Type Magical beast Mythological origins Cockatrice | Image Wizards.com image | |
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Stats Open Game License stats | ||
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.
Contents
- Publication history
- Physical description
- Pyrolisk
- Cockatrices in Eberron
- Other publishers
- Additional reading
- References
A cockatrice is intelligent, and is always neutral in alignment.
Publication history
The cockatrice is based on medieval alchemical folklore, which believed they came from a snake or a toad hatching a rooster's egg. The cockatrice is sometimes called a basilisk in ancient mythos.
The cockatrice first appeared in the original Dungeons & Dragons set (1974). Cockatrices also appeared in the supplement Eldritch Wizardry (1976).
The cockatrice appeared in the D&D Basic Set (1977), D&D Expert Set (1981, 1983), D&D Companion Rules (1984), and Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991).
The cockatrice appeared in first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the original Monster Manual (1977). The creature was expanded on in Dragon #95 (March 1985).
The cockatrice appeared in second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).
The cockatrice appeared in the third edition Monster Manual (2000), and the version 3.5 Monster Manual (2003).
The cockatrice appeared in the fourth edition Monster Manual 2 (2009).
Physical description
A cockatrice has the head and body of a rooster, bat wings, and the long tail of a lizard.
Pyrolisk
The pyrolisk is a similar creature, though instead of petrification, it can cause other creatures to burst into flame.
Cockatrices in Eberron
In the Eberron campaign setting, the cockatrice is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked House Sivis.
Other publishers
The cockatrice appeared in Paizo Publishing's book Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary (2009), on page 48.