Basilisks | D&D Monster Lore | The Dungeoncast Ep.219

[@ezhoops711]

So hopefully this video will help my party save our rogue who got petrified by a basilisk. We had all pretty much written him off as dead (lvl 4 party, so no greater restoration in sight), but I remembered this episode and the discussion about how basilisks don't eat their prey as rocks, they change them back to flesh in their stomach (or on the way to the stomach). Since I'm playing an alchemist, my DM has ruled that with a bit of research/prep, we can save him, despite the stat block saying only greater restoration or another magic works. So thanks for saving our party member (hopefully), so thanks for making these videos/podcasts

[@minnion2871]

You know with the whole campfire deal it would be kind of funny to just have the players wake up and find one curled up next to their campfire....

[@OthEdden]

I love how Will's Shirt matches well with Brian's hat.

[@OthEdden]

@@thisscreensucks I saw gold for the hat

[@DragonGunzDorian]

You know unicorns were another one of those mythical creatures like that, the greeks thought they were just another type of animal that existed off in the world somewhere. At this point I've heard will go over the mating habits of enough creatures, that I feel like dnd needs a cannoncal character based off of him that goes around essentially giving different monsters sex ed classes since he's now so knowledgeable on such topics.

[@ikoma3863]

I had my players fight an umber hulk once. One of them came up with the the idea to avert his eyes on his own. He was an sorcerer so he was able to just force a saving throw instead of an attack. Describing "as you look at the creature make a ______ saving throw." They should get the idea.

[@aliceofspades]

Call me crazy, but there's something almost endearing about the D&D Basilisk. I can totally imagine its owner rubbing its belly and calling it a good boy.

[@everettkalafatis1005]

Basilisks are just poor, misunderstood little babies that are in need of a little love.

[@kylienielsen6975]

Kobe from Prince division is a basilisk the party found out with his eyes ripped out that one of the players adopted.

[@OthEdden]

Basilisks, Cockatrice and Medusa get you stoned in a no fun way.

[@pricerowland]

I just want to say thanks so much for making this show! It's made me a better player, a better DM, and (arguably) a better friend since I've introduced so many new people to DnD.

[@nathanthaxton7492]

Poor Bob and his arm.

[@moonringXD]

Excellent video as always guys keep up the great work!! Also shout out to demogorgon and his Ixitxachitls homies!!

[@ashenwuss1651]

I can bask in this topic. All hail the basilisk.

[@mcswaggerduff8946]

Feeling a little stone slow today lads, but glad Ashen is still here to set our legacy in stone

[@DragonGunzDorian]

Rock solid effort in getting here first ashen.

[@nathanthaxton7492]

Time time to get Stoned! It's the Basilisk!

[@paulh3892]

The mirror in my flamboyant bard’s disguise kit in combination with Unseen Servant was able to avenge our mostly petrified adventuring group. This monster is great because it forced us to comb through our abilities and equipment to find an unconventional solution to a difficult dungeon monster.

[@haypayne8937]

Nice presentation otherwise though. Thanks for your continued knowledge DungeonCast!!! Always enjoy your episodes!!!

[@FacelessPorcelain]

My group uses facing rules and the time I ran a basilisk was during a dungeon crawl, so I was moving the basilisk around in the background throughout their delve into this dungeon. When they found it, the basilisk was not facing them (it was facing west and the were to the north looking at it). Players got the opportunity the split second before the basilisk was alerted to their presence to make whatever Intelligence check they wanted to see what they knew about the creature. Some players rolled well and knew not to look the basilisk in the eyes, so they immediately averted their eyes before it turned to face them. A couple rolled very poorly, and so did not know about the petrification effect, but were already not facing the basilisk so were not in danger of the effect immediately. The fighter at the front of the group looking at the basilisk rolled a nat 1 and immediately had to make a save. The battlefield had plenty of cover in the form of outcroppings of rocks for characters to hide behind and do things without having to worry about the basilisk popping up in front of them, and since we were using facing rules characters were encouraged to try to strafe to stay behind the basilisk where it couldn't see them. Basically they had a few ways to "avert their gaze". They could face away from the basilisk where they could still see the rest of the room but they ran the risk of the basilisk running in front of them, or attack it from behind and risk it turning around (keep in mind for both of those that you can use your reaction to change your facing when another creature moves), or you could close your eyes, minimizing the risk of meeting its gaze but blinding yourself to everything else. It was pretty neat, and was probably one of the most impactful the facing rules have been on a fight.

