Rethinking Medusa 4 – Classical Medusa

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Using the same stat block as “Junkie Medusa,” here’s a more classically-minded monster.

Yesterday’s Medusa is one I’d use in Flame Princess campaign, this one, I’d use in something like the Majestic Wilderlands. Her form is less disturbing, her origin is tied to the gods of a campaign and her motives are understandable. In either case, she’s a potentially campaign-changing encounter. Just as before, she’s an encounter that’s best not attacked, at least not directly. Some monsters are not meant to be beaten.

I’m reposting the stat block again below the description. Here’s Uma.

Uma Thurman as Medusa in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Medusa, Classical

Medusa lives atop a high mountain peak in the ruins of a temple.  She is a handsome woman with five hundred snakes of various sizes writhing about her head and body. Any creature that looks at her face directly will turn to stone. Any creature looking at her through a mirror or other reflection must save or be charmed. Her snakes are poisonous and the longest have a reach of about sixteen feet. She cannot be surprised and she never sleeps. Her snakes give her an effective 20 strength when grabbing, pushing, lifting or pulling objects.

With her thousand unclosing snake eyes, she can see across the world and into both the past and the future. Once she has discovered a target, she can watch that target any time at will. She can track and observe 500 simultaneous targets (people or objects) as if observing through a crystal ball. Although she cannot hear her targets, she can read lips and knows many languages. She can remotely cast curses, manipulate small to medium objects and whisper into the minds of her targets.

She is obsessed with destroying gods, and has been since she was cursed with this form. Using her ability to see and manipulate objects and people across the world, she has toppled kingdoms, split churches and wiped out civilizations in order to deprive gods of the worshippers they want and need.

The communities on the surrounding mountain make her offerings of food in exchange for her protection. Some of the locals have even taken to worshipping her. She may be consulted as an oracle of profound accuracy, but will always attempt to frame her answers (and indeed any other “incidental” words or behaviors that might be observed) to meet her own ends.

The only creature able to avoid her scrutiny is her enemy and brother, theLernaean Hydra.

Medusa

No. Encountered: Unique

Alignment: Neutral

Movement: Unencumbered Human

AC: As chain plus shield

HD: 12  (60 HP)

Attacks:

Gaze (Range 30 feet)

Her number of snake bite attacks is range dependent

Melee, up to 500 bites

4 feet, up to 100 bites

8 feet, up to 30 bites

12 feet, 5 bites

16 Feet, 2 bites

Damage:

Gaze: Within 30 feet, save at -4 or turn to stone

Reflected Gaze: Save at -2 or be charmed.

Bite: 1d6 + poison (save or die)

Each successful strike from the snakes on her head have a cumulative 10 percent chance of grabbing and immobilizing the target.

Morale 12

Spells: Clairvoyance, telekinesis, curse spells as level 20 mage, worldwide range

If she is slain and her head is not removed, she will regenerate in one year. If her head is removed, 1d10 giant scorpions will grow from her blood in one round.

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