Greater Medusa
Huge (-2) monstrous humanoid
Init: +5; Senses: Darkvision, +8 Spot.
Languages: Any two.
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Armor Class: 15 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12; Damage Reduction: none
Saving Throws: Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +5
Hit Points: 66 (12d8+12 Hit Dice)
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Speed: 30 feet, climb 20 feet, swim 20 feet.
Base Attack Bonus: +12; Grapple: +27
Attack: Composite shortbow (+7) +15 ranged (2d6+7/x3) or claw +19 melee (1d8+7) or snakes +19 melee (1d8+3 plus poison) or tail sweep +19 melee (1d8+10) or tail slap +19 melee (2d6+10) or stinger +19 melee (1d8+7 plus poison)
Full Attack: Composite shortbow +15/+10/+5 ranged (2d6+7/x3) or 4 claws +19 melee (1d8+7) and snakes +14 melee (1d8+3 plus poison) and tail slap +14 melee (2d6+10) or 4 claws +19 melee (1d8+7) and snakes +14 melee (1d8+3 plus poison) and stinger +14 melee (1d8+7 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 15-ft./10-ft.
Special Attacks: Animate victims, constrict 2d6+10, improved grab, petrifying gaze, poison, spells.
Special Qualities: Darkvision.
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Abilities: Str 25, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 15
Feats: Cleave, Combat Casting, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot; Proficiencies (Simple and martial weapons).
Skills: Bluff +9 (7 ranks), Diplomacy +9 (7 ranks), Disguise +8 (6 ranks), Intimidate +9 (7 ranks), Move Silently +9 (6 ranks), Spot +7 (6 ranks).
Possessions: Composite shortbow (+7), 20 arrows.
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Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Double standard.
Environment: Temperate marshes.
Activity Cycle: Nocturnal.
Organization: Solitary or covey (1 plus 0-3 medusas and 2-8 animated victims).
Advancement: By character class.
Alignment: Usually lawful evil.
Level Adjustment: -
A greater medusa is a larger, more powerful version of the common medusa. They are mutations that arise from medusae who attract the special attentions of a powerful fiend, elder dragon, or titan. The medusa retreats into her lair where she undergoes a gradual, painful metamorphosis over the course of eighteen months. Afterwards she emerges a monstrous, cursed creature quite removed from her once-beautiful form. The greater medusa has the head and torso of a beautiful, shapely woman twice the size of a human with four arms and snakes for hair. Her forearms swell with unnatural muscles, her hands twisted into saurian talons. Her legs merged together into a serpentine tail tipped with a venomous stinger. While her torso, upper arms, and face have smooth, milky-white skin, the rest of her body is covered in thick, ridged scales in greens and browns. The greater medusa develops sorcerous powers in this transformation, and with them the ability to animate her petrified victims.
Occasionally, a greater medusa will gather with a group of common medusas into a covey. They are typically sisters, products of the same curse, and together they work towards nefarious goals. Rumors have it that greater medusas know how to replicate the curse that creates medusas, and that such coveys will do so to captured human women of exceptional beauty.
A greater medusa stands around nine to fifteen feet tall, with a body that stretches out to thirty feet in length. She weighs around three or four tons.
Combat
A greater medusa prefers to strike from ambush to get targets into close range where their petrifying gaze and powerful bodies can come into play. Options include stealth and clever use of their alternate forms. They typically use their spells for either pre-battle buffs, de-buffing the enemy, or ranged attacks when melee fighting isn't appropriate. A typical greater medusa enters battle with mage armor, shield, protection from arrows, stoneskin, bull's strength, and fire shield activated (fire shield last as it has the shortest duration), increasing her AC to 23, +2 to melee attacks and damage, giving her DR 10/adamantine (soak 90 points), DR 10/magic (soak 90 points) against ranged weapons, and dealing an additional 1d6+9 damage (either cold or fire) to anyone making a melee attack or in a grapple with her. A greater medusa prefers to neutralize casters and rogues first by using her gaze attack, tripping and constricting opponents who survive. As a natural attack is still available in a grapple, the greater medusa often finds herself at a significant advantage when she brings her claws and rending ability into play against a constricted foe. Some rare greater medusas utilize a magic weapon in place of a claw attack, but most lack such equipment. They prize such items as amulets of mighty fists which augment their plethora of natural attacks.
The greater medusa's tail sweep attack affects a 15-foot semi-circle, attacking all targets within that range.
Monstrous Humanoid: As a monstrous humanoid, a greater medusa has darkvision. She is also proficient with Basic weapons and Bows. (Simple weapons and all bows for standard proficiencies. No armor.)
Alternate Form (Su): A greater medusa may assume the form of an attractive human woman, a giant constrictor snake, or a Medium viper.
Animate Victims (Sp): A greater medusa animates her petrified victims as a free action requiring 10 mp. Treat these poor souls as animated objects made of stone (hardness 8). Animated victims are under the greater medusa's command, but if commanded to do something strongly against the victim's moral code the victim is allowed a Will save DC 18 to resist the command. Even if successful, the victim is still a mindless statue under the greater medusa's power; it simply doesn't have to follow the hateful order.
Constrict (Ex): On a successful grapple check, a greater medusa deals 2d6+10 points of damage. A constricted opponent begins to suffocate.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a greater medusa must succeed on a tail slap attack. She can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If she wins the grapple check, she establishes a hold and can constrict.
Petrifying Gaze (Su): Turn to stone permanently, 30 feet, Fortitude DC 18 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 17, initial damage 1d6 Str, secondary damage 2d6 Str. The save DC is Constitution-based. Any character reduced to 0 Strength by this poison must make another Fortitude save (same DC) or be turned to stone.
Rend (Ex): A greater medusa who succeeds on two claw attacks latches onto the opponent's body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional 2d8+10 points of damage.
Spells: A greater medusa casts spells as a sorcerer of a level equal to her Hit Dice.
Spells Per Day: 6 0-level, 7 1st-level, 7 2nd-level, 6 3rd-level, 4 4th-level. Save DC 12 + spell level.
Typical Spells Known: 0- daze, detect poison, detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, message, ray of frost, touch of fatigue; 1st- alarm, mage armor, magic missile, obscuring mist, shield; 2nd- bull's strength, protection from arrows, resist energy, hideous laughter; 3rd- dispel magic, fly, hold person; 4th- fire shield, stoneskin.
Trip (Ex): A greater medusa who strikes an opponent with a tail sweep can attempt to trip the opponent (+7 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the greater medusa.
