I’ve been playing the latest Zelda game, Breath of the Wild non-stop since it’s release. (Over 90 hours logged so far!) With all that Zelda in my life, it’s only right that I present some Zelda related content here. I could try figure out which class to use for Link or how exactly to best emulate Zelda’s spells, but this is a blog about monsters. Who better to stat up but the biggest baddie in the series, Ganon?
This giant man has the face of demonic boar. He wields an enormous sword in each hand.
Ganon, Lord of Darkness CR 16
XP 76,800
NE Large monstrous humanoid
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +26
DEFENSE
AC 32, touch 20, flat-footed 31 (+10 deflection, +1 dodge, +12 natural, –1 size)
hp 241 (21d10+126); fast healing 10
Fort +19, Ref +12, Will +16
DR 15/good; Immune mind-affecting, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 27
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee 2 bastard swords +28/+28/+23/+23/+18/+18/+13/+8 (2d8+7) or
mwk bastard sword +28/+23/+18/+13/+8 (2d8+10) or
2 slams +28 (4d8+10)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 21st; concentration +25)
At will—scorching ray
STATISTICS
Str 26, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 18
Base Atk +21; CMB +33; CMD 54
Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Whirlwind Attack
Skills Bluff +25, Diplomacy +25, Intimidate +28, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (planes) +24, Knowledge (religion) +24, Perception +26
Languages Common, Gerudo, Hylian, Goron, Zora
SQ triforce of power
Combat Gear 2 large mwk bastard swords
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure NPC gear
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Triforce of Power (Ex) Ganon holds the Triforce of Power, which provides vast strength and unlimited power. The Triforce of Power grants Ganon all good saves, a +10 deflection bonus to AC, DR 15/good, fast healing 10, and spell resistance equal to 11 + Ganon’s CR. Ganon does not take any penalties to attack or damage rolls for attacking with two weapons and uses his Strength score in place of his Dexterity score to determine prerequisites. Additionally, Ganon’s attacks are treated as adamantine, cold iron, evil, magical, and silver for the purposes of damage reduction If he were to ever somehow lose the Triforce of Power or be otherwise cut off from its power, Ganon loses this ability.
Ganon is evil manifest. Said to be a reincarnation of a spirit of pure evil, Ganon is the bestial form of a Gerudo King name Ganondorf. Ganon has tremendous power on his own, but he also holds the Triforce of Power, a legendary artifact that gives Ganon even fiercer might. With the Triforce, Ganon borders on the invulnerable. Ganon has been seen in various lands throughout the ages and in differing forms. He always has the appearance of terrifying, pig-faced man, but at times he is more bestial. Ganondorf is a powerful sorcerer and Ganon is also known to use magic at times. Legends state that a mighty weapon blessed by goddesses exists that can slay Ganon, but few have heard the tales, let alone seen it.
In Your Game
The Beast Strikes
Ganon attacks the PCs village. The demonic beast is too powerful for the PCs to take on directly and they must work together to save as many citizens as possible while also working to discover why Ganon has come to attack the village.
The King of Gerudo
As the king of his people, Ganondorf serves as a diplomat to the outside world. The PCs are invited to a gala in his desert palace. The PCs are tasked with learning more about the mysterious king and must traverse the palace without catching the attention of the elite Gerudo Guards.
Slaying the Demon
Armed with mythical arrows said to be able to pierce Ganon’s skin, the PCs must set out to bring an end to his reign of terror. The PCs must travel through a dangerous dungeon and scale a treacherous volcano. Ganon rests at the summit, happy to slaughter all who oppose him.
Monstrous Origins
Ganon has shown up in so many games, it’s hard to decide which incarnation to exactly stat up. I highly considered using Ganon from the Twilight Princess game, as it’s more monstrous, but I eventually settled on the more iconic from found in Ocarina of Time. In that game, Ganon isn’t seen until the final battle. Ganon wields two large swords and, at first, only has a few vulnerable points to strike at him. It’s an intense battle and the best way to do it justice is to make him Ganon strong and scary. The first mock up of Ganon had him always using double Strength bonus to damage rolls, but that grew to be too absurd. I instead favored a two-weapon fighting build, granting him 8 (!) attacks, which are nothing to sneeze at. Ganon at the end of OOT doesn’t really have any other special abilities, so I shied away from making up too much. I threw on an at-will scorching ray so that he could still attack at a range. I’m satisfied with this version of the beast, but would also be interested in taking a crack at his other forms. There’s a version that could make use of a wicked trident.
That’s it for this week! Please let me know if you would love to see some more “final bosses” stated up. There’s plenty out there from my childhood that I could bring to life! If you end up bringing Ganon into your game, or you have any request for a future Monstrous Physique, please drop me a line at KnowDirection@hotmail.com.
