Bale Medusas
Intruders have invaded our
sanctum. They must not leave.
Soon they will serve... us.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +6 +3 +4 +4 +2
SAVES +10 +8 +8
Medium Monstrosity, Neutral Evil
Proficiency +4
Standard Abilities
- Immune to any magical effect that changes their shape.
- Magic Resistance
- Triangulatory Smell (no disadvantage from invisible opponents if she made a move this turn)
- Hypereactive x2 (two reactions)
40’ Move, 40' Swim
AC 17
HP 186
DC 17
Equipment
Bow- 2x attacks +10 to hit, 22 (4d10) piercing damage (plus 20 poison damage CON 17 for half)
Sword- 2x attacks +10 to hit, 22 (4d10)
slashing damage (plus 20 poison damage CON 17 for half)
See below for other options
Ecology of the Bale Medusa
A bale medusa is a completely different creature, naturally formed by the interbreeding of men and snakes by the Yuan Ti many thousands of years ago. Their old creators used them as spies and assassins in human lands, but after they outlived their usefulness or broke their conditioning, they moved into secluded areas where fresh blood from captive males has kept their kind alive and well.
Notably, they don't have snakes for hair like a regular medusa and in fact are not related to them at all. Instead, they have wriggling snake-like locks with no terminus. These "taste" the air through ventral ports giving them superb tracking skills. They also can detect invisible creatures easily this way, pinpointing their location during a single move action using triangulation.
They typically dwell in out of the way places, but that also have an element of civilization. They lament at night in ruins and deep cisterns. They don't want to be found. A typical bale medusa has twenty or thirty attendants/guards. They operate in harmonious conclaves of four or eight, with a single exceptionally powerful matriarch.
They produce a single egg every month in a thyroidal sac (alternating sides) which is laid in a living victim through an ovopositor in their mouth, like a second tongue made of slick muscle. Unless a target is charmed or drugged, the process is notably painful. Otherwise, the victim doesn't notice as the egg is deposited and fastened into the inter-organ area of the sternum. There are no ill effects until three days later the foot-long larva emerges chestburster style in a few rounds, dealing 10d10 damage and three levels of exhaustion (no save). This larva scurries off to scavenge for a few months until it becomes a juvenile bale medusa.
The basic confounding mechanic of the medusas is to re-direct attacks so that their foes are fighting each other. The way this is done rules wise is a "waking up" mechanism.
Tactics
For every Bale Medusa there is not less than twenty thralls. Their loyalty is absolute through Charm the spell, drugs and mental conditioning (which they view as true love). Slavering and doting on their mistress's every whim and ready to throw themselves in harm's way.
Typical thralls (from Monster Manual):
- Acolyte
- Assassin
- Cultists
- Cult Fanatics
- Knight
- Spy
Intruders and cocky heroes will soon find themselves swarmed by fanatical followers, ready to lay down their lives to avert even a single sword-blow, so this is the first thing that a DM must do to play them correctly, to know the disposition and abilities of the zealots, a number of which are always nearby day and night. The damage redirection abilities are their main offense, and with two of them a round (with about at least a 50% chance of a failed save), heroes will find their offense blunted and their maximized damage output turned back on them. It is thus crucial to not meet the medusas on their own terms where they have the high ground, open lanes of sight and open ground for lackeys to swarm around.
PCs that will be seriously challenged by a cadre of bale medusas are likely to be in the Level 8-12 range. They will just now have teleportation abilities. Let them sense (with an Arcana check perhaps) that the area is hallowed and that it shuts down teleportation.
The secret to defeating the medusas is excellent scouting, to determine their abilities, thin down allies, and divide and conquer. But the medusas are no slouches either with eyes and spies everywhere especially in their own domain. In an open combat, the key is to create barriers that block line of sight, this can shut down their damage redirection abilities which is a key to their defeat. Even the Hallow effect could be the subject of a mini-adventure to find a way to bring it down temporarily. Heroes that charge in without heed are likely to get the whooping they so deserve. Let their cries of "no fair" fall of deaf ears.
The other weakness of the their guarded sanctum is their arrogant sense of safety. They are used to being undisputed mistresses of their own subjects, and also stray intruders, so they are unlikely to go to high alert very quickly, sending a pair to meet with trespassers at first, and only coming around to full force if they see the blood of their own sisters. Then... it's on. They have total loyalty to each other so they can't be turned (if the party takes that strategy, they may get a double-agent on their hands).
Strands of the Sanctum
Their lair is under a total and permanent Hallow spell with Extradimensional Interference.
