Medium elemental (gargoyle), chaotic evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 52 (7d8 + 21)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
Speed (suggested) 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (+2) | 11 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 6 (-2) | 11 (+0) | 7 (-2) |
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Terran
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
False Appearance. While the gargoyle remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an inanimate statue.
Swoop and Impale (suggested). If the gargoyle attacks from at least 30 feet of distance as a part of its fly movement it can impale the target with its horns. The attack has advantage and inflicts double damage. In addition, any Medium sized or smaller target must succeed a DC 12 Strength saving throw of be knocked prone.
Swoop and Grapple (suggested). If the gargoyle attacks from at least 30 feet of distance as a part of its fly movement it can attack (with advantage) and grapple the target (escape DC 12). The gargoyle then keep flying high as much as it can, and then releases the target (or the target escapes the grapple) thus suffering falling damage.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The gargoyle makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.
- Multiattack (suggested). The gargoyle makes four attacks, one with its bite, two with its claws and one with its horns.
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
- Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
- Claws (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.
- Horns (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.
GARGOYLE’s TACTICS (read the article)
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
Gargoyles are winged humanoid creatures with grotesque features. They resemble fiends, and have horns, sharp teeth, claws, a tail, and a pair of bat-like wings. They stand about as tall as a human, or slightly larger. Their skin has the texture of stone, and can be marbled, porous, smooth, or striated. They can vary in color from gray to brown to black .
Gargoyles are malevolent creatures of elemental earth that lurk among masonry and ruins. They delight in the terror they create when they break from their suspended pose . They have the ability to remain motionless and indistinguishable from an inanimate statue , which they use to ambush unsuspecting prey or to hide from enemies.
Gargoyles are not very intelligent, but they are cunning and vicious. They speak Terran, the language of earth elementals , but they rarely communicate with other creatures. They are chaotic evil in alignment, and have no regard for life or order .
These monsters are ferocious predators of a magical nature, typically found amid ruins or dwelling in underground caverns. They have their own guttural language.
COMBAT
Gargoyles are fierce and relentless fighters that attack with their bite and claws. They prefer to surprise their foes by swooping down from above or emerging from their stone-like state. They often target the weakest or most isolated enemy first, and try to drag them away to devour them later .
Gargoyles are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that are not made with adamantine weapons . They are also immune to poison damage and the poisoned, exhausted, and petrified conditions . They have darkvision up to 60 feet, which allows them to see in dim light and darkness .
Gargoyles are not very brave, and will flee if they are outnumbered or outmatched. However, they will not hesitate to return if they sense an opportunity to strike again. They are also very territorial, and will defend their lairs or hunting grounds fiercely against intruders.
Gargoyles attack anything they detect, regardless of whether it is good or evil. They love best to torture prey to death when it is helpless.
These winged creatures are excellent fighters with, while their naturally tough hide protects them from victim’s attacks.
Gargoyles favor two types of tactics: surprise and swooping.
Counting on their appearance as sculptures of some sort, gargoyles sit around the rooftop of a building, waiting for prey to approach. Alternatively, a gargoyle may pose in a fountain, or a pair of the horrid beasts sit on either side of a doorway. When the victim is close enough, the gargoyles suddenly strike out, attempting only to injure the victim rather than to kill it all at once.
When on the move, gargoyles sometimes use a “swoop” attack, dropping down suddenly from the sky to make their attacks in an aerial ambush. In this case, they can make either two claw attacks or one horn attack. To make all four of their attacks, they must land.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Gargoyles can be found in any place where there is stone or ruins, such as mountains, caves, dungeons, temples, castles, or cities. They often carve out niches for themselves among the rubble or the architecture, blending in with their surroundings. They sometimes adorn themselves with jewelry or other trinkets that they scavenge from their victims or their environment.
Gargoyles are solitary creatures that rarely associate with others of their kind. They only form temporary alliances for mating or hunting purposes, and will quickly turn on each other once their goals are achieved. They have no culture or civilization of their own, and only care about satisfying their hunger and cruelty.
Gargoyles sometimes serve more powerful beings, such as evil wizards, dragons, or fiends, as guardians or minions. They are loyal only as long as they are rewarded or feared by their masters, and will betray them if they see a chance to gain more power or freedom.
Gargoyles live in small groups with others of their kind, interested in little more than finding other creatures to hurt. Smaller animals are scarcely worth the trouble to these hideous monsters, who prefer to attack humans or other intelligent creatures.
Gargoyles often collect treasure from human victims. Individuals usually have a handful of gold pieces among them, with the bulk of their treasure hidden carefully at their lair, usually buried or under a large stone.
ECOLOGY
Gargoyles are carnivorous creatures that feed on any living thing they can catch and kill. They prefer fresh meat, but will also eat carrion or rotting flesh if they are hungry enough. They have no natural predators, except for adventurers or other monsters that seek to destroy them.
Gargoyles reproduce by laying eggs that resemble stones. The eggs hatch after a few months, releasing small gargoyles that quickly grow to adult size. Gargoyles do not care for their offspring, and will often abandon them or eat them if they are weak or annoying.
Gargoyles have a lifespan of several centuries, but they do not age visibly. They only die from violence or disease. Gargoyles have no souls, and do not pass on to any afterlife when they die. Their bodies turn into dust within a few hours of their death.
Originally, gargoyles were carved roof spouts, representing grotesque human and animal figures. They were designed in such a way that water flowing down gutters would be thrown away from the wall, so as to prevent stains and erosion.
Later, some unknown mage used a powerful enchantment to bring these horrid sculptures to life. The race of gargoyles has flourished, spreading throughout the world. Gargoyles do not need to eat or drink, so they can stand motionless for as long as they wish almost anywhere.
The damage they do to other creatures is not for sustenance, but only for their distorted sense of pleasure. Because they are fairly intelligent and evil, they will sometimes serve an evil master of some sort. In this case, the gargoyles usually act as guards or messengers; besides some gold or a few gems. their unsavory payment is the enjoyment they get from attacking unwanted visitors.
The horn of the gargoyle is the more common active ingredient for a potion of invulnerability and can also be used in a potion of flying.
Gargoyle is employed as component to empower the following spells: