Perseus

Medium humanoid (human), lawful good rogue (thief) 7/fighter (champion) 5

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
11 (+0) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 14 (+2)

Armor Class 17 (leather, +1 shield)
Hit Points 83 (7d8+5d10+24)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +6
Skills Athletics +8, Perception +4, Persuasion +10, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +11; vehicle (water) +11
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Greek, Thieves’ Cant
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Special Traits

  • Action Surge (1/short Rest). Once on his turn, Perseus can take an additional action on top of his regular action and a possible bonus action.
  • Cunning Action (1/turn). Perseus can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, Hide, Use Object action, Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, or to use thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock.
  • Evasion. When Perseus is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.
  • Improved Critical. Perseus’ weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
  • Magic Items. Perseus carries a reflective +1 shield, the Chrysaor (a golden vorpal shortsword), Hermes’ talaria (winged boots), and the helm of darkness from Hades (treat as a ring of invisibility).
  • Medusa Head. Perseus carries the severed head of Medusa in a knapsack and can use his Cunning Action to wield the monster’s Petrifying Gaze. When a creature that can see the medusa’s eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of the medusa’s head, it makes a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is instantly petrified. Otherwise, a creature that fails the save begins to turn to stone and is restrained. The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or ending the effect on a success. The petrification lasts until the creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
  • Second-Story Work. Climbing does not cost Perseus extra movement. When he makes a running jump, the distance he covers increases by 3 feet.
  • Second Wind (1/short Rest). On his turn, Perseus can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+5 hit points.
  • Sneak Attack (1/turn). Perseus deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Perseus that isn’t incapacitated and Perseus doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
  • Fortune Points (3/long Rest). Perseus can spend one fortune point to reroll an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, or to force an attacker to reroll an attack made against him.

Actions

  • Multiattack. Perseus attacks twice when he takes the Attack action.
  • Chrysaor (vorpal shortsword). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d6+8) magical slashing damage that ignores resistances. When the creature has at least one head and Perseus rolls a 20 on the attack roll, he cuts off one of the creature’s heads. The creature dies if it can’t survive without the lost head. A creature is immune to this effect if it is immune to slashing damage, doesn’t have or need a head, has legendary actions, or the GM decides that the creature is too big for its head to be cut off with this weapon. Such a creature instead takes an extra 27 (6d8) slashing damage from the hit.

Reactions

  • Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker Perseus can see hits him with an attack, Perseus can use his reaction to halve the attack’s damage against him.

About

Perseus is able to acquire passage on a sailing ship for him and his allies free of charge. He has no control over the ship’s route, departure, or return, and although no coin is required he and his companions do have to help crew the vessel.

Dictys’ brother, Polydectes, was king of the island, and fell in love with Danaë but Perseus would have none of it; so Polydectes tricked him, requesting that all the guests of his banquet bring him horses.

Perseus had no horses and asked Polydectes to name another gift, and in reply Polydectes chose the head of Medusa the gorgon.

Athena, the goddess of wisdom, told Perseus to find the Nymphs of the West and acquire the weapons to kill Medusa. To do that, he first had to seek out the Graeae, the three sisters of the gorgon—these old women shared one eye between them. To force them to share this information Perseus stole their eye, holding it hostage until they told him where to find the nymphs.

When he found them, the nymphs gave Perseus a knapsack to hold Medusa’s head, an adamantine sword from Zeus, the helm of invisibility from Hades, a polished shield from Athena, and Herme’s winged sandals. In Medusa’s cave, using the reflection of the shield, he safely snuck up on and decapitated the gorgon in her sleep. The winged horse Pegasus sprang from out of her headless body along with the golden sword Chrysaor. Two other gorgons chased after him but he escaped by using the helm from Hades, seeking refuge from King Atlas. Atlas refuses, and so Perseus turns him to stone.

That’s far from the end of Perseus’ adventures. He slew the sea-serpent Cetus, took a wife by turning her betrothed to stone, and returned home to find his mother being violently pursued by Polydectes—so guess who got turned to stone?

Afterward he returned his magical goodies, possibly tamed Pegasus, founded Mycenae, killed his grandfather King Acrisius, and was killed by Megapenthes in revenge—but this is already overly long.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Mythological Figures & Maleficent Monsters Copyright 2020 EN Publishing. Authors Mike Myler, Russ Morrissey. www.enpublishingrpg.com

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