The Bazaar #106: Bestiary Field Notes (The Minotaur)

GENERAL 

There are a plethora of beasts and species within the Palladium Books RPGs based on ancient mythologies. This isn’t anything new, most RPGs out there tap into this dearth of inspiration for stories to inspire adventures or campaigns, if not complete settings for the game themselves. How those beasts are interpreted is often derived from what society has develop as the common gestalt or “accepted baseline” for a beast or myth. Like most myths and interpretations, those things get lost in translation, or twisted and turned to resemble something completely different from the actual, original myth. For those wondering, the Minotaur is certainly no exception to this. 

Honestly, I think I ended up knowing around 10% of the original myth. Realistically, that’s fine, but I’m a strong advocate that knowing the origin provides a GM a great amount more to use when leveraging the monster or being in question, and the source material is typically a goldmine of information for Adventure Design. To boot, there are a surprising number of very flashy cultural references in this myth to genre movies and adaptation. I think you’ll recognize a few! 

OVERVIEW OF THE MYTH 

Based on a Greek myth, the story of the Minotaur has undergone extensive revisions and changes over the centuries. But when you go back to the origin story, we need to veil our own personal belief structure with the world view of the ancient Greeks and how life was lived back in the day. For the Greeks, the Pantheon included dozens of gods, and one of the most powerful was Poseidon. When King Minos of Crete sought Poseidon’s approval and blessing to prove his worthiness as ruler of Crete, Poseidon delivered Minos a magnificent white bull. This bull came with a catch; Minos had to sacrifice it to Poseidon. Minos, seeing the perfection of the beast, decided to keep it, sacrificing a lesser bull. 

Poseidon was not appreciative of Minos’ defiance. Well, most of the gods weren’t, regardless the defiance derived from a king; they were mere humans regardless. In response, Poseidon made Queen Pasiphae, Minos’ wife, fall desperately in love with and physically attracted to the bull. Glossing over the details, she consummated with the white bull, and Asterius (the Minotaur) was born.  

Pasiphae nursed and raised Asterius, but he became increasingly ferocious; neither man nor beast. Ordinary food no longer sustained him, and he began an eccentric need to feast on human flesh. Depictions of Asterius were typically that of a heavy, muscular, physical male form up to the neck. Thereafter accounts vary. Some account a bulls head complete with horns, while Pseudo-Apollodorus accounted him more of a “bull’s face,” which could simply mean more equine features/not conventional beauty. Whether through his own guilt or emotions, or the influence of Pasiphae, Minos could not bring himself to kill Asterius. Instead, he ordered his architect Daedalus to build the Labyrinth, a maze so complicated that even Daedalus had difficulty getting out.  

Supposedly built below the king’s palace in Knossos, Crete, the Labyrinth’s hallways and corridors folded back on themselves, sounds carried oddly, almost as if through the stone itself. Thus, Asterius was locked away, forgotten except for the 7-year anniversary of Minos’ victory over Aegeus, King of Athens, who played a role in the death of Minos’ son (the story of how and why varies). Minos demanded tributes from Athens, 7 Athenian youths and maidens to be sacrificed into the Labyrinth, hunted and devoured by the Minotaur. King Aegeus paid twice. 

Fear and subjugation continued until the third round. Theseus, son of Aegeus, told his father he would volunteer, insisted he would return. If the sails of his ship returned black, he had succumbed to the Minotaur, white he was victorious. On arrival to Knossos, Ariadne, daughter of Minos, fell in love with Theseus and begged Daedalus for the secret to the Labyrinth. He, rather cheekily, handed her a ball of string. Ariadne gave one end of the string to Theseus. I’d suggest the sword she gave him had more to do with his success, as tributes normally went in weaponless. Recall the Minotaur was as much a captive of the Labyrinth as the tributes. Only his great strength and the ever-shifting maze confusing the tributes made him so threatening. Theseus’ act was as much an act of mercy by Poseidon as anything else. 

Theseus took Ariadne back to Athens with him. On the way back, a storm blew him off course. This Poseidon really does have it our for characters in this story. As he approached Athens, Theseus forgot to change his sails. Seeing the ship with the wrong-colored sails, in a fit of mourning, King Aegeus cast himself off the cliffs and into the sea. For this reason, the sea is named after the King, and how we get the name for the Aegean Sea. 

