What is a Basilisk in Pathfinder 2e?
What is a Basilisk in Pathfinder 2e? The basilisk is an eight-legged reptile with a nasty disposition and the ability to turn creatures to stone with its gaze. Folklore holds that, much like for the cockatrice, the first basilisks hatched from leathery eggs laid by snakes and incubated by roosters, but little in the basilisk’s physiology lends any credence to this claim.
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Table of Contents
As Slow As A Well-Fed Basilisk
A basilisk prefers to eat petrified flesh. Once a victim has been turned to stone, the basilisk crunches the fossilized corpse with its powerful jaws and lets its potent stomach acids do the rest. This digestive process is extremely slow and inefficient, causing the basilisk to move so lethargically that it appears as if in mid-petrification itself. This has even led to the saying “as slow as a well-fed basilisk.” Certainly, basilisks are well-known for their slow gait and slothful nature, but a predator that can turn its prey to stone with a glance hardly has much need for speed.
Basilisk Facts
An adult basilisk is 13 feet long from head to tail and weighs roughly 300 pounds. These reptiles make hissing sounds when moving about that turns into a guttural gurgle when they’re agitated. Though they are normally solitary creatures that come together only to mate and lay eggs, there are periodic reports of regions being infested with unusual numbers of basilisks. What causes these unusual congregations of basilisk activity is unknown.
Basilisk Stare Immunity?
For unknown reasons, weasels and ferrets are immune to the basilisk’s stare, and they sometimes sneak into basilisk lairs while a parent is hunting in order to consume eggs or freshly hatched young. Some legends suggest that a basilisk’s blood can transmute common stones into other material, but this is likely a case of witnesses misinterpreting the magical restoration of previously petrified creatures or body parts.
The Basilisk’s Desert Doom
The Sunscorch Desert is a harsh and unforgiving place, but recently, it has become even more dangerous. Travelers have been found turned to stone, their bodies half-buried in the sand. The local nomad chieftain, a stern woman named Zahra, believes a Basilisk is responsible. She is seeking adventurers to hunt down the creature and put an end to its reign of terror.
The Basilisk’s Forest Fright
The Greenheart Forest has always been a place of peace and tranquility, but a recent series of petrifications has put the forest’s inhabitants on edge. The local ranger, a half-elf named Thalion, suspects a Basilisk is behind these incidents. He is seeking adventurers to track down the creature and restore peace to the forest.
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The Basilisk’s Mountain Madness
The mining town of Stonepeak, nestled in the heart of the Ironclaw Mountains, is in crisis. Miners have been found turned to stone in the mines, halting the town’s main source of income. The town’s mayor, a grizzled dwarf named Borin, believes a Basilisk is to blame and is seeking adventurers to hunt down the creature and save the town.
The Basilisk’s Marshland Mystery
The marshlands of the Murkfen have always been a place of mystery and danger, but recently, the danger has escalated. Creatures and even people have been found turned to stone, their faces frozen in terror. The local druid, Niamh, suspects a Basilisk is behind these petrifications. She seeks brave adventurers to investigate the marsh, find the Basilisk, and put an end to its reign of terror.
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Adventure Ideas
The Basilisk’s Marshland Menace
In the heart of the Gloomfen Marsh, a Basilisk has taken up residence. The creature has been petrifying the marsh’s creatures, causing an imbalance in the ecosystem. A local hermit named Old Ben, who has lived in harmony with the marsh for years, has noticed the disturbance and is seeking adventurers to track down the Basilisk and restore balance to the marsh. The adventurers will need to navigate the treacherous marsh, confront the Basilisk, and find a way to drive it away without causing further harm to the marsh’s inhabitants.
The Basilisk’s Mountain Terror
High in the rocky peaks of the Stoneclaw Mountains, a Basilisk has been terrorizing the local wildlife. The creature’s presence has caused the mountain’s creatures to flee, leading to an increase in encounters with predators in the nearby village of Rockfall. The village’s elder, a dwarf named Thorgar, is seeking adventurers to hunt down the Basilisk and restore peace to the mountains. The adventurers will need to brave the harsh mountain terrain, track down the Basilisk, and confront the creature in its lair.
The Basilisk’s Forest Fear
In the lush, verdant depths of the Emerald Grove, a Basilisk has been petrifying the forest’s creatures. The local woodland creatures have been fleeing the forest, causing an imbalance in the local ecosystem. A local druid named Kael is seeking adventurers to track down the Basilisk and restore balance to the forest. The adventurers will need to navigate the forest, track down the Basilisk, and confront the creature in its lair.
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About the Author:
Dwight Scull has been playing tabletop role-playing games (starting with Dungeons and Dragons 3.5) back in 2001. He started being a dungeon master around 2005.
He loves to play many different types of TTRPGs, including Pathfinder, GURPS, Shadowrun, Vampire: The Masquerade, Mage: The Ascension (and other White Wolf Games), Nights Black Agents, and others.
Fan of mysteries, light horror, co-op board games, true crime, sci-fi, and fantasy.
