Variant Centaur Race: Ugthanatos
The following is a Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition homebrew race based on the race of creatures from RuneScape. The original concept and images are property of Jagex, Ltd.
The Ugthanatos
The Ugthanatos (pronounced oog-THAN-uh-toss) are a strange race, the creation of a powerful deity in desperate need of an army of desert-dwelling warriors. Also known as Camel Warriors, these creatures bear a similar anatomy to the centaur, though they do not share a direct relation. They roam the remote areas of deserts, where they gather in small groups, grazing on and cultivating desert plantlife. A few may make a living in larger desert establishments, but a creature as odd as an Ugthanatos would be a rare sight even to someone native to the desert.
Creation
Wishing to form an army capable of conquering the desert, a powerful being known as Akthanakos stumbled upon a type of semi-intelligent and aggressive camel. Choosing to depict himself with the head of a camel, he allied himself with the creatures, naming them the Ugthanki. The Ugthanki praised Akthanakos and did his bidding, but Akthanakos was not satisfied. Using his magic, he then created a new creature from the Ugthanki; one that was wiser, more intelligent, and of a different form that would make for much more powerful and capable warriors. Thus, the Ugthanatos were born, named after their predecessors and their creator. The Ugthanatos also followed the will of Akthanakos, praising him and even going so far as to call him "the camel god".
"Behold, the ritual was successful and my mighty Ugthanatos are now here. They are everything I had hoped they would be. They have all the beauty and grace of their Ugthanki origins. Their faces possess that noble camel profile. Their backs adorned with magnificent humps. Their voices a delightful nasal ogulation. Then they have the powerful warrior skills denied to the Ugthanki because of their depressing lack of manipulating limbs. Perfection. It was a genius idea to take spiritual creatures and swap them with creatures from our plane, even if I do say so myself. Getting the Ugthanki to tell each other stories of these marvellous beasts caused them to slowly manifest in the spiritual realm. It's a novel way of recreating an army, though perhaps not without its flaws. I really should find a way to mask the smell. They're very personable creatures and seem quite happy to call me 'the camel god', which is very touching I must say. They do make marvellous cups of tea and are surprisingly witty. Why only the other day Syrus was telling me a hilarious joke about an insect worker and a penguin. Apparently they really don't like penguins, not quite sure where that one has come from. These Ugthanatos are intelligent, noble and deadly warriors. Let's see Enakhra deal with these."
Ugthanatos Names
Ugthanatos have mostly gendered names, typically of two or three syllables.
Typical Male Ugthanatos Names: Ali, Darius, Hassan, Karim, Syrus, Urluk, Ximen.
Typical Female Ugthanatos Names: Ali, Dorri, Hana, Hestia, Maryam, Melody, Zenja.
Appearance
No less strange than their origin is the Ugthanatos' appearance. The lower half of their bodies is nearly identical to that of a camel. They have four long, thin legs ending in large hooves. Their backs have a single hump, and skinny tails reach down to their knees. Their upper bodies are similar in shape to that of a human, but with the large, pointed head of a camel. They have lanky arms that allow them to reach the ground when bending down despite their height, and their hands have three large fingers each. Their entire bodies are covered in light tan fur, the same color as the desert sand. They clothe themselves with colorful textiles which help protect them from the harsh desert heat, and sometimes wear lightweight leather or padded armors.
Ugthanatos Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Ugthanatos reach maturity at twenty years and live just over a century on average.
Alignment. Ugthanatos are typically neutral, rarely swaying toward good or evil.
Size. Ugthanatos are similar in size to the centaur, but much more lean. The average Ugthanatos is between six and nine feet tall. They have been known to weigh between 700 and 1800 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 ft.
Kick. Your feet are natural melee weapons you can use to unleash powerful kicks, with which you’re proficient. If you hit with a kick, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.
Equine Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag. In addition, any climb that requires hands and feet is especially difficult for you because of your hooves. When you make such a climb, each foot of movement costs you 4 extra feet, instead of the normal 1 extra foot. Finally, a Medium or smaller creature can ride on your equine back if you allow it. In such a situation, you continue to act independently, not as a controlled mount.
Desert Dweller. You are naturally adapted to hot and dry climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Hybrid Nature. You have two creature types: humanoid and monstrosity. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types.
Control Mirages. You can control ambient heat in the air around you in order to create illusions. You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. Starting at 4th level, you can cast blur with this trait. Starting at 6th level, you can cast mirror image with it. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
