Centaurs [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Centaurs [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
LordMikel
12-15-07, 12:23 PM So I've always wanted to read the ecology of a centaur.

In the book "Prince Caspian" it makes mentions that centaurs had to eat a lot because they had two stomachs.

So now fast forward and we are introduced to Klingons in Star Trek, who have many organs duplicated to keep them alive longer.

So I always wondered if that idealogy could be applied to centaurs and other creatures like that. Potentially, how tough could they really be?
Crimson_Concerto
12-15-07, 12:54 PM Hmm... Well, they do have a +4 CON mod? :D

Actually, when you think about it, centaurs DO have a lot of duplicate organs, yes, but only if you assume that their human part is build exactly like a human and that their horse half is build exactly like a horse (which may in fact be illogical from an evolutionary standpoint, though not out of the question considering D&D is a world where creatures are often created through magical means). In that case, they have two hearts, two sets of lungs, two livers, food goes through two digestive systems, and so on. I personally feel like it makes little sense for them to have so many extra organs, though, and if I had to guess, I'd probably say that they have only the usual arrangement of organs, just spread out and distributed differently throughout the body...
Xiuhcoatl
12-15-07, 02:51 PM I personally feel like it makes little sense for them to have so many extra organs, though, and if I had to guess, I'd probably say that they have only the usual arrangement of organs, just spread out and distributed differently throughout the body...

I'd say the reason isn't redundancy, but simply required: the human-half has its own organs and is, outside of digestion, separate from the horse-half as far as all other organs go. Of course, they also share airways ... unless the horse-half also has its own breathing tube, perhaps on the underside or front of the horse portion.
snakeman830
12-15-07, 03:11 PM Even from an evolutionary standpoint, some organs would have to be duplicated. The lungs would have to be so because a centaur would use a lot of air, far more than a single pair of lungs would be able to provide. Two hearts is another necessity to pump the blood through the expanded body.

Organs such as livers would probably not be duplicated, though.
Space_Dragon
12-16-07, 02:14 AM Lungs, heart, and viscera are in the horse body. Brain and sensory organs are in the head. The upper torso between the horse body and the head, however, is pure muscle.

Although a centaur's upper body appears identical to a human torso from the outside, it actually lacks any internal organs, or even a rib cage (since there are no lungs or heart there to protect). All it contains is a spinal column, an esophogus and trachea, and shoulders. The rest is nothing but layer after layer of rock-hard musculature, that uses cartilage strands to help support itself. Because of this, centaur upper halves are inhumanly strong in the arm, and are very flexible, making them good bowmen.

There's one possible interpretation off the top of my head. Good?
Xiuhcoatl
12-16-07, 08:18 AM It explains why the Medium-sized torso of the centaur is capable of wielding Large-sized weapons.
Contrast
12-16-07, 03:10 PM There is nothing to support that a centaur's torso is the same size as a human's.

I for one, feel that a centaur's torso would be larger.
Crimson_Concerto
12-16-07, 04:28 PM Lungs, heart, and viscera are in the horse body. Brain and sensory organs are in the head. The upper torso between the horse body and the head, however, is pure muscle.

Although a centaur's upper body appears identical to a human torso from the outside, it actually lacks any internal organs, or even a rib cage (since there are no lungs or heart there to protect). All it contains is a spinal column, an esophogus and trachea, and shoulders. The rest is nothing but layer after layer of rock-hard musculature, that uses cartilage strands to help support itself. Because of this, centaur upper halves are inhumanly strong in the arm, and are very flexible, making them good bowmen.

There's one possible interpretation off the top of my head. Good?Yeah, I actually like that, but for some reason, even if they don't have internal organs, I can't let go of the idea that they have a rib cage. Otherwise, it seems like there's nothing at all to give the torso its basic shape. Maybe there isn't a rib cage but something else very similar?
Also... did you mean to say that they have no bones in their arms? Because I don't see that on your list, and that I would definitely disagree with. :P

There is nothing to support that a centaur's torso is the same size as a human's.

I for one, feel that a centaur's torso would be larger.Seconded.
Space_Dragon
12-16-07, 05:59 PM Yeah, I actually like that, but for some reason, even if they don't have internal organs, I can't let go of the idea that they have a rib cage. Otherwise, it seems like there's nothing at all to give the torso its basic shape. Maybe there isn't a rib cage but something else very similar?
Also... did you mean to say that they have no bones in their arms? Because I don't see that on your list, and that I would definitely disagree with.

