Centaurs are a staple of any fantasy setting. These half-humanoid/half-horse monstrosities have been portrayed as good guys, sometimes villains, sometimes something in between. In Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, centaurs are neutral good tribespeople, reclusive wanderers, and omen-readers.
How do centaurs fight in Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons?
Fortunately, our friend Keith Ammann covered centaur tactics not too long ago on his blog, The Monsters Know What They’re Doing. Here are the basics of centaur combat styles according to Keith:
- Centaurs start combat with their pike charge, then follow up with their hooves. This gives them a potential damage output of 30.
- From there, centaurs engage in melee, fighting with their pike and hooves.
- The centaur has enough Wisdom to know when to disengage from combat, so it’ll run if its hit points drop to 31 or lower, using its full movement to escape and sucking up the attack of opportunity.
- Because centaurs are neutral good, it’s unlikely they’ll use their longbows unless their lives absolutely depend on it. They fight to subdue, not to kill.
What centaur variants are needed?
Centaurs are a nomadic, tribal race. Therefore, it makes sense to create the leader of its tribe. Reading up on horses, horse herds are lead by an alpha mare and owned by one stallion.
Also, the tribe needs its spiritual guide, too, probably a druid. Despite being magic users, they still rely heavily on their martial talents.
Finally, to give it some more flavor, I thought I’d add another one of my constellation celestials to the group, a spiritual guide for centaurs: the Sagitarrius.
Centaur Alpha Mare/Stallion
Large monstrosity, neutral good
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 102 (12d10 + 36)
Speed 50 ft.
Abilities Str 20 (+5), Dex 16 (+3), Con 16 (+3), Int 11 (+0), Wis 15 (+2), Cha 13 (+1)
Skills Athletics +8, Perception + 5, Survival +5
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Charge. If the centaur moves at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a pike attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 17 (5d6) piercing damage.
Show of Bravery. The centaur has advantage on saving throws against being frightened. In addition, while within 30 feet of the centaur, any ally of the centaur has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Actions
Multiattack. The centaur makes three attacks: one with its pike and two with its hooves or three with its longbow.
Pike. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage.
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Centaur Shaman
Large monstrosity, neutral good
Armor Class 12 (16 with barkskin)
Hit Points 60 (8d10 + 16)
Speed 50 ft.
Abilities Str 18 (+4), Dex 14 (+2), Con 14 (+2), Int 12 (+1), Wis 15 (+2), Cha 11 (+0)
Skills Medicine +3, Nature +3, Perception +4, Survival +5
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Charge. If the centaur moves at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a pike attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage.
Spellcasting. The centaur is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The centaur has the following druid spells prepared:
- Cantrips (at will): guidance, produce flame, resistance
- 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, entangle, longstrider
- 2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, pass without trace
- 3rd level (2 slots): plant growth, speak with plants
Actions
Multiattack. The centaur makes two attacks: one with its pike and one with its hooves or two with its longbow.
Pike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage.
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Constellation, Sagittarius
Constellations are friendly, helpful celestials that guide lost travelers and assist with quests, especially when called upon by clerics and paladins. A constellation appears as multiple pinpoints of light that form a rough outline of an animal, typically a bear, bull, fox or scorpion.
The Sagittarius constellation is the benevolent and brave protector of centaur herds in their times of need. It appears when food sources are low, the herd can’t find its way, or a great evil threatens the herd.
Like the centaurs that revere them, Sagitarrii gallop headfirst into battle using their mighty hooves and powerful radiant longbows. They will refrain from using lethal action against most opponents, save for fiends, undead and other evil creatures they consider “unnatural.”
Constellation, Sagitarrius
Large celestial, neutral good
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30)
Speed 60 ft.
Abilities Str 1 (-5), Dex 16 (+3), Con 16 (+3), Int 15 (+2), Wis 18 (+4), Cha 17 (+3)
Skills Nature +5, Perception +7, Survival +7
Damage Immunities poison
Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Bright Light Invisibility. When in bright light, the constellation is invisible. The invisibility lasts until the constellation is in dim light or darkness.
Ephemeral. The constellation can’t wear or carry anything.
Expert Archer. Attacking at long range or within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on the Saggitarius’ ranged attack rolls. In addition, its ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.
Illumination. The constellation sheds dim light in a 20-foot radius.
Innate Spellcasting. The constellation’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
- At will: guidance, light
- 3/day each: detect evil and good, purify food and drink, teleport
- 1/day each: create food and water, freedom of movement
Magic Resistance. The constellation has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack. The constellation makes two attacks: two with its hooves or two with its longbow.
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) radiant damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) radiant damage.
Critical Shot. The Sagittarius makes a longbow attack with a -5 penalty to its attack roll. If the attack hits, it deals 17 (1d8 + 13) radiant damage.
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Possible error on the Centaur Shaman attack description:
“Charge. If the centaur moves at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a pike attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage.”
Guessing you meant piercing damage as it is with the pike 🙂