Legendary Resistance (1/day). If the basilisk fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Petrifying Gaze. If a creature starts its turn within 60 feet of the basilisk and the two of them can see each other, the basilisk can force the creature to make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw if the basilisk isn't incapacitated. If the target fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it is instantly turned to stone and petrified. Otherwise, on a failed save, the creature magically begins to turn to stone and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
A creature that isn't surprised can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If it does so, it can't see the basilisk until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again.
If it looks at the basilisk in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.
Scent Tracker. When a basilisk damages a creature with its bite, it can sniff the creature’s blood as a bonus action. Until the creature’s wounds are fully closed, the basilisk has advantage on perception checks using smell to detect the creature. If it uses this feature again, it forgets any previously learned scent.
Squeeze. The basilisk can fit through any path large enough for a medium creature.
Multiattack. The basilisk makes a Wisdom (Perception) check and makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 6) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage. The piercing damage from this attack deals full damage to petrified creatures. It the target takes any poison damage from this, it must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for one minute. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the poison on a success.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
The basilisk can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The basilisk regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Tail Attack. The basilisk makes a tail attack.
Bite Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The basilisk makes a bite attack.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Legendary Basilisk’s Lair
The lair of an adult basilisk or ancient basilisk is usually a labyrinthine network of caverns deep underground full of statues formed from victims the basilisk chose to keep as decorations instead of consume.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the basilisk takes a lair action to invoke the lair’s ambient magic and cause one of the following effects, but can’t use the same effect twice in a row.
- The basilisk animates statues within its lair of either 1 large creature or 1d10 medium creatures. The large creature uses the statistics of a stone golem and the medium creatures each use the statistics of a Stone Cursed. These creatures remain animate until initiative count 20 of the next turn. When they cease being animate, treat them as petrified until the basilisk uses this lair action to animate them again. This petrification cannot be removed by any other means short of a wish spell, which returns the creature to its original form before it was stone.
- All creatures within the lair other than the basilisk must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be unwilling to shut their eyes or looks away from the basilisk until initiative count 20 of the next turn. Creatures immune to being charmed automatically pass this saving throw.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary basilisk’s lair is warped by magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Reptilian creatures, such as snakes, lizards, and other basilisks, with an Intelligence score lower than that of the basilisk are charmed by the basilisk while within 5 miles of the lair.
- Cockatrices breed at twice their usual rate while within 5 miles of the lair, so there are often large cockatrice populations near a basilisk’s lair.
If the basilisk dies, these effects fade in 1d4 days.
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