Buy me a coffeeGiant, Geryon – The Threefold Tyrant
“Meet Geryon, the terrifying three-bodied titan whose monstrous might and dark power make him an unstoppable force of destruction!”
- Alias: The Threefold Tyrant, Geryon the Fearsome, Lord of Erytheia
- Gender: Male
- Race: Fiendish Giant
- Occupation: Ruler of Erytheia, Keeper of the Red Cattle
- Religion: Worshiped as a figure of power and fear among fiends and giants, but does not follow a specific deity
- Allies: Orthrus (his two-headed dog), Eurytion (herder), his monstrous cattle, and various fiendish and giant allies
- Enemies: Heracles, the gods of Olympus (especially Athena), Eurystheus, mortals who oppose him or defy his authority
- Abode/Base of Operations: The island of Erytheia, a dark, isolated land in the far western reaches of the Mediterranean
- Nationality: Mythical, tied to ancient Greek and Fiendish heritage
- Languages: Infernal, Giant, Common
- Alignment: Lawful Evil
- Affiliation(s): Fiendish realms, ancient Titan-descended bloodline
- Significant Others: Mother Callirrhoe, Father Chrysaor (though their relationship is distant and disconnected from Geryon’s ambitions)
In the farthest reaches of the world, where the land blazes under a crimson sun, stands Erytheia—the forsaken island that was once home to Geryon, the Threefold Tyrant. A being of unparalleled might, Geryon was no mere giant; he was a living fortress of flesh and fury, a warrior whose three bodies moved as one, towering over the battlefield in perfect unity. Ancient legends whisper of his dominion over the Cattle of the Sun, a herd of divine beasts whose mere existence tempted the gods and heroes alike. His rule was absolute, his will unbroken—until the coming of Heracles.
Once a ruler of an untamed land, Geryon stood as the last bastion of primal power against the encroaching tide of order. While many view him as a monster slain in Heracles’ labors, others believe his spirit lingers, raging against the heroes and kings who would lay claim to what was once his. Some say that deep in forgotten lands, beyond mortal maps, Geryon still endures, his threefold form rising once more, ready to reclaim what was stolen.
Personality & Motivations
Despite his monstrous form, Geryon was no mindless brute. He was a ruler, a strategist, and a being of deep pride. His nature was bound to the land he ruled, and he sought not conquest, but preservation—the defense of his domain from those who would take it by force. He valued strength above all else, believing that only those who proved their worth in battle deserved to rule.
Yet beneath his unwavering might lay a fear he would never speak aloud: the fear of being forgotten. Geryon knew that power alone was not enough to ensure immortality, and he sought to carve his legend into the bones of history, ensuring his name would never fade. His hatred for Heracles and all who followed in the hero’s footsteps burns eternal, fueling his wrath against those who seek to prove themselves at his expense.
Physical Appearance
Geryon is a terrifying fusion of three warriors in one being. His form is colossal, standing over twenty feet tall, with three muscular torsos fused at the waist, each bearing its own head crowned with a bronze war-helm. His six arms wield weapons of ruin—colossal axes, iron-tipped spears, and serrated swords that drip with the ichor of those who challenged him. A crimson cloak, stitched from the hides of fallen beasts, billows behind him, and his deep-set eyes burn like embers in a storm, filled with the fury of a warrior who refuses to be forgotten.
His skin is like sun-scorched bronze, scarred from countless battles but never broken. The ground trembles beneath his steps, and when he roars, his three voices echo as one—a war cry that shatters the courage of even the bravest adventurers. Those who stand before Geryon do not face a mere foe; they stand against an ancient force of defiance, a legend that refuses to die.
