Gargoyle

Medium Elemental, Chaotic Evil

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Armor Class: 15 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points: 52 (7d8 + 21)

Speed: 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	11 (+0)	16 (+3)	6 (-2)	11 (+0)	7 (-2)

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Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks not made with Adamantine weapons

Damage Immunities: Poison

Condition Immunities: Exhaustion, Petrified, Poisoned

Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10

Languages: Terran

Challenge: 2 (450 XP)

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False Appearance. While the gargoyle remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an inanimate statue.

Magic Resistance. The gargoyle has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

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Actions

Multiattack. The gargoyle makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

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Tactics

• Ambush Predator: Gargoyles use their False Appearance trait to lie in wait, appearing as part of the stone architecture until a target comes close. They then launch a surprise attack, aiming to use their Multiattack to deal significant damage in the first round.
• Aerial Assault: Gargoyles take advantage of their flight ability to stay out of reach of ground-bound foes. They may swoop down to attack with their bite and claws before retreating to the air to avoid counterattacks.
• Magic Resistance: When facing spellcasters, gargoyles rely on their Magic Resistance to minimize the impact of offensive spells. They prioritize attacking those who pose the greatest magical threat.

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Description:

Gargoyles are grotesque stone creatures, carved into demonic shapes with bat-like wings, sharp fangs, and claws. Their skin, tough as stone, is often covered in moss and lichen, blending seamlessly into their surroundings. These guardians of ancient ruins and cathedrals are animated by dark elemental forces, driven by a malevolent intelligence that seeks to spread fear and destruction.

Despite their fearsome appearance, gargoyles are cunning and patient hunters. By day, they remain motionless, appearing as nothing more than elaborate statues. By night, they come alive, patrolling their territories with relentless vigilance. Their eyes glow with a sinister light, a telltale sign of the dark magic that animates them.

Gargoyles are highly territorial and will defend their domain against any intruders with savage ferocity. They are known to work in pairs or small groups, coordinating their attacks to overwhelm their enemies. Though not particularly intelligent, they are driven by an ancient, primal urge to protect their homes and wreak havoc on the living.

Gargoyles often appear to be winged stone statues, 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.

Gargoyles often appear to be winged stone statues, for they can perch indefinitely without moving, allowing them to surprise their foes.

Gargoyles tend toward obsessive-compulsive behaviors that are as varied as their kind is plentiful. Books, stolen trinkets, weapons, and grisly trophies harvested from fallen foes are just a few examples of the types of things a gargoyle might collect to decorate its lair and territory.

Gargoyles tend toward a solitary lifestyle, though they sometimes form fearsome groups called “wings” for protection and sport. In certain conditions, a tribe of gargoyles might even ally with other creatures, but even the most stable alliances with a gargoyle tribe can collapse for the smallest of reasons—gargoyles are nothing if not treacherous, petty, and vindictive. Gargoyles have been known to dwell in the heart of the largest of cities, crouching amid the decorations of stone cathedrals and buildings where they hide in plain sight by day and swoop down to feed on vagabonds, beggars, and other unfortunates at night.

The longer a tribe of gargoyles abides in a region of ruins or buildings, the more its members come to resemble that region’s architectural styles. The changes a gargoyle’s appearance undergoes are slow and subtle, but over the course of years, it can shift radically.

One unusual variant of gargoyle dwells not amid buildings and ruins but under the waves of the sea. These creatures are known as kapoacinths—they have the same basic statistics as normal gargoyles, save that they have the aquatic subtype and their wings grant them a swim speed of 60 feet (but are useless for actual flight). Kapoacinths dwell in shallow, coastal regions where they can shamble up from the surf to prey on those that reside there. They are more likely to form wings, as kapoacinths prefer group living to a solitary lifestyle.

Gargoyle
Medium monstrous humanoid (Earth)
Hit Dice	4d8+19 (37 hp)
Initiative	+2
Speed	40 ft. (8 squares), Fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class	16 (+2 Dexterity, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple	+4/+6
Attack	Claw +6 melee (1d4+2)
Full Attack	2 claws +6 melee (1d4+2) and bite +4 melee (1d6+1) and gore +4 melee (1d6+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	Strength 15, Dexterity 14, Constitution 18, Intelligence 6, Wisdom 11, Charisma 7
Skills	Hide +7*, Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats	Multiattack, Toughness
Environment	Any
Organization	Solitary, pair, or wing (5-16)
Challenge Rating	4
Treasure	Standard
Alignment	Usually chaotic evil
Advancement	5-6 HD (Medium); 7-12 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment	+5

Combat

Gargoyles either remain still, then suddenly attack, or dive onto their prey.

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

Freeze (Ex): A 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 gargoyle is really alive.

Skills: Gargoyles have a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks. *The Hide bonus increases by +8 when a gargoyle is concealed against a background of stone.

Keen Sight (Ex) Gargoyles have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet and Low Light Vision.

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

Damage Reduction 15/+1 (Su) In campaigns without magic weapons, the GM can either disregard the gargoyle’s damage reduction or apply the damage reduction only to certain types of weapons (ballistic, bludgeoning, sonic/concussion, piercing, or slashing).

Skill Bonus: A gargoyle receives a +8 species bonus on Hide checks when concealed against a background of worked stone.

Bonus Feats: Gargoyles receive the bonus feats Weapon Finesse (bite), Weapon Finesse (claw), and Weapon Finesse (gore).

Automatic Language: Gargoyles speak (but neither read nor write) Terran.

Gargoyles as Characters

Gargoyle characters possess the following racial traits.

• +4 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +8 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -4 Charisma.
• Medium size.
• A gargoyle’s base land speed is 40 feet. It also has a Fly speed of 60 feet (average).
• –Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• Racial Hit Dice: A gargoyle begins with four levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +4, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4.
  
• -Racial Skills: A gargoyle’s monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 7 x ?(2 + Intelligence modifier). Its class skills are Hide, Listen, and Spot. A gargoyle has a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks, and an additional +8 bonus on Hide checks when it is concealed against a background of stone.
• -Racial Feats: A gargoyle’s monstrous humanoid levels give it two feats.
  – +4 natural armor bonus.
• -Special Qualities (see above): Damage reduction 10/magic, freeze.
• -Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: any 6
• -Favored Class: fighter.
  
  -Level adjustment +5.