Notes from author
My FIRST non-Dad build under this name for Dark Souls 1 on this site! *party horn*
Yeah you can't exactly recreate the Gargoyle experience entirely without CE or something but this is close enough. There are bits of armor here and there on the Gargs, pauldrons on their wings and so on, but no full armor sets or anything. So all armor worn here is protective/poise-y enough but also revealing enough to not look too much like "full armor."
Fire Surge is the best spell/anything in the game (well outside the Dragon Head of course) to imitate their fire-breathing. So that explains that.
Fun tip: two-hand the Gargoyle Halberd with the Tail Axe in your left hand to look like you have a tail hanging out, for the true immersive gargoyle cosplay experience!
