3.5 Male Medusa (PEACH)

[PersonofJid]

Okay, so I liked the idea of the male medusa that I saw in 4e, and so I thought I'd try to convert it to 3.5e. Let me know what you think. I could use some help with the challenge rating, and I'd like to know if the gaze attack is fair. Any other help or suggestions would be much appreciated.



Medusa(male)
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 9d8+27 (75 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (+1 Dex, +5 natural, +5 armor, +1 shield), touch 11, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+12
Attack: Longsword +14 melee (1d8+3/19-20) or Bite +12 (1d6+3 plus poison)
Full Attack: Longsword +14/+9 (1d8+3/19-20) and Bite +7 (1d6+3 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Venomous gaze, poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +7
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +12, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +12 (+14 acting), Intimidate +7, Move Silently +7, Spot +8
Feats: Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Ability Focus (gaze attack), Ability Focus (poison)
Environment: Temperate Marshes
Organization: Solitary or mated pair
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: Double Standard
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: -

Possessions: Mwk longsword, mwk chainmail, mwk light wooden shield

Venomous Gaze (Su): Subjects gain -1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, ability checks, and lose 5 hit points; 30 feet, Fortitude DC 18 negates. Save DC is Charisma-based. Effects stack, but wear off after 24 hours.

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 19, initial damage 1d6 Dex, secondary damage 2d6 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based.

[Debihuman]

Actually the male medusa long predate 4e (they're from 2e). The 2e conversion is here: http://creaturecatalog.enworld.org/converted/view_c.php?CreatureID=798

Since I'm not sure what the 4e version is like, I'm not sure how your version compares.

I think the venomous gaze is fine.

The statistic block should show the longsword as Mwk longsword since it appears that is what it should have.

Rough estimates for CR using VT's Estimator

#1. Divide creature's average HP by 4.5 to 6.5.
4.5 for 5 HD or lower, 5 for 6-10 HD, 5.5 for 11-15 HD, 6 for 16-20 HD., 6.5 for 20-25 HD.

75/5=15

#2. Add 1 for each five points above 10 its AC is, subtracting 1 for every 5 below.

4

#3. Add 1 for each special attack (+2 to +5 or more if it has a decent number of spells in its spell-like abilities).

2

#4. Add 1 for each quality unless you deem it worthy of more. Add 1 for each resistance and 10 points of DR it has, and 2 for each immunity. Subtract 1 for each vulnerability.

1

#5. Add 1 for every two bonus feats it has.

0

#6. Divide total by 3. This should be its rough CR.

22/3=7

CR 7 sounds about right.

[Cheiromancer]

I like it!

Why doesn't it have an LA? It might be a bit weak as a melee type PC, but it is certainly not unplayable.

[Network]

There is at least one instance of a male medusa NPC in 3.0, named Vashaak Ratoth Bruu, but I don't think it was updated to 3.5. His abilities don't differ from a standard female medusa (even for the hair), aside from the fact he's a 10th-level monk.

But just one question though : where does the poison on the longsword comes from? Is the blade a part of the medusa's body, or is he continuously licking it before attacking?

[Debihuman]

It appears that male medusa have 6 HD if you go by the Book of Vile Darkness page 161.

Debby

[Hanuman]

Meduso :smallwink:

[Network]

It appears that male medusa have 6 HD if you go by the Book of Vile Darkness page 161.

Debby
I just forgot to mention Vashaak was in that book. Anyway, 6d8 HD is the same as a female medusa, so the differences are purely aesthetic.

[PersonofJid]

But just one question though : where does the poison on the longsword comes from? Is the blade a part of the medusa's body, or is he continuously licking it before attacking?

Yeah, something like that; the licking part anyways. The idea was that they would keep their weapons coated with their saliva, or that they would have some ability to just produce toxins on their weaponry. Kind of in the same vein as how Yuan-Ti can produce acid. I was considering giving him a bite attack to deliver the poison, but opted to keep with the sword. Also, I'm basing this off of the medusa found in the 4e Monster Manual, and that one delivers poison with its sword without really explaining how.

[TuggyNE]

Also, I'm basing this off of the medusa found in the 4e Monster Manual, and that one delivers poison with its sword without really explaining how.

That um … is probably not the best model for 3.x monsters, if only because 3.x likes actual explanations* for its mechanical choices rather more.

So I'd suggest figuring out how it licks its sword, or spits on it, or whatever, between each attack, so as to keep it poisoned. (Maybe it takes a swift action, so it can only do one/round!)

*Those that can conceivably make a mechanical difference, even a very non-obvious one.

[Sylthia]

Under Organization: Solitary or mated pair, do you mean two male medusas, a male and a female, or does it matter?

[PersonofJid]

That um … is probably not the best model for 3.x monsters, if only because 3.x likes actual explanations* for its mechanical choices rather more.

So I'd suggest figuring out how it licks its sword, or spits on it, or whatever, between each attack, so as to keep it poisoned. (Maybe it takes a swift action, so it can only do one/round!)

*Those that can conceivably make a mechanical difference, even a very non-obvious one.

Hmm, that's fair. I haven't been able to think of anything really conceivable for how it keeps it's saliva on the blade, and a constantly spitting medusa does not sound appealing. So what about going back to the bite attack I mentioned? It'd definitely be a plausible way of delivering poison.


Under Organization: Solitary or mated pair, do you mean two male medusas, a male and a female, or does it matter?

I was going for a male and female, but what you decide to do with it is up to you.

[Bhu]

There is at least one instance of a male medusa NPC in 3.0, named Vashaak Ratoth Bruu, but I don't think it was updated to 3.5. His abilities don't differ from a standard female medusa (even for the hair), aside from the fact he's a 10th-level monk.

But just one question though : where does the poison on the longsword comes from? Is the blade a part of the medusa's body, or is he continuously licking it before attacking?

Male Medusa are called Maedar. It's updated to 3.5 in Dragon 355.