The arms have bones (hence the need for shoulderblades). I was thinking that the cartillage pseudoskeleton could give the appearance of an upper rib cage, even if there isn't one.

I agree that a centaur's upper half is larger than a normal human torso.
LordMikel
12-16-07, 08:00 PM Love the ideas Space Dragon. It does make for some interesting game play.
Space_Dragon
12-16-07, 09:14 PM Love the ideas Space Dragon. It does make for some interesting game play.

Thanks. I'm not sure what you mean by "gameplay," though; do you mean that it would make centaurs fun to describe?
DragonicHeritage
12-16-07, 09:36 PM It explains why the Medium-sized torso of the centaur is capable of wielding Large-sized weapons.

Actually, that's not true, centaurs are large(long) not large(tall) like ogres, so they cannot weild weapons made for large creatures without taking the standard abnormally sized weapon penalties like a human.:)
Space_Dragon
12-16-07, 09:57 PM Actually, that's not true, centaurs are large(long) not large(tall) like ogres, so they cannot weild weapons made for large creatures without taking the standard abnormally sized weapon penalties like a human.:)

The Monster Manual disagrees with you.
Brendal
12-16-07, 10:36 PM Has anyone configured through the savage species book how to level up as a centaur to eliminate level adjustment?"
Xiuhcoatl
12-16-07, 10:36 PM Actually, that's not true, centaurs are large(long) not large(tall) like ogres, so they cannot weild weapons made for large creatures without taking the standard abnormally sized weapon penalties like a human.:)

Nope, not true. Nowhere in their entry (or in their mentioning in Races of Faerun) does it say that they wield medium weapons.

