Basilisks are large, eight-legged reptiles, with some having the terrifying ability to poison or petrify their prey. Though not malicious, basilisks are indisputably dangerous.
Basilisks have eight legs and have scaly hides in a variety of colors from dark gray to dark orange, although the most common coloration is a dull brown body with a yellowish underbelly. Basilisks possess a single row of bony spines that line their backs, and some have a curved horn atop their noses. Basilisk eyes are the most notable feature, glowing with a pale green light. Adult basilisks can grow to 6 feet (1.8 meters)) long, not counting the tail, which could reach another 5 or 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 meters). Basilisks typically weigh around 300 pounds.
Although basilisks are known for their ability to petrify their prey, only one specific breed is actually capable of this: the stone-eye basilisk. Both they and the venom-eye basilisk have magically empowered eyes granting them their respective powers, fueled by their own magical energy. Even the poison is purely magical, rather than a physical ability.
Typically, basilisks shelter within burrows, caves, or other similar areas. These dens are sometimes distinguished by what appear to be statues which are, in fact, creatures that had been petrified by the gaze of the creature.
Basilisks have a very slow metabolism, making their movements sluggish and clumsy. As a result, basilisks rely upon magic and ambush for hunting, and are unprepared for a hard pursuit. As a result, prey that flees usually escapes unharmed. To prevent this, basilisks typically lair in hidden dens, waiting for any prey unfortunate enough to wander in, even if it was extremely small. Basilisks are lazy, but cunning. When hunting, they pounce from hiding and attack with their petrifying or poisoning gaze and a vicious bite. They only need to eat one large meal (the size of a deer or a humanoid) a month, owing to their slow metabolisms, though will gorge themselves on any provided meat. Basilisks have a robust digestive system and some breeds can digest even stone.
Hatchlings will burrow into statues to feed. Some breeds are said to lose their ability to eat petrified stone when they matured to adulthood. An adult with no young that had petrified a victim simply left the statue standing where it was struck, though greater basilisks were more likely to smash a statue with a swipe of their tails.
Although basilisks are usually thought of as one variety single type monster, there is more than one breed:
- Stone-eye basilisk - The archetypical basilisk, capable of petrifying its victim with its glare.
- Greater Stone-eye basilisk - A larger and more intelligent breed with an evil disposition. It was extremely near-sighted, and consequently the range of its petrifying gaze was much shorter.
- Venom-eye basilisk - A less famous variety that caused its victims to become poisoned rather than petrified.
- Cyrenese Basilisk - a tiny, cobra-like version of the venom-eye basilisk.