Gargoyle - 5E Homebrew Race
by Nines, V1.0
Often found near places of worship, these stone-like sculptures have a reputation as fearsome guardians. Occasionally, however, a gargoyle may seek out a life of adventure - whether due to the loss of its home, a desire for new frontiers, or a search for new prey.
Creatures aligned with the Elemental Plane of Air often regard gargoyles with suspicion and revile, as their earthen nature defies all known laws of aviation.
Gargoyle Features
Gargoyle adventurers share the following traits.
Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.
Flexible Ability Score Increase (Optional)
If your table uses Tasha's rules for character creation, you may increase an ability score of your choice by 2 instead of Constitution, and a different ability score of your choice by 1 instead of Strength.
Age
Gargoyles awaken fully formed from their likeness in a statue. A typical gargoyle is between two and thirty years old.
Elemental Nature
A gargoyle doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep. When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn't render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.
Size
Though made of stone, gargoyles are deceptively light for their size. Gargoyles stand 5 to 7 feet tall, and average 300 pounds.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Cunning Hunter
Gargoyles excel at lying in wait to ambush unwary foes. You gain proficiency in Deception.
Stone Wings
Your stony wings grant you a flying speed of 30 feet. You can still use this speed while wearing armor.
Claws
Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Natural Armor
Your stony flesh increases your durability greatly. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
False Appearance
When you take the Hide action, you can become completely still, taking on the appearance of a statue. After you do so, your speed is 0 until the end of the current turn. You are hidden from creatures that do not know your true nature until your true nature is revealed.
A creature that uses its action to examine you can determine your true nature with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check, opposed by your Constitution (Deception) check, as your physical construction determines how believable your deception is. Your true nature is also revealed to a creature that sees you move.
Racial Feats
Land's Wrath
Prerequisite: Gargoyle
You embrace your nature as a terrifying hunter, striking down the unwary. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Strength, Constitution, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- When you hit a surprised creature, you treat any damage dice you roll against it as having rolled their maximum number. In addition, whenever you surprise a creature that has not succeeded on a check against your False Appearance feature, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Image Credits
Goliath From a Twitter Request by @proxys_art
'It Does Look Like Rain...' by vp1940
This homebrew race is also available on DNDBeyond here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/813131-gargoyle
