Why are gargoyles evil?

[Bootlebat]

This never made sense to me considering real life gargoyles were intended to scare away demons and the like, so wouldn't it make more sense for intelligent gargoyles to be good?

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Gargoyle statuary in D&D is designed to keep monstrous gargoyles away by being built on the spots the creatures would otherwise want to perch on.

 

[Mistwell]

It's all the bird poop.

Puts one in a fowl mood.

 

[pukunui]

According to 5e lore, Ogremoch created gargoyles as a mockery of creatures of elemental air like aarakocra.

 

[ParanoydStyle]

I too have always thought this was strange. It made more sense to me for gargoyles to have a neutral alignment, whether fluffed as animated statues or as HUMANOIDS vaguely associated with Elemental Earth. How did the Aarakokra get off of Krynn I'M SO CONFUSED

(but then again I like the idea of the occasional gargoyle PC)

 

[Azzy]

It's because they have hearts of stone.

 

[ccs]

How did the Aarakokra get off of Krynn I'M SO CONFUSED

Aarakokra 1st appeared in the 1e Fiend Folio back in '81 - a few years before DL/Krynn even existed.

As for gargoyles alignment? Evil, Neutral, Good, something else.... I can't say it's ever come up in all the years I've been playing this game.

 

[Oofta]

Because they aren't these guys?

 

[Bitbrain]

Why are gargoyles evil?

Because in my setting, they're flesh-eating Weeping Angels.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

This never made sense to me considering real life gargoyles were intended to scare away demons and the like, so wouldn't it make more sense for intelligent gargoyles to be good?

Since in D&D, gargoyles look like devils, maybe they still scare away demons. If the Blood War has taught us anything, scaring demons doesn't necessarily make you good.