Disguising a D&D-ish medusa

[someone_else]

Let's start with a quick description of the critter:
The most striking characteristic of female medusae is the mass of writhing poisonous snakes atop their heads. They otherwise appear as human females, save for their fangs and scaly skin. Like the gorgon of legend, a female medusa's gaze can turn one into stone. (the gaze can be deactivated on command)
Image 1--- Image 2 --- Image 3

One of these critters wants to disguise herself as something less threatening since it cannot get in her gaze's range (9 meters or 30 feet) without getting barrages of ranged weapons.

Now, by the game's rules it's simple (disguise skill check with a -2 since it isn't her same race opposed to spot checks from the players).

But my problem (I'm the DM, my role is describing things) is what the hell a disguised medusa looks like?
I mean, it must cover all the skin since it is scaly and the eyes since they look reptile/are glowy/not human anyway. They also have inhuman teeth.

So, any pseudomedieval outfit will do for the body, but what for the head that doesn't scream I'M A MEDUSA IN DISGUISE like a veil?
Consider that must be most effective from 9 meters or more, it doesn't need to resist close scrutiny.

[Samuel]

Have the snakes all pushed down the back of the head and wear a helmet or something like a nun's habit. To deal with the eyes, maybe glasses or contacts (although the later is a bit of a stretch).

I mean, it must cover all the skin since it is scaly and the eyes since they look reptile/are glowy/not human anyway. They also have inhuman teeth.

Makeup? Disguise spells? Attempting to look like lizardmen?

[Lagmonster]

That last image is practically human. Any sufficient heavy armour that included a visor, or a heavy hooded cloak, or even a wig during a reasonably dense fog at night could do the trick.

[Korto]

Let's start with a quick description of the critter:
The most striking characteristic of female medusae is the mass of writhing poisonous snakes atop their heads. They otherwise appear as human females, save for their fangs and scaly skin.
...and the eyes since they look reptile/are glowy/not human anyway. They also have inhuman teeth.

Huh, they've changed that since the description in the day of my version (mind you, that's about twenty years back), where a medusa looked exactly like a human woman, often beautiful, except for a head full of snakes. None of this 'glowy eyes' or 'scaly skin' crap. Makes it a little more annoying. I wonder if they ever consider that before deciding to "modernise" the look to something "more cool".

I will say that customs of dress will directly affect this. For instance, if burqas were standard, no problem, if it's grass skirts only, that could be a hassle; assuming however European D&D standard I think a long cloak with the hood pulled over "bathing the face in shadow" is likely to be your best bet.

Beware of only mentioning the cloak when it's important. If the only time you mention a cloak, it's hiding a medusa, your players are going to catch on pretty quick (it's called a 'tell' in cards ). Either mention lots of cloaks in descriptions so they get habituated to it, or don't mention it at all and only provide a more fulsome description if asked. "No, I didn't mention she was wearing a cloak. Almost every traveller wears a cloak. You wear a cloak. The mage wears a cloak. This whole damn party wears cloaks. You want me to point out every cloak you see. Why? You playing Spot Cloak?"

[Serafina]

I agree with Korto.
If you want to deveive your players into thinking that something is not special, give them a description that is not special. Just tell them that they "see a female traveler". If they ask further questions, such as "of what race" "what kind of clothes is she wearing", give short, reasonable answers such as "she looks human" or "a normal, light-colored travellers robe". Don't make it too elaborate OR to vague - if it is too elaborate they will know that the character is special, if you make it too vague they will get suspicious. The "she looks human"-part is already vague enough to raise suspicion, unless you tend to give such answers more often.

The other option is to swamp them in details, but this works better when you are describing an environment or a group of people and the players are supposed to notice one specific thing. You could give an elaborate description of an ornamental ball room and describe all the dresses worn by the dancers if there is just one detail they are supposed to notice (such as one woman having a dress that is too plain or the like) - but this is a lot more work for you and the players and generally less fun IMO.


For your Medusa, the first option should be your way to go. Saying something like "you meet a woman who looks like a priestess due to her hooded robe" hides all of the features of the medusa (scaly skin and snake hair) and while the players might think that something is up, you already gave them a lead (priestess) that doesn't ruin the ruse.
Of course, that specific trick only works once.