Use of the Myth in TTRPGs. The use of the Minotaur has been extensive in the genre, only made more popular as more Intellectual Properties develop their own spin on the myth. It would be no surprise to ask a thousand people the classic origin story of the Minotaur and maybe get a single answer that went deeper than something about a “beast in a maze.” And while those two elements are certainly true, they cloak the origin.  We've seen the Minotaur used in plethora of instances, across various genre mediums that dovetail directly into or run directly adjacent to the TTRPG industry. Movies and television series, books and comics galore, Collectible Card Games (Magic: The Gathering has 114 Minotaur cards), video games and console games, fantasy and genre-related art such as the Vallejo image above (more on Masterpieces of Fantasy Art). This is a very common trope, one not terribly surprising to many, but largely misunderstood in terms of the background, the morals of the story, or the depth the myth provides a GM to play with for adventure ideas. So while we can lock in on the two key elements (muscular humanoid with a bull's head, and a labyrinth), let's see what else could be drawn from the story.

Key Elements from the Myth 

• Pride. The lessons imparted by the myth are meant to demonstrate the consequences of human pride, particularly in the context of broken divine promises. This would have been of particular importance in that era, as the Greek Pantheon was particularly vast, and most Greek’s worshipped to several gods as the situation demanded it (e.g. Ares before battle, Apollo to support healing), or as the occasion prescribed (e.g. Hera to bless a marriage, to Hestia or Dionysus before a festival). In this story, it falls to the King of Crete’s  refusal to honor the will of Poseidon.

• Civilization vs Chaos. It also speaks to the clash of human civilization and the protection/benefits it provides versus the raw savagery of the wilderness, where animals ran wild and preyed on the weaker and vulnerable, and the elements themselves could kill you. Asterius is a "wild" individual and breaks all mores and social norms, a result of Minos not following instructions. Be nice, do what you're told or you'll end up like Asterius it seems.

• One-Dimensional Beast. The Minotaur of the myth is largely a beast of massive strength and rage. Not much cunning, guile, or allies are present. This once again speaks to the Civilization vs Chaos, as the atavistic rage her experienced was more an expression of Chaos, of the wilderness - the polar opposite of Civlization and good graces or manners. Each your vegetables and behave young child, or you'll end like Asterius. In the end, Asterius is as much a captive to the Labyrinth as the tributes. Had it been a solvable puzzle, it was likely tributes could have escaped, and even Asterius would have eventually found his way out. Theseus came in with a plan (and a sword); he basically flipped the table as the room shifted sideways, and even the Minotaur was helpless. This is a common story-telling device.

• Single Individual. Asterius was the only son of Pasiphae to be depicted with these physical descriptions and temperaments. Alone in the Labyrinth, with only a single series of visitors every seven years, one could imagine that, even if Asterius weren't mad or insane beforehand, he would have been drive to it. Most Greek myths involved single individuals as a representative of a whole, or an ideal/personification of an issue. Again, another common story-telling device.

Minotaurs in Palladium Books. While Palladium Books certainly has not strayed from use of the Minotaur, they certainly have not strayed from the normative depictions of the Minotaur either. From the classic monstrous adversary, to the deeper non-hostile playable Racial Character Class, you'll find a varied selection. And while they might have eschewed the original mythology, there are plenty of rich and fruitful elements for a GM to utilize:

• PFRPG. The Minotaurs are established in clans of monstrous humanoids, former servants of the evil Old Ones during the Time of Chaos. Once, they were one of the most numerous and powerful races in the world of Palladium; they now face fearful response and harsh scrutiny. Largely present in the Baalgor Wastelands and Land of the Damned, they are presented in the following two references: 

• Palladium Fantasy: Monsters and Animals (featured on the first page/half-title page). Palladium provides the Minotaur with PS and PE of a whopping 5D6, and a PE of a very respectable 4D6. This is countered by a slightly lowered IQ of 2D6+1 and MA of 2D6, but oddly still a PB of 3D6. This one-page entry gives the bare-bones, enough to run with as a quick NPC or monster. At a stretch, could be used as a PC. 

• The Old Ones (featured on the cover). The Minotaur get a much better entry for Player and GM alike. Still somewhat in-line with the myth in terms of Attributes, we take a turn and do a complete departure thereafter. A complete breed of warrior, once servants to the ancient evil of the Old Ones, they are thusly not trusted by the currently dominant races of Humans and Wolven. Mostly warriors, some have branched out into magic classes, witchery, necromancy, or full-on priest for the Old Ones anew. 

• Rifts. Brought in through the original Conversion Book, the details of the Minotaur are typically based on the PFRPG stats and then reflected into something that would be found coming through one of the nexus and onto Rifts Earth. These are largely the same as reflected in Monsters and Animals now, including notes for conversion if the being were to visit Rifts Earth. 

