Gorgon 5e Homebrew (WIP)

This was originally a small collection of spells designed to help represent a PC gorgon. These would be for Warlocks or Sorcerers as the two classes that best simulate an innate power.  However, I have since added other homebrew elements including a sorcerous heritage and a PC race. I am editing as I receive suggestions. Add comments below or on whatever thread you see this linked.

If you know who drew this, please tell me so I can credit them.

Sorcerous Origin: Gorgon

Unlike monstrous medusas, you come by your power honestly via descent or a blessing rather than feeding on Medusa's fevered nightmares like a parasite. While Medusa rests in the not quite death of deities, you have inherited her role and powers in the world. An entity of transformation, rebirth and death who stands as mediator between worlds.  At least, in theory, because while you have inherited a fraction of her powers there is little but expectation holding you to her tasks. 

Serpentine Locks: At 1st level your hair becomes a mass of serpentile locks and you can choose one of the following cantrips as a bonus not counting against your total number of known cantrips: Poison Spray, Stone Glance, or Slivers of Stone. You also add the gorgon spells to the list of spells you can choose to learn as a sorcerer.

Gorgon's Blood: At 1st level you have Advantage on saving throws vs Petrification, Polymorph, and Poison effects.

Serpentine Affinity: At 6th level you can Speak to Animals, only with snakes, at will without spending a spell slot or using components. Serpents and serpentile monsters of animal intelligence won't attack you unless magically compelled or attacked first. When you make a Charisma check with serpentile entities of above animal intelligence; such as Couatls, Lillends, Mariliths, Nagas, and Yuan-ti; your proficiency bonus is doubled if it applies. However, medusas (and those with a yet-dormant medusa curse) recognize in you the blood of the one whose torment their eternal life is born from and will immediately be hostile.

Gift of Rebirth: At 14th level, as an echo of the original nature of the goddess who first bore the name Medusa, before she was defiled, a Gorgon sorcerer learns the Reincarnate spell which does not count against their spells known. Those reincarnated this way and children they have afterwards possess a trace of gorgon's blood which may express fully later. (IE. It's a fluff explanation for taking gorgon sorcerer levels). (I tend to see this as a ribbon ability, it's mostly fluff despite giving reincarnation to a sorcerer because it won't often come up.)

Serpentine Form: At 14th level, the gorgon sorcerer can also merge their legs into a single tail as a bonus action. While in such a form they can take a Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action and gain a climbing speed of 20. Armor, clothing or magical items are merged into the serpent's form and continue their normal function.

Gorgon's Eternity: At 18th Level the gorgon sorcerer becomes immune to unnatural aging and ages slower. Every 10 years passed count as only 1 year to the gorgon.

Mediator Between Worlds: At 18th Level the gorgon sorcerer adopts some of the other aspects of the original Medusa. By spending 5 Sorcery points you can force all extraplanar creatures within 60ft to cease hostilities. Fiends, Celestials, Elementals, and Fey within the area of effect must make a Wisdom Saving throw versus your sorcerer Save DC or cease taking hostile action to anybody. This lasts for 10 minutes or until someone breaks the truce with a hostile action. During this time, the assorted entities will expect the gorgon to actively mediate the current situation.

Gorgon Spells

Stone Glance

Transmutation Cantrip

Casting Time: Reaction

Range: 30 ft

Components: V, S

Duration: To end of target's next turn.

When a creature that you can see approaches within 30 feet of you, you can spend a Reaction to cast this spell. The target must make a Constitution saving throw against your Save DC. If they fail, their Speed is immediately reduced by 15 feet as their limbs start to turn into stone. This lasts until the end of their next turn. Creatures immune to petrification are unaffected. 

At 5th level, the target's suffers Disadvantage on their next attack. At 11th Level the target's Speed is reduced by 30 ft. At 17th Level the next attack on the target gains Advantage. 

Slivers of Stone

Transmutation Cantrip

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 30 ft

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You focus your gaze on a creature within range that you can see and can see you causing pieces of their body to momentarily shift into stone. The target has to make a Constitution Saving Throw against your save DC. If they fail, they suffer 1d10 Slashing damage as pieces of their body momentarily shift into stone and tear up the body from the inside. Creatures immune to petrification are unaffected.

Note: It has been suggested that enemies who are reduced to 0 HP and fail their death save to this spell could also be petrified instead of killed similar to the higher level spells.

At 5th Level, the damage increases to 2d10. At 11th Level the damage increases to 3d10. At 17th Level the damage increases to 4d10.

