Demi-Gorgons

Player Race: Demi-Gorgon

The curse of the medusa and the gorgons, though ancient, persists still in the blood of their descendants, the demi-gorgons. All cultures have tales of ancient curses and those who have been afflicted with them, turning them into outcasts, monsters, wretches, villains, or sometimes heroes. To be cursed is to be marked by fate for misery, but also a chance at eternal fame and glory. While regular people may shun the kin to the medusa, they also know to fear them. By necessity, the demi-gorgon people have organised themselves in covens and councils, not least to survive without the help of those who might shun them, but to survive when those around them turn on them out of fear.

Cursed Legacy

Demi-gorgon appearances vary based on their origins - those associated with elemental curses have skin that resembles marble or obsidian, while a fiendish origin may manifest itself in the form of the leathery, scaly skin of crocodiles, and hair which, given the opportunity to grow, writhes with a life of its own. Consult with your DM to understand where this curse may have originated in their setting, and how it will manifest in your appearance. These features are most prominent in demi-gorgons closely connected to their curse - distant relatives, connected to the cursed ancestor by dozens of generations of mixing with the non-cursed, resemble the regular features of their ancestors. It is precisely this distance from their cursed ancestor that makes demi-gorgon life difficult, because while their gaze is not automatically petrifying, in some circumstances beyond their control it can still do so. It is entirely possible for a demi-gorgon orphan to be unaware of their nature until it manifests during a difficult incident. For the safety of others, demi-gorgons that cannot control their powers or who do not know how to will veil or mask their faces, be it with visors, fine mesh, or even a blindfold. Some will merely avert their eyes in the presence of strangers, while others will avoid people entirely.

Shared Comfort

Perhaps for their heritage, and perhaps because most other people are consciously or subconsciously deeply uncomfortable in their presence, demi-gorgons long for the company of their brethren and seek them out, sometimes without even knowing who or what they are. The importance of this cannot be understated: demi-gorgons have some natural protection against petrification, and shared knowledge of their condition allows them to learn to control it or manage it. Not unlike other people, they are at home where they are not shunned for who they are, but loved.

A Veiled Court

A hybrid between men and monsters, demi-gorgons act as a bridge between civilization and some of its most common enemies. When given the chance to establish their own societies, they are known for leaving their recluses and reveries to act as the personal keepers of peace and order. In the absence of this civility, when provoked, persecuted, or hounded, they are soon to become harbigers of war.

Class Features

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age. Curses can do many things, but this one is not normally conducive to long lives. A demi-gorgon with predominantly human ancestry will mature at the same rate, but might live 70-80 years, not the century.

Alignment. Gorgon alignment is shaped by their environment and how they are treated. Consistently good or bad treatment will make them lawful good or lawful evil respectively, while inconsistent treatment might result in their leaning chaotic neutral. We make our own monsters.

Size. Gorgons vary wildly in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in this range, your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Ancient Malice. You may use your action to activate your Ancient Malice feature, which is an echo of the Petrifying Gaze feature of your medusa kin. For the next minute, your eyes glower red or white (shedding dim light in a 5ft radius). When a creature that can see your eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of you, you can force it to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Charisma bonus) if you aren't incapacitated and can see the creature. On a failed save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified for 24 hours on a failure or ending the effect on a success. On a success, they are immune to your petrifying gaze for 24 hours.

Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see you until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at you in the mean-time before the Ancient Malice effect has ended, it must immediately make the save.

If you see yourself reflected on a polished surface within 30 feet of you and in an area of bright light, you, due to your curse, are affected by your own gaze. You can choose to close your eyes, cover them, or otherwise avert your gaze if you wish to avoid inflicting the petrified condition on other people or yourself.

You have 1 use of this feature every long rest. Whenever you take damage, make a wisdom saving throw (DC equal to the damage taken - (your level + your proficiency bonus)). On a failed save, your Ancient Malice feature is activated for a minute or extended by a minute if it was already activated. On a successful save, you regain a use of your Ancient Malice feature. You may also choose to fail this save. You may not have more than one use of this feature, and your uses of this feature do not carry over after a long rest.

Born of Stone. You may add your charisma modifier to saves against petrification and the poisoned condition (minimum of 1).

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.