Minotaur Guide 5e

Published on April 29, 2021, Last modified on May 5th, 2022

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What is this guide?

This guide is meant to give you an idea of whether or not the minotaur will be right for your 5e character build.

The color code below has been implemented to help you identify, at a glance, how good that option will be for your minotaur. This color coding isn’t a hard and fast rule; there are plenty of sub-optimized options out there that will be viable to your party and will be fun to play.

  • Black is a trait shared by many races and or will not impact the effectiveness of your character build
  • Red isn’t going to contribute to the effectiveness of your character build at all
  • Orange Situationally good, but a below-average option otherwise
  • Green is a good option
  • Blue is a great option, you should strongly consider this option for your character
  • Sky Blue is an amazing option. If you do not take this option your character would not be optimized

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Update

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything has added the "Customizing Your Origin" option that may affect the ability score increases, languages, and proficiencies in this guide. To read more about this, visit our D&D Race Guide.

What are Minotaurs in 5e?

Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

Minotaurs are burly, battle-loving humanoids with the head, hooves, and tail of a bull. While they are known to solve their problems through violence, minotaurs enjoy spending time with their friends and know how to have a good time.

Minotaurs are a playable race found in Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica as well as in Mythic Odysseys of Theros. While they look similar between these two settings, their history differs. Depending on your campaign, you may choose to take inspiration from either of these settings. The minotaur’s racial traits are the same for both.

On the plane of Ravnica, most minotaurs are in either the Gruul Clans or the Boros Legion due to their love of battle. It is said that every minotaur in Ravnica is descended from a hero of old.

In Theros, most minotaurs serve a god. Those that are typically viewed as evil serve Mogis, while minotaurs that serve other gods are accepted in society and have even reached the status of hero in the past.

Minotaur 5e Traits

Ability Score Increase: +2 STR and +1 CON makes it pretty clear what the minotaur is intended for. You will want to pick a class that is on the frontlines swinging a melee weapon. Any other class or build will want to look elsewhere.

Size: Medium is the typical size of most races, and is neither good nor bad.

Speed: Minotaurs have a standard walking speed of 30 feet.

Horns: The minotaur’s horns do 1d6 damage, as opposed to the 1d4 damage that other races get from their natural weapons. Combined with Goring Rush and Hammering Horns, the horns are one of the most useful natural weapons available to any race.

Goring Rush: Goring Rush ensures that if you need to use the Dash action to get somewhere quickly, you don’t waste your turn and can make use of your bonus action. Attacking with a weapon would be better, but as your build will likely have a high STR bonus you will be able to deal significant damage with the horns.

Hammering Horns: Another useful option on the battlefield. Push an enemy off a cliff, into an ally’s area of effect spell, or just put some distance between yourself and the target so you can move without the fear of an opportunity attack.

Imposing Presence: Free skill proficiencies are always a welcome addition to any race, but the classes that pair best with minotaurs may find it difficult to make the most of Intimidation or Persuasion.

Which 5e Classes Work With Minotaurs?

STR and CON is a very straightforward combination. If the build you’re thinking about playing likes to whack things without too much thought or finesse, you can’t go wrong with a minotaur. If you want to sneak, cast spells, or do anything else really, choose a different race.

Artificer: Artificers need INT to be effective.

Barbarian: Minotaurs are ideal for barbarians. STR and CON is all that most barbarians care about, and Goring Rush gets you right in the face of your enemies when the battle starts.

Bard: This just won’t work, even when trying a STR-based bard. The lack of DEX or CHA will hurt right from the start.

Cleric: Clerics aren’t a bad choice for minotaurs because the stat bonuses do line up. However, clerics do best with some kind of WIS boost. Also consider that the minotaur’s traits eat up bonus actions when you would potentially want to use them for spells like healing word, sanctuary, or shield of faith.

Druid: Druids need a WIS bonus to be effective. The racial traits won’t work when in Wild Shape.

Fighter: The ability scores are perfect for any STR-based fighter, and Goring Rush and Hammering Horns give more options to the more vanilla subclasses. If combined with a subclass like the Battle Master, the minotaur’s traits combined with the Battle Master’s maneuvers gives a huge amount of variety to how you can strategize in battle.

Monk: Monks need DEX and WIS, preferably both.

Paladin: Paladins are pretty multi-ability dependent, but STR and CON is a solid start. If you focus on CHA for spellcasting, Imposing Presence is a nice little bonus skill proficiency.

Ranger: Minotaurs aren’t a bad choice for STR-based rangers, although there are better options out there with WIS bonuses. DEX rangers should look elsewhere.

Rogue: Rouges need DEX to be effective, although the free proficiency in either Intimidation or Persuasion is okay.

Sorcerer: Sorcerers need CHA to be effective.

Warlock: Warlocks need CHA to be effective.

Wizard: Wizards need INT to be effective.

Sources Used in This Guide

  • BR: Basic Rules
  • GotG: Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
  • SotDQ: Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
  • ERLW: Eberron: Rising from the Last War
  • EEPC: Elemental Evil Player’s Companion
  • EGtW: Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
  • FToD: Fizban's Treasury of Dragon
  • GGtR: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica
  • MotM: Monsters of the Multiverse
  • MToF: Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
  • MOoT: Mythic Odyessys of Theros
  • PAitM: Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse
  • PHB: Player's Handbook
  • SAiS: Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
  • SCoC: Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
  • SCAG: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
  • TCoE: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
  • TTP: The Tortle Package
  • WBtW: The Wild Beyond The Witchlight
  • VRGtR: Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
  • VGtM: Volo's Guide to Monsters
  • XGtE: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Roland Drews

Roland Drews is a content creator and editor at Arcane Eye. When he isn't watching basketball or noodling on his guitar, you can find Roland reading, writing, or playing D&D. He currently lives in Bonn, Germany with his girlfriend Jess.

One thought on “Minotaur

  1. one might try building polearm mastery and sentinel to bully enemies in 1v1. as by the general polearm master + sentinel combo the enemy cant enter the attack range (one gets an opportunity attack once he does, with advantage and rooting effect thanks to sentinel). Minotaur can still freely attack the opponent, utilizing hammering horns to push him back out of the attack range after the attack. Opponents with less than 10 feet attack range wont be able to do anything :). Likewise, as for all sentinels, the enemy can be “imprisoned” in the attack range, as upon leaving an opportunity attack is provoked (sentinel nullifies disengage), which has advantage and rooting effect. uses two feats (ASI) though so its kinda high cost.

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