Homebrew Gargoyle Species Details

 

Gargoyles first came into being during the archaic age due to the experimentations of magic - specifically dark magic. Powerful warlocks and wizards carved creatures from stone and imbued them with enchantments and curses to bring them to life. Since then, the number of gargoyles being carved has reduced drastically yet somehow they still appear to be growing in numbers by themselves. How is unknown. Over time, different styles and types of gargoyles have become popular which creates a wide diversity of the creatures today. Whilst seen as familiars or pets in the past, they have now taken to their own way of life. This usually involves finding a certain area or building and acting as a statue to fool passersby. They seem to find this extremely amusing and are now so taken to it that they extremely dislike being ordered or controlled like they once were.

 

In general, gargoyles are quite solitary and rarely communicate or travel with others. 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 grudge-bearing, overprotective, 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.

 

Gargoyles' names are usually general human names at their time of carving, perhaps taken from their creator. However, a lot also prefer to use old, archaic names taken from their homeland and roots.

Male: Claw, Coldstone, Griff, Leo, Stagheart, Pog, Talon

Female: Duula, Esteru, Hester, Kuonu, Jade, Oestra, Ophelia, Seestra, Uovana, Una

Gargoyle Traits

Grotesque constructs carved from stone

Ability Score Increase

Your constitution score increase by 1

Age

Age is up to the player and DM.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60ft of you as if you were in bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Stone Skin

While you are wearing no armor, your armor class is 12 + your Dexterity modifier. You can’t use this feature if your wearing armor.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 30 ft. To use this speed you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

False Appearance

While you remain motionless, you are indistinguishable from an I smite statue of a gargoyle. You must spend one minute motionless before this ability takes effect. You must maintain concentration during that time, as if you were casting a spell.

Elemental Nature

Instead of sleeping gargoyles meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in a way, you get the same benefit a human does from 8 hours of sleep. While gargoyles don’t need to eat, many evil gargoyles have become addicted to eating the flesh of creatures they have killed, and can become mentally unstable without eating for a few days.

Dark Pulse

You can cast the chill touch cantrip as an action. When you cast this spell using this feature, the spell has a range of 5ft from 120ft and you make a melee spell attack against the target instead of 120ft, and you make a melee spell attack instead of a ranged spell attack. Once you reach 5th level you can cast vampiric touch spell as a 3rd-level spell, and may cast it as a reaction when either a creature you can see is within range hits you with an attack or you use the attack action. Once you have cast the vampiric touch spell using the feature, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Strength is your spellcasting ability for these spells.