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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardBasilisk

The basilisk is a reptile with a nasty disposition and the ability to turn creatures to stone with its gaze. Folklore holds that, much like the cockatrice, the first basilisks hatched from leathery eggs laid by snakes and incubated by roosters, but little in the basilisk's physiology lends any credence to this claim.

A basilisk prefers to eat petrified flesh. Once a victim has been turned to stone, the basilisk crunches the fossilized corpse with its powerful jaws and lets its potent stomach acids do the rest. This digestive process is extremely slow and inefficient, causing the basilisk to move so lethargically that it appears as if in mid-petrification itself. This has even led to the saying “as slow as a well-fed basilisk.” Certainly, basilisks are well-known for their slow gait and slothful nature, but a predator that can turn its prey to stone with a glance hardly has much need for speed.

An adult basilisk is 13 feet long from head to tail and weighs roughly 300 pounds. These reptiles make hissing sounds when moving about that turn to a guttural gurgle when they're agitated.

Though they are normally solitary creatures that come together only to mate and lay eggs, there are periodic reports of regions being infested with unusual numbers of basilisks. What causes these unusual congregations of basilisk activity is a mystery.

For unknown reasons, weasels and ferrets are immune to the basilisk's stare, and they sometimes sneak into basilisk lairs while a parent is hunting in order to consume eggs or freshly hatched young. Some legends suggest that a basilisk's blood can transmute common stones into other materials, but this is likely a case of witnesses misinterpreting the magical restoration of previously petrified creatures or body parts.

Recall Knowledge - Beast (Arcana, Nature): DC 20
Unspecific Lore: DC 18
Specific Lore: DC 15

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

BasiliskCreature 5

Medium Beast 
Source Monster Core pg. 39
Perception +11; darkvision
Skills Athletics +13, Stealth +8
Str +4, Dex -1, Con +5, Int -3, Wis +2, Cha +1
AC 22; Fort +14, Ref +8, Will +11
HP 75; Immunities petrified
Petrifying Glance [reaction] (arcane, aura, visual) Trigger A creature within 30 feet that the basilisk can see starts its turn; Effect The target must attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save. If it fails, it's slowed 1 for 1 minute as its body slowly stiffens.
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +15 [+10/+5], Damage 2d8+4 piercingPetrifying Gaze [two-actions] (arcane, concentrate, incapacitation, visual) The basilisk stares at a creature it can see within 30 feet. That creature must attempt a DC 22 Fortitude save. If it fails and has not already been slowed by Petrifying Glance or this ability, it becomes slowed 1. If the creature was already slowed by this ability or Petrifying Glance, a failed save causes the creature to be petrified permanently.
A creature petrified in this manner that is coated (not just splashed) with fresh basilisk blood no more than 1 hour old is instantly restored to flesh. A single basilisk contains enough blood to coat 1d4 Medium creatures in this manner.

Sidebar - Locations Basilisk Lairs

Basilisks can be found in almost any terrestrial environment, including caves, forests, hills, mountains, plains, and swamps. Their hides often bear complexions that allow them to more easily blend with their environments. As a result, forest-dwelling basilisks may have scales of a verdant emerald color to match surrounding vegetation, while a basilisk that lives in the desert may be a sandy brown or shale color.