Kentaur

Small Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d8 + 2
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural)
Attacks: Quarterstaff +1 melee, 2 hooves +1 melee, composite longbow +4
Damage: Quarterstaff 1d6/1d6+1, Hoof 1d4 +1, composite longbow 1d6 +4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5ft./5ft.
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 13, Dex16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 13
Skills: Hide +4, Listen +2, Move Silently +4, Spot +4, Wilderness Lore +5, Knowledge (pixies and sprites) +5

Kentaurs are sylvan creatures that resemble pygmy centaurs and live deep in the recesses of the darken wood. They have been compared to kender in that fact that they are highly curious and playful. Among the elves they are simply known as wood spirits or myths.

Kentaurs look much like centaurs, the upper portion of their bodies, head, arms, and torso are humanoid, the lower portion are that of an equine nature, similar too but smaller than a pony. Both the humanoid and pony physiques are well defined. They have pointed ears and hair that grows down their back like a mane.

Kentaurs only speak Sylvan, but have been known to learn phrases from other languages such as common.

Combat
Kentaur are a curious and playful race, preferring to run than confront an opponent, they stay well hidden and very rarely confrontational. Most centaurs will carry bows and knives for hunting. For melee some are known to carry quarterstaffs.

When faced with a threat to their communities or way of life, centaurs rely heavily on ambush tactics and setting traps. If they feel as though they will be forced into imprisonment a kentaur will fight to the death to avoid it. Caged kentaur have only been known to live up to a week in captivity.

Kentaur Society
Kentaurs are sylvan creatures that are similar to satyrs in nature. They enjoy music, dancing, and celebration. Among they’re own kind, kentaur are friendly and amiable. When interacting with other races that are not sylvan in nature kender are friendly and curious but guarded and suspicious.

Kentaurs at the very least travel in pairs. They never travel by themselves if possible. Pairs are sent hunting for small game and to go foraging. Some centaur tribes consider kentaurs as a bit of a nuisance because they are known to “forage” in the centaur’s private gardens. Kentaurs also grow their own gardens, but they tend to let them get overgrown from time to time. They are very adept at horticulture and grow dangerous plants, poison ivy and thorn bushes around their habitats to keep unwanted intruders out.

A typical kentaur habitat is a large clearing with a source of fresh running water. Huts are built and sculpted from brush and overgrowth. Cooking areas are always kept far from trees in a well-ventilated place.

Along with the hunting and foraging kentaur also fish, farm their own vegetables, and in some areas kentaurs will trade with nearby Centaurs. Occasionally they provide services for Centaurs like traveling deep into the forest on the edge of magical glades of the fae folk, such as pixies and sprites, whom the Kentaur are on good terms with.

The regions in which the kentaur dwell in are rarely visited by other races, so other races are generally unaware of the presence of kentaur. Kentaur view all races with the same level of curiosity and open-mindedness. Elves are even slightly trusted by kentaur. Centaurs are welcomed, and all other races are tolerated until the kentaurs curiosity is satisfied then asked to leave.

Occasionally kentaur have been known to become so curious about the outside world that the curiosity overrides their need for safety within the tribe and they leave their wilderness homes to travel the world. Such kentaur are never seen by their tribe again.

Kentaur Characters
Kentaurs that leave their tribe can become rangers, bards or druids. Their favored class is druid. Druid Kentaurs usually take it upon themselves to find their own sacred grove and protect it. This may take many years or even a lifetime in some cases. Once they find this grove they settle there defending it and the area surrounding it. High level kentaur druids will take an apprentice and teach them the ways of the druid.

Hooks
1. A kentaur has been captured by a group of animal traders. It is kept in a cage and appears to be dying. Do the adventurers stand by and watch this injustice?

2. The adventures notice that a section of the woods they are traveling through is dying, and an old kentaur asks for their help in finding the source of the magic that is destroying his grove. He is willing to pay them with needed information or an item of power. What is causing the blight?

3. The adventurers run across a kentaur that is very excited and appears to be scared. He does not speak common, only elven and needs their help to stop a group of ogres that has trapped his entire community.