>gameplayFor Centaurs, you should be able to use them as mounts when not in combat if they're lightly armed & armored. I think you could ride into battle with them and fight on their back without overburdening them, depending on your loadout. Squeezing into dungeons and caves might be a bit of a bitch, and your centaur companion may find themselves too cumbersome to accompany you in certain locations. If people in wheelchairs can make do, I'm sure a transmog potion or a shrinking potion might solve the problem.>fantasy settingsThey're more at home here for sure, like having a horse. Some taverns may give you a hard "no" for your centaur companion, but I'm sure regions that are steeped in centaur culture or adjacent ones have accommodations for their unique anatomy. If nothing else, they could help carry your camp supplies and other provisions. >loadouts for fantasyIf you're not riding them, I think they can be pretty well armed and armored- think tower shield and a mace/flail. They also make good spearmen, so I think they'd be comfortable wielding a halbard and similar pike-style weapons. This would be with them wearing plate mail cuirass for the human portion and chainmail curtain over their horse hind quarters, or perhaps some specially fitted Gambeson. Other plate sections could be fitted to their horse body as needed. Archery and crossbows seem like they'd work for ranged options. I've not considered them using magic, but having a fairly mobile spellcaster seems cool as well.
>>97276298>modern settings Post-industrial settings can be somewhat challenging. You start to see very compact spaces like sidewalks, offices, and very "human-centric" spaces. In battlefields, trenches, and "no man's land" tend to crop up, so charging into battle is a less appealing option. How would you deploy a tactical centaur? What would be their loadout?>modern loadoutGiven their profile, there are a lot of spots to hit with a bullet. I'd go with a lightweight Kevlar with plates on the human section, and a helmet too. Maybe a frontal lower plate for the region below the human/horse junction. The legs don't need as much protection, and mobility is key, I think, so they're better off with less weight overall when it comes to armor. On the battlefield, I think they may be best served as logistical support and scout vanguard-style troops. I would avoid putting them in direct combat since they're such a big target.
>>97276298https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVp3pGLRWkINow that we got the mandatory portion out of the way...>you should be able to use them as mountsI'd give some restrictions for actions. For example, in combat it's not exactly the same as fighting on horseback. You're effectively two dudes sitting back to back, both swinging your weapons around. So there's far more getting in each others' way than if you're just on a horse. With enough training and cooperation, these problems can be mitigated.>fantasy settingsStables exist and could be made to accommodate centaurian creatures as much as any mounts.>armorI seem to recall that historically horse legs were unarmoured because horses did not like stuff strapped to them. Since we can't interview a horse on what the problem is, but maybe centaurs could experience similar problems? I guess would could make, say, reinforced skirts that hung down to protect their legs?>Archery and crossbows seem like they'd work for ranged options.Considering historically how many armies had ranged cavalry, it's probably a good bet. Use their speed to your advantage and run around the enemy firing bolts, arrows and maybe even slinging stones and javelins? Getting into combat could be the last resort to crush an already defeated opponents.
>>97276299Imaginve having to dig an extra wide and deep trench just to fit a centuars big ass booty in
>>97276298Centaurs aren't as good as mounted menMen have more flexibility, their legs and upper bodies can lean and bend and change. Having the "Rider" be attatched to the horse by a spine actually does signifigantly worse their fighting abilityAlso, horses are aerodynamic, putting a person there makes them slowerAlso also, horse pussy is inferior. I like HUMAN WOMENAlso also also, the reason the mogols were so dangerous was their logistical advantages, in that they drank horse blood and milk. There were an average of 5 horses per man, meaning the army truly did not rely on the land in the way their enemies didI personally don't like centaurs in fantasy, because they feel unnatural. They show signs of deliberate genetic meddling and it bothers me to see things without an explanation like that
>>97276344>You're effectively two dudes sitting back to back, both swinging your weapons around.Vanilla, for sure. I could see there being a separate skill/feat for whatever game you're in to complement partner combat. >brothers in arms-Melee attacks made within 5 feet of a comrade have +3~7 to hit (scales with level) >mounted specialists-Attacks while mounted ignore armor If you wanted a specifically mounted centaur-style feat speciality intended for a centaur PC+ human PC combo.>True Jockey - While mounted on a teammate, whichever player's initiative roll is highest counts for both players, and they share the same turn for actions. Furthermore, both players have (some other affinity bonus to encourage mounted play).In theory, you could swap out all these feats for other kinds of players as well, assuming the mounted PC person was strong enough to carry the "jockey"PC. >Stables exist and could be made to accommodate centaurian creatures as much as any mounts.I guess, I would think in regions where centaurs are a regular sight, there'd be room inside inns to accomdate them so they don't feel "left out" (can't leave your centaur waifu outside all night, even if they're oaky with it). In regions where they're less common, they'd have to settle for an outdoor stable for sure.>I guess would could make, say, reinforced skirts that hung down to protect their legs?You can give them a chainmail or gambeson skirt for sure, but your weight becomes an issue if you pile too much shit on. Probably better off focusing on upper body protection with higher mobility rather than armoring the legs. >Getting into combat could be the last resort to crush an already defeated opponent.You mean if they're ranged focused? I think they could do well in melee with the right weapons.>>97276367Centaurs aren't suited for modern combat, I don't think. Too big a target. Trying to squeeze them into a trench or having them fight trench warfare sounds like a recipe for awfulness.
>>97276494>Centaurs aren't as good as mounted men>Men have more flexibility, their legs and upper bodies can lean and bend and change. Having the "Rider" be attatched to the horse by a spine actually does signifigantly worse their fighting abilityRule of cool. Having a centaur raging on the battlefield sounds like fun to me. >Also, horses are aerodynamic, putting a person there makes them slowerThey'd still outpace a human. At least in fantasy contexts. Once steam/combustion engines show up, that speed advantage dries up in certain situations. >I personally don't like centaurs in fantasy, because they feel unnatural. They show signs of deliberate genetic meddling and it bothers me to see things without an explanation like thatFair point. I've yet to get a good explanation for how they might have come about in any fantasy context other than, "Some god wanted a laugh, so he blended a horse and a dude together."In a si-fi/non-fantastical context, it's even worse. Outside of weird cyborgs/advanced genetic engineering, there's not really a place for them. On the other hand, I like centaurs and HORSE PUSSY, so suck it.
>>97276510>You can give them a chainmail or gambeson skirt for sureEven just a thick cloth skirt can provide some protection. Or do one of those ring armour type things, where it's cloth or leather with very large metal rings sown into it. Good for giving the armour some slash resistance, which is probably the more common form of attack against a centaur's legs anyway.>You mean if they're ranged focused? I think they could do well in melee with the right weapons.If you have a highly mobile body, best to use it. Especially when you can get that body to do exactly what you want, rather than holding on and hoping it'll go exactly where you want it to go. Of course you don't have to be exclusively ranged, it all depends on the terrain as well.
>>97276298>2026 Year of the horse(girl).Not until mid-FebruaryAlso, this is Fire Horse year, so only redheads allowedt. Metal Horse
>>97276299I've sometimes dabbled with the idea of a racial dissatisfaction with magitech centaurs, similar to those types in old movies who were desperate to "do their bit" or, more bluntly, "get out in the shit". The nation's founding mythology and regimental histories are festooned with mentions of your forebears quite literally riding over the hill to save the kingdom, and now you're reduced to garrison and security patrols at best because these days you're just a big silhouette.
