Large Races
Throughout the various supplemental materials for the fifth edition of the world's greatest roleplaying game there are many additional races to the ones in the Player's Handbook.
Although some of them share the identity of certain monsters, there's one key trait that's missing: none of them are of large size.
This is my attempt to make those races of the right size so that the player characters aren't somehow the smallest individuals of their kin, while limiting some of the biggest advantages of this bigger size category to maintain some semblance of balance.
While overall I will admit that these races are not fit for every campaign, I believe they can prove to be options that are more faithful to the fantasy behind them.
Centaur Traits
While they share their love for nature and travel, these hooved creatures are quite different from the smaller centaurs of fey origin.
Apart from the bigger size, these centaurs are characterized by the strong connection to their reclusive clans, which roam freely in grasslands and great forests.
Reluctant to use violence, they are nevertheless fierce fighters when they need to protect their way of life.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Centaurs mature and age at about the same rate as humans.
Alignment. Centaurs are inclined toward neutrality, preferring to avoid active roles in history. They are more often good then evil.
Size. Centaurs stand between 7 and 10 feet tall, and weight over 2000 pounds due to the large horse body under the medium sized humanoid torso. Your size is large.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 50 feet.
Monstrosity. Your creature type is monstrosity, rather than humanoid.
Hooves. Your hooves are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Charge. If you move at least 30 feet straight towards a target and then hit it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, the target takes and extra 1d6 damage from the weapon.
Equine Build. You are always considered mounted, and as such you can't mount any other creature. You can't equip normal armor, and must instead rely on barding similar to that of a horse.
In addition, any climbing that requires hands and feet is especially difficult for you because of your equine legs. When you make such a climb, each foot of movement costs you 4 extra feet, instead of the normal 1 extra foot.
Sylvan Training. You are proficient with the longbow and the pike, as well as in the survival skill.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Sylvan. Sylvan is a gentle language widely spread among dwellers of the forest.
Large Equipment
While centaurs use the same weapons as normal-sized PCs, half-ogres and minotaurs can use larger weapons, and all three races require specifically built armor.
Large weapons and armors require more materials and time to be built, and as such cost twice the amount of gold as their smaller-sized counterparts while also having twice the weight.
Weapons and Damage
In the Dungeon Master Guide, it's suggested that large weapons always deal double the damage of normal-sized weapons.
The Size Matters trait of half-ogre and minotaur PCs is meant to replace that rule. For example, a minotaur swinging a maul would deal 3d6 damage, rather than 4d6 or 5d6.
Moreover, while half-ogres and minotaurs can use normal sized weapons like any other PC, they have disadvantage with attacks made with light weapons that aren't made specifically for their size.
Half-Ogre Traits
Offsprings of a very brave or a very unlucky human and an ogre, the half-ogres are simple minded people that enjoy the little things in life.
Considered big and stupid by humanoid and small and weak by giants, they rarely live peaceful lives.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, your Constitution score increases by 1, and your Intelligence score is reduced by 1.
Age. Half-ogres mature somewhat faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 15. They age much faster, living about 70 years.
Alignment. Half-ogres are impulsive creatures with poor self-control. As such, most of them are of chaotic alignment.
Size. Half-ogres stand around 8 feet tall and are quite large, weighting between 315 and 425 pounds. Your size is large.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Giant. Your creature type is giant, rather than humanoid.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Giant Strength. Your maximum Strength score increases by 2.
Size Matters. When you make a weapon attack using a weapon made for your size, including your unarmed strikes, the weapon deals 1d4 extra damage. This bonus increases to 1d6 when using a weapon with the heavy property.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.
Minotaur Traits
Minotaurs are evil, giant, muscular monsters that resemble human-bull hybrids. They often dwell in maze-like caves and ruins, where their innate sense of direction gives them an edge in hunting their prey.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Constitution and Wisdom scores increase by 1, and your Intelligence score is reduced by 1.
Age. Minotaurs mature much faster than most humanoids, being able to walk hours after birth. The average lifespan for a minotaur is 80 years.
Alignment. Minotaurs tend to be self-centered, living as solitary hunters. Most minotaurs are chaotic evil.
Size. Minotaurs stand over 7 feet tall and have large builds, weighting over 300 pounds. Your size is large.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
Monstrosity. Your creature type is monstrosity, rather than humanoid.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Horns. Your horns are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike, and they are considered heavy weapons.
Goring Charge. If you move at least 30 feet straight towards a target and then hit it with your horns on the same turn, the target takes an additional 1d6 damage from the attack. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier.
Labyrinthine Recall. You can perfectly recall any path you have traveled.
Size Matters. When you make a weapon attack using a weapon made for your size, including your unarmed strikes, the weapon deals 1d4 extra damage. This bonus increases to 1d6 when using a weapon with the heavy property.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Abyssal.
