Medusa, Stheno – 5th Edition SRD (2024)

Family: Medusa

Large monstrosity, neutral evil

Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
Hit Points 500 (40d10 + 280)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

Saving Throws Str +17, Con +16, Cha +12
Skills Deception +12, Insight +11, Perception +11, Stealth +11
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that are no adamantine
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 20 (25,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +6

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Brazen Scales. The metallic scales of a stheno are imbued with an immortal hardness that shatters most mortal weapons. In addition, any creature or weapon striking a stheno suffers 11 (1d6 + 8) points of slashing damage and any non-artifact weapon takes a permanent -1d4 damage. If the weapon’s total damage is reduced to zero it is destroyed. Normal weapons are automatically destroyed.
• Legendary Resistance (3/day). If a stheno fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
• Lingering Life. A stheno’s head remains alive even after her death. As an action, a creature can raise the head aloft and trigger its Loathsome Visage trait, which have the same effect they did when the stheno was alive until the beginning of the user’s next turn. Using this power is not without risk, however, as the stheno attempts a Snake Hair attack against the creature using it, and even if the attack misses the user must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or be affected as bestow curse. Each time the head’s power is used, it has a 10% cumulative chance to lose its powers forever.
• Loathsome Visage. When a creature that can see the medusa’s eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of her, she can force it to make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw if she isn’t incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is instantly petrified. Otherwise, on a failed save the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or ending the effect on a success. The petrification lasts until the creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can’t see a stheno until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at a stheno in the meantime, it must immediately make the save. If a stheno sees herself reflected on a polished surface within 30 feet of her and in an area of bright light, she is affected by her own gaze. A creature also becomes frightened on a failed saving throw for 1 minute. While frightened the target is also paralysed by the indescribable hideousness of the stheno’s face.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The stheno makes three attacks: one with her Brazen Claws, one with Twisted Coils, and one with her Snake Hair.
• Brazen Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage. The target must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or die. Creatures immune to poison damage do not need to make a Constitution saving throw. This attack scores a critical hit on a 19 or 20.
• Twisted Coils. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one Large or smaller creature. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 21). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and takes 48 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns, and the stheno can’t constrict another target.
• Snake Hair. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 34 (4d12 + 8) bludgeoning damage, and the stheno can pull the target up to 5 feet closer to her if it is a Large or smaller creature.

REACTIONS

• Blood Brood. As a reaction to taking slashing, piercing or necrotic damage or a critical hit of any type, she can spill her blood on the ground, causing a Swarm of poisonous Snakes or 1d3 giant scorpions (equal chance of either) to erupt from the ground within 5 feet of her location (or in the nearest open space) at the start of her next round. These creatures are immune to petrification and obey the stheno but crumble to dust 1 minute after they are created.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The stheno can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. She gains an extra legendary action for every two PCs above 4 (i.e., an extra legendary at 6 PCs, another at 8 PCs etc.) She can take only one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The stheno regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Some of her legendary actions are only available when she is bloodied (i.e., the first time she reduced to half her starting hit points).

• Move. The stheno moves up to her speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
• Snaky Hair. The stheno makes one attack with her snaky hair.
• Numbing Claws (Bloodied). The stheno makes two attacks with her claws. If both attacks hit the same creature, it takes an extra 7 (2d6) poison damage and must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or become paralyzed until the start of her next turn.
• Petrified World (Costs 2 Actions). The stheno causes stone spikes to erupt from the ground in a 30-foot radius sphere centered on her. The area becomes difficult terrain until the start of her next turn. Any creature, other than the stheno, takes 9 (2d8) piercing damage for every 5 feet it moves on those spikes.
• Look at Me! (Costs 3 Actions, Bloodied). The stheno can force a sighted creature she has grappled to see her eyes and be affected by her Loathsome Visage. The stheno must have fewer than half her hit points remaining to use this ability.

ABOUT

This lithe yet muscular creature has a winged and goldenskinned female torso atop a serpentine lower body clad in scales of tarnished brass. Her fingers are tipped with golden claws and her face flickers between passing beauty and a twisted mask of torment surmounted by a nest of golden serpents with glowing eyes.

Immortal Vitality. A stheno does not age and is immune to aging effects and disease.

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