During the last edition of the Vault of Villains -- the series in which I make bosses out of your monster ideas --, I was asked to make a fight for one of my favorite enemy in any game : the gargoyle.
There is something about the gargoyle that tickles my fancy. They're aesthetically interesting and extremely varied : some are small, some are large, some are scary while others look goofy and fun, some wield weapons, others are beasts.
Even if you're not a video game enthusiast, you've seen your fair share of them on gothic structures all around the world and in stories of old. If you are, though, then you know where this is going.
For this fight, I decided to take inspiration from the classic, two-gargoyle boss fights from the Dark Souls series, which were already dramatic in the games. In a TTRPG, we can do much better.
Hopefully your players die less than I did back then !
Arena and tactics
The arena for this battle should be similar to the following : a thin, ruined bridge ; an ancient cathedral ; the throne room of a castle. It should have elevation, with rafters or stone towers on which creatures can perch, as well as plenty of destructible objects such as pillars that can fall over, chandeliers that can be cut down, chains to attach around creatures, etc. Ideally, it should also include some environmental hazards, such as places where one can fall, or firepits / braziers in which someone can be pushed.
The tactics are simple : the stonebreath gargoyle is the agile, quick one. It's much smaller and squishier, but stays at range, perched in high places hurling javelins -- pinning creatures hit by more than one. This keeps enemies in place while the firebreath gargoyle does its work. If it is surrounded, the stonebreath gargoyle can use its stone breath to stop its enemies, although temporarily.
The firebreath gargoyle is larger and sturdier, but also much slower. It fights on the ground, striking with its heavy halberd and pushing its enemies around. It uses the environment to push people into empty space, shove them into braziers, or to strike pillars and other objects that can fall on pinned creatures. If its enemies group up, its uses its fire breath to deal area damage.
It's a fairly simple boss fight that relies on both the gargoyles' side and the players' side to work as a team to deal with the threats the opponents present.