Basilisk (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
roleplaying game, the basilisk is a reptilian magical beast
that turns creatures to stone by meeting their gaze.
of Greek mythology and the basalisk in Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts and Three Lions
."
While Basilisks in myth are generally bird-like relatives of the cockatrice
, the basilisk in D&D is completely distinct from the cockatrice (which also appears in D&D) aside from them both having a petrification attack. The basilisks of myth are a hybrid of a serpent and bird. The basilisk of D&D, however, is a giant lizard with numerous legs. The serpent-bird basilisk is instead known in-game as a cockatrice
.
(1974). It is described as having the power of turning other creatures to stone by touch or by glance. The basilisk was updated in the Eldritch Wizardry
supplement.
The dracolisk, a crossbreed of basilisk and black dragon
, and the boalisk, a crossbreed of boa and basilisk, were introduced in the module Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
(1982); the basilisk then appeared in Monster Manual II (1983), which also introduced the greater basilisk.
The basilisk is further detailed in Dragon #81 (January 1984), in "The Ecology of the Basilisk," by Ed Greenwood
.
(1977), Expert Set
(1981 & 1983), and Companion Rules
(1984). Basilisks were also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game
set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), and the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994).
campaign setting, the basilisk is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked House Medani.
campaign setting
. A small, reptilian creature that is distantly related to the basilisk. It has eight legs and dorsal spikes. They are herbivores, but are still feared for their paralyzing gaze.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
roleplaying game, the basilisk is a reptilian magical beast
Magical beast (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, magical beast is a type of creature, or "creature type". Magical beasts are similar to animals in many ways, but usually have a higher intelligence, and possess supernatural or extraordinary abilities....
that turns creatures to stone by meeting their gaze.
Publication history
The basilisk is based on the basiliskBasilisk
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance...
of Greek mythology and the basalisk in Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts and Three Lions
Three Hearts and Three Lions
Three Hearts and Three Lions is a 1961 fantasy novel by Poul Anderson. It is also a 1953 novella by Poul Anderson which appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction.-Plot:...
."
While Basilisks in myth are generally bird-like relatives of the cockatrice
Cockatrice
A cockatrice is a legendary creature, essentially a two-legged dragon with a rooster's head. "An ornament in the drama and poetry of the Elizabethans", Laurence Breiner described it...
, the basilisk in D&D is completely distinct from the cockatrice (which also appears in D&D) aside from them both having a petrification attack. The basilisks of myth are a hybrid of a serpent and bird. The basilisk of D&D, however, is a giant lizard with numerous legs. The serpent-bird basilisk is instead known in-game as a cockatrice
Cockatrice (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the cockatrice is a small avian magical beast. Any creature that a cockatrice bites can be permanently turned to stone.A cockatrice is not particularly intelligent, and is always neutral in alignment....
.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The basilisk was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" setDungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1974). It is described as having the power of turning other creatures to stone by touch or by glance. The basilisk was updated in the Eldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry is a supplementary rulebook by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, written for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which included a number of significant additions to the core game.-Contents:...
supplement.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The basilisk appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as a reptilian monster whose gaze can turn creatures to stone.The dracolisk, a crossbreed of basilisk and black dragon
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
, and the boalisk, a crossbreed of boa and basilisk, were introduced in the module Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was written by Gary Gygax and published by TSR in 1982 for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. The 64-page adventure bears the code "S4" and is set in the World of...
(1982); the basilisk then appeared in Monster Manual II (1983), which also introduced the greater basilisk.
The basilisk is further detailed in Dragon #81 (January 1984), in "The Ecology of the Basilisk," by Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
.
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the basilisk, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic SetDungeons & Dragons Basic Set
The original Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set boxed set was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1977, and comprised a separate edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, distinct from the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, which was initially published in the same...
(1977), Expert Set
Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set
The Expert Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-1981 printing:The D&D Basic Set saw a major revision in 1981 by Tom Moldvay...
(1981 & 1983), and Companion Rules
Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set
The Companion Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1984 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
(1984). Basilisks were also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game
Dungeons & Dragons Game (1991 boxed set)
The New Easy to Master Dungeons & Dragons Game is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1991....
set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), and the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The basilisk, greater basilisk, and dracolisk appear first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), and are reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The basilisk appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
The basilisk appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003). This edition also contains the abyssal greater basilisk, a more powerful version of the standard basilisk.Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The basilisk appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), including the venom-eye basilisk and the stone-eye basilisk.Physical description
A basilisk looks like a giant, six (sometimes eight)-legged brown lizard. The creatures aren't very intelligent, and therefore always neutral in alignment. Their eyes glow a pale green, and they grow to around six feet long (excluding the tail).Society
Basilisks usually live in deserts, in small colonies of 3-6, though they are sometimes encountered singly. However, they can be found in any climate. Their lairs are little more than shallow caves or burrows in the ground, usually marked by victims of their petrifying gaze. It is possible to raise one as a guard animal, provided one has the wherewithal to do so.Basilisks in Eberron
In the EberronEberron
Eberron is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, set in a period after a vast destructive war on the continent of Khorvaire...
campaign setting, the basilisk is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked House Medani.
Variant Basilisks
As with many of the standard, archetypal D&D creatures, variants of the standard Basilisk species exist. These Include:Salt Basilisk
Like its relatives, this creature can stop prey with a gaze, but their prey is turned to salt, not stone. They lair in caves and burrows, or simply bury themselves beneath the sand of the desert.Crimson Basilisk
Stocky, eight-legged, crimson scaled reptiles with a row of spines jutting down the length of their back and eyes that glow ghostly blue. These variants of the common basilisk are able to disintegrate any material with their acidic bites and can cause creatures to spontaneously bleed uncontrollably with their gaze.Dracolisk
A rare crossbreed of dragon and basilisk. Dracolisks, in addition to their petrification attack, also have the breath weapon of their parent dragon, e.g., a dracolisk with a red dragon parent would have fiery breath whereas a dracolisk with a black dragon parent would have acidic breath.Glassilisk
An unusual relative of the basilisk, these beasts' gaze turns wide areas of sand to glass, which they can easily walk across but their prey cannot.Ice Basilisk
Serpents which move across the tundra like snakes. Its dread gaze can paralyze a creature with cold.Rhaumbusun
From the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
. A small, reptilian creature that is distantly related to the basilisk. It has eight legs and dorsal spikes. They are herbivores, but are still feared for their paralyzing gaze.
Additional reading
- Ward, Kyla. "The Petit Tarrasque and Other Monsters" Dragon #329 (Paizo Publishing, 2005).