something more probable is indicated.
If a character does have an unusual skill,
then it must be attributed to the often unusual history of adventurer
types. Common
sense and imagination are required in explaining such a past. Experience
on the
water, for instance, is probably with barges
on a river. Treat any result of ?armorer? as
?farrier? (blacksmith), a much more likely
profession in a centaur herd.
When traveling on hard surfaces, centaurs surprise opponents only on
a 1 n 6
chance, because of the sound of their
hooves. Straw slippers or cork glued to the
bottom of horseshoes will be effective in
achieving normal chances for surprise, but
will require daily replacement. It is a measure of centaur woodcraft
that they can
surprise opponents normally in most natural terrain.
The cost of living is high for a centaur.
Feeding, clothing, and otherwise caring for
a being that weighs between one-quarter
and one-half ton is not always a simple
matter. The cost of food will be about four
times that spent by other characters. Clothing is not always needed,
but may be required because of inclement weather or
local custom. Vests and shirts in cool
weather, with the addition of a blanket in
very cold weather, should prove sufficient,
and items of such a nature are not too
d i f f i c u l t t o c o m e b
y . A n y c o v e r i n g s p e c i
f i c a l l y d e s i g n e d f o r
t h e c e n t a u r b o d y , h o w
e v e r , w i l l b e c o s t l y
? two or three times the
price of similar human garb.
Some typical prices for goods a centaur
might want are listed below.
| Leather armor/barding | 315 gp |
| Chain armor/barding | 975 gp |
| Plate armor/barding | 2700 gp |
| Vest (with pockets) | 5 sp |
| Food, merchant's meal | 4 sp |
| Food, rich meal | 4 gp |
| Rations, iron, 1 week | 20 gp |
| Rations, standard, 1 week | 12 gp |
| Horseshoe | 5 cp |
| Shoeing, per hoof | 5 sp |
If centaur characters are included in a
campaign, they are necessarily considered
to be persons for purposes of such spells as
c h a r m person and hold person. (They are
surely persons if troglodytes and lizard
men, which are also affected by these spells,
are classified as persons.)
A centaur can be resurrected only
through the use of a rod of resurrection
(treat one as an elf for number of charges
used), and one may otherwise return to the
campaign (although perhaps in different
form) by use of a reincarnation spell or a
wish spell if it is killed.
Many of the available magical items in a
campaign will be useless or of dubious value
to a centaur, for one reason or another.
Such items include potions of climbing or
potions of levitation, any substance that
must be applied over a character?s whole
body surface (a centaur needs 3-5 times the
amount that a human would).
Other less than desirable magic items for
a centaur include a ring of water walking
(nearly useless if the centaur wants to carry
anything), magical boots, belts, robes, and
cloaks (none will fit), most magical flying
items, and any magical armor (all of which
is assumed to be tailored for humanoid
frames) except shields.
On the other hand, a centaur will certainly get more use out of such
items as
magical horseshoes than any humanoid
character would ? particularly horseshoes
of speed, possession of which makes it much
more practical for a centaur to wear heavy
armor.
The material in this article is based on
the information available in the AD&D®
game books, and on the Greek lejends
from
which other fictional centaurs are derived.
The numerous centaurs and centaurlike
beings of modern science fiction and fantasy
were also a source of inspiration, as was
information on horses and humans of the
factual world.