Reaction: Confounding Gaze, when a medusa or an ally within 60' is damaged by an enemy with a melee or ranged attack (not a spell). This character is called the originator. The originator of the damage must make a Wisdom saving throw DC 17. If failed that damage is instead transferred to an enemy within 15' (that is not the one that did the damage, the originator cannot damage themselves). If the attack was a melee attack, the DM moves the originator into close combat with the new target. The originator got confused and actually attacked that other target. On a successful save the originator takes 2d6 psychic damage.
Reaction: Confounding Gaze, when a spellcaster uses a spell (or spell-like effect, or a magic item that casts a spell) within 120', the spellcaster must make a Wisdom saving throw DC 17 or the medusa chooses a different target or target point.
Averting the Gaze
If someone is the target of a bale medusa's gaze attack, but has not attempted the saving throw yet, they may attempt to avert the gaze as a reaction. If they do so, they make the save with advantage but suffer from disadvantage on all attacks against that particular medusa for one whole turn. As DM, don't say this is an option, your players need to think of it and ask.
Treasures of the Deep Sanctum
Crystal of the Inner Eye
These are possessed in some number by all bale medusas.
True Seeing as the spell 1/Day
Ring of Nullification
As a reaction this reduces the effect of one spell cast on the field (within line of sight) to half efficacy, and the DC is also halved. 1/Day. After being used eight times it goes dark.
Diadem of Fury
This talisman transfers force energy to a single melee or ranged attack, turning the entire damage to Force type and adding 4d10 damage. It functions eight times then crumbles and goes dark. To explain: this works in conjunction with a bow or sword attack for 4d10 damage, this augments that to 8d10 and makes it all Force damage. With poison, this is some serious damage output.
This is a spell type effect at Level 3 and can be counterspelled.
Blowpipe of Sopoforics
Colorful dust sprays out in a 30' line. Those touched must make a Constitution save DC 17 or lose four points of Wisdom for one full day. On a successful save, only one point of wisdom is lost. These are sometimes found in the possession of favored thralls. Obviously, this will make subjects more likely to fail those critical gaze attacks.
Rod of Force
This rod is carved from white jade. It produces a Wall of Force one time then goes dark.
A medusa matriarch has red as a symbolic color. She is a larva that is fed from royal jelly produced by the rest of the cadre. The production of which is too grotesque to recount here.
Medusa Matriarch
as per a regular bale medusa with exceptions as follows.
AC 20
HP 244
The DCs of her powers are all +2 (DC 19).
Reaction: Gaze of Self-Deprecation, when an enemy does damage to her in melee, they must make a Wisdom Save DC 19 or they take the damage instead. They do it to themselves in a moment of confusion or self-haarm. On a successful save the subject takes 4d6 psychic damage and is Staggered for their next turn.
Staggered- a creature with this condition can take only one action per turn (regular, bonus, or reaction).
Bonus Action: Charming Gaze, as the spell Charm Person at DC 17 (6/Day)
Mistress of the Sanctum
The matriarch can subvert summon spells, such as conjure woodland beings, allowing them to penetrate the Hallow effect. Roll a d20 for each creature that would arrive: on a 10+ they are under control of the Matriarch instead.
Legendary Actions x2
Summon 1d6 allies from nearby areas (DM choice)
Heal herself or another bale medusa within 60' by 50HP
Disengage 40'
As an out-of-combat effect, she can spend three hours to ritually cast Dominate Person or Dominate Beast, with three such effects possible at a time. This is done through both enchantment, hard conditioning and drugs to break the will of the victim. Over many years, the domination is absolute. A great result of a failed combat against the medusas, where a character is taken captive, is the next encounter they are fighting a friend.
The matriarchs also have inner sanctums that only they can enter where their magic devices are recharged by secret and unknowable rituals.
A juvenile bale medusa has no ovipositor, no keen smell, and instead has super keen hearing to the same effect. It takes three years to reach this stature from larval form, and they are usually four feet in height. They have just spent years in the wild, living without speech, hunting and killing live prey like a wild animal. Instinctively, juveniles smell the scents of the cadre, and feel a thrum of arcane emanation of the sanctum. When they arrive, the cadre clothes and trains the survivor in speech and the ways of the bale medusa. Eventually, she subdues several male thralls from the outside world, injects them with her eggs and the cycle begins again.
Bale Medusas have smooth skin with patches of pebbly warm serpent bumps. They have a distinctive smell of latex and dreamy perfumes. They communicate in part through pheromones. They have real feelings, but these are coupled with alien detachment. They are sad when a favored man-thrall has to become host to one of their larva.
Maps and Settings
