Today on Epic Monsters we’ve got a special double entry with even more heads: the three-headed giant Geryon and his two-headed hound Orthos!
As is typical in this column the subject changes drastically depending on the source material. Sometimes Geryon has three bodies and heads, or three bodies and one head, or in Dante’s Inferno he’s a manticore-wyvern monstrosity, then in a work called the Geryoneis the poet Stesichoros wrote he was six-handed, six-footed, and winged. In this instance we’re going with the classic three-headed version with the two-headed canine Orthos (also known as Orthrus). Geryon is related to the pegasus, Titans, and medusa though this isn’t what most people know him for—that would be his excellent cattle, the very same cows that Heracles/Hercules is made to acquire from the giant’s western Mediterranean island home (Erytheia) as the tenth labor.
Design Notes: Geryon and Orthos aren’t too hard to pin down, easily covered by the ettin’s trait for multiple heads (though given the giant’s third head he should get something extra; we’ll go with another reaction). Let’s jump into the numbers! For the DMG we’ve got a 8.5 and 3.3645, the Blog of Holding a 8.2 and 4, averaging out to CR 8 for Geryon and CR 3 for Orthos.
Armor Class 16 (breastplate, shield)
Hit Points 210 (20d10+100)
Speed 35 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +3, Cha +4; Proficiency +3
Skills Animal Handling +5, Investigation +3, Perception +8, Persuasion +4, Religion +3
Senses passive Perception 23
Languages Greek
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Power Attack (1/Turn). When Geryon makes his first melee weapon attack in a turn, he can choose to take a –5 penalty to his melee weapon attack rolls in exchange for a +10 bonus to melee weapon damage. In addition, Geryon can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack after he uses a melee weapon to reduce a creature to 0 hit points or scores a critical hit with it. Geryon can only use this trait on his turn.
Three Heads. Geryon gains double his proficiency bonus to and has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks (included above). In addition, he has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Geryon attacks four times.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) bludgeoning damage.
Spear (3). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Extra Reaction. Geryon can take a second reaction each round.
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 30 (4d8+12)
Speed 40 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +5; Proficiency +2
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +4, Survival +3
Senses passive Perception 20
Languages —
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Two Heads. Orthos has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Orthos attacks twice with its bite and once with its snake-tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Snake-Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage.
As is typical in this column the subject changes drastically depending on the source material. Sometimes Geryon has three bodies and heads, or three bodies and one head, or in Dante’s Inferno he’s a manticore-wyvern monstrosity, then in a work called the Geryoneis the poet Stesichoros wrote he was six-handed, six-footed, and winged. In this instance we’re going with the classic three-headed version with the two-headed canine Orthos (also known as Orthrus). Geryon is related to the pegasus, Titans, and medusa though this isn’t what most people know him for—that would be his excellent cattle, the very same cows that Heracles/Hercules is made to acquire from the giant’s western Mediterranean island home (Erytheia) as the tenth labor.
Design Notes: Geryon and Orthos aren’t too hard to pin down, easily covered by the ettin’s trait for multiple heads (though given the giant’s third head he should get something extra; we’ll go with another reaction). Let’s jump into the numbers! For the DMG we’ve got a 8.5 and 3.3645, the Blog of Holding a 8.2 and 4, averaging out to CR 8 for Geryon and CR 3 for Orthos.
Geryon
Large giant, neutralArmor Class 16 (breastplate, shield)
Hit Points 210 (20d10+100)
Speed 35 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
21 (+5) | 10 (+0) | 20 (+5) | 10 (+0) | 15 (+2) | 13 (+1) |
Skills Animal Handling +5, Investigation +3, Perception +8, Persuasion +4, Religion +3
Senses passive Perception 23
Languages Greek
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Power Attack (1/Turn). When Geryon makes his first melee weapon attack in a turn, he can choose to take a –5 penalty to his melee weapon attack rolls in exchange for a +10 bonus to melee weapon damage. In addition, Geryon can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack after he uses a melee weapon to reduce a creature to 0 hit points or scores a critical hit with it. Geryon can only use this trait on his turn.
Three Heads. Geryon gains double his proficiency bonus to and has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks (included above). In addition, he has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Geryon attacks four times.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) bludgeoning damage.
Spear (3). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Extra Reaction. Geryon can take a second reaction each round.
Orthos
Medium monstrosity, unalignedArmor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 30 (4d8+12)
Speed 40 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
18 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 4 (–3) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) |
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +4, Survival +3
Senses passive Perception 20
Languages —
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Two Heads. Orthos has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Orthos attacks twice with its bite and once with its snake-tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Snake-Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage.
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