FrankManic |
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If you go back. Way back. Way back to the 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual, you will find that
"Gorgon blood, properly prepared, can seal an area against ethereal or astral intrusion"
Gorgons in the D&D tradition are consistently described as being physically similar in size and shape to domestic cattle. Turning to the Wikipedia article on blood volume we find that a cow has, on average, 50ml of blood by kg weight. The Wikipedia article on cattle suggests that their weight varies greatly based on age, sex, and breed. For our purposes we shall assume a 600kg gorgon.
At 50ml per 1kg of body weight our 600kg gorgon has approximately 30,000ml or 30l of blood.
According to the paint calculator at the BBC's home improvement page a room of 3x3x3m with two 2mx1m doors will require ~3l of paint to cover the walls.
Therefore it is reasonable to conclude that a single gorgon will provide enough blood that, when properly prepared, one may ward no less than ten separate 10'x10' rooms with an orc and a treasure chest in the middle.
And this is the nerdiest thing I have ever done involving math.
KtA |
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I thought a gorgon was the race of Medusa?
Outside D&D and things derived from D&D, yes.
But somehow Gygax decided that it was a metal-skinned bull with a breath weapon. (I think they got mixed up somehow with the catoblepas, and maybe the fire-breathing bronze bulls -- the khalkotauri Snorter mentions.)
GeraintElberion |
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Sitri wrote:I thought a gorgon was the race of Medusa?Outside D&D and things derived from D&D, yes.
But somehow Gygax decided that it was a metal-skinned bull with a breath weapon. (I think they got mixed up somehow with the catoblepas, and maybe the fire-breathing bronze bulls -- the khalkotauri Snorter mentions.)
The mistake was made in a medieval bestiary and Gygax lifted it.
Never been corrected despite being confusing and counter-intuitive.