Bestiary‎ > ‎(Bestiary) By Type‎ > ‎Monstrous Humanoids‎ > ‎Minotaur‎ > ‎

Minotaur, Elder

The glazed bovine eyes of this silverbacked bull-headed humanoid betray a feral cunning.

Minotaur Elder CR 9

CE Large monstrous humanoid
Init +0(+4 in mazes); Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22

DEFENSE

AC 22, touch 9, flat-footed — (see natural cunning) (+5 armor, +8 natural, –1 size)
hp 114 (12d10+48)
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +11
Defensive Abilities natural cunning

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.
Melee +1 greataxe +19/+14/+9 (3d6+12/x3) and gore +13 (1d8+3)

Ranged minotaur double crossbow +10 (4d8; 19–20/x2 (see sidebar); 120 ft.; reload 2 standard actions)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks powerful charge (gore +15, 4d6+10)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th):

3/day—fog cloud, glyph of warding (blast 15' radius; 4d8 fire damage; Reflex DC 16 for half), stone shape
1/day—maze, wall of stone

TACTICS

Before Combat Minotaur elders use their spell-like abilities extensively before combat to prepare the area for a coming battle, littering the battlefield with glyphs of warding and using stone shape to create pits and traps.

During Combat Like ordinary minotaurs, minotaur elders begin combat with a terrifying charge attack, using its Power Attack and Impaling Charge feats to attempt to kill or grapple a foe. A minotaur elder uses its wall of stone and fog cloud spell-like abilities to divide or confuse his foes and uses Vital Strike when forced to move before attacking. It attacks any foes it is unable to reach with its double crossbow. Its maze ability is reserved for the most deadly opponent or the last foe, so the elder might toy with the trapped foe.

Morale Minotaur elders attempt to flee if reduced to 5 hp or less.

STATISTICS

Str 24, Dex 10, Con 19, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 10
Base Atk +12; CMB +20 (+22 bull rush); CMD 30 (32 vs. bull rush)
Feats Cleave, Great Fortitude, Impaling Charge, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Vital Strike
Skills Intimidate +8 (+12 vs. Medium or smaller), Perception +22, Stealth +3(+11 in mazes), Survival +22; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Survival, +8 Stealth (in mazes/labyrinths)
Languages Giant
SQ maze mastery, natural cunning
Gear greataxe, scale mail

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Maze Mastery (Su)

Minotaur elders possess a supernatural cunning when in the confines of a maze or labyrinth. In such areas they receive a +4 bonus on initiative checks and a +8 racial bonus on Stealth checks. In addition, a minotaur elder may enter a maze spell as it is being cast along with the intended target so long as the target is within 30 feet. This includes maze spells cast by the minotaur elder. Once inside, the minotaur elder can leave the maze as a move action. The minotaur elder and the target appear at opposite ends of a 30-foot-square chamber where all exits lead to the maze itself (and the only way out for the target).

Natural Cunning (Ex)

Although minotaurs are not especially intelligent, they possess innate cunning and logical ability. This gives them immunity to maze spells and prevents them from ever becoming lost. A minotaur elder's natural cunning ability protects it from ever being caught flat-footed.

Racial Weapon: Minotaur Double Crossbow

Minotaurs have a love of complicated things, and the double crossbow is one of their favorites. This heavy weapon fires a pair of iron-tipped bolts with deadly accuracy. Due to its size and weight, however, non-proficient wielders suffer a –8 penalty on their attack rolls. Even proficient wielders take a –2 penalty on their attack rolls. If the attack is successful, the target takes the listed damage twice (2d8+2d8.)

*2 Critical hits and other multipliers or modifiers are only applied to one of the bolts.

Reloading a double crossbow takes 2 standard actions (one for each bolt), although the Rapid Reload feat reduces this to 2 move actions (meaning that it can be accomplished in 1 round).

Source Classic Monsters Revisited. Copyright 2008, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, Nicolas Logue, Mike McArtor, James L. Sutter, Greg A. Vaughan, Jeremy Walker.

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate ruins or underground
Organization solitary or accompanied by 1-3 minotaur attendants
Treasure standard (greataxe, minotaur double crossbow, scale mail armor plus other treasure)

Minotaurs who grow very old find that their fur begins to gray and their furies begin to wane. These minotaur elders learned a great deal over the years and gained a number of powerful abilities. Minotaur elders frequently draw a number of their younger brethren to their call, organizing devastating raids and luring powerful adventurers into their incredibly cunning mazes.

Minotaur Encounters

Source PCS:ISMC

Minotaur marauders are much more nimble and confident on the slopes than their bulk would suggest. They are most often encountered stalking prey, including humanoids, in the wilds. Raiding parties of two or more marauders surround their prey, braying and stamping from all sides to confuse, frighten, and scatter. If they occupy higher ground, these minotaurs prefer to attack with their bows, but they are equally competent in melee if a foe survives long enough to engage toe-to-hoof.

Resistant as they are to spells, energy, and physical damage, labyrinth guardians' closest thing to a weakness is their single-mindedness. Most are tied to the mazes or tombs in which they dwell and will not chase foes out into the light. Tangle tenders hold similar sway over their lairs, but act more with cunning than with brute force. These devious trapsmiths delight in building wicked mechanical devices to harm those that dare intrude on their mazes.

Minotaur prophets are much more brutal than humanoid cultists. Through fear, manipulation, and reverence, the prophets command disproportionate respect from the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth, a secret cabal of the demon lord's most devious worshipers. The prophets wield their clout in the same ways that they wield their brass glaives of office—by striking from a distance.

Section 15: Copyright Notice - Classic Monsters Revisited
Classic Monsters Revisited. Copyright 2008, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, Nicolas Logue, Mike McArtor, James L. Sutter, Greg A. Vaughan, Jeremy Walker.