Gargoyle I

Gargoyles are magical, horned and winged predators that haunt ruins and underground caverns and speak a guttural tongue of their own. Legend holds they began as carved stone rain spouts, grotesque faces of man and beast set to throw gutter water clear of the walls, until some forgotten mage enchanted the statues to life. The race has since spread across the world.

Nine times in ten, a gargoyle attacks whatever it notices, regardless of alignment, and it loves nothing better than tormenting the helpless. Two claws, a bite and a horn can total 16 points of damage per round, while its hard hide turns many blows.

Its favorite trick is to pose as a statue on a roof edge, in a fountain or as one of a pair flanking a door. When a victim draws near, it lashes out, trying to hurt rather than kill, since a drawn-out death pleases it most. On the wing it may dive from the sky, but a swooping strike allows only two claws or one horn; all four attacks require landing.

They gather in small bands devoted to hurting others and favor humans and other intelligent prey over small animals. Each may carry a few gold pieces, with the main hoard hidden at the lair, typically buried or beneath a big stone. Being fairly bright and evil, they sometimes serve wicked masters as sentries or messengers, accepting gold or gems but mostly paid in the pleasure of savaging intruders.

Gargoyles need neither food nor water, so they can hold perfectly still anywhere for as long as they like; the harm they cause feeds only their twisted enjoyment. Their horns are the usual key ingredient in potions of invulnerability and also work in potions of flying.

This sea-dwelling gargoyle swims with its wings as fast as its cousins fly, and is otherwise identical. It lairs in undersea caves in shallow water and delights in hurting sea elves, mermen and visiting humans alike.

Nastier still, margoyles live mainly in caves, and their skin so resembles stone that they have only a 20% chance of being noticed against it. Each fights with a bite, two horns and two claws, and speaks the gargoyle tongue as well as its own. One in five is found with gargoyles, as their leader or master.