Homebrew Medusa Species Details
Medusae are a race that is birthed through vanity. Searching for immortality, people wanting to be eternally beautiful tend to find what they wish using their beauty and power. However the gift they seek so haughtily is actually an ancient and devastating curse. The cursed individual soon finds that their immortality and beauty leads to a snake-like personage. Their hair transforms into writhing snakes and their eyes enforce pressure on all those who look upon them. The Medusa are a race of creatures stemming from a long history of curses. The curse is carried by the Medusa to his or her offspring, creating a race of dangerous and powerful creatures. Medusa live either individually or in large social groups, though their Gaze is a consistent threat to even their own kind. A Medusa's serpent hair is normally made of a single species of snake, though exceptions exist. Cursed Medusae continue to be obsessed with beauty, even if their concept of it disappears with the curse. Medusae offspring might not be quite so self-indulgent. Though myth depicts a Medusa's appearance to be unnaturally ugly, Medusae men and women retain their humanoid beauty, which further draws unsuspecting victims into their gaze.
Cursed Medusae pass their genes and traits on to their offspring and this also extends to children had with other humanoid races. As such, Medusa offspring tend to have a wide range of traits and can appear as monstrous as their Medusa parent or vaguely snakelike. It is not uncommon for the offspring of a Medusa to have hair, despite the monstrous parent having none whatsoever. It is important to note that despite the vast amount of possibilities, a child born from a Medusa is still a cursed being, their gaze is strong and they will have snake-like qualities. Medusae are naturally sadistic, and this trait is passed on to their children as well, but it does not overshadow their personalities. The latent curse of these children can be activated through any number of means, with the same effects that it had on their ancestors.
Medusa Traits
Your Medusa ancestry manifests itself in a variety of traits you share with other Medusae.Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom or Dexterity score increase by 1.
Alignment
Most Medusae are Lawful Evil. Genetic or Half-Medusa aren't inclined to follow in their parent's footsteps, some might choose to walk an entirely different path. Those raised in communities separate from their Medusa parents can have a wide range of alignments, dictated by the society they grow up in. Those raised in a Medusa community tend towards Lawful Evil.
Size
Your size is comparable to a human, ranging from 5 feet to over 6 feet. Your size is medium.
Age
Medusa children grow at the same rate as humans. While a purely cursed Medusa is granted immortality with the demerit of monstrous traits, a Half-Medusa or a genetic Medusa has a lifespan slightly longer than a humans. Some Half-Medusae can unlock their curse and obtain the full merit of their monstrous parent, but at the same cost.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision
You can see in dim light within 60 feet 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.
Snake Hair
As a Medusa your hair is a bundle of living snakes. Even so, you're not without fashion sense. Your hair can range from short to long, and can take a variety of styles. Your snakes are living creatures and it is possible for them to communicate with you through emotion or send images to you through sight or smell. Your snakes are normally a set species, designated at birth, and have a single type of coloration. This can be different on rare occasions where you might grow a snake with a mutation or have two kinds of snake species nestled in your hair. If the snake species normally don't get along in the wild, they probably won't get along on your head. These creatures are dangerous and should be treated with care, some are poisonous and others have a nasty bite. In combat, your hair is designed to strike and attack, but it is not a reliable weapon. It is mostly used for self-defense, and as such the range tends to be small no matter the length. Your snakes count as unarmed weapons.
Paralyzing Gaze
The most potent ability of the Medusae is diluted in genetic or Half-Medusa individuals. While the Cursed Medusa's gaze can petrify by accumulating pressure on an individual through their stare, your gaze is easier to prevent. As an action you can unleash the power of your curse through your stare. When you use this ability, a creature that is within 30 feet of you and whom you've locked gazes with must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. The targeted creature's movement becomes 0 until the end of your next turn. In addition, the creature becomes Paralyzed until the end of your next turn or until it takes damage. On a successful save, the targeted creature is effectively slowed and their movement becomes halved until the end of your next turn. You have 1 use of Paralyzing Gaze per long rest. At 6th and 11th levels you obtain one more charge of Paralyzing Gaze.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
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