I hear you, but I also think it's a fun part of the mythology, so I want to find a way to use it without it getting out of hand.

I'm kind of leaning toward allowing it to work for 1-2 days for regular gorgons (with a save bonus that increases ratably over the period) and maybe something like 3-5 days for greater gorgons (with less of a save bonus, but still increasing as the head decomposes).

I think I might also rule that the greatest benefit of the object as an ingredient in magical item creation might be during this time, so as to create some dilemma over whether to use it as a weapon or rush back to town to sell it. Over at K&KA, Flambeaux suggested it should turn to stone once the magic disappears, which is a fine idea and not inconsistent with creating a sense of urgency around selling it for parts.

Haha! Those sound fun. Maybe possesion for a length of time requires a save to avoid contracting something awful.

To reflect the thing weakening? That seems totally reasonable.

I think what I get caught up on is the total *un*reasonableness of weaponizing the head of a mythical snake woman that turns living flesh to stone with its eyes! I mean, to a normal population, those words would definitely set off some alarm bells! Obviously, to a party of adventurers, it's basically a dinner gong.

So I like to have at least some really odd effect from tampering with a Nietzsche-abyss-staring-into situation. It wouldn't necessarily have to have that much game-mechanic effect. I'm not trying to screw players who are trying to think of survival strategies! I'm just looking to constantly remind players (and their characters, I guess) that the forces they mess with are bizarre and dangerous and just because you manage to stick it with the pointy end, it doesn't mean the fight is over.

Here's one. I might say that from now on, whenever the player who wields the head is reduced to less than half HP, snakes that only he can see surround the fight, seeming to stare at him and hiss. As he loses HP, the hissing grows louder. What will happen when he goes below -3? I don't know, but if I were the player I'd be freaked out about it.

Chainsaw wrote:

Obviously, to a party of adventurers, it's basically a dinner gong.

Yeah, I think that's the key, right? They are already fighting minotaurs, snake-men, giant lizards, skeletons, zombies, ghouls, mummies, evil necromancers and so on. They've heard about gorgons (and stuff way worse).

Plus, quite frankly, it just seems lame/disappointing to grow up watching it happen in Clash of the Titans only to find out that on the rare occasion it's relevant in a fantasy RPG, your referee has imposed penalties/risks so onerous as to effectively neutralize the whole concept. YMMV and all of that.

Harry Hamlin would never complain!

Handy Haversack wrote:

Did I mention that my players ended up with one of these? And I was sort of half-assedly using the method you described, Chainsaw, to see how long it would last. And then the ranger tried tossing it at a Chaos Monk so she could grab a healing potion, and the Chaos Monk kung-fu-kicked the thing into an academic discussion.

They should have thrown a cockatrice head; the monk would have been petrified.

At least in my campaign!