Basilisk, Greater

This creature looks like a thick-bodied reptile with eight legs. Its eyes glow with an eerie, pale green incandescence.

Basilisk, Greater (CR 7)

Large Magical Beast
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: -1
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Low-Light Vision; Perception +12

Speed: 20 feet
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 18, touch 8, flat-footed 18 (-1 Dex, +10 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 85 (9d10+36)
Saving Throws: Fort +12, Ref +5, Will +4

Offense

Melee: bite +14 (1d8+6) and 2 claws +14 (1d6+6 plus poison)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: foul breath, gaze

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
23 (+6)	8 (-1)	18 (+4)	2 (-4)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)

Base Attack Bonus: +9
CMB +16
CMD 25 (+37 vs. Trip)

Feats: Blind-Fight, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception)

Skills: Perception +12, Stealth +6

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Stealth

Languages:

Special Abilities

Foul Breath (Ex)

A greater basilisk's breath is extremely foul. Any creature in a space directly in front of a greater basilisk must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round they remain in the area. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected by the breath of the same greater basilisk for 24 hours. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Gaze (Ex)

Turn to stone permanently (as stone to flesh), range 30 feet, Fortitude DC 18 negates. A creature petrified in this manner that is then coated (not just splashed) with fresh basilisk blood (taken from a basilisk no more that 1 hour dead) is instantly restored to flesh. A single greater basilisk contains enough blood to coat 1d4 Medium creatures in this manner. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Poison (Ex)

Claw-injury; save Fort DC 18; frequency 1/ round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Con; cure 1 save.

Ecology

Environment: Warm Deserts
Organization: solitary or pair
Treasure: standard


A larger and meaner cousin of the normal basilisk, the greater basilisk is a 12-foot long reptilian monster with dull brown skin and a yellow underbelly. Sages believe the greater basilisk hails from the Elemental Plane of Earth.

Greater basilisks rear up on their hind legs and slash opponents with their poisonous claws while also using their deadly gaze attack. The breath of a greater basilisk is so foul that all creatures within 5 feet can be affected by it just by entering or remaining in the area.

Credit The Greater Basilisk originally appeared in the First Edition Monster Manual II (© TSR/Wizards of the Coast, 1983) and is used by permission.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.