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Many creatures inDungeons & Dragonscome from classic fantasy media, and just like dwarves and elves, few things are as core to these fantasy settings as centaurs. With the upper half of a human and the bottom half of a horse, these equine defenders of the forests have fascinated players for years.
As such, you will likely be tempted to include them in your setting, but there are quite a few things to consider with them, particularly when it comes to your players. Here, we will cover the centaurs, the role they can play in your campaign and how they can work as a playable species.
Using Centaurs As NPCs In Your D&D Campaign
Centaurs are fey creatures, and they are easier to add to any setting when using that to your advantage. They tend to beprotectors of nature, and as neutral good characters, they willlive and let liveas long as the party (or some other force) doesn’t become a threat to their environment.
Centaur Lore & Society
Dungeon Masters will oftencreate their lorefor the creatures that inhabit their world, but one book that offers plenty of ideas about centaurs isMordenkainen’s Monsters of the Multiverse. Not only are different tribes of centaurs described there, but also examples of names and hairstyles.
The main takeaway is that centaurs oftensettle in forests, taking only what nature can give, andare led by their elders. These elders are often druids, guiding the young inthe protection of natureandorganizing hunts for monstrositiesthat might threaten the balance.
Classical centaurs have a lot in common with wood elves, letting you make a varied community by combining the two different creatures.
Centaurs can also be nomadic, traveling with the change of the seasons to greener pastures. This is ideal if you arekeeping a calendar for your campaign, or if you need a reason as to why the players canno longer find the helpful herdwhere they once were.
As fey creatures, centaurs arelikely to live in the Feywildor in forests that connect the Feywild with the Material Plane. They oftentrade goods for other goods, since they have little use for gold, although you can have them accept any currency depending on your setting.
Centaurs In Large Cities
You may like the idea of having centaurs in your setting, butnot as the classical defenders of the forests. Since Dungeons & Dragons already allows many different species to live and thrive with one another, centaurs don’t need to be any different, althoughtheir body structureis something to keep in mind.
While centaurs have room on their horse back to let players ride them, they rarely agree to it unless it is an emergency.
It makes little sense, after all, for centaurs to go tocramped bars where they can barely move, so they would needbuildings to accommodate their size. It is better to keep centaursoutside the cityor on the outskirts of it, where they can often be seen by players, but no questions will ariseabout the logistics of them there.
Centaur Encounters & Combat Strategies
The classic centaur from the 2014 Monster Manual is a CR two creature thatrelies on charge attacksto be a real threat. Using them to their maximum potential means adding ways for the centaur tobe able to charge every turn, something hard to achieve beyondwasting turnsor combining them with terrain-controlling creatures.
They have been upgraded in the 2025 Monster Manualinto the centaur trooper, a version of the centaur that can’t attack with its hooves but has a new deadly bonus action:the Trampling Charge. This action lets themmove up to their speedwithout provoking opportunity attacks andforces a Strength saving throwon each creature it charges through,dealing damage and knocking them proneon a failed save.
To balance this,the charge is a recharge action, meaning the centaur trooper can’t use it every single turn. This makes themeasier to use for inexperienced Dungeon Masters: just use Trampling Chargeeach time it is available, and more often than not the battle will balance itself.
The 2025 Monster Manual also addsa new CR seven centaur, the centaur warden, perfect forleading packs of centaur troopersagainst any who would defy nature. While they have different damage types,they function just like the troopers, with a mix of melee and ranged attacks as well asa rechargeable bonus action charge.
Unless players are too antagonistic,centaurs will rarely launch the first attack. A few warning arrow shots from the troopers should be enough to get their attention, with the wardenbeing explicitas to what the players did wrong, and what they might do to earn their trust.
Centaurs As A Playable Species
The mostup-to-date playable versionof centaurs can be found in Mordenkainen’s Monsters of the Multiverse, but all sources tend to agree onhow to make a centaur validas a playable creature. There is a focus onthe equine build, and how thatfacilitates as well as hindersyour exploration of the world.
These features make centaursa perfectly viable specieswithout them being too limiting or too overpowered. If the party ends up meeting the larger centaurs, the cleanest solution is tomake them medium as well, without needing to change much else from their stat block.
Centaur Players And Mounts
Even if the party meets a friendly gargantuan dragon that wants to take them somewhere, a centaur playerwill have trouble riding on its back; the dragon will need to grab them with its claws. This is a problem that persistsat all levels of play, so consider this if you’re thinking of allowing a player to be a centaur or if you’re thinking of playing one yourself.
In the lower tiers of play, the centaur playable species hasa decent 40 feet of movement, just like a draft horse. However, if the partygains access to riding or warhorses, their speed of 60 feet wouldleave the centaur lagging behind.
At higher tiers of play, the centaurwouldn’t be able to ride a celestial pegasusthat would carry the party to the final battle, for example. you may alwaysuse other narrative devices, like larger aircrafts or the like, but your storywill always be limiteddue to having a centaur in the party.
Best Classes For Centaurs
Ideally, you’ll be usingthe 2024 Player’s Handbookwhen creating your character, whichties your starting Ability Scores with your backgroundinstead of your species. As such,any class can work well as a centaur, from front-liners to backline spellcasters.
Whether you are using the 2024 or 2014 rules,being a barbarianwill remove a lot of problems when it comes to equipment. Their unarmored defense lets youbypass the headache of trying to find armorfor your whole body, while their focus on Strengthmakes your hooves shine.
Another ideal choiceis druid, not only for flavor but for its functionality. No matter your subclass, being at least a level two druidgives you access to Wild Shape, letting you turn into all sorts of animals that caneasily access places that you cannot.
