How common is petrification and immunity?

[Venger]

So, petrification is an immunity often called out specifically by different things (angels, incarnate avatar, saint, etc) but it's not really all that common of an ability. I think there are actually more things that grant immunity than things that petrify. here is everything I can think of (EDIT: or people have submitted) that petrifies:

1) flesh to stone (spell) (debatable whether ice/salt/etc counts as petrification)
2) medusa (monster)
3) basilisk mask's totem chakra bound effect (soulmeld)
4) basilisk (monster)
5) cockatrice (monster)
6) blackstone gigant (monster)
7) dust wight (monster)

here is everything I can remember (EDIT: or people have submitted) that gives immunity to petrification:

1) being an angel (monster)
2) binding lawful incarnate avatar to soul chakra (soulmeld)
3) saint (template)
4) binding haagenti (vestige)
5) being an elder evil (monster)
6) being an abomination (monster)
7) being a prismasaurus (monster)

I know there are more, but I cannot think of them. Can anyone help me out?

[thethird]

Binding Haagenti also makes you immune to petrification.

[Venger]

thanks for that

I'll update the OP as responses trickle in.

[TuggyNE]

here is everything I can remember that gives immunity to petrification:

1) being an angel
2) lawful incarnate avatar
3) saint template

I know there are more, but I cannot think of them. Can anyone help me out?

I think the Elder Evils are. I know all ELH Abominations are. So are prismasauruses.

[Hecuba]

Gorgons have a breath weapon that turns to stone.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/gorgon.htm

[Venger]

I think the Elder Evils are. I know all ELH Abominations are. So are prismasauruses.

elder evils are. why did I forget? I've been following tippy's trials and tribulations.

okay. I haven't played epic, so didn't know that.


Gorgons have a breath weapon that turns to stone.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/gorgon.htm

so they do! giant metal bull and it's a magical beast? weird.

thanks for the answers

[ddude987]

so they do! giant metal bull and it's a magical beast? weird.

I think/thought that gorgons were basically medusas

[Venger]

I think/thought that gorgons were basically medusas

in greek mythology, medusa is one of the gorgons. in D&D, "medusas" are monsters that all look like medusa (but with a woman head instead of a boar head) and gorgons are, as described, metal bulls that breathe green gas.

no idea why.

[SciChronic]

medusa was the most beautiful of the gorgons, a normally ugly race, and a jealous god (i forget which) cursed her, turning all who saw her into stone

at least that what i believe what happened, its been a while since i read greco-roman mythology.

[Feint's End]

Well if you follow the picture description of the Synesthete Power in XPH it makes you immune to gaze attacks (and I think that's the petrification effect of the meduza right?)

[Venger]

medusa was the most beautiful of the gorgons, a normally ugly race, and a jealous god (i forget which) cursed her, turning all who saw her into stone

at least that what i believe what happened, its been a while since i read greco-roman mythology.

it was athena. she didn't curse medusa because she was jealous of her beauty, but for being raped by poseiden while in athena's temple, because the greek gods are jerks like that.


Well if you follow the picture description of the Synesthete Power in XPH it makes you immune to gaze attacks (and I think that's the petrification effect of the meduza right?)

while that does render the subject immune to gaze attacks, it does not render them immune to petrification from other sources (such as flesh to stone, gorgon's poison gas, etc)

[Gullintanni]

You can probably add "Being Undead" to the list. Undead are immune to anything that requires a Fort Save, so long as it doesn't also affect objects.

That covers Medusa, Gorgon, Cockatrice, and Flesh to Stone at the very least. I don't know of a petrification effect that works on objects.

[HalfQuart]

Here's some more stuff from the SRD that are immune to petrification:
Avoral (monster)
Bralani (monster)
Formian (monster)
Ghaele (monster)
Archons (monster subtype)
Leonal (monster)
Prismatic Wall (spell)
Dieties (???)
Divine Petitioner (template)

And a couple more things that inflict petrification:
Eyes of Petrification (item, really just Flesh to Stone Spell)
Retriever (monster)

[Venger]

You can probably add "Being Undead" to the list. Undead are immune to anything that requires a Fort Save, so long as it doesn't also affect objects.

