Gorgon

Gorgons are a monstrous race feared for the snakes that crown their heads as well as their ability to temporarily turn others into stone with their gaze. They mistrust other races and prefer solitude.

Gorgon traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Gorgons mature like humans but live about twice as long.

Alignment. Gorgons are arrogant and often cruel. Most are willing to take what they want without considering the harm done to others, including their friends and kin. Gorgons are typically neutral evil or chaotic evil. Those who are nobler might be neutral or chaotic neutral.

Rarity. Rare.

Size. Gorgon size is comparable to that of humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness within the same range as if it were dim light. Absent even dim light, this vision is monochromatic.

Petrifying Gaze. Using your action, you can look at a creature and attempt to turn them to stone. One non-construct, non-elemental creature you can see within 60 feet must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature that fails this saving throw is restrained. You can continue to stare, using your action on each of your turns, forcing the creature to repeat the saving throw. A creature that is not surprised can attempt to avert it’s eyes from you at the start of it’s turn, gaining advantage on the saving throw against this ability until the start of it’s next turn. If the creature does so, it can’t see you until it stops averting it’s gaze. If the creature succeeds on the saving throw, the effect on it ends. However, if you keep a creature restrained in this way for at least one minute, it becomes petrified instead of restrained. The creature remains petrified for 8 hours. You can extend this by using this ability on the creature again before the 8 hours lapses. A petrified creature that fails this saving throw is petrified for another 8 hours. Once you use this ability you can’t use it again until after you finish a short (or long) rest.

Snake Hair. Biting vipers make up your “hair.” Your unarmed strike with these snakes deals 1d4 piercing damage. If you score a critical hit with this attack, you deal an additional 1d4 poison damage and the target must succeed at a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus) or become poisoned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of it’s turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Your snake hair has the light and finesse weapon properties and you have proficiency with it.

Snake Senses. The snakes making up your hair provide extra sensory input. You have proficiency in the Perception skill, and you can add your proficiency bonus to any saving throw against an effect that nullifies any of your senses. If you have proficiency in such a saving throw, your proficiency bonus with it is doubled for these purposes.

Languages. You speak, read, and write Common and Monstrous.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tales of Arcana Race Guide © 2021 Arcanomicon, LLC Author(s) Matt Knicl, Chris S. Sims

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