Monster: Gorgoneia

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Gorgoneia

A giant monstrous head floats in the air, with snakes for hairs, big glowing eyes, and a fanged maw twisted in a vicious snarl.

CR 16; XP 76,800
CE Large Aberration
Init +10; Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +42

Defense
AC 31, touch 15, flat-footed 25 (+6 Dex, +16 natural, –1 size)
hp 252 (24d8+144); warding stones
Fort +14, Ref +14, Will +19
Defensive Abilities all-around vision, immortal, petrifying spell resistance; DR 10/—; Immune disease, fear, paralysis, petrification; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 27

Offense
Speed 5 ft., fly 20 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +25 (2d6+8/19–20/×3), 8 snake heads +20 (1d4+4 plus poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft, with snake heads)
Special Attacks petrifying gaze, stone-biter
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 24th, concentration +26)
At will—animate objects (petrified creatures only)
3/day—quickened animate objects (petrified creatures only)

Statistics
Str 26, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 15, Wis 21, Cha 15
Base Atk +18; CMB +27; CMD 49 (can't be tripped)
Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Combat Training, Diehard, Endurance, Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (animate objects), Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus (Sense Motive)
Skills Fly +39, Intimidate +29, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +29, Perception +42, Sense Motive +39, Spellcraft +29
Languages Aklo, Celestial, Common, Sylvan

Ecology
Environment ruins and underground
Organization single
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Immortal (Ex) Gorgoneias don't age and don't require food or water.

Petrifying Gaze (Su) Creatures with 12 or more HD suffer 1d4 points of Dex drain, creatures with less than 12 HD and those reduced to 0 Dexterity turn to stone permanently, 60 ft., Fortitude DC 24 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Petrifying Spell Resistance (Su) Whenever spells fail to penetrate a gorgoneia's Spell Resistance, their casters suffer Dexterity drain equal to the level of the spell and become turned to stone if the drain reduces their Dexterity score to 0.

Poison (Su) Snake head—injury; save Fort DC 24; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Dex drain; cure 1 save. Creatures reduced to 0 Dexterity turn to stone permanently. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Stone-biter (Ex and Su) A gorgoneia's natural attacks are treated as adamantine and magic. Its main bite attack has a ×3 critical damage multiplier.

Warding Stones (Su) Creatures turned to stone by a gorgoneia are marked with a glyph that binds them to that particular creature. Each gorgoneia gains regeneration ability with value equal to the number of her bound statues within 60 feet of her (to a maximum of 12), as long as there is line of effect between them. The glyph visibly pulsates with dark red glow when the gorgoneia heals and can be destroyed by beheading or shattering the face of the statue, though it will kill the creature if turned back to flesh.



Gorgoneias are terrifying monsters that can slowly petrify their victims with their hideous visages and the venom of their snake-hair. They were created by an ancient divine curse as guardians of unholy places with the power to make a lasting example out of intruders—by turning trespassers into stone decorations of their lairs. Gorgoneias are ageless beings, nearly immortal, though they can be killed by direct violence.

Gorgoneias sometimes entertain themselves by animating their petrified victims and rearranging them into new positions. They also spread their victims across their lairs to benefit from their warding stones ability. They are rarely willing to parley, being filled with hate toward mortals and deities alike.

Occasionally, a gorgoneia is accompanied by a group of blind morlocks, or other creatures immune to her deathly gaze, sometimes worshiped as a dark deity, sometimes merely a leader of the assorted guardians of an unholy place.