| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Type | Magical beast |
| Image | Wizards.com image |
| Stats | Open Game License stats |
| Publication history | |
| Mythological origins | Khalkotauroi |
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the gorgon is a magical beast that resembles a bull, covered in dusky metallic scales.
Even though they are named after the mythological Gorgons, their form is more associated with the mythical creatures the Khalkotauroi and the catoblepas.
The gorgon was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set (1974), where they were described as bull-like monsters with a breath capable of turning creatures to stone.[1] They were also detailed in the Eldritch Wizardry supplement[2][3]
The gorgon appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977),[4] where it is described as a bull-like creature covered in thick metal scales, that breathes a cloud of noxious vapors which turn any creature to stone.
The gorgon is further detailed in Dragon #97 (May 1985), in "The Ecology of the Gorgon," by Ed Greenwood.[5]
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the gorgon, in the Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set (1981 & 1983),[6][7] and the Companion Rules (1984).[8] The gorgon was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991),[9] and the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994).
The gorgon appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989),[10], and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).[11]
The Parthoris gorgon appears in Dragon #256 (February 1999).
The gorgon appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).[12]
The gorgon appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).
The guardian gorgon appears in Dungeonscape (2007).
The gorgon appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), including the iron gorgon and the storm gorgon.[13]
A gorgon can breathe out a cone of vapor that turns creatures to stone. They are very aggressive creatures that attack intruders on sight, attempting to trample, gore, or petrify them. There is no way to calm these furious creatures, and they are impossible to domesticate.
A gorgon is not very intelligent, and therefore always neutral in alignment. They usually live in temperate plains, in small packs of 3-4, or larger herds.
In the Eberron campaign setting, the gorgon is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked House Cannith.
Official sources:
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