Geryon 5e
Geryon 5e
Geryon 3.5
Geryon, the Threefold Tyrant
Gargantuan Fiend (Giant), Lawful Evil
Armor Class: 22 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 525 (30d12+240)
Speed: 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 (+10) | 18 (+4) | 28 (+9) | 24 (+7) | 20 (+5) | 24 (+7) |
Saving Throws: Strength +18, Constitution +17, Wisdom +13, Charisma +15
Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities: Fire, Psychic
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified
Senses: Truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages: Infernal, Giant, Common
Challenge Rating: 23 (50,000 XP)
Traits
- Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If Geryon fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
- Tyrannical Presence: As a bonus action, Geryon can choose one creature within 60 feet of him that can see or hear him. That creature must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of Geryon for 1 minute. A creature that succeeds on this save is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.
- Threefold Body: Geryon has three distinct heads and bodies. He can take three reactions on each turn and can use three bonus actions, one per head. He makes saving throws against effects that would affect him to a single body with advantage.
- Fiendish Resilience: Geryon can use his reaction to halve the damage from a critical hit made against him.
- Regeneration: Geryon regains 30 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point. If Geryon takes radiant damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of his next turn.
Actions
- Multiattack: Geryon makes three attacks, one with each of his three spears. He can also use his Blazing Shield or Infernal Roar as part of this attack.
- Spear of Ruin: Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d10+10) piercing damage. On a critical hit, the target must make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or take an additional 21 (6d6) fire damage.
- Blazing Shield (Recharge 5-6): Geryon raises his shield, creating a fiery barrier around him. All creatures within 10 feet of him must make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 35 (10d6) fire damage, or half as much on a successful save.
- Infernal Roar (Recharge 5-6): Geryon lets out a terrifying roar, causing the ground to tremble. All creatures within 30 feet that can hear him must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of Geryon’s next turn.
Legendary Actions
Geryon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Geryon regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
- Spear Strike: Geryon makes one Spear of Ruin attack.
- Shield Bash (Costs 2 Actions): Geryon slams one of his shields into a creature within 10 feet of him. The target must succeed on a DC 22 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone and pushed 15 feet away.
- Fiendish Fury (Costs 3 Actions): Geryon unleashes an explosion of fiendish energy. All creatures within 30 feet must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or take 45 (10d8) necrotic damage, or half as much on a successful save.
Regional Effects
The following effects occur within 6 miles of Geryon’s domain, Erytheia, an island perpetually bathed in twilight.
- Twilight Aura: The sky above the island is always overcast, casting an eerie, dim light in the region. Creatures on the island have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, and creatures attempting to track others have disadvantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks.
- Cattle’s Curse: Any creature that comes within 1 mile of Geryon’s cattle, or who attempts to steal from him, suffers the Tyrant’s Wrath. The creature must succeed on a DC 22 Charisma saving throw or be cursed with unrelenting pursuit by fiends. Until the curse is broken (via remove curse or similar magic), the creature has disadvantage on all saving throws against fiendish creatures.
- Fiendish Minions: Geryon can summon 1d4 Fiendish Beasts (use the stats for Fiendish Dire Wolves) per day to aid him in battle. These creatures are fiercely loyal to him and obey his every command.
Tactics
Geryon is a tactician who uses his multiple heads and reactions to overwhelm foes in battle. His strategy is to engage multiple targets at once, using his Spear of Ruin to deal massive damage, while activating Blazing Shield to inflict fire damage to those close to him. He uses Fiendish Fury to damage large groups of enemies at once and can turn the tide of battle with his Infernal Roar.
He will target the weakest enemies with his Spear of Ruin and save his Legendary Actions for countering spellcasters or enemies that attempt to flee or hide. Geryon’s threefold body ensures that no single strike can incapacitate him, and his Regeneration keeps him alive long after most enemies would have fallen.
Adventure Hooks
- The Red Cattle: A powerful noble hires the adventurers to retrieve the legendary red cattle of Geryon, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. They will need to navigate the treacherous lands of Erytheia and face Geryon’s wrath if they wish to succeed.
- The Tyrant Returns: Geryon seeks to reclaim his lost cattle and plans to invade the mortal world. The adventurers must stop him before he assembles an army of fiends and titans to lay waste to everything in his path.
- The Curse of Erytheia: A powerful curse afflicts the land surrounding Erytheia, and a desperate village begs the adventurers to find a way to break the curse before Geryon returns to reclaim his domain.
