Basilisk

Mythtical monster originating from Ancient Greece. This version is inspired by the one in the Tomb of the Serpent Kings.

Imagine a large eight-legged lizard with a spine of quills and a square pupil.

Lumbering lizard with a petrifying gaze. A large opportunistic beast.

Basilisks are not aware of their power and eat whatever they petrify.



 
HD 5 Armor: 2
Hit it: easy Dodge it: normal
Movement: slow  
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Because the basilisk’s eyesight is poor, its sense of smell is very well developped. Even then, if the basilisk focuses its gaze on a creature for one round, the target’s limbs become heavy, slow, and gray. They must save or be functionally grappled. This effect ends immediately if the basilisk looks away. If the basilisk stares at a target for a second round, they must save again or be petrified. If they pass, they are still rooted in place (as above). The effect has a short range. More than one target can be affected, but they must be very close together.

Attacks (1/round)

Bite. The basilisk makes a melee attack (1D6 dmg). A grappled target takes extra poison damage (1D6) on a hit, and a petrified one, 2D6.

Frantic Charge. If it has the space for it, the basilisk runs in a straight line and makes an attack (1D6 dmg) against one target, whic must save or be frightened.

Tail Swipe. The basilisks focuses its gaze on a target while making a melee attack against another target behind it with its tail (1D6 dmg).

Trash. Each adjacent creature must dodge or take damage (1D6) and be knocked prone.



Number : 1 Lair : A petrified creatures garden with 1 basilisk egg.
Desire : Eat & Scratch its back

When you roll this monster on your encounter table. Most of them are hints the monster is nearby.

If the party meets this monster, what is it doing?


So, You Are Hunting Basilisks?

New carousing activities!

Tame the Beast

If you have captured this beast, you can spend the equivalent of 5 bags of gold in food between two adventures to tame it. It is now one of your followers. Each extra bag of gold spent training the beast teaches it a one-word order. Otherwise, it only acts to eat or in self-defence.

Craft from Beast Parts

Basilisk meat is toxic, but its leather is sturdy, its venom is deadly, but its eyes are the real prize: one can walk through a basilisk’s eye straight to the plane of earth.

A basilisk can be trained from birth to be a mount.

Basilisk Eye. Tiny portal to the elemental plane of earth. If exposed to light will start excreting enough concrete to fill a 5’ cube before being clogged.

Basilisk Venom. Drips through stone like it was porous. In food or wound: Save or be poisoned, save again each day to cure. Fail 4 times and die. On skin: Cures petrification.

If you have access to an artisan and a workshop, you can spend loot between two adventures to create something with parts of the beast. The object you craft can be anything mostly made of the provided materials. If you use mundane tools, the result will be mundane; if you spent at least a bag of gold on it, the object will be special; and if you spend the equivalent of a treasure for the tools, it will be magical. Discuss what you want with the referee.

Written on November 14, 2020