Lanark
![minotaur with broken left horn, geometric dark brown tattoos, tiny yellow helmet, brown tunic, yellow belt & work gloves, holding a broken piece of wooden fence](https://wyrmworkspublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Lanark-Dana-Braga-150x150.png)
Large Monstrosity (Minotaur), Lawful Good
Cisgender, he/himArmor Class: 17
Hit Points: 170
Speed: 40 ft.
Strength Dexterity Constitution Intelligence Wisdom Charisma 20 (+5) 17 (+3) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) Skills: Acrobatics +8, Athletics +10, Intimidation +5, Perception +6, Survival +6
Senses: Passive Perception 16
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Minotaur
Challenge: 15Abilities
Rage. As a bonus action, he can enter a rage for up to 1 minute (10 rounds).
He gains advantage on Strength checks and saving throws (not attacks), +3 melee damage with Strength weapons, resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing damage. He can’t cast or concentrate on spells while raging.
His rage ends early if he is knocked unconscious or if his turn ends and he hasn’t attacked a hostile creature since his last turn or taken damage since then. He can also end his rage as a bonus action.
Brutal Critical. He can roll two additional weapon damage dice when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.
Danger Sense. He has advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that he can see while not blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.
Feral Instinct. He has advantage on initiative rolls. Also, if he is surprised at the beginning of combat but not incapacitated, he can act normally on his first turn if he enters a rage before doing anything else.
Frenzy. While raging, he can choose to frenzy. He can make a single melee weapon attack as a bonus action on each of his turns after this one. When his rage ends, he suffers one level of exhaustion.
Goring Rush. Immediately after he uses the Dash action on his turn and moves at least 20 feet, he can make one melee attack with his horns as a bonus action.
Hammering Horns. Immediately after he hits a creature with a melee attack as part of the Attack action on his turn, he can use a bonus action to attempt to shove that target with his horns. The target must be no more than one size larger than him and within 5 feet of him. Unless it succeeds on a Strength saving throw (DC 18), he pushes it up to 10 feet away from him.
Intimidating Presence. He can frighten a creature that he can see within 30 ft. If it can see and hear him, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13) or be frightened until the end of his next turn. He can use his action to extend the duration of this effect each turn unless it moves out of line of sight or more than 60 ft. away from him.
Labyrinthine Navigation. He can find the exit to any structure or maze by sensing air pressure changes and the echoing of his own hooves, which he can interpret to feel the direction of and most direct route to the nearest outlet.
Mindless Rage. He can’t be charmed or frightened while raging.
Persistent Rage. His rage ends early only if he falls unconscious or if he chooses to end it.
Reckless Attack. When he makes his first attack on his turn, he can decide to attack recklessly, giving him advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against him have advantage until his next turn.
Relentless Rage. If he drops to 0 hit points while he’s raging and doesn’t die, he can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If he succeeds, he drops to 1 hit point instead. The DC increases by 5 each time he uses this after the first, resetting to 10 after a short or long rest.
Retaliation. When he takes damage from a creature that is within 5 feet of him, he can use his reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
Actions
Extra Attack. He can attack twice, instead of once, whenever he takes the Attack action on his turn.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d12 + 5) slashing damage.
Horns. His horns are natural melee weapons, which he can use to make unarmed strikes. If he hits with them, he deals piercing damage equal to 1d6 + 5, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Traits
Diverse Face Shape [IE 3]. Lanark’s missing horn draws immediate attention. Due to its break, it isn’t within the typical range of shapes of his ancestry. Consequently, when people who don’t know them see Lanark, they usually only see his face with a missing horn. This gives him +3 to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) rolls but -3 to any rolls involving disguise or stealth rolls to blend into a crowd as well as a -3 penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances.
Phobia (Agoraphobia) [IE 1, Triggered]. Lanark’s Labyrinthine Navigation makes him more comfortable in enclosed spaces where he has a better sense of the environment. The more open the space, the more uncomfortable he becomes. When in an open environment, he must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw each minute: DC 8 in a dense city or forest, DC 9 in an open village, DC 10 in an open plain. On failure, he must move away from the stimulus or have a −1 penalty on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability checks due to distraction.
Background
Lanark was imprisoned in a labyrinth as an executioner for the enemies of a terminally unimaginative Duke. Stumbling around near-blind in the dark, twisting passages eventually resulted in a bad fall and the loss of his horn. He resolved to make the labyrinth safer, both for himself and others. He put up a lot of torches, fluorescent mold on stairwells, and most importantly, lots and lots of safety fencing.
He began employing the Duke’s victims in his quest to make his home safe and eventually amassed enough of an army to overpower the guards and escape. He was also able to capture the Duke as he continued to hone his strength and all his skills. The Duke has learned the error of his ways and has altered his life.
He still visits the labyrinth to check up on how the work’s going and to keep the Duke in line, but you’ll most often find him plumbing the deepest, most dangerous dungeons, disabling traps, and grumpily shouldering past bewildered monsters to place warning signs, most importantly the WARNING: BOTTOMLESS MAGIC PIT signs. He has also had many encounters with monsters that disguise themselves and does his best to warn any incoming adventurers. It has helped people’s perception of this large Minotaur become a protective guard over the people around him.
Personality
Lanark gets equally angry when adventurers or dungeon denizens are placed in harm’s way by sloppy construction. He would often share different safety facts about areas. One of his favorite examples would be: Did you know more kobolds are killed by falling stalactites every year than by adventuring parties and dragons combined? Many individuals are not sure if he is telling the truth, but due to his size and stature, they seem to believe him at first. At the end of the day, Lanark has a desire to keep everyone safe, but allows them to have fun and explore the world.
Plot Hooks
- Adventurers may find Lanark in the middle of a dangerous dungeon, disarming all of the traps.
- Adventurers may find Lanark in a trap at the center of a dungeon. A villain was frustrated with all the good Lanark was doing.
- Lanark may request the help of a group of adventurers because he does not know how to disable this strange magic trap he has found.