D&D 5E Epic Monsters: Geryon and Orthos
As is typical in this column the subject changes drastically depending on the source material. Sometimes Geryon has three bodies and heads, or three bodies and one head, or in Dante’s Inferno he’s a manticore-wyvern monstrosity, then in a work called the Geryoneis the poet Stesichoros wrote he was six-handed, six-footed, and winged. In this instance we’re going with the classic three-headed version with the two-headed canine Orthos (also known as Orthrus). Geryon is related to the pegasus, Titans, and medusa though this isn’t what most people know him for—that would be his excellent cattle, the very same cows that Heracles/Hercules is made to acquire from the giant’s western Mediterranean island home (Erytheia) as the tenth labor.
Geryon
Large giant, neutral
Armor Class 16 (breastplate, shield)
Hit Points 210 (20d10+100)
Speed 35 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 21 (+5) | 10 (+0) | 20 (+5) | 10 (+0) | 15 (+2) | 13 (+1) |
Saving Throws Dex +3, Cha +4; Proficiency +3
Skills Animal Handling +5, Investigation +3, Perception +8, Persuasion +4, Religion +3
Senses passive Perception 23
Languages Greek
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Power Attack (1/Turn). When Geryon makes his first melee weapon attack in a turn, he can choose to take a –5 penalty to his melee weapon attack rolls in exchange for a +10 bonus to melee weapon damage. In addition, Geryon can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack after he uses a melee weapon to reduce a creature to 0 hit points or scores a critical hit with it. Geryon can only use this trait on his turn.
Three Heads. Geryon gains double his proficiency bonus to and has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks (included above). In addition, he has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Geryon attacks four times.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) bludgeoning damage.
Spear (3). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Extra Reaction. Geryon can take a second reaction each round.
Orthos
Medium monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 30 (4d8+12)
Speed 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 18 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 4 (–3) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +5; Proficiency +2
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +4, Survival +3
Senses passive Perception 20
Languages —
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Two Heads. Orthos has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Orthos attacks twice with its bite and once with its snake-tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Snake-Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage.
Geryon
Monster Encyclopaedia II: The Dark Bestiary
Author J. C. Alvarez
Series Monster Encyclopaedia
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2005
This is a truly monstrous creature. It appears as a giant, but it has three bodies, three sets of arms and three pairs of legs, all attached to a single grotesque head. When it speaks, three voices seem to come out of its throat simultaneously.
Geryid giants are hateful, aberrant beings, rejected and feared even by other geryids; therefore these creatures usually live alone (which should not be that bad, considering they have three bodies). A geryid giant looks like a Huge, dark-skinned humanoid with coarse hair all over its body and three bodies attached to its only head. These three bodies stand facing outwards, back-to-back.
The creature has six arms and six legs, which it can move independently.
Male geryids average 30 feet in height and their combined bodies give them an approximate weight of 31,000 pounds.
All of a geryid giant’s arms are capable of wielding weapons without any problem or limitation. Geryid giants dress sparsely, with crude short tunics and sandals. It goes without saying that these clothes have to be custom-made to fit the creature.
Geryids speak Common and Giant.
| Giant, Geryid | |
| Huge Giant | |
| Hit Dice | 26d8+211 (328hp) |
| Initiative | -1 |
| Speed | 40 ft. (8 squares) |
| AC | 22 (-2 size, -1 Dexterity, +15 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 22 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +19/+42 |
| Attack | Greatclub +32 melee (3d8+22) |
| Full Attack | 3 Greatclubs +32/+27/+22/+17 melee (3d8+22) |
| Space/Reach | 15 ft. /15 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Multiple bodies |
| Special Qualities | Low-Light Vision, multiple faces |
| Saves | Fort +25, Ref +7, Will +11 |
| Abilities | Strength 41, Dexterity 8, Constitution 27, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 12, Charisma 14 |
| Skills | Intimidate +16, Listen +25, Spot +25 |
| Feats | Alertness, Cleave, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Power Attack, Snatch, Toughness, Weapon Focus (Greatclub) |
| Environment | Warm plains and coastland |
| Organisation | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating | 17 |
| Treasure | Double standard |
| Alignment | Usually chaotic evil |
| Advancement | 27-52 HD (Gargantuan), 53-78 HD (Colossal) |
| Level Adjustment | – |
Combat
Geryids appear to fight chaotically, each of its bodies acting separately and independently while attached to each other. Only close observation (which usually entails deadly risks for the observer) reveals that there is some co-ordination in it all and, in fact, each of a geryid’s bodies is a skilful and fearsome opponent.
