Gorgon (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
roleplaying game, the gorgon is a magical beast
that resembles a bull, covered in dusky metallic scales.
s, their form is more associated with the mythical creatures the Khalkotauroi
and the catoblepas
.
(1974), where they were described as bull-like monsters with a breath capable of turning creatures to stone. They were also detailed in the Eldritch Wizardry
supplement
The gorgon is further detailed in Dragon
#97 (May 1985), in "The Ecology of the Gorgon," by Ed Greenwood
.
(1981 & 1983), and the Companion Rules
(1984). The gorgon was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game
set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), and the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994).
The Parthoris gorgon appears in Dragon #256 (February 1999).
The guardian gorgon appears in Dungeonscape (2007).
. 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.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
roleplaying game, the gorgon is a magical beast
Magical beast (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, magical beast is a type of creature, or "creature type". Magical beasts are similar to animals in many ways, but usually have a higher intelligence, and possess supernatural or extraordinary abilities....
that resembles a bull, covered in dusky metallic scales.
Publication history
Even though they are named after the mythological GorgonGorgon
In Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. The name derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a...
s, their form is more associated with the mythical creatures the Khalkotauroi
Khalkotauroi
The Khalkotauroi are mythical creatures that appear in the Greek myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. They are two immense bulls with bronze hooves and bronze mouths through which they breathe fire. In the Argonautica, Jason is promised the prized fleece by King Aeetes if he can first yoke the...
and the catoblepas
Catoblepas
The catoblepas is a legendary creature from Ethiopia, described first by Pliny the Elder and later by Claudius Aelianus. It is said to have the body of a buffalo and the head of a wild boar. Its back has scales that protect the beast, and its head is always pointing downwards...
.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The gorgon was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" setDungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1974), where they were described as bull-like monsters with a breath capable of turning creatures to stone. They were also detailed in the Eldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry is a supplementary rulebook by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, written for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which included a number of significant additions to the core game.-Contents:...
supplement
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The gorgon appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), 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
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#97 (May 1985), in "The Ecology of the Gorgon," by Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
.
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the gorgon, in the Dungeons & Dragons Expert SetDungeons & Dragons Expert Set
The Expert Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-1981 printing:The D&D Basic Set saw a major revision in 1981 by Tom Moldvay...
(1981 & 1983), and the Companion Rules
Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set
The Companion Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1984 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
(1984). The gorgon was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game
Dungeons & Dragons Game (1991 boxed set)
The New Easy to Master Dungeons & Dragons Game is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1991....
set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), and the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The gorgon appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989),, and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).The Parthoris gorgon appears in Dragon #256 (February 1999).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The gorgon appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
The gorgon appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).The guardian gorgon appears in Dungeonscape (2007).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The gorgon appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), including the iron gorgon and the storm gorgon.Description
A gorgon can breathe out a cone of vapor that turns creatures to stonePetrifaction in mythology and fiction
Petrifaction, as definied as turning people to stone, is also a common theme in folklore and mythology, as well as in some works of modern fiction.-Historical:...
. 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
Eberron
Eberron is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, set in a period after a vast destructive war on the continent of Khorvaire...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
, the gorgon is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked House Cannith.
Additional reading
- Ward, Kyla. "The Petit Tarrasque and Other Monsters." Dragon #329 (Paizo Publishing, 2005).
External links
Official sources:- “Unhallowed Preview 3: Oldies But Goodies” by Stephen Schubert at WizardsWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
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