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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 5841161" data-attributes="member: 58197">Another thing to keep in mind: The medusa gaze belongs to a small subset of save-or-die effects, the ones where it's important for narrative reasons that a PC subjected to the effect is slain instantly. It feels wrong to have a medusa's gaze slowly petrify. It should happen in a flash, the moment you look at the thing. Likewise, there isn't a way to do "half damage" that fits with the concept. You're either stone, or fine.But there aren't many effects like this. The only others I can think of offhand are a couple of high-level "insta-kill" spells like disintegrate. Poison should take time; not even the fastest-acting modern nerve agent is lethal in six seconds. Mind control might take effect instantly, but heroes have a long tradition of throwing off mental domination through raw willpower, which opens the possibility for multiple saves over time. Polymorph effects could quite reasonably take several rounds to complete the transformation. (I'm thinking of the "You're all pigs!" scene from "Willow" here.)As I said above, I think there's an issue of Hammer-Dependent Nail Observation Syndrome here. Just because an effect has historically been represented as save-or-die, doesn't mean it should use the same mechanic as every other effect that has historically been save-or-die. I don't think it's a good idea to try and jam the medusa into the same box as ghouls and poison needle traps.</blockquote>

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