Cockatrice (Dungeons & Dragons)
 A cockatrice, as depicted in The Monster Manual, first edition |
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| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Type | Magical beast |
| Image | Wizards.com image |
| Stats | Open Game License stats |
| Publication history | |
| Mythological origins | Cockatrice |
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.
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[edit] 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.[1]
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).[2] The creature was expanded on in Dragon #95 (March 1985).[3]
The cockatrice appeared in second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989),[4] reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).[5]
The cockatrice appeared in the third edition Monster Manual (2000),[6] and the version 3.5 Monster Manual (2003).
The cockatrice appeared in the fourth edition Monster Manual 2 (2009).
[edit] Physical description
A cockatrice has the head and body of a rooster, bat wings, and the long tail of a lizard.
[edit] Pyrolisk
The pyrolisk is a similar creature, though instead of petrification, it can cause other creatures to burst into flame.
[edit] Cockatrices in Eberron
In the Eberron campaign setting, the cockatrice is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked House Sivis.
[edit] Additional reading
- Ward, Kyla. "The Petit Tarrasque and Other Monsters." Dragon #329 (Paizo Publishing, 2005).
[edit] References
- ^ DeVarque, Aardy. "Literary Sources of D&D". Archived from the original on 2007-07-21. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/rgfdfaq/sources.html&date=2007-07-20+21:51:07. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
- ^ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977)
- ^ Greenwood, Ed. "The Ecology of the Cockatrice." Dragon #95 (TSR, 1985)
- ^ Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume One (TSR, 1989)
- ^ Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993)
- ^ Williams, Skip, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
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