Minotaur (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, minotaur
s are a race of monstrous humanoids
, resembling bull-human hybrids. Many minotaurs worship the demon lord
Baphomet
.
(1974), where they were described as a bull-headed man, and a man-eater.
The minotaur was one of the main player character races of the Dragonlance
campaign setting
. The Bloodsea minotaur appeared in the modules Dragons of Dreams (1985) and Dragons of Triumph (1986), and then appeared in the Dragonlance Adventures hardcover (1987). The Krynn minotaur also appeared as a player character race in Dragonlance Adventures.
The minotaur was detailed in Dragon
#116 (1986), in the "Ecology of the Minotaur".
(1977, 1981, 1983). Minotaurs were also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game
set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994), and the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game set (1999).
The monster ruler, Minoides, King of the Minotaurs, appeared in the Wrath of the Immortals boxed set (1992).
The minotaur is detailed as a playable character race in The Complete Book of Humanoids
(1993). The minotaur is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers
(1995).
The minotaur continued to play an important role in the Dragonlance setting in second edition. The Taladan minotaur appeared in the Time of the Dragon
boxed set (1989). The minotaur of Krynn and the Thoradonian minotaur appeared in the Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance Appendix (1990).
Savage Species (2003) presented the minotaur as both a race and a playable class. The feral minotaur also appeared in this book.
The faerzress-infused minotaur appeared in Underdark (2003), for the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting. The greathorn minotaur appeared in Monster Manual IV (2006).
#369, and they became a fully supported race in the Player's Handbook 3 (2010).
campaign setting
, the minotaurs, which are also known as "Kothians", are a reasonably civilized and cultured race. They are most commonly found on the islands of Mithas and Kothas (named for the sons of the first Kothian emperor) and are renowned for their tactical brilliance, military strength and superb seamanship.
The majority of the Kothian race worships the evil deity Sargas, who is known to other races as "Sargonnas". Their pride prohibits them from acknowledging the two incarnations as one and the same. In Kothian society, Sargas is portrayed as a giant bull-headed god who is held in higher esteem than the petty god of vengeance and strife that the humans and other lesser races may fear or worship.
Standing in opposition to Sargas is Kiri-Jolith, god of righteous warfare who is known as "Emperor" to the minotaur race. To minotaur living in the mainstream of their own society, followers of Kiri-Jolith are nothing more than heretics and heathens, who are to be loathed, hated and killed on sight in the name of their primary deity, Sargas.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game, minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
s are a race of monstrous humanoids
Monstrous humanoid (Dungeons & Dragons)
Monstrous humanoids are a "creature type" in the 3rd and 3.5 editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Monstrous humanoids are differentiated from humanoids by their monstrous or animalistic features, and not all are technically "humanoid" in body form...
, resembling bull-human hybrids. Many minotaurs worship the demon lord
Demon lord (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demon lords are demons who have gained great power and established a position of preeminence among demonkind. Each demon lord has a unique appearance and set of abilities. Most control at least one layer of the Abyss...
Baphomet
Baphomet (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Baphomet is a demon lord who rules a layer of the Abyss called the Endless Maze. He is the Prince of Beasts and the Demon Lord of Minotaurs.-Publication history:...
.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The minotaur was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" setDungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1974), where they were described as a bull-headed man, and a man-eater.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The minotaur appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as a cruel man-eater, typically found in labyrinthe places in the wilderness and underground.The minotaur was one of the main player character races of the Dragonlance
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
. The Bloodsea minotaur appeared in the modules Dragons of Dreams (1985) and Dragons of Triumph (1986), and then appeared in the Dragonlance Adventures hardcover (1987). The Krynn minotaur also appeared as a player character race in Dragonlance Adventures.
The minotaur was detailed in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#116 (1986), in the "Ecology of the Minotaur".
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the minotaur, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic SetDungeons & Dragons Basic Set
The original Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set boxed set was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1977, and comprised a separate edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, distinct from the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, which was initially published in the same...
(1977, 1981, 1983). Minotaurs were also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game
Dungeons & Dragons Game (1991 boxed set)
The New Easy to Master Dungeons & Dragons Game is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1991....
set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994), and the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game set (1999).
The monster ruler, Minoides, King of the Minotaurs, appeared in the Wrath of the Immortals boxed set (1992).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The minotaur appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).The minotaur is detailed as a playable character race in The Complete Book of Humanoids
Complete Book of Humanoids
The Complete Book of Humanoids is a sourcebook for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was written by Bill Slavicsek for TSR, in 1993....
(1993). The minotaur is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers
Player's Option: Skills & Powers
Player's Option: Skills & Powers is a supplemental sourcebook to the core rules of the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. This 192-page book was published by TSR, Inc. in 1995. The book was designed by Douglas Niles and Dale Donovan...
(1995).
The minotaur continued to play an important role in the Dragonlance setting in second edition. The Taladan minotaur appeared in the Time of the Dragon
Time of the Dragon
Time of the Dragon is an accessory for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Time of the Dragon is an accessory for the Dragonlance campaign setting that describes the continent of Taladas on the world of Krynn...
boxed set (1989). The minotaur of Krynn and the Thoradonian minotaur appeared in the Monstrous Compendium Dragonlance Appendix (1990).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The minotaur appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).Savage Species (2003) presented the minotaur as both a race and a playable class. The feral minotaur also appeared in this book.
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
The minotaur appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).The faerzress-infused minotaur appeared in Underdark (2003), for the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting. The greathorn minotaur appeared in Monster Manual IV (2006).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The minotaur appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008). Rules for playing minotaurs first appeared in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#369, and they became a fully supported race in the Player's Handbook 3 (2010).
Minotaurs in Dragonlance
In the DragonlanceDragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
, the minotaurs, which are also known as "Kothians", are a reasonably civilized and cultured race. They are most commonly found on the islands of Mithas and Kothas (named for the sons of the first Kothian emperor) and are renowned for their tactical brilliance, military strength and superb seamanship.
The majority of the Kothian race worships the evil deity Sargas, who is known to other races as "Sargonnas". Their pride prohibits them from acknowledging the two incarnations as one and the same. In Kothian society, Sargas is portrayed as a giant bull-headed god who is held in higher esteem than the petty god of vengeance and strife that the humans and other lesser races may fear or worship.
Standing in opposition to Sargas is Kiri-Jolith, god of righteous warfare who is known as "Emperor" to the minotaur race. To minotaur living in the mainstream of their own society, followers of Kiri-Jolith are nothing more than heretics and heathens, who are to be loathed, hated and killed on sight in the name of their primary deity, Sargas.
External links
- Minotaur at Dragonlance NexusDragonlance NexusThe Dragonlance Nexus is a Dragonlance fansite that was created in 1996 as "Dragon Realm". The site was overhauled and a new name was given to it as the "Dragonlance Nexus". Beginning on November 28, 2005, the site began publishing articles written by established authors starting with an article on...