Forest Gargoyles [Archive] - Wizards Community

Forest Gargoyles [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Rohano
10-06-05, 10:08 PM This one was inspired by the forest gargoyles found in the PC game Sacred.
Sort of a variant of the traditional gargoyle.

Forest Gargoyle

Size/Type: Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Earth)
Hit Dice: 4d8+19 (37 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares), fly 40 ft. (clumsy)
Armor Class: 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+6
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d4+2)
Full Attack: 2 claws +6 melee (1d6+2) and bite +4 melee (1d4+1) and gore +4 melee (1d8+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/magic, darkvision 60 ft., freeze
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 7
Skills: Hide +7*, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: Multiattack, Toughness
Environment: Forests (Ancient forests preferred)
Organization: Solitary, pair, or wing (3-16, plus one with class levels)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: 5-6 HD (Medium); 7-12 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +6

Forest gargoyles often appear to be winged stone statues covered with green and red mosses, for they can perch indefinitely without moving and use this disguise to surprise their foes. They require no food, water, or air, but often eat their fallen foes out of fondness for inflicting pain. A forest gargoyle will usually only "rest" for four hours a day, usually during the brightest part of the afternoon. Forest gargoyles' eyes glow red, which seems to flare dimly when a forest gargoyle enters combat.
Though they live in forests, forest gargoyles are not as manueverable as their cousins, walking rather than flying as much as possible. Forest gargoyles usually only use their wings when they are forced to flee or they are forced to face an aerial foe.
Some forest gargoyles will travel in groups when they meet a very powerful forest gargoyle (paragon, dire, legendary, or with class levels), and become a very potent force. More intelligent forest gargoyles often choose the path of the fighter or blackguard, and less intelligent gargoyles usually become barbarians.

Forest gargoyles know Common and Terran, but do not usually speak unless made to speak against their will.

Combat
Forest gargoyles, unlike their gargoyle cousins, do not wait for prey. They constantly tread through the hearts of forests, looking for sentient creatures to kill. When a forest gargoyle spots prey, it usually enters a blood frenzy and stops at nothing until the prey is dead (though many forest gargoyles will flee when brought near death).

A forest gargoyle’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Special Qualities
Freeze (Ex)
A forest gargoyle can hold itself so still it appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice the forest gargoyle is really alive.

Skills
Forest gargoyles have a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks. *The Hide bonus increases by +8 when a forest gargoyle is concealed against a background of dense undergrowth or forestry.
Olly
10-08-05, 07:52 AM I like it. I can see these critters dwelling in ancient cities that have since been long overrun by the woodland, or perhaps perching, statue-like on ancient, ruined watchtowers, kind of like Amon Hen from Lord Of The Rings. :D
Rohano
10-08-05, 03:41 PM :D
Thank you.
Woas
10-08-05, 03:46 PM The only thing I don't really get is, you mention that these creatures "constantly tread through the hearts of forests, looking for sentient creatures to kill." which seems to defeat the purpose of them being gargoyles. Their ability to use freeze is sorta pointless if they are always on the move like packs of wolves.
Rohano
10-08-05, 07:46 PM I understand your reasoning, but remember that this variety of gargoyle also lives in a forest in the deep wilderness, not in a stoney dungeon.

It's instinct that they constantly hunt and "freeze" for only short periods of time to rest, because they're more chaotic than their stoney cousins.

Although they don't make constant use of their freezing ability, they are fun critters.
Malruhn
10-08-05, 09:56 PM So which is it? Do they sit and wait ala:
Forest gargoyles often appear to be winged stone statues covered with green and red mosses, for they can perch indefinitely without moving and use this disguise to surprise their foes.

or do they prowl and frenzy, ala:
Forest gargoyles, unlike their gargoyle cousins, do not wait for prey. They constantly tread through the hearts of forests, looking for sentient creatures to kill. When a forest gargoyle spots prey, it usually enters a blood frenzy and stops at nothing until the prey is dead :confused:
Rohano
10-09-05, 04:02 PM Forest gargoyles are capable of the same freezing ability (and tactic) as their cousins, but they do not employ that talent often. Usually, if someone stumbles on a statue-like forest gargoyle, it's an accident, because most forest gargoyles only freeze when resting.

They have the capability, but by habit, they prowl and frenzy more than they freeze.

However, as I stated somewhere in the description, most forest gargoyles who take class levels will become barbarians because of their chaotic nature. But the smarter forest gargoyle characters will go for other classes and probably employ their freezing ability more often.

Habit: Prowl and frenzy
Neglected Talent: Freezing

You get it?
Woas
10-10-05, 10:34 AM Okay, next question would be: So, what's the point?

You just copied the regular gargoyle word for word and bumped their damage. How do they get this bonus in attack die for natural weapons by the way?

...I guess I'm still not seeing it.
Rohano
10-15-05, 08:40 PM The Forest Gargoyle is simply another variety of the basic Gargoyle, therefore I based its stats on the original (of course).
There are a lot of the stats only slightly tweaked because the primary difference between a Forest Gargoyle and a regular Gargoyle is that the Forest Gargoyle lives in the woods instead of in dungeons or on buildings and therefore had different coloration and some major behavioral differences.
It's behavior is more like a hunter rather than a trapper, if you catch my meaning. It forgoes the stealthy advantage of freeze while hunting but has a slightly higher attack power because of its fixation on the hunt. If you like, I can specify that it has bigger and sharper claws and fangs and perhaps that will solve the problem.