[Mr Bean]

Toss onto Korot's & Seafina's comments
Good old fashion cloaks makes good sense, add in some real life counter-part, the dusk cloak. If you live in an area where unless it's raining you expect to be walking through clouds of dust in a near 100% dirt road town then you can expect dusk cloaks to be common among the well to do. You have to wear a simple cloak over your nice clothes least you arrive at your destination coated in dust so throw in a line about great amounts of dust and the fact that except for the meanest beggers everyone in that town walks around hooded and cloaked while outdoors due to the huge amounts of crap being tossed into the air and staining clothes, even town guards on patrol are cloaked leaving off only the hood so their helmets are visible for identification purposes.

Now you have a nice natural explanation on why everyone and their brother look like cultists.

[someone_else]

Makeup?

Only possible if I rule that the critter's scales are very small and looks like the third image. Disguising the other two would require hours and modern hollywood makeup, the way I see it.
But I'm no expert.

Disguise spells?

Disguise Self and Alter Self, both shed a detectable magic aura, that can be magically hidden with another spell though (with some limits), but frankly, if it becomes a spellcasting medusa, then it has little need to get close and petrify people with the gaze anyway.

Attempting to look like lizardmen?

Or a troglodyte or whatever other humanoid reptilian critter I can find in the monster manuals.
More often than not will still be a threat, but will still get the chance to get close and personal with most of the party.
This is smart.

Huh, they've changed that since the description in the day of my version.

The scales come from the fact that they added natural armor to it.
From what I've seen in D&D 3 and 3.5, it seems to have evolved into a Basilisk-with-boobs. In Pathfinder (which is D&D 3.75, pubblished by paizo under the OGL) they are even worse (although the third image is the one used in Pathfinder's monster manual).

Last time I checked the lore, medusas were much more mastermind-ish deceptive and manipulative enemies. There are enough dumb monsters with petrifying gaze already.

Good advice for cloaks, btw.

Now you have a nice natural explanation on why everyone and their brother look like cultists.

Cool, thank you.

[fgalkin]

Have you tried a cloak and a face-concealing hood?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Solauren]

#1 Religious dress. The head coverings are required by her particular order/sect. Keep the hair covered 'like my goddess does, revealing it only for her lover', and the rest is all sexy.

#2 Hat of Disguise. Go the above root, and let her get laid a few times without anyone noticing (she keeps the hat on as a disguise.

#3 Surprise! She did it with a hat on!

[Dave]

"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." -- attributed to Gary Gygax

I should also point out that the description is really only there for the unimaginative. You can bend the rules. Sure, the Book o' Monsters may specify that Medusas look like a alligator with a bad hair day, but what's keep you from saying that this is (a different species of medusa / a human-medusa hybrid / the senior secretary who's worked 40 years in Bureaucratic Administration and whose glare can stop Frenzied Barbarians in their tracks)?

As for in-game descriptions, everyone else is spot on. Hell, you don't have to say it "looks" human, you can say it is human. They can't tell the difference until they declare search on the traveler. You are describing to them what they see, so a human is what they see.

What amused me was when other members of my party would try all kinds of checks on new things (Knowledge: arcana, Knowledge: religion, Trap Sense) and roll their dice and look to the DM only to get a blank stare back. "It's not arcane. It has no religious significance. It's not booby-trapped."

You come across a road-weary traveler sitting on a fallen limb next to the road. A worn walking stick lies at her feet, having been broken forcefully in two, though the traveler looks hardly strong enough to have done it herself. The woman draws her traveler's cloak tightly to her body, as though fearful, as she turns to look at you all. [Hesitatingly] "Is this the road to the nearest town?"

[Lord of the Abyss]

Last time I checked the lore, medusas were much more mastermind-ish deceptive and manipulative enemies.

Well, that certainly suggests a method; she can have a human subordinate run a scam on the adventurers to lure them in close. "You are the adventuring band led by the great warrior Krunath? My mistress Lady Conda would like to speak to you privately about hiring you for an important venture. Here, I can show you to her private rooms."

[The Yosemite Bear]

Turban, sunglasses, nice clothes, mission accomplished.....

