Medusa
Medium Monstrosity · · CR 6
- Monstrosity
- Medium
- Tier 2
Medusa, CR 6, fills the medium monstrosity role with lawful evil disposition. Encounter regions: desert, ruins, and mountain. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 6
- Type
- Monstrosity
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Desert, Ruins, Mountain
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024), Flee, Mortals!
Ecology
Medusas are not a true species but cursed humanoids, transformed by divine wrath, witch-curses, or Lamashtu's blessing. They retain their humanoid biology: they eat, sleep, and (rarely) reproduce, though most are sterile post-curse. Their snake hair is a separate ecology, individual snakes feeding on mice, lizards, and insects. They live in isolated estates, ruined temples, and abandoned cities, surrounded by petrified victims.
Behaviour
Tragic, paranoid, and vain, Medusas struggle with isolation and self-loathing. Some embrace their curse, becoming murderous tyrants of cursed regions. Others wear blindfolds and seek redemption, helping travelers who can keep their eyes averted. Most communicate in elegant Common (or whatever language they spoke pre-curse), retaining their pre-transformation memories. They yearn for reflection, mirror, and beauty, sometimes commissioning portraits of their former forms.
Origin
The first Medusa was Mythological Greek or in worlds with a similar pantheon, an arrogant priestess transformed for desecrating a temple. In other settings, Medusas are creations of fiends, curse-makers, or evil deities (Lamashtu, Lolth in some myths). The curse passes through proximity in rare cases, and a Medusa's lair often holds tomes describing the original transformation. Lifting the curse requires divine intervention or extraordinarily powerful magic.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Medusa
- What is the challenge rating of Medusa?
- Listed CR for Medusa: 6. Match it to a party that works against tier-2 parties.
- What type of creature is Medusa?
- By creature type, Medusa is a monstrosity, medium size.
- Where does Medusa live?
- The bestiary places Medusa in Desert, Ruins, Mountain.