Basilisk

Version 0.25: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

basilisk l
HP	23-48
HD	6
XP	192
Speed	10
AC	3
EV	12
Will	20
Attack1	20 (bite: plain)
Resistances	None
Vulnerabilities	None
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Animal
Uses	Uses nothing
Holiness	Natural
Size	Little
Type	giant lizard, basilisk
Flags	Cold-blooded

A crested lizard of middling size with a terrible petrifying gaze. “Be thou like the imperial Basilisk Killing thy foe with unapparent wounds! Gaze on Oppression, till at that dread risk Aghast she pass from the Earth's disk: Fear not, but gaze—for freemen mightier grow, And slaves more feeble, gazing on their foe:— If Hope, and Truth, and Justice may avail, Thou shalt be great—All hail!” -Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Posthumous Poems”. 1824.

Basilisks are reptilian monsters armed with an average bite and a petrifying gaze attack that you can resist with magic resistance. They will try to petrify you as they rush into melee range, giving them a few turns to chomp at you while you recover, but they aren't very threatening unless there are other monsters around. They can be found in the Lair and, less commonly, in the middle-Dungeon.

Spells

Spell set I
Slot1	Petrify	Magical flag

Tips & Tricks

• Gargoyles are immune to their gaze.
• If you find yourself petrifying with multiple enemies approaching, a timely teleport might send you to safety. But if you are on an unexplored floor, it's better to drink a potion of cancellation.

History

Basilisks were introduced in 0.9, replacing gila monsters.