Homebrew Gargoyle Species Details

These malevolent creatures of elemental earth resemble grotesque, fiendish statues. A gargoyle lurks among masonry and ruins, delighting in the terror it creates when it breaks from its suspended pose.

The inanimate gargoyles that perch atop great buildings are inspired by these malevolent creatures of elemental earth that resemble grotesque, fiendish statues. A gargoyle lurks among masonry and ruins, as still as any stone sculpture, and delights in the terror it creates when it breaks from its suspended pose, as well as the pain it inflicts on its victims.

Animate Stone

Gargoyles cling to rocky cliffs and mountains, or roost on ledges in underground caves. They haunt city rooftops, perching vulture-like among the high stone arches and buttresses of castles and cathedrals, and they can hold themselves so still that they appear inanimate. Able to maintain this state for years, a gargoyle makes an ideal sentry.

Deadly Reputation

Gargoyles have a reputation for cruelty. Statues carved into the likenesses of gargoyles appear in the architecture of countless cultures to frighten away trespassers. Although such sculptures are only decorative, real gargoyles can hide among them to ambush unsuspecting victims. A gargoyle might alleviate the tedium of its watch by catching and tormenting birds or rodents, but its long wait only increases its craving for harming sentient creatures.

Cruel Servants

Gargoyles are easily inspired by the cunning of an intelligent master. They enjoy simple tasks such as guarding a master’s home, torturing and killing interlopers, and anything else that involves minimum effort and maximum pain and carnage.

Gargoyles sometimes serve demons for their propensity for wanton chaos and destruction. Powerful spellcasters can also easily enlist gargoyle guardians to keep watch over their gates and walls. Gargoyles have the patience and fortitude of stone, and will serve even the cruelest master for years without complaint.

Gargoyle Names

Gargoyles often choose named reflective of their locale, or the culture found within.

Gargoyle Names: Goliath, Hudson, Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway, Bronx, Angela, Fu-Dog, Katana, Nashville, Egwardo, Othello, Desdemona, Coldstone, Coldsteel, Demona, Gabriel, Ophelia, Boudicca, Una, Leo, Griff, Staghart, Constance, Pog, Lunette, Kai, Sora, Yama, Zafiro, Jade, Turquesa, Obsidiana

Gargoyle Traits

Your gargoyle character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Age

A typical gargoyle can last for hundreds, if not thousands of years. As a gargoyle ages, it's stone begins to show signs of weathering and may even gain a few cracks and chips. You are immune to magical aging effects.

Size

Gargoyles often stand 5 to 6 feet tall and average 550 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Living Stone

Your stone construction grants you remarkable fortitude, represented by the following benefits:

• You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
• You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
• You are immune to disease.
• You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Arcane Sentinel

When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear indistinguishable from an inanimate statue, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.

Flight

You gain a flying speed of 50 feet.

Natural Armor

Due to the stony nature of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your hardy exterior gives you ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn’t affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal.

False Appearance

As a bonus action, you can take the hide action even if you aren't obscured by cover as long as you haven't moved in the same turn. You remain hidden until you move, attack, make a damage roll, or force someone to make a saving throw (or until a creature successfully spots you). Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.