Homebrew Gorgon Species Details

 

Wandering alone, through tumbleweeds and cacti, a bronze tail enters down a large hole. Down bellow into smoothed stone and grime, scales rub against soil and hands grab the ledge and pull the gorgon up into her nest.

Byonshorn is cramped against the edges of the carved out crevice. But, it is cool and with her body curled around the mound of dirt two eggs reside in will keep her eggs hidden.

She doesn't remember when she found the eggs. When she turned from a scavenging wanderer in a desert into a mother of these eggs. They weren't even her blood. But they were alone. No hatchlings should fend for themselves from the moment of birth. Not like her.

— Erin M. Evans, The Adversary

 

Born of gargantuan snake beasts, as their name proclaims, the gorgon walk (slither?) with indifference through a world that greets them with fearful incomprehension. Shaped by sly gods or the serpentine ancestors themselves, gorgon originally hatched from snake eggs as a unique race, combining the best attributes of serpentine beasts and humanoids. Some gorgon are faithful servants to true dragons, others form the ranks of soldiers in great wars, and most find themselves adrift, with no clear calling in life or as loners.

Proud Dragon Kin

Gorgon would look human. If it wasn't for their tail 1.5 times their height, snake hair, scales, and slit eyes. The first gorgon had scales of vibrant hues matching the colors of their serpentine kin, but generations of interbreeding have created a more uniform appearance. Their small, fine scales are usually brass or bronze in color, sometimes ranging to scarlet, rust, gold, or copper-green. They are tall and narrow, often standing close to 6½ feet tall and weighing 300 pounds or more. Scales from the waste fade into skin around the belly button, the same with the arm fading to the elbow. Their hands are large and tail are strong, talon-like claws covered in scales with four fingers and a thumb on each hand.

The blood of a particular type of serpentine beast runs very strong through some gorgon clans. These gorgon often boast scales that more closely match those of their dragon ancestor—bright red, green, blue, or white, lustrous black, or gleaming metallic gold, silver, brass, copper, or bronze.

Self-Sufficient Clans

To any social gorgon, the clan is more like a unified territory, as they have a high level of independence. Though, Gorgon owe their devotion and respect to their clan above all else, even the gods. They protect each others land and families, and over time, they have adapted to include other races in their clans. Clans can vary from ancient villages of entirely gorgon supporting each other to whole cities with varieties of races.

A continual drive for self-improvement reflects the self-sufficiency of the race as a whole. Gorgons value skill and excellence in a variety. They hate to fail, and they push themselves to extreme efforts before they give up on something. A gorgon holds mastery of a particular skill as a lifetime goal. Members of other races who share the same commitment find it easy to earn the respect of a gorgon.

Though all gorgons strive to be self-sufficient, only those of age recognize that help is sometimes needed in difficult situations. They enjoy helping others, even if they don't admit it, more then receiving assistance themselves. But the best source for such help is the clan, and when a clan needs help, it turns to clan members before seeking aid outside of their territory—or even from the gods.

Gorgon Names

Gorgon have personal names given at birth, their family names as a last and clan is hyphened after the family name. first as a mark of honor. A childhood name or nickname is often used among clutch mates as a descriptive term or a term of endearment. The name might recall an event or center on a habit.

Male Names: Arjhan, Balasar, Bharash, Donaar, Ghesh, Heskan, Kriv, Medrash, Mehen, Nadarr, Pandjed, Patrin, Rhogar, Shamash, Shedinn, Tarhun, Torinn

Female Names: Akra, Biri, Daar, Farideh, Harann, Havilar, Jheri, Kava, Korinn, Mishann, Nala, Perra, Raiann, Sora, Surina, Thava, Uadjit

Childhood Names: Climber, Earbender, Leaper, Pious, Shieldbiter, Zealous

Clan Names: Clethtinthiallor, Daardendrian, Delmirev, Drachedandion, Fenkenkabradon, Kepeshkmolik, Kerrhylon, Kimbatuul, Linxakasendalor, Myastan, Nemmonis, Norixius, Ophinshtalajiir, Prexijandilin, Shestendeliath, Turnuroth, Verthisathurgiesh, Yarjerit

DISCRIMINATION

In many cases, modern gorgons are (unsurprisingly) discriminated. Part of their factor is that some of their serpentine ancestors tend to be destructive and hungry folk. They would slide through towns in disguise and pick off the leaders, afterwards disseminating whole towns. It made several smaller species such as gnomes, halflings, and dwarfs fear and/or hate them.

Gorgon Traits

Your serpentine heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other gorgon.

Snake Dreadlocks

A weird combination of actual hair and scales, the shape of snakes your hair takes can vary but is often simple. It often is long, as when cut, the snake turns into normal hair, and takes years to grow back. The more of the snakes cut off of a gorgon's hair, the more human they look. They keep the tail, however, until the last snake is cut off. When that happens, they are simply human (no turning back either, though still abnormally tall). This is not a shared fact however, as this is the most common fear among their kind. As most can assume, gorgons don't enjoy the presence barbers or scissors.

Their snake hair may do a close ranges attack. A full head of snakes has 4d4 piercing damage, anything below that has 2d4, and anything below 1/4 of snake hair only has 1d4. This bonus is forever lost if all the hair is cut off.

Tail Thrash

A close ranged tail attack, 1d8 Bludgeoning damage with advantage if the person being attacked is behind you.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom or Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age

Young gorgons grow quickly to a teen then slow down in adult hood. They hold themselves up right days after hatching, attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 5, and reach adulthood by 17. When they turn their peak around year 25-30, they stay that way for more than a 150 years. They live to be around 210.

Alignment

Gorgon tend to be neutral in the long run, but when making a conscious choice they take extremes for one side or the other in the cosmic war between good and evil. Most gorgon are good, but those who side with their destructive ancestors can be ruthless villains. 

Size

Gorgon are taller and heavier than most races, standing well over 7 feet tall and averaging almost 300 pounds. Your size is Large.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you are able to burrow at 10 feet as your races often make their homes in the cool underground.

Serpentine Ancestry

You have serpentine ancestry. Similar to dragon born, Choose one type of snake from the Serpentine Ancestry table. Your climate proficiency (survival and nature check bonuses, as well +10 speed when in the climate) and damage resistance are determined by the snake type, as shown in the table.

Serpentine Ancestry

 

SNAKE	Damage RESISTANCE	CLIMATE PROFICIENCY
Black	Acid	Swamp/Marshland
Blue	Lightning	Mountains
Brass	Fire	Desert/Wasteland
Bronze	Lightning	Desert/Wasteland
Copper	Acid	Swamp/Marshland
Gold	Fire	Desert/Wasteland
Green	Poison	Grasslands/Woodlands
Red	Fire	Woodlands/Desert
Silver	Cold	Mountains
White	Cold	Mountains

Yellow

Lightning

Woodlands/Grasslands

Damage Resistance

You have resistance to the damage type associated with your serpentine ancestry.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Snakes Tongue. Snake's Tongue is thought to be one of the strangest languages and is often accented use for intimidation. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and dragged out sibilants.