Buy me a coffeeGorgon “Bronze Bull” (Khalkotauroi)
This bull-like creature seems to be made of interlocking metallic plates. Faint plumes of green smoke puff from its mouth.
Gorgons are magical, foul-tempered creatures—while they might appear to be constructs at first glance, beneath their artifical-looking armor plates they are made of flesh and bone. Like aggressive bulls, they challenge any unfamiliar creature they encounter, often trampling their opponent’s corpse or shattering its stony remnants until the creature is unrecognizable. The females are just as dangerous as the males, and the two sexes appear identical. A typical gorgon stands 6 feet tall and 8 feet long. It weighs 4,000 pounds.
Gorgons derive nutrients from the consumption of minerals, particularly the stone of their petrified victims, and any statues they create are likely to be gnawed thoroughly. They cannot digest metal or gems, so their dung (which resembles bitter-smelling gray powder) often contains small, raw crystals and nuggets of ore. Their aggression toward all other creatures means that there are few to no predators or other prey animals in their grazing grounds. Each herd is led by a dominant bull; solitary gorgons are usually adolescent bulls driven out of their herd by the lead bull.
Their flesh is tough but beefy (once the armored hide is removed), and to those who acquire the taste, quite filling. Many stone giant tribes believe eating gorgon meat enhances their own natural armor. Powdered gorgon horn is worth 250 gp as an alternate material component for magic items using bull’s strength, stoneskin, flesh to stone, statue, and similar magic.
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Gorgon
This bull-like creature seems to be made of interlocking metallic plates. Faint plumes of green smoke puff from its mouth.
Family: Gorgon
Large monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48)
Speed 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 11 (+0) | 18 (+4) | 2 (-4) | 12 (+1) | 7 (-2) |
Skills Perception +4
Condition Immunities petrified
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages –
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Special Traits
- Trampling Charge: If the gorgon moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the gorgon can make one attack with its hooves against it as a bonus action.
Actions
- Gore: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d12 + 5) piercing damage.
- Hooves: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
- Petrifying Breath (Recharge 5-6): The gorgon exhales petrifying gas in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a target begins to turn to stone and is restrained. The restrained target must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends on the target. On a failure, the target is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
About
Section 15: Copyright Notice
System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Gorgon CR 8
XP 4,800
N Large magical beast
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +17
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 20 (+11 natural, –1 size)
hp 100 (8d10+56)
Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +7
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee gore +14 (2d8+7), 2 hooves +9 (1d6+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon (60-foot cone, turn to stone, Fortitude DC 21 negates), trample (2d8+10, DC 21)
STATISTICS
Str 24, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 2, Wis 16, Cha 9
Base Atk +8; CMB +16; CMD 26
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +17
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Breath Weapon
A gorgon can use its breath weapon once every 1d4+1 rounds to create a 60-foot cone of green gas. Those caught in the area of the gas can attempt a DC 21 Fortitude save to resist the effects, but those who fail the save are immediately petrified.
This petrification is temporary—each round, a petrified creature can attempt a new DC 21 Fortitude save to recover from the petrification as long as it is not caught within the area of effect of the gorgon’s breath weapon a second time while petrified. A creature exposed to the gorgon’s breath a second time while already petrified becomes permanently petrified, and can no longer attempt to make additional Fortitude saves to recover naturally. The save DC is Constitution-based.
When captured by a monster trainer, gorgons grant the trainer access to taurinor spells.
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate plains, rocky hills, and underground
Organization solitary, pair, pack (3–4), or herd (5–12)
Treasure none
In Mythology
The Khalkotauroi are legendary creatures that appear in the Greek myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. They appear as two immense bulls with bronze hooves and in some tellings bronze mouths through which they breath fire. Jason is promised the prized fleece by King Aeetes if he can first yoke the Khalkotauroi and use them to plough a field. The field was then to be sown with dragon’s teeth,
Jason survived the burning flames of the bronze bulls as he was covered in a magical potion that protected him from the heat. The potion had been provided by Medea, King Aeetes own daughter, who had fallen in love with Jason.
The Khalkotauroi were a gift to King Aeetes from the Greek god of smiths, Hephaestus.
Hephaistos had also made for him Aeetes king of Kolkhis Bulls with feet of bronze the Khalkotauroi and bronze mouths from which the breath came out in flame, blazing and terrible. And he had forged a plough of indurated steel, all in one piece.