[DesertFly]

I'm going to have to go with Dave on this one. The monster manuals are there to help you, not make things harder. They are to give you ideas, not constrain your options. You really have a number of ways to conceal that this new person your adventurers just met is a monster. My personal favorite is saying that she's a "sub-species" (or equivalent) of Medusa, one that happens to look mostly human. You can adjust the amount of things that are sticking out about her in order to increase or ease the difficulty for your players, but in the end, any of the options mentioned so far will work. Just remember that ultimately you are in charge in your game. As long as you are fair about things, there should be no problem with twisting the rules a little, if you even need to.

[Rossum]

I'm also tossing in my vote for the "Don't let the monster manual limit your options" sentiment.

So you could have her wearing a big cloak to cover her features and have her mostly human looking.

You might also have her wearing tattered "slave" rags or whatever and one of her loyal minions lead her around like she's harmless. Maybe she has a robe on to conceal her 'ugly inhuman features' and she's forced to wear a bag on her head. Maybe the players see this guy has a medusa and she's got a bloodstained blindfold covering her eyes while she awkwardly performs her tasks... clearly using her snakes to navigate. Maybe the clothes she wears bear marks of whipping (despite the fact her scaly skin is undamaged by it).

Guy: Welcome adventurers. Please put up a seat so we can talk business.

Mage: Um, is that a Medusa you have there? Why is her blindfold so...

Guy: Oh that? Heh, I had her brought in from Azrathag. Medusas make good slaves once you take the eyes out. Tireless, exotic, and oh so very durable. *the man gives an almost perverse chuckle*.

*he waves dismissively as his servant goes about her tasks*

Guy: So, about that kobold nest...


Speaking of which... the snakes on a medusas head are venomous right? So in theory she could 'milk' the snakes for venom to poison people with. Give her an obvious attack for the players to concentrate on while she retains her regular one (although having a medusa keep her petrifying gaze while making a big deal about her not having it would kind of cheapen the effect I guess).


Alternately, give your medusa a minor shape shifting power. Maybe she belongs to a type of half fey/devil/changeling/weeping angel who can petrify people with her gaze and then steal their shape. So she turns someone into a statue, then touches the statue, and then takes on their appearance (with perhaps the snakes on her head to set them apart). Like a medusa normally looks like the scaly basilisk or an unearthly creature but can use her petrifying gaze and shapeshift to exist in human society. But when disguised she can't use her petrifying gaze.

So the players come across a woman who looks perfectly normal and go along with her, then they come across a statue of her trapped in mid-scream. Then they come across various other statues... all the women statues kept in pristine condition while statues of men are shattered and have monstrous claw marks in them. They then return to confront her and she sneers before shedding her disguise to become the terrifying creature whos very gaze can turn men to stone.

[Sriad]

I agree with Korto.
If you want to deveive your players into thinking that something is not special, give them a description that is not special. Just tell them that they "see a female traveler". If they ask further questions, such as "of what race" "what kind of clothes is she wearing", give short, reasonable answers such as "she looks human" or "a normal, light-colored travellers robe". Don't make it too elaborate OR to vague - if it is too elaborate they will know that the character is special, if you make it too vague they will get suspicious. The "she looks human"-part is already vague enough to raise suspicion, unless you tend to give such answers more often.

The other option is to swamp them in details, but this works better when you are describing an environment or a group of people and the players are supposed to notice one specific thing. You could give an elaborate description of an ornamental ball room and describe all the dresses worn by the dancers if there is just one detail they are supposed to notice (such as one woman having a dress that is too plain or the like) - but this is a lot more work for you and the players and generally less fun IMO.


For your Medusa, the first option should be your way to go. Saying something like "you meet a woman who looks like a priestess due to her hooded robe" hides all of the features of the medusa (scaly skin and snake hair) and while the players might think that something is up, you already gave them a lead (priestess) that doesn't ruin the ruse.
Of course, that specific trick only works once.

Along those lines, though, if the disguise check isn't too good or they deliberately make a sufficient skill check that seems appropriate you shouldn't withhold details that they might notice just because they didn't ask about them DIRECTLY. "She seems to be drifting towards you by coincidence, but a few of her moves seem a little...deliberate" for streetwise or "You catch a glimpse of her pupils; they're slitted unlike those of the common humanoid races" for perception. Omitting that sort of detail to force a certain outcome is one of the hallmarks of an Asshole Railroading GM... and in any case, discovering a medusa in disguise is ABOUT to petrify-ambush you is as cool as actually being ambushed, IMHO.