I've got another thread running for more varieties of gargoyles. A few are based on gargoyles found in assorted RPG worlds (primarily from PC games), but I may be working on some other gargoyle varieties in the near future if there's interest.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rohano 10-06-05, 10:08 PM	This one was inspired by the forest gargoyles found in the PC game Sacred. Sort of a variant of the traditional gargoyle. Forest Gargoyle Size/Type: Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Earth) Hit Dice: 4d8+19 (37 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares), fly 40 ft. (clumsy) Armor Class: 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14 Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+6 Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d4+2) Full Attack: 2 claws +6 melee (1d6+2) and bite +4 melee (1d4+1) and gore +4 melee (1d8+1) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: — Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/magic, darkvision 60 ft., freeze Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4 Abilities: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 7 Skills: Hide +7, Listen +4, Spot +4 Feats: Multiattack, Toughness Environment: Forests (Ancient forests preferred) Organization: Solitary, pair, or wing (3-16, plus one with class levels) Challenge Rating: 5 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Usually chaotic evil Advancement: 5-6 HD (Medium); 7-12 HD (Large) Level Adjustment: +6 Forest gargoyles often appear to be winged stone statues covered with green and red mosses, for they can perch indefinitely without moving and use this disguise to surprise their foes. They require no food, water, or air, but often eat their fallen foes out of fondness for inflicting pain. A forest gargoyle will usually only "rest" for four hours a day, usually during the brightest part of the afternoon. Forest gargoyles' eyes glow red, which seems to flare dimly when a forest gargoyle enters combat. Though they live in forests, forest gargoyles are not as manueverable as their cousins, walking rather than flying as much as possible. Forest gargoyles usually only use their wings when they are forced to flee or they are forced to face an aerial foe. Some forest gargoyles will travel in groups when they meet a very powerful forest gargoyle (paragon, dire, legendary, or with class levels), and become a very potent force. More intelligent forest gargoyles often choose the path of the fighter or blackguard, and less intelligent gargoyles usually become barbarians. Forest gargoyles know Common and Terran, but do not usually speak unless made to speak against their will. Combat Forest gargoyles, unlike their gargoyle cousins, do not wait for prey. They constantly tread through the hearts of forests, looking for sentient creatures to kill. When a forest gargoyle spots prey, it usually enters a blood frenzy and stops at nothing until the prey is dead (though many forest gargoyles will flee when brought near death). A forest gargoyle’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Special Qualities Freeze (Ex) A forest gargoyle can hold itself so still it appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice the forest gargoyle is really alive. Skills Forest gargoyles have a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks. The Hide bonus increases by +8 when a forest gargoyle is concealed against a background of dense undergrowth or forestry.
Olly 10-08-05, 07:52 AM	I like it. I can see these critters dwelling in ancient cities that have since been long overrun by the woodland, or perhaps perching, statue-like on ancient, ruined watchtowers, kind of like Amon Hen from Lord Of The Rings. :D
Rohano 10-08-05, 03:41 PM	:D Thank you.
Woas 10-08-05, 03:46 PM	The only thing I don't really get is, you mention that these creatures "constantly tread through the hearts of forests, looking for sentient creatures to kill." which seems to defeat the purpose of them being gargoyles. Their ability to use freeze is sorta pointless if they are always on the move like packs of wolves.
Rohano 10-08-05, 07:46 PM	I understand your reasoning, but remember that this variety of gargoyle also lives in a forest in the deep wilderness, not in a stoney dungeon. It's instinct that they constantly hunt and "freeze" for only short periods of time to rest, because they're more chaotic than their stoney cousins. Although they don't make constant use of their freezing ability, they are fun critters.
Malruhn 10-08-05, 09:56 PM	So which is it? Do they sit and wait ala: Forest gargoyles often appear to be winged stone statues covered with green and red mosses, for they can perch indefinitely without moving and use this disguise to surprise their foes. or do they prowl and frenzy, ala: Forest gargoyles, unlike their gargoyle cousins, do not wait for prey. They constantly tread through the hearts of forests, looking for sentient creatures to kill. When a forest gargoyle spots prey, it usually enters a blood frenzy and stops at nothing until the prey is dead :confused:
Rohano 10-09-05, 04:02 PM	Forest gargoyles are capable of the same freezing ability (and tactic) as their cousins, but they do not employ that talent often. Usually, if someone stumbles on a statue-like forest gargoyle, it's an accident, because most forest gargoyles only freeze when resting. They have the capability, but by habit, they prowl and frenzy more than they freeze. However, as I stated somewhere in the description, most forest gargoyles who take class levels will become barbarians because of their chaotic nature. But the smarter forest gargoyle characters will go for other classes and probably employ their freezing ability more often. Habit: Prowl and frenzy Neglected Talent: Freezing You get it?
Woas 10-10-05, 10:34 AM	Okay, next question would be: So, what's the point? You just copied the regular gargoyle word for word and bumped their damage. How do they get this bonus in attack die for natural weapons by the way? ...I guess I'm still not seeing it.
Rohano 10-15-05, 08:40 PM	The Forest Gargoyle is simply another variety of the basic Gargoyle, therefore I based its stats on the original (of course). There are a lot of the stats only slightly tweaked because the primary difference between a Forest Gargoyle and a regular Gargoyle is that the Forest Gargoyle lives in the woods instead of in dungeons or on buildings and therefore had different coloration and some major behavioral differences. It's behavior is more like a hunter rather than a trapper, if you catch my meaning. It forgoes the stealthy advantage of freeze while hunting but has a slightly higher attack power because of its fixation on the hunt. If you like, I can specify that it has bigger and sharper claws and fangs and perhaps that will solve the problem. I've got another thread running for more varieties of gargoyles. A few are based on gargoyles found in assorted RPG worlds (primarily from PC games), but I may be working on some other gargoyle varieties in the near future if there's interest.