Greater medusa (Tome of Horrors) underpowered?

[KrazyHades]

The Greater Medusa, from the Tome of Horrors, seems terribly underpowered. It's classed as a CR 8 creature, but it has only 52 hp and an AC of 16. Its gaze attack only works within 30 feet, but any party of 8th level can do 52 ranged damage while staying well out of Gaze range.

How would you adjust this to make it more of a CR 8 creature?

I was thinking of increasing the natural armor bonus (to increase the AC) and giving it higher-than-average health by fiat (give it 80 hp or something). Maybe make it so the medusa can give her poison via her bow attacks.

Suggestions?

 

[freyar]

Well, it's probably CR 8 just because a regular medusa is CR 7 and it's a little tougher. Probably the higher CR for both of these is due to the drastic effect of the gaze (and remember, it's 50%+ possible for a PC with an average Con (say 10-15), poor Fort save, and cloak of resistance +1/+2 to fail this save). Anyway, your suggestions are certainly reasonable; you can swap out precise shot for imp natural armor right away to increase the AC and, yeah, assume that it rolled high for hp. (Or use the elite array to improve the Con, etc.)

Another option is just to play this monster like it's smart: disguise it so the PCs don't realize it's a medusa until in range of the gaze. It does have a decent disguise check, after all, and you could boost it by rearranging skill points a little.

 

[Stalker0]

The reason the CR is this high because a party of that level can have reasonable access to spell that can fix petrification (either themselves or the money to have some one else do it). For a lower level party, petrification could literally mean death.

 

[kinem]

With short range gaze attacks, if you want it to be effective, put her in a situation where the party can't fight at long range, like in a small room. Of course, she should use any useful magic items she has.

Freyar's disguise idea is good, or you could even use something like a small sliding window in a locked door (which she slides open to greet visitors) or just have her take partial cover behind an overturned table. Hmm ...

 

[Aus_Snow]

I'd probably boost some stats, particularly Con (maybe 20-21?) This would help, just in that instance, both the low Fort save and the low HP (+4 to +7 and 52 to 76, respectively.)

Some armour, spells/powers, or magic item could easily help with AC (aside from boosting Dex; see above.) Or maybe bump up natural armour if it's still a problem?

In the end though, yes, it's how sneaky and/or wise you play her.