Statuary Gaze

1st Level Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self (Cone)

Components:V, S

Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute

Focusing your gaze ahead and shouting aloud you force everyone in a 15 foot cone originating at you to make a Constitution Saving Throw against your save DC. Anyone who fails is Restrained as their skin turns hard like stone as long as you maintain concentration. The targets can attempt a Strength Saving Throw against your save DC at the end of each of their turns to end the effect. As long as you don't move, you can spend a Bonus Action to give targets Disadvantage on the following Strength saves to end the effect.

Higher Level: By spending a higher level spell slot you extend the size of the cone. By spending a 3rd or 4th level spell slot, you increase the size of the cone to 30 ft. By spending a 5th or 6th level spell slot, you can increase the size of the cone to 45 ft. By spending a 7th or higher level spell slot, you can increase the size of the cone to 60 ft.

Stone Shell

2nd Level Transmutation

Casting Time: Reaction

Range: 30 ft

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

When an ally you can see and who can see you with 30 ft is damaged by non-Psychic damage, you can spend a Reaction to give them Resistance against the damage suffered as their outer skin briefly becomes stone to divert the attack. Their Speed is also halved until the end of their next turn. 

Creatures immune to petrification are unaffected.

Higher Level: If you cast the spell with a higher level spell slot, you can affect multiple allies with the same effect. Allies that aren't currently under attack are protected until the end of their next turn with the same effect, including the loss of Speed. The spell affects 1 extra person for each additional spell level over 2nd.

Nullify Gaze

3rd Level Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self (20 ft radius)

Components: V,S

Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute

As long as you maintain this spell, the effect of hostile gazes within 20ft of you are reduced in effectiveness. For creatures with a CR less than half your Level, their gazes are simply not effective on allies within the affected area. For creatures with a CR up to your Level, allies have Advantage on saving throws against hostile gazes. For creatures with a CR higher than your Level, allies have a +2 on Saving Throws to resist.

Clutch of Stone

3rd Level Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60 ft

Components: V,S

Duration: Instantaneous

You target a creature you can see and who can see you by turning fragments of their insides into simple stone to wrack them with pain. The target must make a Constitution Saving Throw against your Save DC. On a Failure they suffer 6d8 damage and lose their next Action. On a successful saving throw, they suffer half as much damage and do not lose their next Action. Creatures reduced to 0 hit points by this spell are Petrified instead of killed. Creatures immune to petrification are unaffected.

Higher Level: For each level Spell Slot higher than 3rd, increase the damage dealt by 1d8.

Softening Blood (Ritual)

3rd Level Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (caster's blood)

Duration: Instantaneous

The caster can smear their blood on individuals suffering from the Petrified condition in order to remove it. The caster suffers 5d6 damage and the target has the Petrified condition removed.

Higher Level: For each level Spell Slot higher than 3rd, reduce the damage suffered by 1d6 to a minimum of 1d6.

Heart of Stone

4th Level Enchantment

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60ft

Components: V,S

Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute

You can harden the heart of someone you can see and who can see you by use of this spell. While under the affect of this spell, the target is unaffected by spells and abilities that affect or depend on emotions. Among other things, they are immune to Charmed and Frightened effects, cannot Rage, and cannot benefit from Inspiration (bardic or otherwise). Creatures immune to petrification are unaffected.

Higher Level: For each level Spell Slot higher than 4th you can target one more person.

Sanctuary Piercing Gaze

5th Level Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60 ft

Components: V,S

Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute

You can target a creature you can see and who can see you with a focused curse that strips protection from them. The target must make a Wisdom Saving Throw against your Save DC. If they fail, then they lose one immunity of the caster's choice for the duration of the effect. If you lose line of sight to the target, then the spell ends.

Medusa's Mantle

5th Level Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self

Components: V,S

Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute

For the duration of the spell, creatures within 30 ft of you who can see you at the start of their turn must make a Constitution save vs your spell DC. Those who fail are Restrained until the end of your next turn. You may spend a Reaction to cause a creature who failed the save to become Petrified until the end of your next turn instead. If you spend an Action each round, this only affects enemies.

Higher Level: If you spend a 7th or higher level Spell Slot, you only need to spend a Bonus action for the spell to focus only on enemies.

Gorgon's Aegis

6th Level Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: Touch

Components: V,S,M (one drop of caster's blood for each person affected)

Duration: 24 Hours (See Below)

The caster can infuse up to ten willing targets with the essence of their blood. For each target protected, the Caster reduces their Maximum Hit Points by 3 for the duration of the spell. The affected targets can choose whether to be affected by Petrification or Polymorph effects and are immune to the Poisoned status and Poison damage.

