Medusa (Harryhausen variant)

[rferries]

GREATER MEDUSA

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LARGE OUTSIDER
Hit Dice: 21d8+210 (304 hp)
Initiative: +10
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 40 (+10 Dex, +10 deflection, +10 natural), touch 30, flat-footed 30
Base Attack/Grapple: +21/+30
Attack: Masterwork composite longbow (+5) +32 ranged (2d6+5 plus poison)
Full Attack: Masterwork composite longbow (+5) +32/+27/+22/+17 ranged (2d6+5 plus poison) and tail slap +26 melee (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d6+5, gaze, improved grab, poison, snakes
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 feet, hardness 20, spell resistance 31, unearthly grace
Saves: Fort +32, Ref +32, Will +32
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 30, Con 30, Int 20, Wis 30, Cha 30
Skills: Appraise +5 (+7 bows), Climb +13, Craft (bowmaking) +29, Diplomacy +12, Hide +34, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (dungeoneering, history, religion, the planes) +29, Knowledge (nature) +7, Listen +34, Move Silently +34, Search +33, Sense Motive +34, Spot +38, Survival +34 (+36 underground, other planes, following tracks), Swim +13
Feats: Greater Multigrab^SK, Improved Natural Attack (tail slap)^B, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Preternatural Grace, Multigrab^SK, Reflexive Constriction, Weapon Focus (longbow)
Epic Feats: Swarm of Arrows
Environment: Any
Organization: Unique
Challenge Rating: 21
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 22-36 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
^SKSerpent Kingdoms

Your sword struck true - the monster's decaptitated body writhes and contorts in its death throes. You search for the snake-tressed head, careful to look only through the reflections in your enchanted shield. Espying the head at last, you recoil in shock and dismay. The reflected visage bears no serpents, no fanged snarl - it is that of a beautiful maiden, eyes closed in death, with tears running down her cheeks...

A Medusa is a tragic creature. Descended from an unjustly-cursed priestess, these monsters are so hideous that the sight of them transforms all living beings into stone. Bitter and vengeful, they prowl ancient temples and slay any who intrude upon their lonely solitude.

It is said that slaying a Medusa produces a half-celestial Pegasus from her blood.

A Medusa speaks Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal, and Undercommon.

Combat Abilities
A Medusa's only pleasure is in slaying interlopers. They prefer to ambush opponents one by one from the shadows of their lairs, but are quite capable of confronting entire war parties with their gazes and the Swarm of Arrows feat.

A Medusa's natural weapons (including the swarm attack from her snakes), as well as any weapons she wields, are treated as epic and adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and hardness.

Constrict (Ex)
A Medusa deals 2d6+5 points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Gaze (Ex)
A Medusa is unspeakably hideous. Any living creature within 30 feet that views her directly must make a DC 30 Will save or be transformed to stone, and a creature that succeeds on their save still takes 3d6 points each of Dexterity and Wisdom drain from the horror. This is an exceptional fear gaze attack. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Hardness (Ex)
A Medusa's scales are as hard as adamantine. Subtract 20 from any damage she takes (whether physical, magical, or energy-based attacks), except for the damage from adamantine weapons. Halve the damage from ranged weapons before applying this hardness.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a Medusa must hit with her tail slap attack. She can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If she wins the grapple check, she establishes a hold and can constrict.

Poison (Ex)
Injury, Fortitude DC 30, initial damage 3d6 Con, secondary damage 3d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based. A Medusa's venom is delivered through her snakes (see below), and she uses them to poison her arrows as well.

Snakes (Ex)
A Medusa’s lengthy serpentine tresses allow her to look in any direction, providing a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks. A Medusa can’t be flanked.

Additionally, any creatures within the Medusa's reach or in her space are subject to a swarm attack from the snakes, dealing 5d6 damage and inflicting her poison.

Unearthly Grace (Su)
A Medusa adds her Charisma modifier as a bonus on all her saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to her Armor Class. (The statistics block already reflects these bonuses).

Skills
A Medusa has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. She also has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. She can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. She can use the run action while swimming, provided she swims in a straight line.

Variant Medusa

Gorgon
These two creatures are named Stheno and Euryale and are the sisters of the original Medusa. They lack serpent-tails but instead have metallic wings and claws and are immortal (possessing regeneration as the Tarrasque).

[nonsi]

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I'm curious what motivated this post. At first glance, all l'm able to recognize atm is an epic large-sized medusa with Fighter levels and augmented stats.
Am I missing something here?

[rferries]

.
I'm curious what motivated this post. At first glance, all l'm able to recognize atm is an epic large-sized medusa with Fighter levels and augmented stats.
Am I missing something here?

I wanted to brew up another constriction-type monster, nothing more than that really. I think I've made some clever tweaks though (gaze targets Will save rather than Fort, snakes give All-Around Vision and a swarm attack, poisoned arrows, plus of course the tail & constriction etc.).

[nonsi]

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A nitpick...

Your wrote "these monsters are so hideous that the sight of them transforms all living beings into stone"
Well, snakes aside, that chick in the image you've added is gorgeous (what a way to go )

I'd go for this or this or this, and save the knockout for a benign/reformed variant.

[rferries]

Ha you're a fan of Harryhausen too! The trouble is I wanted 3 things:

1) Art that was a painting/drawing rather than a photo

2) A Medusa with a snake-tail, like Harryhausen

3) A Medusa that wasn't bare-breasted :D (loads of fetish art out there... 0.0)

The pic I chose was the least "Anime" of the options, though unfortunately it's based off of that execrable Clash of the Titans remake. I do like the fact that she has a "pretty" face though -the last remnant of her humanity peeking through her monstrous hair & body, adds pathos.