Nor does any rule exist requiring Large (long) creatures to wield weapons one size category smaller.
AtsuiShoto
12-16-07, 11:30 PM The confusion may be coming from the idea that Large(long) creatures lack reach, instead of supposedly lacking the ability to freely wield Large weapons. It may be easy to confuse the two.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LordMikel 12-15-07, 12:23 PM	So I've always wanted to read the ecology of a centaur. In the book "Prince Caspian" it makes mentions that centaurs had to eat a lot because they had two stomachs. So now fast forward and we are introduced to Klingons in Star Trek, who have many organs duplicated to keep them alive longer. So I always wondered if that idealogy could be applied to centaurs and other creatures like that. Potentially, how tough could they really be?
Crimson_Concerto 12-15-07, 12:54 PM	Hmm... Well, they do have a +4 CON mod? :D Actually, when you think about it, centaurs DO have a lot of duplicate organs, yes, but only if you assume that their human part is build exactly like a human and that their horse half is build exactly like a horse (which may in fact be illogical from an evolutionary standpoint, though not out of the question considering D&D is a world where creatures are often created through magical means). In that case, they have two hearts, two sets of lungs, two livers, food goes through two digestive systems, and so on. I personally feel like it makes little sense for them to have so many extra organs, though, and if I had to guess, I'd probably say that they have only the usual arrangement of organs, just spread out and distributed differently throughout the body...
Xiuhcoatl 12-15-07, 02:51 PM	I personally feel like it makes little sense for them to have so many extra organs, though, and if I had to guess, I'd probably say that they have only the usual arrangement of organs, just spread out and distributed differently throughout the body... I'd say the reason isn't redundancy, but simply required: the human-half has its own organs and is, outside of digestion, separate from the horse-half as far as all other organs go. Of course, they also share airways ... unless the horse-half also has its own breathing tube, perhaps on the underside or front of the horse portion.
snakeman830 12-15-07, 03:11 PM	Even from an evolutionary standpoint, some organs would have to be duplicated. The lungs would have to be so because a centaur would use a lot of air, far more than a single pair of lungs would be able to provide. Two hearts is another necessity to pump the blood through the expanded body. Organs such as livers would probably not be duplicated, though.
Space_Dragon 12-16-07, 02:14 AM	Lungs, heart, and viscera are in the horse body. Brain and sensory organs are in the head. The upper torso between the horse body and the head, however, is pure muscle. Although a centaur's upper body appears identical to a human torso from the outside, it actually lacks any internal organs, or even a rib cage (since there are no lungs or heart there to protect). All it contains is a spinal column, an esophogus and trachea, and shoulders. The rest is nothing but layer after layer of rock-hard musculature, that uses cartilage strands to help support itself. Because of this, centaur upper halves are inhumanly strong in the arm, and are very flexible, making them good bowmen. There's one possible interpretation off the top of my head. Good?
Xiuhcoatl 12-16-07, 08:18 AM	It explains why the Medium-sized torso of the centaur is capable of wielding Large-sized weapons.
Contrast 12-16-07, 03:10 PM	There is nothing to support that a centaur's torso is the same size as a human's. I for one, feel that a centaur's torso would be larger.
Crimson_Concerto 12-16-07, 04:28 PM	Lungs, heart, and viscera are in the horse body. Brain and sensory organs are in the head. The upper torso between the horse body and the head, however, is pure muscle. Although a centaur's upper body appears identical to a human torso from the outside, it actually lacks any internal organs, or even a rib cage (since there are no lungs or heart there to protect). All it contains is a spinal column, an esophogus and trachea, and shoulders. The rest is nothing but layer after layer of rock-hard musculature, that uses cartilage strands to help support itself. Because of this, centaur upper halves are inhumanly strong in the arm, and are very flexible, making them good bowmen. There's one possible interpretation off the top of my head. Good?Yeah, I actually like that, but for some reason, even if they don't have internal organs, I can't let go of the idea that they have a rib cage. Otherwise, it seems like there's nothing at all to give the torso its basic shape. Maybe there isn't a rib cage but something else very similar? Also... did you mean to say that they have no bones in their arms? Because I don't see that on your list, and that I would definitely disagree with. :P There is nothing to support that a centaur's torso is the same size as a human's. I for one, feel that a centaur's torso would be larger.Seconded.
Space_Dragon 12-16-07, 05:59 PM	Yeah, I actually like that, but for some reason, even if they don't have internal organs, I can't let go of the idea that they have a rib cage. Otherwise, it seems like there's nothing at all to give the torso its basic shape. Maybe there isn't a rib cage but something else very similar? Also... did you mean to say that they have no bones in their arms? Because I don't see that on your list, and that I would definitely disagree with. The arms have bones (hence the need for shoulderblades). I was thinking that the cartillage pseudoskeleton could give the appearance of an upper rib cage, even if there isn't one. I agree that a centaur's upper half is larger than a normal human torso.
LordMikel 12-16-07, 08:00 PM	Love the ideas Space Dragon. It does make for some interesting game play.
Space_Dragon 12-16-07, 09:14 PM	Love the ideas Space Dragon. It does make for some interesting game play. Thanks. I'm not sure what you mean by "gameplay," though; do you mean that it would make centaurs fun to describe?
DragonicHeritage 12-16-07, 09:36 PM	It explains why the Medium-sized torso of the centaur is capable of wielding Large-sized weapons. Actually, that's not true, centaurs are large(long) not large(tall) like ogres, so they cannot weild weapons made for large creatures without taking the standard abnormally sized weapon penalties like a human.:)
Space_Dragon 12-16-07, 09:57 PM	Actually, that's not true, centaurs are large(long) not large(tall) like ogres, so they cannot weild weapons made for large creatures without taking the standard abnormally sized weapon penalties like a human.:) The Monster Manual disagrees with you.
Brendal 12-16-07, 10:36 PM	Has anyone configured through the savage species book how to level up as a centaur to eliminate level adjustment?"
Xiuhcoatl 12-16-07, 10:36 PM	Actually, that's not true, centaurs are large(long) not large(tall) like ogres, so they cannot weild weapons made for large creatures without taking the standard abnormally sized weapon penalties like a human.:) Nope, not true. Nowhere in their entry (or in their mentioning in Races of Faerun) does it say that they wield medium weapons. Nor does any rule exist requiring Large (long) creatures to wield weapons one size category smaller.
AtsuiShoto 12-16-07, 11:30 PM	The confusion may be coming from the idea that Large(long) creatures lack reach, instead of supposedly lacking the ability to freely wield Large weapons. It may be easy to confuse the two.