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The Gorgon has an ability called Petrifying Breath which reads as below:

Petrifying Breath (Recharge 5-6): The gorgon exhales petrifying gas in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a target begins to turn to stone and is Restrained. The Restrained target must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends on the target. On a failure, the target is Petrified until freed by the Greater Restoration spell or other magic.

Now if the target fails both of the CON saves they are petrified. What if they have only failed their first save but have yet to make their second? Is there any spell or ability that can remove the condition turning the target to stone?

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Any effect that removes the Restrained condition would suffice.

The ability you quoted states:

The Restrained target must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends on the target. On a failure, the target is Petrified until freed by the Greater Restoration spell or other magic.

If the Restrained condition is removed, the second saving throw is no longer triggered and the effect is broken.

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    \$\begingroup\$ One example would be freedom of movement as discussed in this question: "Does the Freedom of Movement spell prevent petrification by the Flesh to Stone spell?" \$\endgroup\$
    – Exempt-Medic
    Sep 24, 2019 at 12:32
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Medix2 I don't see why that would work. Freedom of Movement only prevents being restrained by magical effects. A Gorgon's petrifying breath isn't stated as being magical. \$\endgroup\$
    – Allan Mills
    Sep 24, 2019 at 21:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ @AllanMills Ah that is correct, my mistake \$\endgroup\$
    – Exempt-Medic
    Sep 24, 2019 at 22:00
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    \$\begingroup\$ @AllanMills ...Huh. Technically you are correct, but as GM I would rule that it is an inherently magical affect (the alternative being to assume that it's possible to "naturally" petrify someone without magic, which doesn't fit my vision.) Nick, you might consider ruling on whether Freedom of Movement counts in your answer, considering it's the most obvious way of removing the Restrained condition, and providing another example if you think there is one. \$\endgroup\$
    – SirTechSpec
    Sep 25, 2019 at 0:06
  • \$\begingroup\$ Aside from Freedom of Movement, which only works on magical restraints (which would work on a basilisk), what means could you use to remove the restrained condition? \$\endgroup\$
    – Allan Mills
    Sep 26, 2019 at 22:02
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Strict RAW reading – perhaps Wish

The ability only describes how to get rid of it after the second fail, so there are no obvious options. Moreover, Greater Restoration only removes petrified condition:

  • One effect that charmed or petrified the target

(and some others, but not restrained and not the first stage of Gorgon's Petrifying Breath) but the target has not been petrified yet. So you would need some powerful general tool to get rid of it, hence Wish.

More reasonable reading

Obviously, this would be a bit mental. If Greater Restoration cures the final stage (I as a DM would rule that...), it should cure the first stage as well. Nip in in the bud, so to say. But it may be up to the DM to decide how hair-splitty does he want to be.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ As a player, I would rather attempt the throw than have a spell slot consumed if the end result would be using the spell slot if I failed. \$\endgroup\$
    – IT Alex
    Sep 25, 2019 at 14:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ @ITAlex I guess you would want to attempt to get rid of it if being restrained would be bad for you in the moment \$\endgroup\$
    – J.E
    Sep 26, 2019 at 9:55

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