• Rifts Phase World. The Space Minotaurs are presented in Dimension Book 5: Anvil Galaxy. Here we have hulking red to bronze-skinned humanoids with heads and horns of a bull. They are part of the grouping of ‘fantasy races presented in a space setting’ that is the United Worlds of Warlocks. 

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Key Attributes of the Minotaur 

• Immense Psychical Strength. Whenever using the Minotaur in your encounters, make sure to use the greater PS Attribute. This really comes out in terms of Close Combat with added bonus to Damage, or the ability to wrestle the Player Character to the ground. While not specified, it is assumed to only be natural PS in SDC worlds. In Rifts or MDC worlds, I believe it would be appropriate to give them upgrades to Augmented. 

• Insatiable Hunger. The implication is this would be for Human flesh, which plays well if the Minotaur is meant as a monster encounter. As a PC, this faces some friction. Most PB RPGs explicitly have them as vegetarians, likely leveraging their bovid nature over the myth’s interpretation. Still, this could be part of the plot, as the PC or the NPC/enemy has a craving for something or must eat a certain amount before losing capabilities and/or PS. 

• Confined to a Maze/No Chance of Escape. This is a great trope that any GM can really get a lot of mileage out of. Rescue of the tribute, killing of the destructive beast in the Labyrinth, perhaps even rescue of the beast from the Labyrinth? Any maze can make for a great series of adventures and keep the Players firmly immersed in outcome of the adventure as they try to escape with their hides, let alone the gear they might have brought in and not to speak of anything they found along the way. 

• Physical Features. The features of the Minotaur are based on a being that obtained strong emotions. The Athenians were placed in a position of subjugation, fearing some unknown beast in the basements of Knossos. They only knew 14 of their youths and maidens had been “eaten” by whatever was contained therein. This fear of the unknown can be really hyped up by the GM, building upon bits and pieces, hints or clues of the final boss they have to face. Bu the time the party faces off the BBEG, they might have built this encounter up to something truly monolithic. And there is nothing better for a GM than a satisfying conclusion to that kind of an encounter. 

Leveraging the Myth

The Minotaur. In terms of a Big Bad End Guy (BBEG) for the PCs to overcome, there are likely few Minotaurs in the Palladium RPGs that could overcome the party alone. This really doesn’t contrast with the myth, as Theseus was able to overcome the lone Minotaur alone with a ball of string and a plan (oh yeah, the sword too). That said, the idea of the monster stoked fear in the Athenians for a generation, and solidified King Minos as their superior in terms of kingdoms. The parties of hunters and mercenaries closing in on the supposed lair of the beast must be deterred from gaining entry, otherwise the balance of international relations risk being completely upset! 

The Maze. The idea of the Labyrinth and the dangers that it can deliver has long been a source of inspiration. Cinematic interpretations include movies like The Maze Runner series, Ready Player One, Alice in Wonderland, Alien, and a host of others that could qualify. Anything that involves a series of challenges within a confined space against a singular threat could be considered. This also makes for a great trope for use in Adventure Design, and a relatively easy enough one to exploit. Select a suitable “maze” to the setting, identify a suitable series of encounters/traps and a BBEG the PCs need to overcome to earn victory. In some cases, the Maze itself becomes the character the Players find more rewarding to overcome than the BBEG, which frankly should be taken as a win condition for a job well done. 

The Tributes. The idea of a nation required to present a series of youths as a tribute to appease the ruling kingdom (can you say Hunger Games?) is a strong plot line. The obvious examples are the Hunger Games series, and to some extent the Divergent series. This can be established on either side of the coin. The PCs could be sent to rescue the Tributes from a kingdom that has been subjugated unfairly for a previous transgression, similar to the case of the Athenians with King Minos.

Adventure Ideas. Based on the trio of points above:

• The Beast. The PCs have been hired to eradicate the Minotaur. What would the PCs do if they found out the kingdom has enslaved the beast by magical/psychic means, or has extorted it to serve them? Perhaps they were hired to protect the kingdom's secret that there is no beast!

• The Beast. The Minotaur has been blown out of proportions and the PCs come to find that the beast is defeated rather easily (rather like Theseus). Does this tip the PCs off to something amiss? Was there something missing from the myth? What have they missed in the encounter?