Multiple Bodies (Ex): A geryid is much more than a monster with six arms and six legs – each of the creature’s three bodies is able of independent action, which goes far beyond simply making more attacks per round. Basically, each round a geryid can take one full-round action for each of its bodies. This means a geryid might be making a full attack with one of its bodies while it throws rocks with the other, grapple three enemies at the same time and so on. For a geryid, an attack action might actually be three attacks (one with each of its bodies), for example. The only limitation is the geryid cannot take impossible or contradictory actions, such as moving in two directions at the same time.
A geryid giant may make a total of three attacks of opportunity each round, one with each of its bodies, even if they are all made against the same creature. A geryid is still limited to one such attack per opportunity. By spending a move action with one of its bodies, a geryid may position itself so two of its bodies are flanking a single Large or smaller creature. A geryid giant may freely use the aid another action to help itself, provided it has enough standard actions to do so.
Multiple Faces (Ex): A geryid giant cannot be flanked, though it can be taken flat-footed.
In Myth
Geryon, son of Chrysaor and Callirhoe, was a fearsome titan who dwelt on the island Erytheia of the Hesperides in the far west of the Mediterranean. Geryon had three heads and three bodies with a total of six arms the three bodies were joined to one pair of legs. Apart from these weird features, his appearance was that of a warrior. He owned a two-headed hound named Orthrus, which was the brother of Cerberus, and a herd of magnificent red cattle that were guarded by Orthrus, and a herder Eurytion, son of Erytheia
The Tenth Labour of Heracles
Heracles was required to travel to Erytheia, in order to obtain the Cattle of Geryon as his tenth labour. On the way there, he crossed the Libyan desert and became so frustrated at the heat that he shot an arrow at Helios, the Sun. Helios “in admiration of his courage” gave Heracles the golden cup he used to sail across the sea from west to east each night. Heracles used it to reach Erytheia.
When Heracles reached Erytheia, no sooner had he landed than he was confronted by the two-headed dog, Orthrus. With one huge blow from his olive-wood club, Heracles killed the watchdog. Eurytion the herdsman came to assist Orthrus, but Heracles dealt with him the same way.
On hearing the commotion, Geryon sprang into action, carrying three shields, three spears, and wearing three helmets. He pursued Heracles at the River Anthemus but fell a victim to an arrow that had been dipped in the venomous blood of the Lernaean Hydra, shot so forcefully by Heracles that it pierced Geryon’s forehead, with a shrill, despairing groan, Geryon swayed, then fell, nevermore to rise.
Heracles then had to herd the cattle back to Eurystheus. Cacus stole some of the cattle as Heracles slept, making the cattle walk backwards so that they left no trail, a repetition of the trick of the young Hermes. Heracles drove his remaining cattle past a cave, where Cacus had hidden the stolen animals, and they began calling out to each other. In others, Caca, Cacus’ sister, told Heracles where he was. Heracles then killed Cacus founded an altar where the Forum Boarium, the cattle market, was later held.
To annoy Heracles, Hera sent a gadfly to bite the cattle, irritate them and scatter them. The hero was within a year able to retrieve them. Hera then sent a flood which raised the level of a river so much, Heracles could not cross with the cattle. He piled stones into the river to make the water shallower. Heracles then had to kill a monster that was half-woman and half-serpent. When he finally reached the court of Eurystheus, the cattle were sacrificed to Hera.