Gargoyle

Creature Type: Monstrous Humanoid (Earth)

Environment: Any

Attack: Claw, bite

Special Qualities: Damage reduction, freeze

Organization: Solitary, pair, or wing (5-10)

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Strong, tough opponents. After I've had to face hundreds of ogres and thousands of goblins, I can tell you that most adventuring heroes I've traveled with would rather face either one than face off against a gargoyle. That's especially true for the typical would-be bumpkin hero that brings along only a polished sword or heavy club. For them, even wounding these beasts of stone is nigh onto impossible. For many, the stone body of the gargoyle may represent the first encounter that demands an enchanted blade to penetrate. (If you fit that sad description, be sure to leave me a note at the Adept's Rest. I can set you up with some merchants in town, for a small fee). Sure, it's possible, with a perfectly placed weapon and a overly exercised body, to wound a gargoyle with a farmer's axe, but I don't recommend it.

Two things to be aware of as you approach the hunting grounds of a gargoyle. Send a clever rogue ahead - it's what they are for, after all, to scout ahead and spot the hiding foes. Elves are best for this suit of duty, as you'd expect. Keen eyes and all that. Once the foe is engaged, the second factor comes to bear: a wounded gargoyle is likely to freeze into an entirely stonelike form. If you can, put the creature down fast as it becomes hurt. Save your especially damaging spells or maneuvers for this time. If it freezes into place, weapons become even more useless than before. And the creature actually regenerates much of the damage you've done to it! Fortunately for you, the creature can't attack while it's bent over in this defensive stance. So unless you have heavy firepower on your side, just handle your other foes before returning to dispatch the gargoyle.

All that said, gargoyles get a pretty unfair reputation. They're not really all that evil a foe, compared to some of other hideous creatures of our continent. Indeed, as long as you have a talented and intelligent wizard about, gargoyles don't even pose that great a threat. They remain excellent targets for charm spells thanks to their merely average resistances and Wisdom. Their agility and ability to dodge fireballs and lighting bolts is somewhat greater, yet still nothing impossible to overcome for a puissant wizard such as Leke Ireb, or even the ones you know.