• The Beast. The Minotaur is nothing as described. It's actually a much nastier beast of much greater threat! How did a Mechanoid Exterminator, Baal-Rog, Zombies from Dead Reign, or Night Lord get imprisoned in here? If the PCs defeat the "Minotaur," what the heck was powerful enough to capture and enslave such a beast?

• The Maze. Design a maze, dungeon, city, space ship, anything that requires the PCs to use a map. Then keep changing the map. Hallways move, stairs suddenly lead to dead-ends, elevators suddenly have fewer or more floor options. This is a bit tricky, as Players can (and will) feel like they are being manipulated. Don't overplay the shifting hallways into dead ends, but keep giving them conflicting directions and new destinations when they arrive. Keep the options flowing and the theme of the adventure moving, despite the shifting locales they are visiting. If they try to backtrack to a resource they think they need, try and give them something similar from another, different location.

• The Maze. The Maze is actually the magical construct that creates the "idea of the Minotaur" by inducing hallucinations. A random NPC is also stuck in the maze, and rounds the corner; PCs make a Save vs Ritual Magic. Those that failed their saves "see a vile, hulking Minotaur." Those that passed see a scared dude just trying to survive. What do the PCs do if/when they realize they killed some innocent bystander?

• The Maze. The Maze actually induces mutations on those that stay within it long enough. Grab Conversion Book 1 (look under the Gigantes), or Nightbane Mutation Tables and roll a random mutation per PC that begins to take effect over a part of their body (e.g. insect mutation only affects their arms, or just the head). The mutations revert as soon as the PCs leave the maze. Maybe they leave with a random Insanity from the experience.

• Tributes. The PCs are sent to rescue the Tributes; no surprises there. Perhaps the "tributes" are a squad of super soldiers sent every specific lunar cycle to try and defeat an enemy king's forces, and the PCs are sent to defeat the "tributes" because the "minotaur" has died/was defeated/never existed?

• Tributes. The Tributes are part of a Ritual Pact with a supernatural being that protects both kingdoms from another threat; both must send sacrifices but one wants to back out and sends the PCs to save their Tributes. What if the PCs were sent as replacements?

• Tributes. Perhaps the PCs are employed by the aggrieved kingdom, the ones that have suffered a loss at the hands of another land. The PCs are sent to secure the Tributes (for a religious ceremony or as part of an “economic pact” that the PCs are not aware of until later). Perhaps they aren't even told the Tribute is a number of youths or people meant to be sacrificed. Perhaps it's just a sealed chamber or cargo hold. Maybe they are fed a lie, "these are violent prisoners" and they are now complicit in the transport of the Tributes. Do they rescue the Tributes and face off against the Minotaur and the Labyrinth? Carry out the mission? What are the consequences in each choice?

CONCLUSION 

So there we have it, the myth and story of the Minotaur, and how it has been selectively applied throughout the Palladium Books RPGs. It was rather shocking to see some of the mainstream genre references pop up clear as day within the myth, almost as if the Greeks had been consulted directly for the modern interpretation. It doesn’t add or take away anything from the original or the modern version, both have their merits for what they bring to the audience. 

In terms of the myth for the modern Game Master, there is a plethora of ideas within the original myth itself that we’ve covered. There are others that could be gleaned from there as well. Diving into the references to get a more “true account” of the myth might provide even greater opportunities, but that might not necessarily be worth the squeeze. There’s already a lot there for you to work with. The Palladium Books RPGs have largely taken the Minotaur and made them a race of very strong, martially inclined humanoids with a bull’s head and large horns. They are imposing opponents, as befits the myth. I’d have preferred a more set PS stat, something like 16 + 2D6 instead of 5D6, but we’re nitpicking. 

The Bestiary Field Notes series are meant to provide the Game Master with a bit of a deep dive into the monster or antagonist, mainly to provide ideas on how to possibly use them in their games. In regards to the Minotaur, the myth provides the GM a plethora of information to draw upon: from the original pact between the king and god that was broken and the retribution thereafter, to the birth of the half-human/half-animal as a result, to the Labyrinth and the tribute taxation the one king imposed on another. There was a surprising depth to this myth that could be used in terms of Adventure Design, and not just limited to a fantasy setting either. Any one of the Adventure Ideas I presented earlier could be adapted to a Futuristic setting, just change the Antagonists and Protagonists. This particular myth certainly has a lot to work with, and hopefully provides you with some ideas to work with. I just happened to figure out nine of them on the fly; by all means use them as you see fit. It's my hope this and further posts in this series provide you with the kind of kindling a GM really strives for when thinking up ideas for Adventure Design.

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