[@OlympusPublicAffairs]

Pretty sure most creatures that should be large or medium are done so so that most PCs can't tame and ride one. They're either tameable, but too small to ride; or large enough to ride, but untameable or extremely difficult to tame. That said, I'd totally make a Gnome Druid that runs a ranch full of medium sized creatures and lets children ride them.

[@Not-The-Plan]

My party and I are in a similar situation like Bob and his arm. We got blasted by a wizard with cone of cold and due to the weird wording our DM ruled the cleric, who got dropped from full health to zero, was frozen solid but still making deaths saves. So, one of our party tries to chip a breathing hole for the cleric and cracks off his entire jaw onto the ground. Long story short we killed the wizard and revived the cleric jaw-less, and we now have a frozen jaw in a box that we chill by continuously casting ray of frost upon it's box.

[@sandyd53]

Have I took a moment to say how much we the fans lobe you Brian and will ❤️

[@epiccthulu]

The spell "Stone to Flesh" is what needs to be used on someone turned into stone, if a potion isn't there. Also, the spell turns regular stone into dead flesh. If constructs weren't immune to transmutation spells, rock golems could be converted into flesh golems.

[@Ragitsu]

Low-level adventure idea: moving the petrified form of a friend/ally to a healer capable to reversing the transmutation. I don't know the exact density of generic "stone", but their body - in that form - ought to weigh *at least* several hundred pounds.

[@epiccthulu]

@@Ragitsu and that is a perfect example of why I don’t personally dislike resurrections. Dragging a corpse from the depths of a dungeon to the steps of a church can be its own adventure. In case of petrified friends...Throw a Hungry Xorn at them, lol.

[@philiphamel8504]

My favorite moment of fighting one of these monsters was dropping a Globe of Darkness, and engaging it with the Devil Sight Warlock Invocation. It died shortly soon after.

[@Wyatt1760]

I like how I'm making one of my characters atm have parents who breed and train Basilisks, but they are halflings 🤣

[@abiggs4828]

I love the idea of getting the eaten bits back from the basilisk’s gullet once a victim has been eaten, but couldn’t an enterprising alchemist/adventurer just cut out the gullet and extract the chemicals that turn stone back into flesh? Ready made potion of depetrification no?

[@destonlee2838]

The turducken is a type of basilisk, tho, innit?

[@aliceofspades]

Poor Bob. Maybe you could turn his arm back into stone, reattach it to him with a mending spell, THEN de-petrify him? Hope that would work.

[@shamusfarmer]

I like your idea for the long rest. I was wondering how you were gonna do an entire year on the Beholder and it's kin. Good work around!

[@JamJestKesh]

Harry Potter Basilisk (movie) is modeled more after a legless lizard, than a snake

[@HenriFaust]

A lot of animals can't comprehend mirrors: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_test

[@forddent1865]

Could y’all do an episode in Aarakocras?

[@Thedungeoncast]

We did!

[@forddent1865]

@@Thedungeoncast Yeah I found the episode an hour after posting that lol. Thank you guys I've been listening constantly! This is a huge help and quite entertaining.

[@nathanthaxton7492]

If it's medium. I would say it's komodo dragon sized.

[@firesniperbullet2]

R.I.P bobs arm

[@HozionWalker]

Can you guys do ki-Rin video. And R.I.P. bob arm

[@Silvertrif0rce]

I'd say higher your passive perception the higher the DC to avoid the initial petrification ,maybe a wis save (Representative of instinct) vs passive perception?

[@damianstruiken5886]

i think the dnd basilisk is based of this one en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Basilisk_aldrovandi.jpg

[@haypayne8937]

Cockatrice is not pronounced with the the 'eeeeece' at the end... its a cockatrice... last syllable should rhyme with thrice or twice..... whats with the Cockatreece pronunciation???

[@brianroberts783]

I've always heard it pronounced the way they said it. I'd guess the difference in pronunciation is probably regional or dialect based.