A new supplement adds rules and guidelines for playing as a medusa in Dungeons & Dragons.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The gorgon is an ancient mythological monster with roots in classical Greece. Greek myths typically portrayed the gorgons as a trio of sisters transformed into monsters by the goddess Athena, with snakes for hair and the ability to turn anyone who they looked at into stone. The most memorable of the gorgons was Medusa, who was slain by Perseus and had her head used as weapon by the hero in subsequent adventures.
Because gorgons are such an ancient and popular monster, it’s no surprise that they’ve made their way into Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy worlds. For instance, the Magic: The Gathering plane of Ravnica has an entire race of gorgons (also known as medusae) that lurk in the undercity as a dying race.
Earlier this week, D.E. Chaudron released a new supplement that gives players the option of playing as a medusa in Dungeons & Dragons. While Mistresses of Stone is billed as a playable medusa race specifically for Ravnica, it can be easily used in any D&D campaign setting.
The main draw of playing a gorgon in any roleplaying game is the ability to petrify your opponents. Chaudron presents players with a “Petrifying Gaze” ability that paralyzes opponents for a turn at low levels or potentially petrifies enemies at higher levels. While it’s similar to the “Petrifying Gaze” ability used by the medusa in the Monster Manual, I liked that it offers players two options as to what the gaze can do. While Chaudron doesn’t detail how opponents can avoid a medusa’s petrifying gaze, the Monster Manual provides additional rules that can easily be followed.
The other main feature of the medusa is its snake hair, which acts as natural melee weapons. In addition to dealing extra damage to an opponent, a person that suffers a medusa’s snake hair bite must also make a Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned.
I personally love monstrous races, and I think a medusa offers lots of great roleplaying abilities. In addition to giving players a few fun abilities, Mistresses of Stone keeps the medusa race from becoming too overpowered or dependent on its ability to turn enemies into stone.
Mistresses of Stone is available for purchase on the DMs Guild for $1.00.