That covers Medusa, Gorgon, Cockatrice, and Flesh to Stone at the very least. I don't know of a petrification effect that works on objects.

flesh to stone works on corpses, which are categorized in game terms as objects, so I don't see a reason it would not work on undead.


Here's some more stuff from the SRD that are immune to petrification:
Avoral (monster)
Bralani (monster)
Formian (monster)
Ghaele (monster)
Archons (monster subtype)
Leonal (monster)
Prismatic Wall (spell)
Dieties (???)
Divine Petitioner (template)

And a couple more things that inflict petrification:
Eyes of Petrification (item, really just Flesh to Stone Spell)
Retriever (monster)
thanks, I'll add those.

where are the eyes of petrification? I've never heard of them before.

[Gullintanni]

flesh to stone works on corpses, which are categorized in game terms as objects, so I don't see a reason it would not work on undead.

thanks, I'll add those.

where are the eyes of petrification? I've never heard of them before.

Are you sure Flesh to Stone works on corpses? The spell description reads:

"Only creatures made of flesh are affected by this spell."

1. Is a corpse, classified by your example as an object, also a creature? It is my understanding that the two categories, object and creature, were mutually exclusive. If my understanding is correct, and a corpse is an object, then it is not a valid target for Flesh to Stone, as the spell can only target creatures.

2. What of non-fleshy undead? Allips, Skeletons, Liches? They're still immune, by virtue of not being creatures made of flesh.

[CRtwenty]

where are the eyes of petrification? I've never heard of them before.

They're in the SRD, and I'd assume in the DMG as well.


Eyes of Petrification

These items are made of special crystal and fit over the eyes of the wearer. They allow her to use a petrification gaze attack (Fortitude DC 19 negates) for 10 rounds per day. Both lenses must be worn for the magic to be effective.

Moderate transmutation; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, flesh to stone; Price 98,000 gp.

[Feint's End]

while that does render the subject immune to gaze attacks, it does not render them immune to petrification from other sources (such as flesh to stone, gorgon's poison gas, etc)

True ofc. It's just worth considering because it's a first level power (1 pp says hello) and pretty strong if you are matched against a medusa.

[erikun]

flesh to stone works on corpses, which are categorized in game terms as objects, so I don't see a reason it would not work on undead.
Flesh to Stone (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fleshToStone.htm) does not work on objects. Stone to Flesh (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/stoneToFlesh.htm) does, so you could potentially use it on an undead... if you could find one made of stone. There are a few, interestingly enough.

Undead and constructs are technically not immune to petrification, but they are immune to anything requiring a fortitude save that only affects creatures, and I cannot think of a single petrification effect that does otherwise.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Undead and constructs are technically not immune to petrification, but they are immune to anything requiring a fortitude save that only affects creatures, and I cannot think of a single petrification effect that does otherwise.
Polymorph any Object it can be used to duplicate a petrification effect and it works on objects.

[Uncle Pine]

Any Divine Rank make you immune to petrification (as well as polymorph and lots of other things), even Divine Rank 0.

[supermonkeyjoe]

the 10th level of Master of Many forms gives you immunity to transmutation effects


Evershifting Form: A 10th-level master of many forms has reached the pinnacle of her shapechanging abilities. She gains the shapechanger subtype and becomes immune to any transmutation effect unless she is willing to accept it.

This would protect against several different methods of petrification

[Thurbane]

in greek mythology, medusa is one of the gorgons. in D&D, "medusas" are monsters that all look like medusa (but with a woman head instead of a boar head) and gorgons are, as described, metal bulls that breathe green gas.

no idea why.
I read a post by Gary Gygax himself over at Enworld that says there was a particular medieval bestiary that described a Gorgon as a large metal scaled bull.

found it! (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?161566-Gary-Gygax-Q-amp-A-Part-X/page2)

[sleepyphoenixx]

There's the Proof against Transmutation armor enhancement. It's in one of the Completes iirc.

[erikun]

Polymorph any Object it can be used to duplicate a petrification effect and it works on objects.
This isn't technically a petrification effect though, much like how Disintegration isn't a death effect although it behaves much the same way. You could PAO an undead into a statue of an undead and its immunity wouldn't not save it, but you could do the same to any petrification-immune creature and the same would happen: Petrification immunity does not grant immunity from PAO turning it into a statue.