Alternately, the caster can permanently reduce their maximum Hit Points to permanently protect one willing target in the same way. The first time this requires a permanent reduction of 10 HP, but for each additional person the caster shields in the future the reduction increases by 5 HP. So the second permanent protection reduces the caster's Max HP by 15. The third permanent protection reduces it by 20. And so on. A person who has been permanently protected may experience some cosmetic changes to their appearance.

Note: I am tempted to also grant a permanently protected person the Stone Glance cantrip, but am uncertain of allowing that. Though this would be a good explanation for allowing a character to take levels as a Gorgon Sorcerer. Also, the temporary protection might be too hefty a Max HP loss. I want the ramping HP loss for permanent protection to keep that more of once in a campaign, roleplaying thing than a common use thing.

Medusa's Torment

7th Level Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 90 ft

Duration: Instantaneous

The spell exposes a creature to the unbridled torment of Medusa's anguish and sorrow at its most intense. This psychic backlash echoes backward from the first target to strike three more targets of the caster's choice within 30 ft of the first. Each target must be a thinking creature and can only be targeted once.

A target must make a Wisdom saving throw. The target takes 10d8 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save. Creatures reduced to 0 hit points are Petrified instead of killed.

Higher Level: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 8th level or higher, one additional target is struck by the force of Medusa's pain for each slot level above 7th.

Gorgon - Race

(Actually, I prefer the sorcerous heritage as it allows for the gorgon trait to touch on multiple races easier. On the other hand, the race makes it easier to do gorgons of various classes. Sigh.)

"What did you think you'd find?"  the hooded figure asked. She interrupted the knight before he could answer. "Don't bother, I can guess more or less. The curse strikes the theives who seek to profit off Her torment. She doesn't curse the children."

She pulled the hood down to reveal the slender serpents growing from her head coiling in and out like a mane of living hair. Everyone nearby flinched and some reached for their weapons. The woman eyed this all with a flat and cynical stare held over a humorless smirk.

"Society does a good enough job on its own cursing us," she spoke.

The beings known as medusas were once mortals who made a deal for eternal youth and beauty. Over time, most descended into cruel debaucheries and sadistic games. Then, one day, they awoke with snakes for hair and the curse of the medusa in full form. In rare circumstances, such beings sire children sometime after the curse has struck. These men and women bare some of the characteristic appearances and abilities of the medusa, but without the dread power and curse of the monsters.

Lonely Existence

There may be one or two bloodlines of gorgon that breed true, but most are the solitary young of a cruel and sadistic monster. Some finding themselves having to grow up with a horrendous parent and a litany of torments. Others escape or else their medusa sire is slain is that they can live in relative safety, but in such cases they often find that society at best holds them at arm's length and at worst seeks to strangle the life from them. As such, the majority of gorgon have a cynical outlook on life.

Private Hopes

Gorgons consider life to be fraught with all manner of trials that progressively harden one's heart to stone before eroding that stone down to dust. They treasure sources of joy the way a miser treasures gold and fear that if the source of their happiness were known then it would inevitably be destroyed. Thus they conceal their happiness behind facades of morose pessimism. Their greatest fear is to come to a point of perfect and complete happiness only to have everything crash down around them. To show a true smile is to invite the world to destroy it.

Shadow of the Curse

Gorgons often find themselves drawn to seeking and slaying medusas. The motivation varies from individual to individual. Some believe the existence of medusas causes torment to a sleeping goddess, the original Medusa; others are looking to rescue other gorgons, innocents like themselves; hateful revenge is another motivation: and still others simply find it convenient due to their resistance to petrification. In addition, there is a rumor that even in medusa-born the curse can come to full life if one becomes sadistic and vile enough. Others wonder, if that were true, what would happen should they become charitable and valorous.

Gorgon Traits

Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma score increases by 2. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age: Gorgons mature at the same rate as humans but have a similar lifespan to elves, being able to live to 750 years. When a gorgon goes out on their own depends on their heritage. One raised by other gorgons might not strike out until they are 50 to 100 years old. One rescued from a medusa might be on their own by the age of 20.

Alignment: Gorgons tend to be cynical and self-reliant causing them to lean toward a curmudgeonly Chaotic Neutral for the most part, but gorgons of all alignments exist.

Size: Gorgons are usually descended from humans and share their sizes and appearances, but gorgons born of other races are known to exist.

Speed: Your base walking speed is 30ft.

Darkvision: Possessing serpentile senses, the gorgons are able to see in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 ft of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Medusa's Blood: You have Advantage on saving throws to resist Petrification and Poison effects.

Serpent's Mantle: Gorgons know the Stone Glance cantrip. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast Statuary Gaze once per day as a 2nd level spell. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages: Gorgons can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.